Welcome to Birkbeck

We’re delighted you are considering joining us as our new Chair. At Birkbeck University, we exist for our students; providing educational opportunities that combine access with quality.

We want to help students gain direct skills and knowledge to help them prosper but know we must do more than this. We are committed to creating a learning community inside and outside the classroom, among students as well as between students and teachers; developing social, as well as intellectual capital; and helping our students have agency and impact – to challenge, question, contribute and reason in a difficult world.

Birkbeck is building on its unique history and values creating a unique proposition within the London and UK higher education landscape so that it continues to grow, thrive, and transform lives in its third century.

The appointment of our new Chair will be a crucial component to our success, bringing unique perspectives and leadership expertise that will ensure we remain focused on the strategic direction of the University; effectively championing our mission, values, and long-term sustainability.

The Chair will support us in navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead as we deliver our vision for Birkbeck. We look forward to discovering how you can help us shape the next chapter of Birkbeck’s story, and hope you find the information on this microsite useful. If you would like to discuss your application further, please do not hesitate to contact our search partners at Anderson Quigley in the first instance.

We very much hope that you will make the application and look forward to hearing from you.

Birkbeck has helped students to achieve their academic and career goals for over 200 years. A part of the prestigious University of London for over 100 years, Birkbeck celebrated its bicentenary in 2023 with a year of activities and events to reflect on its revolutionary inception, its impact on the world today and future plans. Birkbeck was created as part of a radical drive to provide education for working Londoners, for those with no other opportunities to access and benefit from what our founder George Birkbeck described as “the universal benefits of the blessings of knowledge”. 

Today our students are tube drivers, fund managers, librarians and care workers. They are nurses, lawyers, taxi drivers, full-time parents, carers and even grandparents. They are 18 – 80+ years-old and as diverse as the capital’s population. Without Birkbeck many of them would not have access to university study. Our students study in an academic environment enriched by the breadth of experience they themselves bring to our community. Our academics bring the highest quality research and committed scholarship which informs their teaching. Together, we will develop and pursue the opportunities that will see our mission flourish into its third century. 

We are committed to building stronger links with London business and the London economy and broadening our public engagement. We take pride in the quality and dynamism of our teaching and have invested a lot of money in our digital infrastructure in recent years. This includes  adapting nearly all of our classrooms for hybrid teaching to enable students to choose whether they join classes in-person or online, providing a high-quality interactive learning experience in both modes.  

A new Virtual Reality & Immersive Learning (VRIL) suite has also been launched to enhance the range and scope of our teaching and support for the longer term through the use of modern software and technology. We are also focusing on the expansion of our international recruitment and partnerships, reflecting our international standing and our position as one of the UK’s major providers of postgraduate education. 

We have also embarked on major campus improvements including the launch of two brand-new Student Lounges, providing flexible multi-purpose spaces for students to collaborate and interact.  

Birkbeck, University of London is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS) and is accountable to the OfS for fulfilling its obligations as a Higher Education provider. It is an exempt charity under the terms of the Charities Act 2011.

Whilst a member of the University of London, the University of London Act 2018 formally established Birkbeck, alongside other University of London colleges as universities in their own right. 

The Governing Body, referred to as Governors, is collectively responsible for overseeing Birkbeck’s activities. Our Royal Charter invests in Governors the authority to exercise the powers of the College, and to oversee its management and control and the administration of its property and income. 

Working with College management, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Governors determine Birkbeck’s future direction and promote the fulfilment of its mission, the advancement of its values and the potential of all its learners. Governors are also responsible for ensuring compliance with Birkbeck’s constitutional and regulatory framework and taking all final decisions on strategic matters and issues of fundamental concern to the College. 

Governors meet three times a year towards the end of each academic term, and have a Strategic Horizons away- day, to discuss long term and strategy proposals, each year, in January or February. 

There are 21 Governors: eleven are independent Governors, seven are members of staff including the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, two are students and one is an alumnus of the College. 

There are three committees of the Governing Body: Finance and General Purposes; Audit; and Remuneration and Nominations. The University Executive Board and Academic Board also make regular reports to the Governing Body. Further details can be found here.

Birkbeck’s five year plan can be found here.

Birkbeck’s commitment to equality and diversity

Birkbeck is committed to providing the highest quality academic and working environment where all staff, students, visitors and contractors are welcomed, respected and treated in a fair, consistent and non- discriminatory manner. The College is proud of its diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. No one will be treated unfairly because of their sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, carer status, political belief, pregnancy/ maternity, social class, gender identity or marital/civil partnership. Birkbeck is a member of the ‘positive about disability’ Disability Confident scheme and guarantees to interview all candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria for the post. Birkbeck is a member of the Equality Challenge Unit, holds a Bronze level Athena SWAN award, a Mindful Employers Charter signatory and subscribes to Stonewall’s Diversity Champions. 

Time commitment and term of office

The Chair of the Governing Body is a high profile and rewarding voluntary role. In the spirit of charity governance, Governors are not remunerated, but members may reclaim all reasonable travelling and similar expenses incurred in the course of Birkbeck’s business. 

The time commitment will vary cyclically throughout the year, depending on the nature of the College’s activities and the timing of key decisions. The Chair is also Chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees and an ex officio member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. Remuneration Committee’s discussions on the Vice-Chancellor’s pay are chaired by the Deputy Chair.  The Chair may also, on occasion, request the Deputy Chair to stand in for him or her at committee meetings or other engagements.

A workable average time commitment is three to four days per month. There are three meetings of the Governing Body per year (one per term) and a Governing Body strategy away-day. The Finance Committee meets three times per year and Remuneration Committee and Nominations Committee meet at least once. 

Now in its third century, there continues to be a vital role for the Chair in championing Birkbeck and helping to connect it to partners, donors and stakeholders.

It is hoped that the successful candidate will formally join the Governing Body as Chair in October 2025, with the expectation to provide a significant period of handover and induction from early summer 2025 onwards. 

The Chair is appointed by the Governing Body of Birkbeck, on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee, as an Independent Governor, initially for a three year period. Independent Governors may normally be re-appointed for two additional three-year terms. 

Appointment and re-appointment to the position of Chair is confirmed through the Nominations Committee on an annual basis.