Geoff Layer is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton and as such is the senior executive and academic officer of the University. He joined the University on the 1 August 2011.
He graduated from Newcastle Polytechnic with a LLB (Hons) and entered a teaching and research career initially in Manchester and then in Luton. He joined the Sheffield Business School in 1983 as a Lecturer in Law. Whilst at Sheffield Hallam University he established a suite of access and student support initiatives leading to the establishment of a national reputation for inclusive learning. He was an adviser to a range of national quality assurance and educational development initiatives and became Professor of Lifelong Learning in 1996.
In 1999 he joined the University of Bradford as Director of the Centre for Continuing Education. He was the founding Dean of the School of Lifelong Education and Development in 2001, and became Pro Vice Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) in 2004 before taking up the post of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic).
As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) he was responsible for the academic development of the University across its Teaching, Research, Knowledge Transfer and High Level Skills activity.
Between 2000 and 2006 he was the Director of Action on Access, an agency established to advise HEFCE on its Widening Participation Strategy.
He was also Director of the HEFCE Innovations Co-ordination Team from 2000-2002. He was involved in the background work of the ESRC Research initiative in widening participation.
Whilst in West Yorkshire he served in the region as a member of the West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council, Careers Bradford Board member, and was a member of Bradford Employment and Skills Board. He was a Director of Higher Education Research Opportunities Ltd and a Trustee of the National Open College Network.
Geoff is currently a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Teaching Funding Advisory Group, the Teaching, Quality and the Student Experience Group and the Higher Education Public Information Steering Group. In addition he is a member of Universities UK’s Research Policy Network and the Student Participation and Quality Network.
Geoff is also the Chair of the Steering Group of the HEFCE funded Centre for Sustainable Procurement. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.