Episode 17: Resilience during and after lockdown, planning post-pandemic and optimism for the future.

Episode 17 of University Registrars Talking About Stuff finds Paul Greatrix talking to June Hughes, University Secretary and Registrar at the University of Derby. We hear all about June’s higher education history which has been spent, unusually these days, at just one institution, her current one. Derby has changed hugely in the time June has been there and during her career she has fulfilled most of the core administrative roles you could imagine. We discuss how that broad experience and institutional knowledge has undoubtedly helped support and shape what has been a really positive and collaborative  response by June’s colleagues to the pandemic challenges.

Maintaining a compassionate outlook, coping with extended periods on Teams and planning for the various scenarios which might play out this autumn are explored together with the financial issues facing all institutions at the moment. Finally, although it is acknowledged that there may be mergers ahead in parts of the sector, voluntary or otherwise, and there are big clouds on the horizon, the outlook in the long term remains positive and June for one is optimistic about the future, despite the current challenges.