A Long Goodbye
I’m not sure anyone really wanted to read a valedictory blog from me but I felt a sense of obligation to provide something. Having been involved in AHUA for 18 years including 11 years on the Executive and a couple of years as Honorary Secretary, I have seen quite a lot. Looking back though is always risky, so apologies in advance for any self-indulgence detected here.
I had worked at three other universities in a wide range of professional services roles before starting at Nottingham, but none of it really prepared me for taking on the job of Registrar.
Although I had been privileged to work under a number of really incredibly talented individuals (most significantly Jonathan Nicholls, Tony Rich and Mike Shattock to name a few) who were all exceptionally supportive mentors, I really had very little idea what being a Registrar was going to involve. Having left a long and (I hope) comprehensive handover document behind at Nottingham, I nevertheless still struggle to identify all of the registrarial dark matter which fills in the gaps between the formal responsibilities, activities and committees etc. If I’m not able to adequately describe it all, then it is perhaps not so surprising that much of what we do in these roles is unseen and unacknowledged. But then no one comes into this kind of job for the glamour and the acclaim I guess.
Nice work
So much has changed in the workplace over the 18 years I’ve been a Registrar. From the shift from mainly paper-based records to almost entirely electronic documentation of all kinds. The mix of in-person and remote activity and the huge growth in external regulatory intervention to the ever-greater importance of student support and well-being to pick out just a couple of major areas. Every one of our colleagues across all parts of professional services and beyond has had to respond to these changes too. So, here’s a slightly haphazard view of some of the things which have changed significantly in the registrarial world in the past 18 years:
Yet more regulation
The burden of excessive regulation remains a significant problem for universities and, although the form has changed, it has undoubtedly grown over the past couple of decades. I’ve become more and more vocal about this over time but, sadly, to very little effect. At a time though when there is a significant financial challenge, the sector can ill afford the additional unnecessary expense of excessive and burdensome over-regulation.
Bureaucracy still rules
The bureaucracy is now overwhelmingly electronic rather than paper-based. Looking back, I can remember whenever I used to return to the office after a holiday there would be stacks of paper in the in-tray but now there is virtually nothing in hard copy. It is just about all in electronic form now which also makes avoiding work whilst on leave even harder.
All this really demonstrates is that it wasn’t paperwork as such slowing things down, it is bureaucracy which now simply comes in a different form and, we are all pleased to note, in much greater volume than before.
Email rules
The one thing which has completely vanished from working life is the memorandum. There are no more memos, only emails. Email is fundamental to working life now but perhaps surprisingly, many do still seem to struggle with email etiquette.
In addition, there are some who appear not to regard the contents of their inboxes as ‘work’ and feel free to address emails according to personal preference rather than by operational need. It seems trying to avoid being overwhelmed by it is a constant challenge, but one I usually achieved. It wasn’t easy though and I do feel there must be a better way.
Really good governance
Getting governance right remains a critical issue for universities and is particularly important in a period of significant challenge and regulatory turbulence. It can sometimes be all too easy for institutions and governors, individually and collectively, to neglect the need to attend to such matters where there appear to be more pressing concerns (which cannot be ignored).
Universities are under greater scrutiny than ever and the Registrar’s role in trying to support good governance and prevent things going off the rails is now more important than ever.
Social media
Social media barely existed when I first joined AHUA. Facebook had been around for a couple of years but was yet to take off, and Twitter was only nine months and a long way from becoming the toxic cesspool it is today.
Social media as a term was barely in use back then. Although it is now ubiquitous, there is still much debate about the relevance and applicability to different aspects of HE, but I remember being an enthusiastic early adopter in AHUA. Indeed, I even won a trophy for it a long time ago, courtesy of AHUA sponsor Shakespeare Martineau.
This is the ‘Smarties’ trophy I received for being on Twitter or something.
Despite a degree of scepticism initially, it is great to see how AHUA has developed both its social media presence and broader communications and policy approach over recent years and I was really pleased to be a part of helping push that forward
The vital place of the AHUA conference
Post-pandemic, conferences are not quite what they were and harder sometimes to justify attending, but they are crucial for an organisation like AHUA.
I was told by the AHUA team that I was the most regular conference attendee over my time as a member – I’m not sure what that says about me other than I do think these events are important. More than ever at times of significant challenge in institutions and it being so much easier just to meet online, it is vital to ensure you have time and space with peers who know exactly what you are going through. These roles can be pretty isolating and opportunities to meet up with colleagues and share war stories are invaluable. And you can also offer to host an AHUA conference too – it’s a good opportunity to show off your institution to others.
