Professor Jan Thomas was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2017 and is the sixth vice-chancellor and the second woman to hold the position.
Massey University’s Council today confirmed the reappointment of Professor Jan Thomas as Vice-Chancellor for a second term, acknowledging her strong leadership through the disruption of Covid-19 and the university’s achievements against its strategic plan despite the challenging environment.
Massey University Chancellor Michael Ahie said that Council’s People and Culture Committee had unanimously expressed its confidence in Professor Thomas’ ongoing leadership as Vice-Chancellor, particularly in light of her ongoing achievements in future-proofing the university and reshaping its academic offering.
“Professor Thomas is to be commended for steering Massey through the turmoil of Covid-19 with a steady hand,” Mr Ahie said. “She led with resilience, drive and sensitivity to bring the university to a robust state at the end of a tough year in 2020, positioning Massey for future success and enabling the university to continue pushing forward with its strategic objectives.
“It is also noted that in spite of the disruption of Covid-19, Professor Thomas has maintained a high level of energy and effort in reshaping Massey into a university that is future-proofed and making responsible use of public funding. Massey University’s Council is impressed with Professor Thomas’ ongoing and consistent execution of strategy, particularly in ensuring the university lives up to its ambition as a Te Tiriti-led institution.
“Council has confidence in Professor Thomas’ ongoing leadership in her second term as Massey University’s Vice-Chancellor and we look forward to her vision for education in Aotearoa New Zealand coming to life and making a national impact.”
Professor Thomas said she was honoured to be able to continue her work as Vice-Chancellor of Massey University amongst many talented people.
“I am honoured to be leading Massey University through its next stage of development and transformation,” Professor Thomas said. “Massey stands for equity and excellence, and our current and future contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand is transformational. It is a real privilege to be working with such talented and passionate people. I want to also acknowledge the strong work of our senior leadership team, as nobody achieves anything in isolation. I am really looking forward to our upcoming work over the next five years as we continue to strive to provide education for all Kiwis and a truly student-centred experience. Much of our work over the coming years will cement our place as New Zealand’s leading flexible learning institution as well as a place of research excellence.”