Tim Wheeler (academic)

Timothy Wheeler DL (born 1950), is the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chester.[1] He was Appointed Principal of University College Chester in 1998 and became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chester in 2005.[2] He retired in December 2019.[3]

Education

He was educated at Colwyn Bay Grammar School, Eirias High School and Llandrillo College before attending the University College of North Wales, Bangor, where he studied as an undergraduate and subsequently gained a Doctorate in Psychology.[1]

Appointments prior to Chester

Wheeler held lectureships in Psychology and Communications at Sheffield Hallam University[1] in the 1970s, was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Human Studies at Dublin City University[1] and, in 1985, Professor and Head of the School of Social Studies at the Robert Gordon University.[1]

Combined with a period as Senior Visiting Research Scholar at St John's College, Oxford,[1] he was Head of the Department of Communication and Media at Bournemouth University. He moved to Southampton Institute in 1991 as a member of the Directorate. He became Acting Director in 1997.[4]

Work and appointments elsewhere

He is a Deputy Lieutenant for Cheshire and is actively involved with Chester Cathedral. He was deputy chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.[1]

Work at the University of Chester

During his tenure as Vice Chancellor Wheeler has most recently been responsible for the purchase of Western Command Building, now Churchill House overlooking the River Dee in Chester, formerly owned by Lloyds Bank PLC and prior to that the acquisition of the Shell International Research Centre at Thornton, now the Thornton Science Park; County Hall, Chester and Kingsway High School by the university. During his time as principal, the University has grown from c.4,000 students to just over 20,000 students and turnover has increased from £14M to over £120M.[5][6] He retired from his position as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Chester in December 2019. His successor is Professor Eunice Simmons, the first female Vice-Chancellor in the University's history.

Personal life

He is married with three daughters and three grand-children, lives in Cheshire and enjoys music, theatre and the arts.[1]

References

1. "Vice Chancellor - Professor Tim Wheeler". University of Chester. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
2. Tysome, Tony (29 July 2005). "People asked "is it a joyful occasion?"it is - but it is more a sense of relief". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
3. "University of Chester vice chancellor to retire from his £250k a year job". Chester and District Standard. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
4. "Southampton Institute appoints Roger Brown". Times Higher Education. 30 January 1998. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
5. Ellams, Barry (5 November 2009). "University of Chester confirms purchase of County Hall". Chester Chroncile. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
6. Holmes, David (12 March 2010), "News: Chester & Cheshire news, health, business - Cheshire Live", Chester Chroncile, retrieved 28 April 2012