FROM THE MASTER
This has been an extraordinary year, both for the College – and, frankly, for me. I suspect that whatever the contents of the job description and recruitment process neither could have prepared me for the rollercoaster of COVID crisis management and planning for the new normal – which of course keeps changing. I was fortunate to have the Michaelmas term 2019 and early part of 2020 to get a real feel of the College, gain a greater understanding of Cambridge, spend time with students, chat with staff, enjoy some music inside and beyond the Chapel, chair College meetings in person, attend excellent Fellows’ and graduate students’ talks, meet alumni – and so much more. I was very grateful for my warm welcome, tolerance of my lack of detailed knowledge of all things collegiate Cambridge and openness to my way of approaching the role. In the months of ‘courtship’ and the months preceding my admission I experienced the friendliness of Fitzwilliam. Indeed, for me the consistency of that message across the community was a big attraction, together with the obvious commitment and belief in widening access to an ever-broader group of bright students. Faced with COVID, the College has shown resilience and compassion. As a community and as a Fellowship we have had to take fast decisions, govern via Zoom, communicate quickly, be flexible and regularly change our previous positions on a range of issues as advice and regulations have changed. We have had to call extraordinary meetings of College committees, especially of the College Committee, hold short and focussed daily BCP Gold Team calls and activate a cross-College working group to handle COVID planning over the Long Vacation. The Bursar, Senior Tutor and myself have been involved in weekly sometimes daily - fora across the colleges and University, and the Admissions Tutors and Domestic Bursar have been similarly engaged. Our staff, academic and non-academic, worked tirelessly to keep things running and then they planned – extensively – for Michaelmas term 2020. Our students have shown
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