Dr Nicky Kemp is retiring after a 30-year association with the University of Bath, first as a student then in a range of leadership roles.
Nicky graduated from the University of Bath in 1983 with a BSc in Applied Biology and received a PhD in Zoology from the University of London four years later, where her research focused on molluscicides.
Nicky was working as Faculty Registrar for Science and Engineering at the University of Greenwich before returning to Bath as a member of staff in 1997.
Initially appointed as Assistant Registrar, supporting quality assurance, she was seconded to the Vice-Chancellor’s Office to draft bids for HEFCE recurrent and capital funding. As Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, she worked closely with the leadership team to develop and support institutional initiatives, policies and strategies.
Nicky was appointed Director of Policy and Planning in 2008 and in 2019 she became Director of Policy, Planning and Compliance. In 2023 she took up the new role of Chief Compliance Officer, responsible for organisational resilience including business continuity, risk and compliance management.
Nicky’s accomplishments at Bath are significant, numerous and wide-ranging, touching almost all parts of the University we know today.
Nicky has had a major role in physically shaping our campus, drafting the business cases for a number of buildings – the Chancellors’ Building, 4ES, 10West and the Milner Centre – as well as drafting the academic case to remove the Eastern playing fields from the Green Belt. Most recently, she worked with our planning consultant to ensure that our new Campus Masterplan was reflected in the B&NES Local Plan Partial Update, thereby creating the opportunity to deliver further growth of infrastructure on campus.
She has also been pivotal in our planning. She wrote our University strategies for 20 years, as well as our first Code of Ethics and Widening Participation plan.
She contributed to the successful University Challenge and Science Enterprise bids, which laid the foundations for the Innovation Centre and our SET-squared partnership.
She undertook the first Equality Impact Assessment mapping by department and reviewed the majority of the early departmental Athena Swan submissions
She introduced a cross-campus approach to co-ordinating intakes during the ‘Confirmation & Clearing’ period, and initiated a co-ordinated approach to the University’s student, staff and finance HESA returns to enhance our national league table performance.
Nicky said:
It has been a real joy and privilege to work with so many wonderful colleagues over the years and I am leaving with immense gratitude for my varied and fulfilling career at Bath. Over the years, I have been asked many times about the best aspect of working at the University and I always say it is how friendly our campus is and how helpful our colleagues are. I would like to thank everyone that I have worked with for their support, kindness and good humour. We have so many talented, creative and committed colleagues that I am confident the University will continue to go from one success to the next. I wish you all well for the future.
Professor Ian White, Vice-Chancellor, said:
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Nicky for everything she has done for the University. Her contribution over the years has been immeasurable and she has played a critical role in building the foundations for our successes today. Nicky has been a supportive, dedicated and trusted colleague and we will miss working with her. I know I speak for everyone when I wish her a very happy, fulfilling and well-earned retirement.
Nicky’s last day on campus will be Friday 12 April.