Former director-general of the BBC Sir Michael Checkland is the new chairman of the University of Brighton's board of governors.

Sir Michael, who lives in Sussex and will hold the post for the next three years, chairs the Brighton Festival and Horsham Arts Festival.

He is a member of the Independent Television Commission and was until recently chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Sir Michael said: "Our priorities will be to widen participation in, and access to, our courses, increase collaboration with business and other institutions and improve the environment in which our students study."