Two professors of education will lead the representative body for university teacher training departments when its current head stands down, it has announced.
James Noble-Rogers, who has headed the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers for 22 years, announced last year he would retire this April.
The executive director position will be taken over jointly by current UCET chair Stefanie Sullivan and Jo McIntyre, a fellow professor of education at Nottingham University.
Noble-Rogers said: “This is an excellent appointment. I have worked closely with both Stef and Jo, and I know that they are the perfect choice to lead UCET into a new era.”
Sullivan and McIntyre said they were “delighted and honoured” by their new roles, which they will start on April 13.
“University teacher education providers in the UK do a brilliant job, despite many challenges, working with schools and colleges to develop the next generation of teachers, designing and delivering high quality initial teacher education and CPD programmes and conducting groundbreaking education research,” they said in a joint statement.
“We look forward to building on what has already been achieved and to strengthening the teacher education base on which schools and colleges depend.”
McIntyre will remain a professor at Nottingham but will work part-time, focusing on her research in refugee education and teacher education policy. She will also continue working as co-leader of the Centre of Researching Inclusion and Social Justice in and through Education.
Sullivan will be leaving Nottingham’s school of education, where she is currently deputy head, after 23 years but is expected to continue supporting the university as an emeritus professor.
Sullivan will be succeeded as chair of UCET by Lisa Murtagh from Manchester University, until a new chair is elected in September.
Noble-Rogers will continue providing support for an interim period.
UCET represents more than 90 member universities and colleges providing teacher education at HE level.
Noble-Rogers is only the second executive director of UCET, which was formed in 1968.
He was previously due to step down from his role on March 31, but is now expected to leave in mid-April.
