Winter graduation 2024

I had the date of the winter graduation in my dairy quite far in advance. But when the email came asking if we would register our presence there, I hesitated. Should I skip this one? It had been so busy with marking! I really can do without sitting in a room clapping for well over an hour, and being expected to be waiting around for at least half an hour before that, if I am desperately trying to get marking done. But then I had the bulk of the marking done the week before. Should I go after all?

Then there was an additional event. Suddenly I heard that our old Head of School, David Thomas, was going to get an honorary doctorate. I was surprised. This man is a professor in our field! I thought they gave honorary doctorates to people who didn't have traditional doctorates. I clearly remember Hamza Yassin getting one. That made sense. And the weird thing is as well that our School had not nominated him. Nobody seemed to know who had. And as a matter of fact, he was decidedly unpopular in the school, and he knows it very well. But because it would be a doctorate in marine science, it would be our School presenting him with it. And that peaked my curiosity.

I tended to get on with him. He has the subtlety of a brick, but at least something is happening. And if you are direct back at him, he accepts that. I can deal with people like that. I find these quintessentially English people, who beat around the bush like there is no tomorrow, much more difficult to deal with.

With all that in mind, when the day of graduation came I put on a dress and biked to the main campus. There I checked if they still had a gown for me. Normally you'll have to reserve these, but I hadn't. And they put my name on a list, where I also saw one of my colleagues. I wasn't the only one! But they still had one, and I went to Council Chamber.

All gowned up

At some point, David arrived. He was amused and confused. Even he didn't know who had nominated him. And he was aware of some people not having a very good day what with him getting this honour. But there we were!

We did the usual thing of lining up, walking in, sitting down, and clapping for an hour. Some of it is just politeness; there are generally several schools in one graduation ceremony, so you would be clapping for students in, say, social care, that you'll never have heard of. But some of the students were ours, and then it is always a lot more exciting.

My view during the ceremony 

Then came the ceremony for the honorary doctorate. I don't think our Head of School was enjoying giving that speech! But he delivered it. And then David speeched himself.

Genuine warm smiles: our current Head of School left, and David right.  Pic by the university.

Then we were ushered out into the courtyard. There I sought out the students I knew to congratulate them. But then I slipped away. In not much time, my first year students would be delivering there presentations, and I wanted to get ready for that. But I am glad I went!

Jennifer, who got her MSc and is now doing a PhD, with my colleagues Martyn (l) and Mattias (r). Pic by the university.