Yes, another valedictory blog…

Despite being pretty convinced that there were very few people who wanted to read an another valedictory blog I did feel the need to write something for AHUA for several reasons. I’ve already done a couple of these things (see Part One and Part Two of a blog all based on not retiring) but given that I’d been involved in AHUA for 18 years including 11 years on the Executive and a couple of years as Honorary Secretary I did want to make a few comments on some of the broader issues.

The main takeaways from the piece for those who would really rather not get involved are these: 

• mentors matter and mattered a lot to me;

• It’s really tricky to identify all the things that jobs like this involve – all the registrarial dark matter;

• a lot has changed in Higher Education over 18 years – no surprises there.

But the final controversy, the big unresolved issue which I have struggled with over 18 years as a member, remains a live one. There is no definitive ruling on the correct pronunciation of the name – is it  A-H-U-A or a-hoo-ah? I’ve doubted myself every time I said it and still can’t be confident. But I’m sure others more qualified than me will prioritise addressing this critical concern before too long.

You can read the full blog on the AHUA website.