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University of Reading

Vice-Chancellor's message March 2015

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Sir David Bell KCB

Sir David Bell KCB

As Easter approaches, I look back on a term that has just flown by. Every part of the year is busy but since I started at the University in 2012, March has always been a particularly hectic month.

The week Friday 13 March to Friday 20 March neatly illustrates the point. My activities included:

  • opening an Early Years conference organised by the Institute of Education;
  • judging a research and writing skills competition for First Year Law students;
  • attending a public lecture on the weather and World War 2 given by Andrew Charlton-Perez from the Department of Meteorology;
  • enjoying the Reading University Dramatic Society (RUDS) musical, Little Shop of Horrors;
  • promoting the Pathways to Property access programme at a reception for teachers in London;
  • attending a Saturday night performance given by the University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus;
  • making a video for a national education policy forum;
  • introducing a Dementia Question Time, led by the School of Pharmacy in concert with Alzheimer's Research UK;
  • chairing meetings of the University Executive Board which considered, amongst other things, our 2020 Research Strategy, our Global Engagement Strategy, our space requirements for 2015-16 and our future plans for growth;
  • hosting a discussion for participants in the Aurora programme, a scheme for women leaders here in the University;
  • mentoring a senior leader from a national organisation;
  • having ‘catch-up' meetings with the President of Council and the RUSU President;
  • attending a lunch given by the University's previous Chancellor, Lord Carrington;
  • visiting RSSL's Reading Science Centre, one of the businesses that has its home on the Whiteknights campus; and
  • ‘inducting' new members of the University Council.

The governance of the University has been prominent too with meetings of the Council, the Senate, the Strategy and Finance Committee, the Investments Committee and the Honorary Degrees Committee. In their different ways, they help to guide and direct our work, as well as involving many colleagues and lay supporters of the University.

We also had a meeting of the Court, an opportunity for us to engage with a wider group of friends and stakeholders. A particular focus of this event was our students; who they are, where they come from and what they do. We were helped enormously by a panel which included Natalie Harper, the current RUSU President. 

Part of our discussion was informed by a recent article in the Financial Times featuring Reading Students. You can read it here.

Talking of students, I heard recently about the University's new STaR mentoring programme (Supporting Transitions at Reading). This month, we have launched a campaign to recruit 300 current students to be mentors to our new undergraduate students, helping to smooth their transition into University next September/October.

This is a great initiative as we know that student mentors gain as much from mentoring as mentees do and they will be able to count it towards the RED Award. So wherever you work in the University and you are talking to students, please encourage them to become mentors. See more details.

Finally, congratulations to the staff and students who were among the 18,000 people who took part in this year's Reading half-marathon. A brilliant effort on the part of all concerned, including our wonderful team who cleaned up the campus very quickly after the last runner had passed through.