Geoffrey Holland
Encyclopedia
Sir Geoffrey Holland KCB
(born 9 May 1938) is a career civil servant who became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter
from 1994 to 2002, when he was succeeded by Professor Steve Smith
. Holland Hall, a large student hall of residence which opened in 2004 on the Exeter campus is named after him.
, as did his mother.
He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
on a scholarship and spent two years in the Royal Tank Regiment
for National Service
, becoming a Second Lieutenant
. He received a first class BA
honours degree in Modern Languages from St John's College, Oxford
.
in 1961, working as a civil servant until the 1990s in the Department of Employment, becoming the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education (DFE) from 1993-4. He was knighted in 1989. In 1994 he became VC of the University of Exeter
.
In August 2003, he was appointed Chair of the Learning and Skills Development Agency
. In 2006, he was appointed Chair of the Quality Improvement Agency
.
From 1998-2000 he was President of the IPD
. In 2008 he became President of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 9 May 1938) is a career civil servant who became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
from 1994 to 2002, when he was succeeded by Professor Steve Smith
Steve Smith (academic)
Sir Steven Murray Smith, AcSS is an international relations theorist, academic, and senior university manager.In October 2002 he succeeded Geoffrey Holland as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and from 2009-2011 was the President of Universities UK.-Early life:He attended the City of...
. Holland Hall, a large student hall of residence which opened in 2004 on the Exeter campus is named after him.
Early life
He is the son of Frank Holland CBE, a civil servant for London County Council, who came from the Potteries in north StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, as did his mother.
He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
on a scholarship and spent two years in the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
for National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, becoming a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He received a first class BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
honours degree in Modern Languages from St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
.
Career
He joined the Ministry of LabourMinistry of Labour
The Ministry of Labour was a British civil service department established by the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916. It was renamed the Employment Department in 1988, and finally abolished in 1995...
in 1961, working as a civil servant until the 1990s in the Department of Employment, becoming the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education (DFE) from 1993-4. He was knighted in 1989. In 1994 he became VC of the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
.
In August 2003, he was appointed Chair of the Learning and Skills Development Agency
Learning and Skills Development Agency
The Learning and Skills Development Agency was a publicly-funded body in the United Kingdom that supported further education in England. At the end of March 2006 its functions were divided into the Quality Improvement Agency and the Learning and Skills Network and its trading subsidiary, Inspire...
. In 2006, he was appointed Chair of the Quality Improvement Agency
Quality Improvement Agency
The Quality Improvement Agency was a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government whose remit was to support those institutions that provide education, but which are not schools or universities...
.
From 1998-2000 he was President of the IPD
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is Europe's largest professional institute for people management and development. It is located in Wimbledon, London, England. The organisation has over 135,000 members across 120 countries, and achieved chartered status in 2000...
. In 2008 he became President of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom is a learned society with a scientific laboratory that undertakes research in marine biology. The organisation was founded in 1884 and has been based in Plymouth since the laboratory was opened in June 1888...
.