Prof. Ruth Farwell CBE
Prof. Ruth Farwell CBE
Independent Governor
Ruth Farwell was Vice Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University from January 2006 to January 2015, having previously been Pro Vice Chancellor at London South Bank University with a portfolio covering academic planning and quality. She now acts as an education consultant and in that capacity advises on academic governance and spent two years with the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership on their strategy to bring employers together with all sectors of education to enhance the work-related skills of young people.
Ruth was Chair of the representative body GuildHE for two terms of office until November 2013, and continued as a member of its Executive until she retired. During 2009 – 2015 she served as a member of the Board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and chaired HEFCE’s Teaching, Quality and Student Experience Committee. Other previous posts in public life have included service as a further education college governor and chair, and as a secondary school governor and chair. Currently she is a governor at Southampton Solent University and Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors at Pearson College London.
Ruth was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to higher education and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 2015. She was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 2018-19.
Ruth is now Chair of the South Bank Colleges Board of Trustees and independent governor on the LSBU Board of Governors.