The last term has flown by, which is why my blog is rather late. Forgive me. I also had a retirement to announce, albeit to take effect in 18 months time. As I write this admissions are taking place which is a very busy time for our academic staff. I wish you all a good Christmas and Happy New Year.
Anniversary of 50 years of women
The introduction of women students at Brasenose is arguably the most momentous event in the College’s long history since 1509. It was revolutionary. We continued our year of events to celebrate this with a Principal’s Conversation with Prof Nancy Weiss Malkiel the author of the book about admission of women in the US and UK called “Keep the Damn Women out”.
She joined us by zoom on 13 November from Princeton University where she teaches. She put the admission of women undergraduates to five Oxford Colleges within the context of the women’s liberation movement, the introduction of equal pay legislation in 1970 and the imminent arrival of the Sex Discrimination Act. She also compared the process at Oxford and Cambridge to that taking place in the USA at the same time. A strong motivation for change was the correct perception that a shift to co-education would enhance the calibre of undergraduates, resulting in higher student attainment. John Habbakuk the Principal of Jesus College rightly predicted that in ten years’ time no one would give these changes a second thought and so it proved.
There was then a fascinating conversation entitled “Brasenose Women working for global and local change in the voluntary and public sectors” on 27 November with our terrific alumnae Liz Padmore, Sarah Jackson, Debba Jenkins, and Sarah Castle. They described their career paths and how being Brasenose women had affected that trajectory. They also gave important advice to the current generation. I am pleased that we are now able to do these events on a hybrid basis so we had 25 joining us from all around the world.
The 1509 Society
One of the great pleasures of my role is interacting with alumni of all ages and many different backgrounds. The term ended with a wonderful drinks party at the Oxford & Cambridge Club on 11 December to thank those who give regularly to the College where I announced my departure to alumni. Our College has been through substantial change during my tenure, physically and otherwise. From the renovation and expansion of the Greenland Library towards the start of my Principalship, to the completion of the new accommodation building at the Frewin Annexe, BNC has continued to grow, in spite of the difficult years of the pandemic. This is just in terms of the buildings. We have also become a more diverse and I hope tolerant institution, although we still have work to do on this. We have introduced the Frankland Visitor as artist in residence, a College counsellor, the Royal Literary Fund Fellow and Study Skill Advisors. The Principal’s Conversation is now a regular part of our yearly calendar. This term work on the refurbishment of the historic Frewin Hall is well underway and our new Chapel organ is now in place thanks to hard work from dedicated teams of craftsmen and the generosity of Margo and Gerald Smith.
North Yorkshire
On 12 December I visited two schools in Harrogate, St Aidans and Harrogate Grammar School to talk about careers in law to sixth formers. It was as always great to be in schools in our outreach region and to understand more about the challenges they face. Both groups of students were very well informed.
The Ellesmere Dinner
The 102nd Ellesmere Dinner, held on 16th November 2024, was an enjoyable evening. Guests appreciated the wine, guinea fowl, and the coffee-themed dessert, and the atmosphere was lively throughout. The speech of Sir Nicholas Lavender (a High Court Judge) was insightful and humorous, complemented by speeches from the President, Sanika Pherwani, and the Treasurer, Toby Gawthorne, with grace said eloquently by the Secretary, Zara Chowdhury. Representatives from Herbert Smith Freehills, Slaughter and May, and Debevoise & Plimpton joined us, while the remaining sponsors were acknowledged on the menu. Many attendees continued the evening at the bar. Overall, it was a successful and enjoyable event.
Christmas festivities
This December in College, thanks to our Domestic Bursar Kris Sadler, we had a Christmas tree on the Old Quad lawn for the first time in a while. Despite it being blown over briefly in Storm Darragh it added some sparkle to the last week of term and has been enjoyed by the staff since. Our staff then came together for the annual Staff Carol Service in the candlelit chapel where the scratch choir, whipped quickly into shape by our Musical Director Polina Sosnina, led us all in readings and carols. This is always a special moment in the year and a chance for the staff, both old and new, to come together. The warmth in the Hall afterwards was reminder of the importance of our wider college community. A special thank you must go to Eden Kewley from our HR team who co-ordinated our Christmas charity campaign for ‘Homeless Oxfordshire’ and to the generosity of all staff who contributed to this important cause.
Thank you to Sanika Pherwani for the report on the Ellesmere and Liz Bingham on the carol concert, as regrettably I could not attend either