Firstly, I’d like to thank those of you who got in touch after reading last week’s blog about my walk around the Riccarton campus. It is easy to forget our surroundings when we’re so busy, so I was pleased that some of you found the reminder of our beautiful campus a refreshing sight.

I was keenly awaiting the results of the 2020 National Student Survey in the UK last week. NSS is known to be a strong influencer of student choice, especially for international and ‘rest of the UK’ undergraduates. It was certainly an interesting one to see, given the timing of the survey and lockdown. The turnout was mixed and overall disappointing for us all. Despite the relatively high overall student satisfaction levels across learning, teaching and the broader, non-academic services we fell significantly in the overall positioning. There were some very high spots, of course, and particularly impressive was our position as first in the UK for Physics, alongside the several other subjects where we were ranked so highly either in the UK or Scotland. You can read more details here. The new academic year will provide an opportunity for laser-sharp focus on further enhancing the student experience across the whole organisation.

With the close of the 19/20 academic year, this week (or, more specifically, Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th July) has seen the broadcast of our ‘Class of 2020’ Virtual Celebrations. Thank you to all who took part. For those who were unable to catch them live, you’ll be able to watch a ceremony on YouTube soon. At this time of year, we see changes in roles in different places in the University. It is very strange, I know, to be saying thank you and goodbye in our digital mode of operation! But this week I had the pleasure of speaking to Professor Julian Jones ahead of his 10-year period as Vice-Principal coming to an end. Having joined the University in 1988, Julian has held several senior roles, including Head of the Department of Physics and the first Head of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. You can watch our conversation here. Julian has been instrumental in leading the University through both challenging and exciting times, helping to develop, shape and implement our strategy and direction – but I suspect none have been more uniquely challenging than the current COVID-19 pandemic. As chair of the Covid-19 Response Team, alongside Sue Collier, Julian has guided us expertly to our current position. As such, I have asked that he continue with this role during such an important time. I’m sure we would all like to thank Julian for his years of service to the University and I, personally, would like to thank him for his support and guidance during my time as Principal.

Best wishes

Professor Richard A. Williams
Principal and Vice-Chancellor