Acting Senior Tutor’s Report

Dr Helen Lacey

In March 2021, I was lucky enough to step in as Acting Senior Tutor, when Lucinda Rumsey was sworn-in as Senior Proctor (see page 6 for her report). After 15 years at Mansfield I thought I had a fair idea about how the place runs, but the last five months have been a steep learning curve. Lucinda makes it look easy, but the role demands mental agility: switching from conversations with individual students, to policy matters at the University level, to emails (so many emails!) and back again. The first thing you learn is how good Helen Brooks, our Registrar, is at her job. Helen has all the facts at her fingertips and her efficiency is unrivalled. You are also reminded how special a place Mansfield is, with the academics, staff and students all truly invested in the ethos of the College as a place that welcomes people of all backgrounds and encourages them to realise their potential.

This shared vision has seen us through another challenging year, still coping with the effects of the pandemic and the changes to our working and living routines. Students have again been studying online in bedrooms or family homes and mastering the unfamiliar online exam process. Those students who returned to College were restricted to household ‘bubbles’ and many have had to endure testing periods of isolation. The heroic efforts of the Librarians and other College staff meant that study spaces were made available when needed and book chapters were scanned and emailed at impressive speed. Tutors continued to hone their skills in remote working, and though this has not been ideal, they have been able to switch tutorials to an online format and deliver lectures through a combination of recordings and live streams. By the time Trinity term 2021 arrived, we were able to return, cautiously, to some measure of normality, holding a few tutorials outside in the Quad when the weather allowed.

Having gone through all this, it was wonderful to see our finalists finishing their last exams, undoubtedly exhausted, but still giving it their all. Our students should be very proud of their academic achievements, overcoming the challenges they have faced during the last academic year.

Looking ahead to Michaelmas 2021, we shall remain vigilant and hand-sanitising stations will stay in place (having been installed in 2011 by our far-sighted former Principal, Diana Walford, CBE, who warned of the risks of communicable diseases). We have also been working hard on arranging academic support for those students whose time has been severely disrupted by all the challenges of the pandemic. Our Head of Welfare, Dr Gail Leckie, has been doing a great job putting together a team of graduate mentors who can provide specialist advice to our undergraduates.

Everyone will be glad to welcome Lucinda back from her secondment as Senior Proctor in 2022. In the meantime, I will continue to keep her seat warm. I am looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of freshers in the autumn. ‘ Students have again been studying online in bedrooms or family homes and mastering the unfamiliar online exam process. Those students who returned to College were restricted to household “bubbles” and many have had to endure testing periods of isolation.’