New UHR Chair announced

Paul Boustead of Lancaster University is announced as the new Chair of Universities Human Resources (UHR) at a time of real challenge for HR teams across higher education

Paul Boustead takes on this role from 1^st October having previously served as Vice Chair of the organisation, which is the voice of university HR professionals and which works to promote best practice and support individual careers through continuing professional development. Paul will be in this role for one year with the option to extend to a second.

Paul is the Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Lancaster University and has previously held HR leadership roles in higher education, NHS and local education authorities. Lancaster is the Times/Sunday Times University of the Year 2018, has been consistently placed in the top 10 nationally and is one of the UK’s leading universities for graduate employment.

The major themes in higher education are clear to see. Brexit brings uncertainty, just as it does in every sector, and universities must work hard to ensure they are attractive teaching and research environments for international as well as domestic students and staff. Issues around pay, pensions and remuneration in its wider sense remain at the forefront of our minds. And HR teams have a role to play in helping institutions think about student experience, and how best to retain the confidence of stakeholders from government to funding bodies and industry. Wherever there is an issue or a challenge for our universities HR, OD and learning & development teams are likely to be in the thick of the debate, offering impactful solutions around cultural transformation and leadership development.

As Chair at UHR Paul will lead the organisation’s work to influence on behalf of our members, responding to consultations and calls for evidence on issues from senior pay to pensions. The need for cross-sector solutions has never been greater. During the last year UHR has collaborated within and beyond the higher educations sector, ensuring that the voice of HE HR is heard and understood on issues including health and safety, equalities and diversity, and fraud prevention.

Paul Boustead, UHR Chair, said: “UHR has an important role to play in leading and representing the HR profession within higher education. As institutions we need to be capable of shaping a world-leading workforce, and of inspiring the great leaders, the great scientists, the great writers, the great thinkers of the next generation. As HR professionals we are conscious that our work is a framework activity that allows each new generation of students to climb high. And there is much for us to get right – as leaders within our own institutions and beyond that as a sector.”

UHR Executive Director Helen Scott said: “We welcome Paul to the role of UHR Chair at a time of public scrutiny of the way in which our universities are run. From gender pay gap reporting to the quality of outputs as shown by TEF and REF, to the wellbeing of our students and staff – Paul’s knowledge will help ensure that UHR delivers on its remit of supporting our members to think better and work smarter in their daily HR roles. There are so many reasons for UK universities to be proud, and as HR professionals we can play a part if getting that message out there.”