FROM THE PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL

Normality has returned (in the most part) to our lives, although there are continual reminders that we all seem to have ‘lost’ a couple of years. But life continues and we celebrate the new and now.

The College Constitution, as it was renewed in 2016, set limits on the length of membership on Council, which therefore encourages healthy turnover, and I now find myself the longest serving member. Although it is always hard to farewell a dedicated and valuable colleague, I am delighted to see the strength of council members we now have and their incredible diversity of skills and experience, as required for any healthy, wellfunctioning board today.

Every year there are two student representatives on Council. They are elected by the student body and their input, feedback and suggestions are always greatly appreciated. This year, Sarah Grimminck and Luke Kruger have joined us, and we welcome their fresh perspectives.

This March, Council also welcomed alumna Lisa Williams (UC 1984). Lisa has more than 20 years of experience in management and talent development. Having worked across operations and human resources in both Australian and international firms, Lisa brings commercial acumen, a prudent approach and wisdom to Council.

Many UC alumni are actively involved in the life of the College – as volunteers, student mentors and donors to the scholarship program.

The College regularly invites alumni to attend High Table, receptions and other student-focused events, such as the UC Leadership Dinner and Pathways Dinner.

These events provide alumni with an opportunity to engage with old friends, reminisce about days gone by and reconnect with the College, while enhancing the student experience as well.

People generally are interested in the lives of those they went to school or university with, or knew from college. At UC we use our Frappe Fort publication to keep in touch with our current students and their families plus alumni, past parents and any other interested parties.

However, over the years we lose contact details due to change in names, addresses and general movement. So, we are currently using every opportunity to rebuild our contacts in order to keep everyone abreast of career movements, marriages, births, deaths, family, significant events and other interesting facts about those with whom they have shared part of their youth. Even in this time of constant engagement, it is too easy to lose those who have played a part in our past. On that note, we extend our congratulations to Dr Misty Jenkins, one of our former resident tutors who received an AO in the recent King’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service to medical science, the Indigenous community and the promotion of women in STEM.

Under the watchful guidance of Council, the governance of the College continues to improve and satisfy current day standards. We will focus on aspects such as Cyber security and student and staff wellbeing in the coming months. Scholarships continue to be a particular focus for our Advancement committee and we hope that all interested stakeholders come along on a journey with us to grow our scholarship capacity.

As always, I thank the Head of College, Dr Jennifer McDonald, and her wonderful staff for their steady hand as they assist our students through the challenges of tertiary study and life away from home.

If you would like to update your details or know of anyone that has lost touch with us, we’d love you to email us at community@unicol. unimelb.edu.au. Don’t forget you can also stay connected via social media, particularly our alumni LinkedIn group, and our biannual Frappe Fort publication.

K. Jane Peck President of Council