Oldham College principal awarded OBE in New Year 2021 Honours list Date published: 30 December 2020 Oldham College principal, Alun Francis The principal of Oldham College, Alun Francis, has been made an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year 2021 Honours List. The OBE has been awarded for his services to education – including a decade of leadership at Oldham College. Alun, 55, was appointed Principal and Chief Executive in February 2010. At that time austerity had just ended hopes of a much-needed £60m capital investment from Government and – within days – snow prompted the electrics to fail: plunging a campus burdened with several dilapidated buildings into total darkness.