The UPP Foundation has announced that Jon Wakeford has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
The UPP Foundation is a registered charity that helps to tackle the biggest issues in higher education by funding innovative projects and providing a public policy platform. The Foundation’s activities are focussed within four themes: access and retention; student employability; the civic university and global citizenship.
The charity was created in 2016 by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), the UK’s leading provider of on-campus residential and academic accommodation infrastructure.
Jon takes over the role from Dr Paul Marshall, who has completed his term as Chair of the Trustee Board.
Currently Group Corporate Affairs Director at UPP, Jon originally joined the business in 2000 as Head of Research and Development. A graduate of the University of London and the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, he has over 20 years’ experience in the UK HE sector. He serves as a Director on the UPP Executive Leadership Team and is a member of the cross-party Higher Education Commission, providing regular commentary and input into HE policy and the media.
Jon said: “It is an honour to have been appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the UPP Foundation.
“In a little under three years, it has established itself as a leading charity in the higher education sector, with a mission to help universities transform lives and enrich communities. The impact it has already had – leading the debate on the Civic University and developing innovative projects with sector partners to support disadvantaged and underrepresented groups to succeed at university – is testament to its success.
“I am very much looking forward to driving this work forward and encouraging collaboration and innovation that will help to transform lives within the UK higher education sector.”
Since its launch in 2016, the UPP Foundation has funded a series of pilot projects to support disadvantaged and underrespresented students succeed at university. This includes the groundbreaking Universiy Mental Health Charter.
It also established the year-long UPP Foundation Civic University Commission, Chaired by Lord Kerslake. The Commission’s final report, published on 12 February, recommended that universities develop civic university agreements, co-signed by local civic partners. So far, over 50 UK Vice-Chancellors have pledged to create a CUA.
