“The departure of the Chief Operating Officer prompted me to consider my own future. Since then I have become Chair of the AUA and, more recently, the Vice-Chancellor announced his intention to retire. These events have crystallised my thinking and I have decided that now is the ideal time to move on and create the opportunity for the University to assess its needs. Southampton is justifiably an ambitious world class institution with staff and students who do extraordinary things; it has been a privilege to work here.”
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam said, “Tessa has achieved a great deal since she joined us three years ago, and I have been consistently impressed by her passionate commitment to improving the experience of our students. Among her many successes, the implementation of the Southampton Welcome stands out as a legacy that continues to transform the experience of our newly arriving students, helping them to adjust successfully to University life. I wish her well in this next phase of her career.”
Former President of SUSU, David Gilani, said, “For me the two greatest contributions that Tessa has given to the University of Southampton are student focus and student engagement. This student focus has meant an incredible culture shift to the user experience, when structuring and developing our professional services. [She] has made massive strides to engage students in how the University is run.”
Tessa will be leaving us on 31 August 2014 and with annual leave her final day in the office will be Thursday 14 August.