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David Bell (university administrator)

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Sir
David Bell
KCB DL
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 September 2018
Preceded byShirley Atkinson
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading
In office
2012 – September 2018
Preceded byTony Downes (acting)
Succeeded byRobert Van de Noort
Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education[a]
In office
January 2006 – September 2012
Preceded byDavid Normington
Succeeded byTom Jeffery (acting)
Chief Inspector of Ofsted
In office
1 May 2002 – 2006
Preceded byMike Tomlinson
Succeeded byMaurice Smith (acting)
Personal details
Born1959 (age 64–65)
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
Jordanhill College of Education (PGCE)

Sir David Robert Bell KCB DL (born March 1959) is a public policy analyst who is Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading for six years. Prior to that, he was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and its predecessor departments from January 2006 until 2012. Before that he was Chief Inspector of Schools at the Office for Standards in Education from 2002.

Early life and career

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Bell studied history and philosophy at Glasgow University and obtained his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Jordanhill College of Education. He also has a Master of Education degree in management and administration from Glasgow University. Bell then held teaching posts at primary schools in Glasgow, moving on to become a deputy head, and then a headteacher at Kingston Primary School, in Thundersley, Essex.[1]

Educational administration

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In 1990, Bell became assistant director of education at Newcastle City Council. During this time he spent a year as a Harkness Fellow at Georgia State University, Atlanta, studying education and local government reform across the United States of America. Bell trained as an Ofsted team inspector in 1993. He became a Registered Inspector in 1994 and carried out inspections in primary schools. He was promoted to director of education and libraries at Newcastle City Council in 1995 and became chief executive of Bedfordshire County Council in 2000.[1]

Educational standards

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Bell took up his post as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools on 1 May 2002.[2][3] He was Chief Inspector for over three years and, in January 2006, he became Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills, named the Department for Children, Schools and Families from June 2007, and then the Department for Education from May 2010.[4]

University of Reading

[edit]
Bell faces student protests

In September 2012,[5] Bell left the civil service to become the vice-chancellor of the University of Reading. He succeeded Acting Vice-Chancellor Tony Downes.[6]

In 2016 a move to reorganise the structure of Reading University provoked student protests.[7] On 21 March 2016, staff announced a vote of no confidence in Bell,[8] the no-confidence motion being backed by 88% of those who voted.[9]

Bell left the University of Reading in September 2018 and was succeeded by Robert Van de Noort as acting vice-chancellor.[10] Bell had left "under a cloud", according to Times Higher Education[11] when it emerged that Reading had returned a £20 million deficit, largely because of its Malaysia campus.

University of Sunderland

[edit]

Bell began his new role as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland on 24 September 2018.[5] He announced the closure of history, politics, modern languages and public health courses, and of research in those fields, on 13 January 2020.[12]

Childcare Centre

[edit]

It was announced in an email from Bell on 18 September 2024 that St Mary's Childcare Centre based at City Campus will close permanently on 23 July 2025.[13] He wrote, "The Childcare Centre is currently running at a substantial loss. This means that it is subsidised by the University, with the subsidy for 2023/24 projected to be in excess of £250,000... Last academic year, the service was used by 45 families, including 17 members of staff and 11 students. Currently, there are 34 children registered in the Centre."[13]

National Glass Centre

[edit]

Bell announced on 12 January 2023 that the National Glass Centre building would be closed (and probably demolished) within 3 years.[14] Bell says that due to the cost of the relocation estimated at £9.4million, it has instead decided to close the course in summer 2026, with recruitment stopping from September [2024].[15] This is despite a £250million capital development budget for the University[16] and will shutter the centre, which is a heritage and history of glassmaking at Sunderland since the 7th century.[15] As a consequence, the University announced on 22 March 2024 that its glass and ceramics academic programme will close in summer 2026.[17][18]

Restructuring, voluntary severances, and layoffs

[edit]

Under Bell's leadership, staff at the University of Sunderland have faced departmental restructuring and combining of faculties[19] and voluntary severance offers with caveats that if not enough voluntary severance offers are taken, targeted layoffs and redundancies will be undertaken.[20][21] On 30 September 2024, the University and Colleges Union (UCU) warned the institution is considering 76 redundancies, including 60 out of 549, more than one in ten, of its academic staff.[22][23] The union added: "This is the second formal notification of redundancies in under six months. In neither this, nor the previous notification, were any management jobs put at risk."[24] It is of note that during this period of layoffs and restructuring, a new executive member of staff was appointed, for the position of Pro Vice Chancellor of Learning and Teaching.[25]

Parking fees

[edit]

In May 2024, it was announced that parking at the University of Sunderland would see a rise from £1.30 to £6 per day - or 462% - and from 35p to £1.60 per hour.[26] This has seen calls for the price to return to the previous rate from the student and staff unions.[27][26]

Graduation fees

[edit]

In 2024, the University introduced a £30.00 per guest charge for any students who wish to bring family or friends to their graduation ceremony. Previously free, the Student´s Union has a petition online calling for this to be removed, in recognition of the increased cost of living and job insecurity that students are facing. [28]

Honours

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Bell was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2011 Birthday Honours[29] and a Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear in 2020.[30]

Notes

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  1. ^ Known as the Department for Education and Skills from 2001 to 28 June 2007 and the Department for Children, Schools and Families from 28 June 2007 to 2010.

