STAFF MAGAZINE | Michaelmas term 2017 Pages 16 and 17 Pages riosity Focus on Cu contributors index EDITORIAL TEAM 4 Day in the life of: Professor Louise Annette Cunningham Richardson Internal Communications Manager Public Affairs Directorate 6 So, you think you can’t dance? Dr Bronwyn Tarr discusses her Shaunna Latchman research Communications Officer (secondment) Public Affairs Directorate 8 News 11 My Oxford: Anne Laetitia Velia Trefethen Senior Graphic Designer Public Affairs Directorate 12 Team work: making Designer and Picture Researcher a great impression – Print Studio OTHER CONTRIBUTORS 14 Behind the hoardings – Beecroft Building 16 Curiosity Carnival: Rebecca Baxter the feedback Capital Projects Communications Manager Estates Services 18 CuriOXities – favourites from the University’s collections Meghan Lawson HR Officer (Policy & Communications) 20 Intermisson – staff Personnel Services activities outside of work 22 What’s on Caroline Moughton Staff Disability Advisor 24 My Family Care / Equality & Diversity Unit Disability support 25 Introduction to: Kevin Coutinho Matt Pickles Media Relations Manager 30 Perfection on a plate Public Affairs Directorate – enhancing your Christmas dinner experience Dan Selinger Head of Communications 31 Deck the halls – Academic Administration Division college festivities 2 Blueprint | Michaelmas term 2017 student Spotlight Amy Kerr, a second-year opportunity you’ve been given – The Moritz– undergraduate student, studying discussing legal issues with the academics Heyman Scholarship Law with Law Studies in Europe who wrote your textbook or who was made possible at Lady Margaret Hall, tells Dan administer the contracts for the University thanks to a Selinger about her experience is, well, rather cool. generous donation at Oxford. by Sir Michael How do your experiences Moritz and Ms Amy applied to Oxford after compare to your expectations Harriet Heyman. attending one of the University’s before you came to Oxford? Find out more on access programmes, the UNIQ I remember being really anxious the University Summer School. She has benefitted about the social side of University, website. from a Moritz–Heyman Scholarship not fitting in or finding people I felt – a programme of enhanced comfortable with. My fears couldn’t support to a limited number of have been further from the truth – life new UK undergraduate students in college is so open and friendly, and from a low-income background. everyone is so interesting and interested. I love the breadth of conversations you can have here, with people from all over the world studying such a diverse range of subjects. What school did you go to and what made you apply to Oxford? How have Oxford’s staff helped you I was at Budehaven Community during your time here? Are there any School, a local comprehensive in north specific members of staff who have Cornwall without a strong history of helped you along the way? sending students to Oxbridge. I’d never Before coming to Oxford, I was concerned considered applying until I went on the about the approachability of tutors UNIQ Summer School in Year 12, which (I remember asking at all the colleges sparked the seed in my mind that I could I visited during open days whether the possibly fit in and thrive at Oxford. To students felt they could approach their have leading academics discuss with tutors for help). My first year has been us controversial legal topics, and to ask really difficult, and I honestly think for and value our opinions, was pretty I would have walked away from it all exciting and a completely different world had it not been for the support of one from my educational background. of my tutors who continues to believe How would you describe your time in me, even when I don’t. The welfare support provided by my college, and at Oxford? What have you enjoyed, Oxford, is truly outstanding. and what challenges have you encountered? What part has the Moritz– My first year at Oxford has certainly Heyman programme played been an experience. I’ve always in your time here in Oxford? struggled massively with self-doubt I feel incredibly lucky and privileged and self-imposed pressure, and have to be a Moritz–Heyman Scholar. definitely fallen into the trap of Imposter Not only has it removed a huge Syndrome. At times, Oxford has felt like pressure and burden, through an impossibility, and there have been its extremely generous financial moments when I’ve told myself I have to support, but it opens doors walk away. But then, you remind yourself to a myriad of exciting to look beyond the daunting reading list internship opportunities and fug of confusion, to the incredible across the globe. Judges Rob Amy Kerr Blueprint | Michaelmas term 2017 3 Cairns John Day in the life of the Vice-Chancellor Matt Pickles talks to the Vice-Chancellor about her role and her priorities for the future Our staff have the best ideas about how to do things more effectively. 