Future leaders
AHUA does a lot more now to support the development of aspiring and new Registrars which is great to see. I was really proud to be part of the development of Ambitious Futures, an AHUA-sponsored initiative to develop the next generation of leaders which involved many universities and saw many trainees complete the programme before, sadly, the pandemic put an end to it.
A good number of universities still offer similar schemes and the time is ripe for seeking to relaunch a national programme. This for me is one of the things AHUA should see as a fundamental part of its role – building for the long term and laying the foundations for the future of professional leadership in the sector.
More rankings
There are more and more university rankings every year. It used to be you only had to worry about a couple of domestic ones and perhaps one international one. Now there is a ranking for everything, from environmental performance to free speech. And those are just the ones which aren’t completely made up by people with too much time on their hands.
One way or another, Registrars are often asked to come up with an explanation for their institution’s performance in these league tables so there really is no avoiding them.
There’s more…
- Positively, the student voice has become much more important over time and there is now, I think, more frequent and meaningful engagement with student representatives
- Risk assessment and the formal management of risk have become a more significant and formalised part of strategic planning and everyday university operations.
- Crisis management and preparing for business recovery – this is just much more of a regular part of normal activity than I’m sure anyone ever hoped. In tidying up things prior to leaving Nottingham I came across the University’s pandemic response plan developed in 2006. Whilst prescient in many ways I don’t think even if I had found it before Covid it would have helped much.
- International view – everyone has to have an international outlook. This is not just learning from other universities or focusing on student recruitment issues but genuine engagement with peers and networks around the world to support the university’s international mission.
This is HRH the Duchess of Gloucester visiting the ‘Tudor Fair’, held during the University’s Open Days in April 1950 and which included a madrigal concert. And all we have these days are virtual tours and chatbots – they really made an effort back then.
The unwanted advice section
As a final few thoughts then it seems appropriate given the nature of this piece to proffer some advice that no one has asked for. So, in the unlikely event that I was asked what advice I would give to someone working in a similar role today, this is what I would say:
Read a lot. Read all the blogs and HE-related reports and articles you can. It’s never been easier to stay on top of things and therefore appear like you know what is going on. Read for pleasure too – great fiction gives insights and offers entertaining diversion as well.
Write. In senior positions, it seems you can get away with writing very little. All you are doing is editing, correcting, dealing with others’ work and sending the pithiest of emails. You don’t want to forget this fundamental skill though so at the very least do offer to write an AHUA blog – an easy and safe way to rediscover your inner author.
Network vigorously. Draw on AHUA colleagues and further across the sector and beyond. Engaging with others in the UK and beyond (eg HUMANE https://www.humane.eu ) can be both supportive and fulfilling.
Remember it is a long game. Universities are fundamentally long-term institutions, designed to last centuries. Yet everything can seem incredibly frenetic and short-term. Do remember to pause, step back and think about where you see yourself in a few years. You might have to concede or retreat now but in the long run, things will work out fine.
Have fun. This is never easy but when so much of the role is difficult and challenging, finding ways to enjoy the more entertaining aspects of university life is essential, even just for a short time.
NB. I know that some colleagues thought it may have been me who wrote the previous anonymous blog ‘Leaving Well.’ However, it was, as I’m sure you will appreciate, far too subtle and nuanced to be from me. There is some really good advice in here though much of which I have attempted to take on board.
And absolutely last of all…
It is one of my abiding regrets that the definitive pronunciation of the AHUA name remains unresolved by the Association. Is it A-H-U-A or a-hoo-ah? I doubt myself every time I say it so goodness knows how people outside AHUA manage. I would therefore ask that the Executive attend to this as a matter of urgency to avoid future embarrassment.
I do want to say a huge thank you to everyone I’ve had the pleasure to engage with in AHUA over these 18 years – it has been a real privilege to be part of the organisation during this time and to learn so much from so many of you.
Huge thanks too to colleagues in the office – Catherine (who got out just before me), Ben, Tracey and Tamsin in particular – who keep the organisation functioning so smoothly.
Thank you all and good luck for the challenging times ahead. And if you ever want to do a podcast, just let me know… you can always get me via paulgreatrix@icloud.com
We are delighted to announce that Paul will be running the session ‘I wish I knew then what I know now’ with Lee Sanders at the AHUA Spring Conference 2025. For more information, members please take a look at our conference page
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