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{{short description|American art historian}}
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'''Shearer Carroll West''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} is a British-American [[Art history|art-historian]], academic and university administrator. West is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Nottingham]] since October 2017 and formerly deputy [[vice-chancellor]] of the [[University of Sheffield]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/2017/may/new-vice-chancellor-for-nottingham.aspx |title=New Vice-Chancellor for Nottingham |last=Cass |first=Liz |year=2017 |publisher=University of Nottingham |format=Press release}}</ref>
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Shearer West
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|CBE}}
⚫
| office = Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Leeds]]
| term_start = November 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = [[Simone Buitendijk]]<br/>Hai-Sui Yu (acting)
| successor =
| office1 = Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Nottingham]]
| term_start1 = October 2017
| term_end1 = October 2024
⚫
| predecessor1 = [[David Greenaway (economist)|Sir David Greenaway]]
| successor1 = [[Jane Norman (professor)|Jane Norman]]
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place =
| residence =
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| salary =
| alma_mater = [[University of St Andrews]]<br/>[[College of William and Mary]]
| module = {{Infobox academic|child=yes
|thesis_title = The theatrical portrait in eighteenth century London
|thesis_url = https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/2982/3/ShearerWestPhDThesis_Vol1.pdf
|thesis_year = 1986}}
⚫
}}
⚫
'''Shearer Carroll West''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} is a British-American [[Art history|art-historian]] and university administrator serving as the Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Leeds]] since 2024. She was the Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Nottingham]] from 2017 to 2024.


== Early life and education ==
West was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2021 New Year Honours]] for services to higher education. West has been involved in large scale local controversies surrounding the award for failing to acknowledge students struggles, and laying off of staff in faculties she deemed less valuable.<ref>{{cite web|author=Freddy Mayers|date=January 2021|title=Honestly, the timing of our VC’s CBE couldn’t have been worse|url=https://thetab.com/uk/nottingham/2021/01/07/honestly-the-timing-of-our-vcs-cbe-couldnt-have-been-worse-52373|accessdate=2021-01-26|publisher=The Tab}}</ref>
West was raised in a small town in [[southwest Virginia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Vice-Chancellor - The University of Nottingham |url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/vice-chancellor/vice-chancellor.aspx |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=www.nottingham.ac.uk}}</ref> Her father worked as a factory floor supervisor, and her mother was a high school teacher. West was the first in her family to attend university.<ref name=":0" /> West holds a B.A. in art history and English from the [[College of William & Mary]], in Virginia, and a Ph.D. (1986) in art history, specializing in European art and visual culture from the [[University of St Andrews]].<ref>{{cite web |date=22 May 2017 |title=Shearer West named as next Nottingham v-c |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/shearer-west-named-next-nottingham-v-c |accessdate=22 May 2017 |publisher=Times Higher Education}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Her dissertation supervisors were [[Martin Kemp (art historian)|Martin Kemp]] and Robin Spencer.


==Biography and career==
==Biography and career==
West began her career in academic publishing, working as an editor for the ''[[Grove Dictionary of Art]]''. She then transitioned to her first academic appointment at the [[University of Leicester]], where she began to focus her research on portraiture and visual culture within European contexts. Her early scholarly contributions laid the foundation for her ongoing research interests in the relationship between art and social identity.<ref name=":0" />
West holds an undergraduate degree in art history and English from the [[College of William & Mary]], in Virginia, and a PhD in art history from the [[University of St Andrews]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Shearer West named as next Nottingham v-c|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/shearer-west-named-next-nottingham-v-c|publisher=Times Higher Education|accessdate=22 May 2017}}</ref>