References

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  1. ^ a b A & C Black (2015). "BELL, Sir David (Robert)". Who's Who 2016. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  2. ^ "David Bell – Permanent Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families". UK Civil Service. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  3. ^ "University welcomes new Vice-Chancellor". University of Reading. 4 January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  4. ^ "David Bell Named as new Permanent Secretary at Department for Education and Skills". Department for Children, Schools and Families. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Our new Vice-Chancellor". The University of Sunderland. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  6. ^ "University of Reading appoints Permanent Secretary for Education as new Vice-Chancellor". University of Reading Press Releases. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  7. ^ Hyde, Nathan John (22 March 2016). "Cost-cutting review slammed by University of Reading student". getreading. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  8. ^ Hyde, Nathan (22 March 2016). "University of Reading vice chancellor faces vote of no confidence". getreading. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  9. ^ "'No confidence' in University of Reading vice-chancellor". BBC News. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Professor Robert Van de Noort appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading". Reading.co.uk. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  11. ^ Morgan, John (20 February 2019). "Tough at the top: v-cs who left under a cloud". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Announcing our career-focused curriculum". The University of Sunderland. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  13. ^ a b Message from VC Childcare Centre Closing.pdf. (n.d.). Google Docs. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/147olOdZmHm1jsrUZatgNTW5djr0oy2Fa/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook
  14. ^ "New City Centre home being explored for reimagined National Glass Centre". 12 January 2023.
  15. ^ a b I hoped to become a glass artist, but the university’s decision has left me shattered. (2024, April 11). Sunderland Echo. https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/people/artists-letter-to-university-of-sunderland-over-course-closure-thats-further-nail-in-glassmaking-coffin-4584954
  16. ^ Game-changing £250 million investment for University of Sunderland. (2023, February 6). University of Sunderland. https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/story/game-changing-250-million-investment-for-university-of-sunderland-2043
  17. ^ "Changes to glass and ceramics programming". 22 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Artist's letter to University of Sunderland over course closure that's further nail in glassmaking coffin". 27 April 2024.
  19. ^ Message from VC Restructuring.pdf. (n.d.). Google Docs. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FQOKlq-3KBPKloDpof-2X8v4QShFdSE0/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook
  20. ^ Joint Statement. (n.d.). University of Sunderland. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/university-news/2024/sunderland-ucu-unison-joint-statement/
  21. ^ University working with unions to “avoid compulsory redundancies” after jobs shock. (2024, October 8). Sunderland Echo. https://www.sunderlandecho.com/education/university-of-sunderland-working-with-unions-to-avoid-compulsory-redundancies-after-jobs-bombshell-4815276
  22. ^ Union warns University of Sunderland considering 76 redundancies. (2024, September 30). Sunderland Echo. https://www.sunderlandecho.com/education/union-warns-university-of-sunderland-considering-76-redundancies-with-jobs-going-by-christmas-4803297
  23. ^ University of Sunderland threatens to make more than 1 in 10 academics redundant. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13740/University-of-Sunderland-threatens-to-make-more-than-1-in-10-academics-redundant
  24. ^ Foster, A. (2024, September 30). Dozens of Sunderland university staff facing redundancy. Chronicle Live. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/sunderland-university-staff-redundancies-students-30040213
  25. ^ Pro Vice-Chancellor. (n.d.). University of Sunderland. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/university-news/2024/pro-vice-chancellor/
  26. ^ a b Increase of parking fees at Sunderland Campus @ University of Sunderland Students’ Union. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.sunderlandsu.co.uk/thestudentvoice/increase-of-parking-fees-at-sunderland-campus
  27. ^ Calls to stop Sunderland University parking charge rise. (2024, May 23). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1108q9ee9o
  28. ^ "Free Graduation Ceremony Tickets @ University of Sunderland Students' Union". www.sunderlandsu.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  29. ^ "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 2.
  30. ^ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions". The Gazette. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
Government offices
Preceded by Chief Inspector of Ofsted
2002–2006 		Succeeded by
Maurice Smith
Acting
Preceded by Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education and Skills
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Preceded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education and Skills 		Permanent Secretary of the Department for Children, Schools and Families
2007–2010 		Succeeded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education
Preceded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Children, Schools and Families 		Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education
2010–2012 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading
2012–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Shirley Atkinson
 Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland
2018–present 		Incumbent
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