This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Please read our policies for more information.

The Chair of SROC blogs about the Kent Conference.

Many of you will know me, more probably don’t so, so a bit of background. I’m a graduate of Leicester and before stepping into a HE management career, at Derby, I worked for a multinational food retailer as a project manager implementing computer systems into carious part of the business. When I moved ‘over’, the thing that struck me most about the job I was asked to do was the diversity and range of work I was asked to look at - and this remains a feature to this day. I was struck at the collegiate nature of the sector, in industry I would not have talked to a rival firm under nearly any circumstances. This collegiate atmosphere is under threat with increasing fees and competition authorities keeping a watchful eye but it is what gives the sector it’s strength and SROC more than most is the embodiment of us working together. That is why I became a committee member and now Chair.

So what of this year’s conference? Well an unusual one for me personally as I was still recovering from a broken ankle and for the first time in my life, I was off sick for more than a couple of days. Whilst I was able via email to assist, this meant that even more than normal the committee team pulled together with a local organisers Paul and Jane to carry out all the work needed to make the conference happen. It was also my first conference as Chair.

Together with a number of committee colleagues I arrived down on the Sunder to cover last minute arrangements. Monday was busy with dealing with SROC matters regarding changing over key roles with the bank and squeezing in a committee meeting alongside supporting the local team. From Monday night onwards it all seem a bit of a blur - no not alcohol but the pace of things. there were the inevitable urgent things springing up on my work Blackberry - the calls to my wife and two daughters and ensuing that I was clear about the plenary welcomes, the SROC welcome presentation, delivering the HEAR breakout sessions, the conference dinner speech, the Q&A session and the conference close session. Phew. I think next year there probably needs to be a little less of me on stage.

The plenary from Andy Youell of HESA and the breakout session from Paul Travel - The Forgotten (Student Records Officers) both gave me a look of food for thought and both in the same area - Student records is going to get real important - real quick. I also had the opportunity to go around the exhibitiion and scout out if there was anything I should be considering for the future. The conference dinner on the Tuesday night went very well and with great food - of course I missed not being able to dance - a relief to some of you but there is always next year!

< Back to all news