She was previously head of the [[Humanities Division, University of Oxford|Humanities Division]] at the [[University of Oxford]], director of research at the [[Arts and Humanities Research Council]], and head of the School of Historical Studies at the [[University of Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/university-deputy-vice-chancellor-professor-shearer-west-1.451781 |title=University of Sheffield announces the appointment of new Deputy Vice-Chancellor - News releases - News - The University of Sheffield |publisher=University of Sheffield |date=2015-03-25 |accessdate=2015-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/content/professor-shearer-west |title=Oxford Alumni / Professor Shearer West |publisher=[[University of Oxford]] |date= |accessdate=2015-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/programmes-events/you/aurora/resources/aurora-speakers/professor-shearer-west.cfm |title=Professor Shearer West |publisher=[[Leadership Foundation for Higher Education]] |date= |accessdate=2015-10-16}} {{dead link|date=October 2016}}</ref>
In 1996, West moved to the [[University of Birmingham]] to serve as Head of the Department of History of Art.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |author= |date=2015-03-25 |title=University of Sheffield announces the appointment of new Deputy Vice-Chancellor - News releases - News - The University of Sheffield |url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/university-deputy-vice-chancellor-professor-shearer-west-1.451781 |accessdate=2015-10-16 |publisher=University of Sheffield}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web |date= |title=Oxford Alumni / Professor Shearer West |url=https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/content/professor-shearer-west |accessdate=2015-10-16 |publisher=[[University of Oxford]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Professor Shearer West |url=http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/programmes-events/you/aurora/resources/aurora-speakers/professor-shearer-west.cfm |accessdate=2015-10-16 |publisher=[[Leadership Foundation for Higher Education]]}} {{dead link|date=October 2016}}</ref> During this period, she conducted research that would eventually be published in works such as ''Fin de Siècle: Art and Society in an Age of Uncertainty'', a book that examined the cultural anxieties and artistic innovations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name=":0" /> This work, along with her other publications, explored themes of societal change and the role of the visual arts in shaping cultural narratives.<ref name=":0" /> In 2000, West’s academic contributions were recognized with a personal chair at Birmingham, elevating her to the rank of full professor. Subsequently, she expanded her responsibilities to include Head of the School of Historical Studies and, briefly, Acting Head of the College of Arts and Law.<ref name=":0" />


In 2008, West was appointed Director of [[Arts and Humanities Research Council|Research at the Arts and Humanities Research Council]] (AHRC), where she chaired the Research Directors Group for [[Research Councils UK]].<ref name=":0" /> In this capacity, she directed efforts to foster interdisciplinary and collaborative research within the arts and humanities. Her role at AHRC marked a shift in her career toward research management and policy development, although she continued her own scholarship in art history, focusing on themes such as German art and cultural identity. Her book ''The Visual Arts in Germany 1897-1940: Utopia and Despair'' was published during this time, analyzing how visual arts in Germany reflected the sociopolitical climate leading up to World War II.<ref name=":0" />
== Controversy and COVID-19 response==
West was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2021 New Year Honours]] for services to higher education, despite consistently ignoring calls from staff and students for additional support during a pandemic.<ref>{{cite web|author=Eleanor Bines|url=https://thetab.com/uk/nottingham/2021/01/06/uon-vice-chancellor-professor-shearer-west-awarded-a-cbe-52369 |title=UoN’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shearer West, awarded a CBE |publisher=The Tab |date=January 2021 |accessdate=2021-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Freddy Mayers|url=https://thetab.com/uk/nottingham/2021/01/07/honestly-the-timing-of-our-vcs-cbe-couldnt-have-been-worse-52373 |title=Honestly, the timing of our VC’s CBE couldn’t have been worse |publisher=The Tab |date=January 2021 |accessdate=2021-01-26}}</ref>


In 2011, West joined the [[University of Oxford]] as Head of the [[Humanities Division, University of Oxford|Humanities Division]].<ref name=":2" /> Here, she oversaw initiatives such as the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), an interdisciplinary platform for collaborative research, and the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities, which provided support for humanities graduate students. During her tenure, she researched [[portraiture]], which culminated in the publication of ''Portraiture'', an examination of the history and cultural significance of portraiture as a genre.<ref name=":0" />
In the 2020/21 academic year, a group of students at the University of Nottingham organised a set of campaigns against West (spurred on by her CBE award). They demanded lower grade boundaries, along with financial support due to the on-going [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. <ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-01-08|title=University of Nottingham rent protesters offered 'support package'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-55594306|access-date=2021-02-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-05|title=UoN students have created a new group to protest their treatment during the pandemic|url=https://thetab.com/uk/nottingham/2021/01/05/uon-students-have-created-a-new-group-to-protest-their-treatment-during-the-pandemic-52354|access-date=2021-02-03|website=University of Nottingham|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-21|title=Editorial: Russell Group Student Newspapers For No-Detriment Policy|url=https://impactnottingham.com/2021/01/editorial-russell-group-student-newspapers-for-no-detriment-policy/|access-date=2021-02-04|website=Impact Magazine|language=en-GB}}</ref>


