The Principal of Harper Adams University College announced today that he plans to retire in September 2009.
Professor Wynne Jones has been Principal and Chief Executive of Harper Adams University College since 1996 and has led the institution through an extremely successful period in its history.
Commenting on his announcement, Professor Jones said: "It has been an honour and privilege to be at the helm at Harper Adams and with the support of a highly motivated and creative staff to steer the University College to such a successful position.
"It has been a pleasure to have welcomed so many bright and enterprising students to Harper Adams over the years. We appreciate and thank parents for entrusting us with the responsibility of guiding each student through an important stage of their education and early career.
"We have enjoyed a very successful year and have been awarded a number of new initiatives. I will have a very busy final year shaping and implementing these projects. I have been fortunate to enjoy the full support of an excellent Board of Governors which has enabled all of the staff and students at Harper to take the university college forward.
"I wish to acknowledge my thanks to all the business and industry members who have worked with us, whether in education, research or knowledge exchange.
"Living on campus with so many bright energetic young people over 22 years has been an incredible experience."
Professor Jones plans to retire to Aberystwyth.
A Search Committee has been established to manage the selection of the new Principal. The Committee will be led by the Chairman of the University College's Board of Governors, Alison Blackburn, who said: "I am sure that everyone will agree that Professor Jones's departure will be a great loss to Harper.
"He has been an inspiring leader. He will be continuing in the role for the coming year, which will allow time for the process of finding a successor."
During Professor Jones's period as Principal, Harper Adams has gained degree awarding powers, its University College title and, more recently, research degree awarding powers, firmly placing the institution at the forefront of land-based higher education in the UK.
The University College has also received a number of major awards including, in 2005, the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. In 2007, Harper Adams was rated as the top post-92 institution, was named University College of the Year and was short listed for the award of University of the Year in the Sunday Times university league table.
Student numbers have also grown to record levels, and the University College is routinely judged by students to be in the top 10 of higher education institutions in the annual National Student Survey.
Over the next year, Harper Adams will be embarking on a major new initiative to provide higher level skills development to employers in the rural sector, and on a number of major infrastructure investments to further enhance its facilities for education and research.
