Sir Robert George Burgess DL,

FAcSS The Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policy-makers, and practitioners of the social sciences. Fellows were previously known as Academicians and used t ...

(23 April 1947 – 21 February 2022) was a British sociologist and academic. He was appointed

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

in 1999, succeeding Ken Edwards. He was President of the British Sociological Association 1989–1991 and chair of the board of GSM London.

Early life

Burgess was born in Sturminster in Dorset on 23 April 1947. He grew up Somerset, and attended the King Arthur's School in Wincanton, from 1958. He taught for a year at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, a church school, in Tunbridge Wells in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

. Burgess received his BA degree from the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...

in 1971 and his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

degree from the

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of ...

in 1981.

Career

Burgess remained at Warwick as a lecturer and became Professor of Sociology in 1987. He then rose through the ranks, serving as Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor 1995–99. Burgess then moved to the

as Vice-Chancellor, introducing sweeping changes that enhanced the university's reputation and saw it enter the top-20 institutions in many league tables. Burgess was chair of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) 2005–11, the Research Information Network 2005–11, and is the chair of the UUK/Guild HE Teacher Education Advisory Group. In 2007, Burgess chaired the steering group that produced the Burgess Report, calling for sweeping changes in university degree classification that would replace the established system of first- and second class degrees. Burgess retired from the post of Vice-Chancellor in September 2014, at age 67. He was succeeded by Professor Paul Boyle.

Personal life

Burgess was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the 2010 New Year Honours. He became an Academician of the Social Sciences in 2000. He received an Honorary DLitt degree from the University of Staffordshire in 1998 and a DUniv degree from the

University of Northampton The University of Northampton is a public university based in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. It was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of a number of training colleges, and gained full university status as the University of Northampto ...

in 2007. Burgess married Hilary Margaret Mary Joyce in 1974 and lists his recreations as walking, music and "some gardening". Sir Bob and Lady Burgess lived at Knighton Hall, the University of Leicester's traditional vice-chancellor's residence in Knighton, Leicester. Burgess's record in building both the university's academic reputation and its campus buildings earned him the nickname

Bob the Builder ''Bob the Builder'' is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment which ran from to in the United Kingdom through the CBBC strand and later CBeebies. The series centres on the adventures ...

among his university colleagues. Burgess died on 21 February 2022, at the age of 74.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgess, Robert 1947 births 2022 deaths Academics of the University of Leicester Alumni of the College of the Venerable Bede, Durham Alumni of the University of Warwick British sociologists Deputy lieutenants of Leicestershire Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences Knights Bachelor People from Knighton, Leicester People from Sturminster Newton People from Wincanton Presidents of the British Sociological Association UCAS Vice-chancellors of the University of Leicester