Professor Anne Carlisle OBE, Vice-Chancellor at Falmouth University

Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Falmouth University, Professor Anne Carlisle OBE, has announced that she plans to step down from her role early next year.

Professor Carlisle has been Vice-Chancellor for 11 years, taking Falmouth through a significant growth phase. During her time, Professor Carlisle doubled the number of students studying Falmouth degrees, both on-campus and on-line and with partner institutions both at home and abroad.

In 2012, she successfully led Falmouth to gain university status and to become a Teaching Excellence Framework Gold ranked university in 2017. One of her biggest achievements is that of Launchpad, Falmouth University’s award-winning start-up programme, which to date has incubated 30 new tech companies, with a total valuation of over £8.5million.

When reflecting on her time at Falmouth, Professor Carlisle said: “I like to think I would be remembered for taking Falmouth through a major, major development and growth phase, becoming a very highly regarded university around the world. We are seen, and our students are seen, by many employers. I’d also within that really want to be remembered for Launchpad. Launchpad is unique, there is no university in Britain that has a thing like Launchpad and ultimately my wish would be that we could extend it as far as possible to include as many students as possible, to help launch them into the world.”

She continued: “I feel privileged to be Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive of this great university. Falmouth has a very exciting future. It has financial resilience, an ambitious and visionary 2030 Strategy, entrepreneurial and creative staff and students. It’s also in a wonderful place and I’m proud that the university has become an anchor institution and a catalyst for economic and social regeneration in this great region.”

Chris Pomfret OBE, Chair of Falmouth’s Board of Governors, has thanked Professor Carlisle for her leadership. The university is now beginning the process of recruiting a new Vice-Chancellor and CEO.

When asked if she would stay in Cornwall following her departure from the university, Professor Carlisle said: “Definitely. I absolutely love Cornwall, there’s just so many great things about it. Not only is it beautiful but it’s full of people who live on the edge in a very positive way. I see the edge as the place you fly from and you jump to exciting things.”