In 2015, West transitioned to the [[University of Sheffield]], where she served as Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.<ref name=":1" /> In this role, she managed academic strategy and oversaw the university’s research and educational missions. Her leadership at Sheffield involved significant responsibilities in institutional governance, but she continued to support humanities research through her advisory roles and contributions to scholarly evaluations.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />
As of the 4th February, the university administration initiated a safety net policy, for a variety of assignment types, in partial compliance with student demands.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Student Update|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/coronavirus/current-students/current-students.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=|publisher=University of Nottingham}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|title=Student news - New safety net measures introduced - University of Nottingham|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/currentstudents/news/new-safety-net-measures-introduced?dm_i=5IL5,5LCP,1LRXPR,NFJF,1|access-date=2021-02-05|website=www.nottingham.ac.uk}}</ref>

On October 2, 2017, West was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of the [[University of Nottingham]], becoming the seventh individual to hold this position. Shortly after assuming office, she published a new University Strategy in December 2019, which emphasized the university’s priorities for research excellence, education, and community outreach. In this role, she represents the institution on the Universities UK Board.<ref name=":0" /> West was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2021 New Year Honours]] for services to education.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=63218 |date=30 December 2020 |page=N9 |supp=y }}</ref>

In November 2024, West assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor at the [[University of Leeds]], succeeding [[Simone Buitendijk]] and acting Vice-Chancellor Hai-Sui Yu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Havergal |first=Chris |date=2024-06-25 |title=Shearer West to swap Nottingham for Leeds as vice-chancellor |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/shearer-west-swap-nottingham-leeds-vice-chancellor |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=25 June 2024 |title=Vice-chancellor and President announced for the University of Leeds |url=https://www.leeds.ac.uk/main-index/news/article/5597/vice-chancellor-and-president-appointed-to-the-university-of-leeds |accessdate=25 June 2024 |publisher=University of Leeds}}</ref>


==Selected publications==
==Selected publications==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://nottingham.ac.uk/about/vice-chancellor/vice-chancellor.aspx Biography at the University of Nottingham]
* [https://www.leeds.ac.uk/university-executive/dir-record/profiles/22832/professor-shearer-west Biography at the University of Leeds]


{{s-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{S-aca}}
{{Succession box|title=Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Leeds]]|before=[[Simone Buitendijk]]|after=Incumbent|years=November 2024 – present}}
{{succession box
{{S-bef|before=[[David Greenaway (economist)|Sir David Greenaway]]}}
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| title = [[Vice-Chancellor]] of the [[University of Nottingham]]
| years = 1 October 2017 – present
{{S-ttl|title=Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Nottingham]]|years=October 2017 – October 2024}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Jane Norman (professor)|Jane Norman]]}}
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| before = [[David Greenaway (economist)|David Greenaway]]
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{{S-end}}
| after = '''Incumbent'''
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}}
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{{s-end}}


{{University of Nottingham}}
{{University of Leeds}}


{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}
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[[Category:Academics of the University of Leicester]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Leicester]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Historical Society]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Historical Society]]
[[Category:British art historians]]
[[Category:English art historians]]
[[Category:Vice-Chancellors of the University of Nottingham]]
[[Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of Nottingham]]
[[Category:Women heads of universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Women heads of universities and colleges]]
[[Category:American art historians]]
[[Category:American art historians]]
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[[Category:American emigrants to England]]
[[Category:American emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Historians from Virginia]]

[[Category:21st-century American women academics]]

[[Category:21st-century American historians]]
{{UK-art-historian-stub}}
[[Category:21st-century English historians]]
[[Category:21st-century English women educators]]
[[Category:English women historians]]
[[Category:American women art historians]]
[[Category:British women art historians]]

Latest revision as of 17:18, 18 December 2024

Shearer West
CBE
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 2024
Preceded bySimone Buitendijk
Hai-Sui Yu (acting)
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham
In office
October 2017 – October 2024
Preceded bySir David Greenaway
Succeeded byJane Norman
Personal details
Alma materUniversity of St Andrews
College of William and Mary
Academic background
ThesisThe theatrical portrait in eighteenth century London (1986)

Shearer Carroll West CBE is a British-American art-historian and university administrator serving as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds since 2024. She was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham from 2017 to 2024.