4 Blueprint | Michaelmas term 2017 rofessor Louise Richardson starts the Vice-Chancellor is,’ she says. ‘Oxford seems day at 6am by brewing a coffee and to be a lightning rod for the press on so Staff can many societal issues, and everything I do Preading the newspapers. ‘I do not be our best and say is under the microscope. The role think a day has gone by since I have been ambassadors of Oxford Vice-Chancellor requires a lot of here when Oxford has not featured in the because they resilience.’ press,’ she says. Then she prepares for the are so intimately day’s meetings and works on an upcoming With such a busy daily schedule, it can linked to the speech. “I am very much a morning be hard to set aside time for longer-term community. person, my brain is sharpest then, so if I planning. But the Vice-Chancellor is have something important to write I’ll do clear that her main aim is to change the it e ar l y.’ University’s perception among the wider She arrives at her office in the Clarendon public. ‘I really want to change the public Building at 8.30am in time for back-to- image of Oxford so that it reflects the back meetings with senior members of meritocratic institution I know this place staff, donors, visiting dignitaries and policy to be,’ she says. ‘I want us to be celebrated makers. She might give a lecture, travel nationally as a place for the smartest to London or travel abroad on University people who are most passionate about business. She has to turn down nine their subjects.’ invitations for every one she accepts. In She says the University’s staff are key to the evening, she will usually host or attend achieving this goal. ‘Staff can be our best a dinner. Her day rarely finishes before ambassadors because they are so intimately 10.30pm. linked to the community,’ she says. ‘They But although Professor Richardson’s diary know our students are not all posh and they is planned to the last minute, it can be can tell stories about students who do not fit derailed at a moment’s notice by a crisis. that stereotype.’ She tells the stories of staff Already this year, two departments had members at St Andrews who persuaded to be relocated at short notice because of students from non-traditional backgrounds the discovery of asbestos in the Tinbergen to apply to the famous Scottish institution. Building, and MPs on both sides of the Another of the Vice-Chancellor’s aims is political spectrum criticised Oxford in to make the University run more efficiently the media. by giving people flexibility to make It is an all-consuming job, so how does decisions without needing exhaustive Professor Richardson keep from burning consultations and meetings. Staff have out? ‘People draw their energy in different an important role in identifying where ways and I get mine from interacting improvements can be made. ‘Our staff have with people,’ she says. ‘I meet the most the best ideas about how to do things more extraordinary students and staff doing effectively,’ she says. ‘I hope we can create such creative work. I enjoy being around a culture in which people feel they can students, I have kids of a similar age. I’m express ideas, and we have a mechanism a case of arrested development. I entered for receiving them, discussing them and, university at 17 and I never left.’ one hopes, implementing them.’ The job of Vice-Chancellor was not always Professor Richardson has other plans to this intense. ‘Oh, it has changed a lot since make life better for staff. She wants to I was an undergraduate,’ she says. ‘I get ‘dramatically improve’ the availability of the impression it used to be a much more affordable housing available to University Matt Pickles talks to the Vice-Chancellor about her role and her priorities for the future leisurely existence than the one I have now. workers. She wants to create more Vice-Chancellors had more time for their opportunities for career progression. academic work than I do, and universities And she is very keen for staff to share like ours have become much bigger and their experiences at her open office hours, more complex institutions.’ which she holds four times each term. The Oxford job is particularly challenging. ‘Even if it just to complain about Visit the Vice- Despite holding similar roles at St Andrews something, it is very helpful to me to hear Chancellor’s and Harvard, Professor Richardson says she how people are experiencing their lives at webpages for details did not expect the degree of public scrutiny the University,’ she says. ‘Keeping in touch of her open office she has faced this year.