Senior appointments following university merger

A number of senior appointments have been announced following the merger between Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Writtle University College.

The merger officially took place on Thursday, 29 February and Writtle’s full range of courses are being delivered on the Writtle campus, on the outskirts of Chelmsford, which is now known as ARU Writtle.

The ARU Writtle campus is also home to a new Further Education college, Writtle College, which is continuing the current 16-18-year-old provision as well as providing a range of courses for adult learners.

One of the first appointments is Kersty Ellis, who has been named as Principal of the new Writtle College. Kersty is a Registered Veterinary Nurse and has worked in Further Education since 1999, before joining Writtle in 2008.

Kersty was Director of Further Education at Writtle, and had previously managed the Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing Further Education teams, as well as overseeing the Titchmarsh Centre, which is Writtle’s Animal Unit.

Kersty said:

“I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of Principal of the newly formed Writtle College. With the merger of ARU and Writtle University College, we are embarking on a fantastic journey together. We aim to build on our already established FE portfolio and create a warm and welcoming community where innovation thrives, and our students can maximise their potential.”

Meanwhile, Andy Sparks and Ruth Harrison have taken up senior positions on the FE Board at Writtle. Andy, who was a Board member of Writtle University College and a former Principal of Chelmsford College, has been appointed as Chair, while Ruth, a former Vice Principal at the College of West Anglia, will serve as Vice Chair of the FE Board and will also Chair the Academic Quality Committee.