Early life and education

[edit]

West was raised in a small town in southwest Virginia.[1] Her father worked as a factory floor supervisor, and her mother was a high school teacher. West was the first in her family to attend university.[1] West holds a B.A. in art history and English from the College of William & Mary, in Virginia, and a Ph.D. (1986) in art history, specializing in European art and visual culture from the University of St Andrews.[2][1] Her dissertation supervisors were Martin Kemp and Robin Spencer.

Biography and career

[edit]

West began her career in academic publishing, working as an editor for the Grove Dictionary of Art. She then transitioned to her first academic appointment at the University of Leicester, where she began to focus her research on portraiture and visual culture within European contexts. Her early scholarly contributions laid the foundation for her ongoing research interests in the relationship between art and social identity.[1]

In 1996, West moved to the University of Birmingham to serve as Head of the Department of History of Art.[3][4][5] During this period, she conducted research that would eventually be published in works such as Fin de Siècle: Art and Society in an Age of Uncertainty, a book that examined the cultural anxieties and artistic innovations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[1] This work, along with her other publications, explored themes of societal change and the role of the visual arts in shaping cultural narratives.[1] In 2000, West’s academic contributions were recognized with a personal chair at Birmingham, elevating her to the rank of full professor. Subsequently, she expanded her responsibilities to include Head of the School of Historical Studies and, briefly, Acting Head of the College of Arts and Law.[1]

In 2008, West was appointed Director of Research at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), where she chaired the Research Directors Group for Research Councils UK.[1] In this capacity, she directed efforts to foster interdisciplinary and collaborative research within the arts and humanities. Her role at AHRC marked a shift in her career toward research management and policy development, although she continued her own scholarship in art history, focusing on themes such as German art and cultural identity. Her book The Visual Arts in Germany 1897-1940: Utopia and Despair was published during this time, analyzing how visual arts in Germany reflected the sociopolitical climate leading up to World War II.[1]

In 2011, West joined the University of Oxford as Head of the Humanities Division.[4] Here, she oversaw initiatives such as the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), an interdisciplinary platform for collaborative research, and the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities, which provided support for humanities graduate students. During her tenure, she researched portraiture, which culminated in the publication of Portraiture, an examination of the history and cultural significance of portraiture as a genre.[1]

In 2015, West transitioned to the University of Sheffield, where she served as Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.[3] In this role, she managed academic strategy and oversaw the university’s research and educational missions. Her leadership at Sheffield involved significant responsibilities in institutional governance, but she continued to support humanities research through her advisory roles and contributions to scholarly evaluations.[4][1]

On October 2, 2017, West was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Nottingham, becoming the seventh individual to hold this position. Shortly after assuming office, she published a new University Strategy in December 2019, which emphasized the university’s priorities for research excellence, education, and community outreach. In this role, she represents the institution on the Universities UK Board.[1] West was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to education.[6]

In November 2024, West assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds, succeeding Simone Buitendijk and acting Vice-Chancellor Hai-Sui Yu.[7][8]

Selected publications

[edit]
  • The Image of the Actor: Verbal and Visual Representation in the Age of Garrick and Kemble, Palgrave MacMillan, 1991. ISBN 0312057385
  • Fin De Siecle: Art and society in an age of uncertainty, The Overlook Press, 1994.
  • The visual arts in Germany 1897-1940: Utopia and Despair, Rutgers University Press, 2001. ISBN 0813529115
  • Portraiture, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004. (Oxford History of Art)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Vice-Chancellor - The University of Nottingham". www.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Shearer West named as next Nottingham v-c". Times Higher Education. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b "University of Sheffield announces the appointment of new Deputy Vice-Chancellor - News releases - News - The University of Sheffield". University of Sheffield. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Oxford Alumni / Professor Shearer West". University of Oxford. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Professor Shearer West". Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. Retrieved 16 October 2015. [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "No. 63218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2020. p. N9.
  7. ^ Havergal, Chris (25 June 2024). "Shearer West to swap Nottingham for Leeds as vice-chancellor". Times Higher Education (THE). Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Vice-chancellor and President announced for the University of Leeds". University of Leeds. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
[edit]
Academic offices
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds
November 2024 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham
October 2017 – October 2024 		Succeeded by
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