As noted in the previous blog I am leaving the University of Nottingham after 18 years. At the risk of self-indulgence I wanted to add just a few more final words, mainly to relate part of the content of my farewell speech (literally no-one asked for this to be repeated but some couldn’t make the event so that’s my excuse). 

Looking back is always risky and there is a danger in this kind of reflection of coming across as an ageing, tedious, nostalgic look back bore. I’ll try to avoid here but I might not be wholly successful. Anyway, apart from thanking a number of colleagues, a few by name and many others too, I felt I had no choice but to share a final league table. A ranking of some key numbers of my time at UoN.

My UoN Top 10: A ranking of key numbers 

(Full disclosure, I was at another leaving do the week before mine where my colleague, Stephen Meek, used the same device for his farewell speech. Too late to change though.)

Just outside the top 10 of significant numbers were University of Nottingham Sport’s 2^nd place in BUCS, the 15,000+ formal meetings attended over 18 years including more than 50 meetings of Senate and the 135 tonnes of goose poo deposited on campus during this time.

10. Graduation

I estimate I’ve attended more than 160 Graduation ceremonies over my time and clapped around 60k graduates across the stage. Additionally, there are about 150,000 degree certificates with my signature on them – unfortunately, that first signature was not a very good one so that squiggle could be just about anyone. Never mind.

 9. Registrar No 9

I’m the 9^th Nottingham Registrar and I thought I’d been here a long time but four others have served for longer – I’m only half way down the list:

• P H Stevenson 1882 – 1910 (he resigned along with the Principal following financial irregularities – nothing was ever proved though and it is said that the money was just resting in his account)
• Dr T P Black 1910 – 1915 (having signed up to fight in World War I with a number of other senior staff of the University College, he sadly died in the disastrous Dardanelles campaign)
• James Shimeld 1915 – 1938 (he earlier played cricket for University College and took 9 for 20 in a match against a team from the Meadows)
• Hedley Pickbourne – 1938 – 1958
• Alf Plumb – 1958 – 1982
• Graham Chandler 1982 – 1994
• David Allen 1994- 1998
• Keith Jones 1998 – 2006
• Me 2007 -2024

8. Students’ Union Officers

During my time I’ve had the privilege to work with over 120 sabbatical officers. Almost all of them have been great to work with and hugely impressive as individuals. Many have already gone far, others will be great achievers too. Staff members in the SU have also been great colleagues. Nottingham really does have one of the best Unions there is.

7. 1928: Almost a century of the Trent Building

I shared the link to the short film of the opening of the Trent Building by King George V in part 1. I do think it is remarkable – you can see the Principal of University College, Professor Heaton (I assume it is him), introducing the equivalent of the University Executive Board to the King and almost hear him saying “have you come far?” 

6.  Three live trees and a dead one

A few years ago there was a bit of a disagreement with the City Council planners about the University’s desire to remove three trees to allow a new Sports Centre to be built. After much argument we lost and agreed to redraw the plans to protect the three trees. Only cost about £1m.

My bad experience with trees goes back further. I was involved with a formal tree planting at Lenton Rec, a park sponsored by the University. Cameras were present and there was a really shiny spade to fill in the hole. The tree died within a year and I’ve never ben asked to do anything like that again. I’m still embarrassed whenever I go past Lenton Rec.

5. Just a footnote

Quite few years ago I commissioned an excellent new history of the University by one of our History professors, John Beckett, which was published in 2016. If I was in any doubt about my place in the history of this great institution I only need to look at the index which features me all of three times on pages 357, 359 and 365. As you can tell from the italics, two of these are pictures. In one of those it is only the top of my head visible and the other is a photo of a Council meeting. 

4. Around 40 different members of UEB 

I’ve been privileged to work with around 40 or so other members of University Executive Board (or Management Board as it was when I started). Here is the only picture of a UEB meeting I am aware of. Yes, this is the one with the top of my head in it.

3. Three VCs, three Chancellors 

I’ve worked with three of each – all have been remarkable in different ways. I should observe that had I stayed on I would have worked with Professor Jane Norman as my fourth VC but it has been Interim VC for the past couple of months. Congratulations on your appointment and very best of luck for your tenure Jane.

2. My Executive Team

I have been incredibly fortunate to have worked with each one of the 20 or so members of my executive team over the years – they have all been fantastic colleagues and leaders and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

1. Security Reports – of course

As many will know I am an avid reader of our daily campus security reports and I reckon I have skimmed over 4,500 of these over the years. Whilst I find most of the incidents which appear in security reports to be at least a little bit amusing our exceptional, award-winning and extremely hard-working security team has to deal with a large number of difficult and challenging situations day in, day out which really aren’t funny for anyone involved. It’s vital work, often unnoticed by other staff, students or visitors, and critical for the effective functioning of the university and good campus life. Just a reminder that the University of Nottingham Security Team was in 2020 awarded the great accolade of ’Security Team of the Year’ by AUCSO, the Association of University Chief Security Officers. They richly deserve this kind of accolade.

It seemed appropriate therefore to finish with a few of my favourites, starting with some classic #BeastsOfUoN reports:

And, finally, a big thank you to the Comms Team for putting together this rather special front page.

Thanks to all

I remain hugely grateful for the support of colleagues across the Registrar’s department and do want to stress that I have been privileged to work with the most incredible colleagues across the whole University in schools and faculties and at UNM and UNNC. The University of Nottingham is a wonderful place and I will miss it and many colleagues enormously.

I have a lovely book with lots of nice messages which I am looking forward to reading over Christmas. And I am grateful for everyone who donated money in support of Nottingham Potential Scholarships.

Fortunately, none of this adds up to being a reportable event.

That is now definitely all folks.