Leadership Foundation

Professor Dianne Willcocks, Emeritus Professor at York St John University, is a leadership consultant, advocate and practitioner for socially inclusive citizenship. Her major contribution is promoting educational endeavour and opportunity that engages with the needs of modern communities. The former Vice-Chancellor at York St John University, Professor Willcocks engages and publishes in contemporary debates around new learners and new learning styles in higher education and the distinctive role and contribution of church colleges and universities. She has previously held senior roles at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of North London. She currently leads the Governor Development Programme for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

A social scientist with a multidisciplinary practice, Professor Willcocks’ research is in the field of old-age. She encourages diverse audiences to recognise the significance of the creative/cultural economy. She also engages in public policy and practice debates to secure health and wellbeing through social inclusion.

Professor Willcocks was a founder member of Yorkshire’s first and continuing Lifelong Learning Network, Higher York; she has served on the Hefce Board and she is a trustee of the Higher Education Academy. In the City of York, Professor Willcocks is Chair of the York Cultural Partnership and Chair of the York Theatre Royal Trust. She is a non-Executive Director for the York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Trustee for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. She is a Governor on two higher education Governing Councils: London Metropolitan University and Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.