Alasdair Smith
Encyclopedia
Alasdair Smith is a professor of economics
and former Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sussex
and former Chair of the 1994 Group
. He is a noted international economist whose studies (often developed in concert with fellow economist Tony Venables) have been used by the European Union
.
Smith was born on the Isle of Lewis
in Scotland
and is married to Sherry Ferdman, an Associate Tutor at Sussex. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics
and Oxford University. He later taught for 17 years at the London School of Economics before moving to the University of Sussex in 1981, and becoming Vice-Chancellor in 1998.
His pro-top-up fees
stance resulted in the University of Sussex Students' Union calling for a vote of no-confidence in his leadership in a student election in February 2003. The members of the student union voted against Smith in large numbers. Smith later referred to the vote of no-confidence as "a clever piece of electioneering by some of the candidates standing for election as Students' Union officers".
From November 2005, the University of Sussex Students' Union has been conducting the Sort US Out campaign, which began at the Annual General Meeting of the Union with a vote of no-confidence in the University Council and senior management. A petition with 1,311 signatures supporting the Sort US Out campaign was presented to the University Council on 16 December 2005. The campaign calls for changes in senior management, especially since the "Investing in Excellence" paper was released, suggesting what is felt to be the closure of the Chemistry department. On 27 March 2006 he testified before an evidence session of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science and Technology, with regards to the proposed change in provision for chemistry. On the same day, he appeared on the Channel 4
News programme to defend the possibility that Sussex would close its Chemistry department. It was since decided by the University Senate that the chemistry department will remain open following lobbying from staff and students. The department has since been ranked number one in UK by the Guardian University Guide for 2008 though student recruitment remains a problem.
Smith announced in November 2006 that he was to stand down at the end of August 2007. His successor, Professor Michael Farthing
, took over as Vice-Chancellor on 1 September 2007, while Smith remained at Sussex as a professor (Economics). Sussex has since been one of the Universities in the headlines due to financial pressures due to underfunding with staff redundancies and future department closures imminent.
Smith was a member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body from 2001 to 2004. In March 2010, he became Chair of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and former Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and former Chair of the 1994 Group
1994 Group
The 1994 Group is a coalition of 19 top "smaller research-intensive universities" in the United Kingdom founded in 1994 to defend their interests following the creation of the Russell Group by larger research-intensive universities earlier that year...
. He is a noted international economist whose studies (often developed in concert with fellow economist Tony Venables) have been used by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Smith was born on the Isle of Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and is married to Sherry Ferdman, an Associate Tutor at Sussex. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Oxford University. He later taught for 17 years at the London School of Economics before moving to the University of Sussex in 1981, and becoming Vice-Chancellor in 1998.
His pro-top-up fees
Top-up fees
Tuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition...
stance resulted in the University of Sussex Students' Union calling for a vote of no-confidence in his leadership in a student election in February 2003. The members of the student union voted against Smith in large numbers. Smith later referred to the vote of no-confidence as "a clever piece of electioneering by some of the candidates standing for election as Students' Union officers".
From November 2005, the University of Sussex Students' Union has been conducting the Sort US Out campaign, which began at the Annual General Meeting of the Union with a vote of no-confidence in the University Council and senior management. A petition with 1,311 signatures supporting the Sort US Out campaign was presented to the University Council on 16 December 2005. The campaign calls for changes in senior management, especially since the "Investing in Excellence" paper was released, suggesting what is felt to be the closure of the Chemistry department. On 27 March 2006 he testified before an evidence session of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science and Technology, with regards to the proposed change in provision for chemistry. On the same day, he appeared on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
News programme to defend the possibility that Sussex would close its Chemistry department. It was since decided by the University Senate that the chemistry department will remain open following lobbying from staff and students. The department has since been ranked number one in UK by the Guardian University Guide for 2008 though student recruitment remains a problem.
Smith announced in November 2006 that he was to stand down at the end of August 2007. His successor, Professor Michael Farthing
Michael Farthing
Professor Michael Farthing is a British academic administrator, physician and medical researcher. He is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sussex, having succeeded Professor Alasdair Smith in September 2007. Prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor at Sussex, his academic career was in...
, took over as Vice-Chancellor on 1 September 2007, while Smith remained at Sussex as a professor (Economics). Sussex has since been one of the Universities in the headlines due to financial pressures due to underfunding with staff redundancies and future department closures imminent.
Smith was a member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body from 2001 to 2004. In March 2010, he became Chair of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.