Staffordshire v-c stands down due to health concerns

The vice-chancellor of the University of Staffordshire has resigned with immediate effect owing to health concerns.

Martin Jones, who has led the university since 2022, will be replaced by Philip Plowden, the former vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University, on an interim basis.

Staffordshire said in a statement that Jones was “taking a career break to focus on personal wellbeing and family, before pursuing new opportunities in the higher education sector”.

A scholar in economic and political geography, Jones first joined Staffordshire in May 2017 as deputy vice-chancellor before being elevated to the top job in January 2022.

He previously held leadership toles at the University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University.

Plowden retired from Birmingham City in 2023 after six years in charge. In a post on LinkedIn, he said he was “delighted” to be taking interim charge, calling Staffordshire “one of the UK’s foremost digital and professional universities, with an outstanding reputation for its work in supporting student careers”.

It is understood that Jones was absent for a period prior to standing down. The university said he had led the institution “through a period of significant change” and had “secured continued financial sustainability in the most trying of sector circumstances”.

Jones said he was “very grateful for the opportunity” to have led Staffordshire. “What I loved most about my job is seeing the real impact we make on our students’ lives. Education has the power to change everything – it opens doors, builds confidence, and creates opportunities that can transform not just one life, but whole families and communities.”

“Watching our students grow, achieve, and go on to make a difference in the world is a privilege I never take for granted and one that I will always cherish. My work colleagues have equally been ambitious and inspirational. I wish them and our students well as the university goes forward, always being innovative and enterprising.”

Jonathan Chapman, the interim chair of Staffordshire’s board of governors, said that Jones had “made an important contribution to the university’s development, our civic mission, and our commitment to students and communities across the region”.

“The board’s priority now is to ensure a smooth transition and continued momentum in delivering the university’s strategy, under the leadership of interim vice-chancellor Professor Philip Plowden.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com