Selby College enhances its Board with the appointment of six new Governors

As part of its commitment to reflect the community it serves, Selby College has appointed six new Governors to its board.

Malik Rofidi, the former mayor of Selby, has joined the board as an Independent Governor and will play a key role on the College’s wellbeing committee. This comes following the College’s recent expansion of its mental health and wellbeing offer with a new NHS-based service, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting its students and staff.

“I am thrilled to be appointed as a Governor at Selby College, having worked with the College during my Mayorship in 2019-2020. In this time, I saw some of the excellent work done by the College and its staff and students and had the chance to share some moments that were certainly memorable for me,” said Malik. “Young adulthood is an exciting and important period of a person’s life and many of the foundations for the future are set at this stage. I am happy to be a small part of an institution that is integral to the lives of people experiencing this.”

Alexandra Miles, who is the Managing Director of a Yorkshire training provider network and a consultant in the Further Education sector, has also been appointed as an Independent Governor. Alexandra, who is passionate about education and training, in particular apprenticeships, will join the College’s Audit Committee.

“I aspire to ensure young people and adults can access opportunities to further develop themselves and gain skills and experiences that allow them to become employable, successful and beneficial contributors to our society,” said Alexandra. “Being a member of Selby College’s Governing Board is an exciting opportunity to provide support to a high-quality College and gain insights into the Further Education sector to enhance my knowledge and skills.”

Also joining the board as an Independent Governor is Vijay Teeluck, who will use her extensive experience in a range of educational settings and joins the Curriculum and Quality Committee. Vijay is a lecturer of Applied Mathematics and provides support to students within STEM subjects, alongside taking part in the Royal Institute’s programme of Masterclasses which aims to encourage school pupils to study mathematics.

Appointed as an Associate Governor, Michael Clarke will also join the College’s Audit Committee. Michael has almost forty years’ experience in commerce and industry at all levels of business. Explaining why he chose to become a Governor at Selby College, Michael said: “I have a strong belief that our young people are our future and the better the education we can provide for them, the better that future we will create for them and for all of us.”

Both Andrew Brown, Programme Leader for the IT and Computing Department and Ruth Baxter, who provides learning support for further education and adult learners at the College, have joined the Board as the College’s Staff Governors, following the Board’s decision to increase the number of Staff representatives last year.

Andrew currently teaches across Levels 3-6 of the College’s IT and Computing courses and wanted to become a Governor to help shape and change Selby College's future and its success.

Ruth works alongside the Learning Support Team at the College to provide personal and curriculum support, ensuring students receive the appropriate support to achieve their full potential. Ruth was previously a Head Teacher at a primary school and worked closely with school Governors on all aspects of leadership, management and governance.

“At Selby College, our Governors are at the heart of how our College operates. That is why it’s vital that we continue to expand and evolve our governance to ensure it reflects the community which we serve, including staff representation,” said Phil Sayles, Principal and Chief Executive at Selby College. “I’m delighted to welcome our new Governors on board, whose vast experience in the education sector will prove invaluable to the College and ensuring our students receive a high-quality education.”

As part of their roles, the new Governors will help to approve the quality strategy of the College, ensure effective and efficient use of resources, set a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all other staff and oversee the College’s activities.

The newest appointments will accompany the College’s existing Governing board, which includes: Richard Stiff, Chair; David Harbourne, Vice Chair; Phil Sayles, Principal and Chief Executive; Will Matthews, Higher Education Student Governor and the following Independent Governors: Cllr. Thomas Gordon, David Kellett, Joe Leigh, Gordon McAlpine, Janet Waggott, Julie Watson.