TRIBUTES have been paid to a university boss who is retiring after a decade of service.

Professor Julian Crampton, vice-chancellor of the University of Brighton, has announced he will step down no later than February next year.

The university has seen significant growth during his tenure and now supports more than 7,000 jobs and generates £700 million to the economy.

The professor oversaw projects including a £100 million investment in new halls of residence, research facilities, teaching and learning facilities.

He also played a key role in securing an additional £17.4 million of government funding towards three major developments in Brighton and Hove – including the regeneration of Circus Street, an Advanced Engineering Centre at the Moulsecoomb campus in partnership with Ricardo and a new Central Research Laboratory and innovation centre at Preston Barracks. Tributes to professor Crampton included one from Peter Jones OBE, head of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

He said: “I have truly enjoyed a decade-long partnership with Julian Crampton, first in my former role as leader of East Sussex County Council and this last two years as chairman of the south east LEP.

“He has been instrumental in not only reshaping his university and education in Sussex, but also in making a huge contribution to real and sustainable economic growth.”

Lord John Mogg, chairman of the university’s Board of Governors, said professor Crampton was owed a “tremendous vote of thanks” for the decade of his vice chancellorship.

He added: “We have seen major progress in raising the academic and research standing of the university, leaving it well placed to meet the challenges of the coming decade and a greatly enhanced reputation in the region and throughout the world.

“The whole university will certainly join me in wishing Julian a long and full retirement in 2016.”

In a message to staff, the departing vice-chancellor said: “It has been a privilege to have held this post in such a wonderful institution for the last ten years and to have overseen the development of the university in terms of its positioning, popularity, research and the impact which it has had on our students, staff and the communities within which we work.”