FROM THE SENIOR TUTOR

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In a few pages’ time, the former Bursar has written in detail about the College’s institutional response to the COVID crisis. As in every area of life it has been enormously complicated, changeable, and organisationally time-consuming. We have made many decisions, and great stamina has been required from many staff in working out the policies which set out those decisions clearly and the protocols which enact them as fairly as possible.

But the key decisions themselves have often been easier than might be expected, despite the challenges of co-ordination between colleges and University, the rapidly shifting public health situation and the constantly evolving legislation and guidance. We have been guided quite securely by principles which reflect the widely-shared ethos of the College. It helps that we – and our predecessors – have said these things before. We were founded as a community that recognises the power of education to transform lives: so we do not forget that however disruptive the pandemic, however imperfect the year, this is that time of transformation for many of our current students as their course begins, continues or concludes, and we have a responsibility to support them as fully as we possibly can, whatever the circumstances. We always work hard to ensure that College membership is available to people whatever their social or economic background and wherever they come from: so we hold in mind that for some of our students College is home, or for others the only home where they can work productively, and we welcome their continuing residence during periods of lockdown.

We have seen, for generations, that the best education equips individuals with the critical and adaptable skills necessary to tackle the most serious and urgent problems, and that research, across the disciplines, can discover solutions when they are most needed: so we continue to foster the work of our undergraduate and graduate students whether near or far, more than ever in 2020 when those problems are so evident and so acute. And while alert to very real current concerns about inter-generational fairness, we recognise our responsibility, as the present trustees of the institution which has fostered this ethos for a century and a half, to be mindful of the interests not only of current members of the College but also of their successors for generations to come: so while we strive to enhance bursary support for students struggling at a time of extreme economic disruption, we are proportionate in our admissions decisions in order not to deny opportunities to the succeeding year group, and closely attentive to the severe financial consequences of the year’s disruptions, working to mitigate their lasting effects on the College’s ability to support future students.

The pandemic has demanded resilience from everyone, and our students, led and supported brilliantly by very active JCR and MCR committees, have shown great adaptability and fortitude. Supervisions, lectures and the various usual forms of pastoral support have of course remained available, albeit online for long periods. I am deeply grateful for the tireless work my colleagues have put in to supporting and inspiring our students near and far throughout this time. Of course, despite strenuous efforts to improve accessibility, online activities are not always equally effective for all participants, and we try to ensure arrangements are flexible and responsive in such circumstances.

The year’s pressures have reinforced the need for a further enhancement of the support available (in the College and across the University) for student wellbeing and mental health. Certain groups of students experienced particularly upsetting circumstances during the year, notably the series of killings which prompted the Black Lives Matter protests. Sadly but inevitably, many members of College suffered bereavements as a

result of the pandemic. Many international students were anxious about the health of family members hundreds or thousands of miles away; and of course a different set of uncertainties persisted for all our European students. Never has there been a greater need for the mutual support and respect that a twenty-first century community such as ours should offer, and by and large I believe the College stood up well.

The pandemic forced all Easter Term assessments online, and with very few exceptions first-year and second-year assessments were not classed. Most thirdyear and fourth-year undergraduates were classed, and 70 achieved Firsts (or equivalent), of which nine were starred Firsts. Eight students were awarded University prizes. During the year 24 doctoral dissertations by Fitzwilliam students were approved for the award of PhD degrees. 40 College Senior Scholarships were also awarded, and 19 prizes for Masters Students achieving Distinction.

STUDENT FUNDING

We make use of generous funding from alumni and others to try to meet the needs of current students, aiming both to assist those experiencing financial hardship and to support engagement in all areas of college and university life, academic and extracurricular. The total value of financial awards to students increased by 13% this year to £0.97 million, and the College’s share was 20% of all fee income received. The main source of funding for undergraduates of limited financial means was the Cambridge Bursary Scheme, operated and funded jointly by the University and the Colleges. 119 Fitzwilliam students (31% of Home/EU undergraduates) benefitted from these awards. In addition, 46 first-year and 42 second-year undergraduates received Top-up Bursaries, largely funded by Trinity College; 103 undergraduates received Fitzwilliam College Maintenance Bursaries; and 15 received Goldman Sachs Bursaries. Graduate student support awards in 2019-20 totalled £0.37 million: 2 fullcost Masters Studentships, 1 full-cost PhD Studentship, 4 part-cost PhD Studentships, 26 smaller part-cost graduate scholarships, 42 College Senior Scholarships, 43 Maintenance Bursaries, 5 Tenth-Term awards to support PhD students in their final stages, and 36 Research Awards to support conference attendance and other important research activities. To enable all students regardless of financial means to take advantage of opportunities to enrich their educational experience, the College provided 47 undergraduate Travel Awards (a smaller number than usual, for obvious reasons), 185 Prizes and Scholarships, 36 awards from subjectspecific funds, 39 music awards, 95 sports awards, 13 awards from the Master’s Gift Fund and Fitzwilliam Society Trust Fund, and 157 further awards from the Student Opportunities Fund (including Vacation Project Accommodation Allowances, Charitable Project Awards, contributions towards the cost of in-sessional support in English for international students, awards for successful participation in the Cambridge University Language Programme, and support for costs resulting from disabilities (including Disability Rent Rebates)).

STUDENT NUMBERS

October 2019 brought a significant increase in undergraduate applicant numbers – 739 for 2020 entry – and yielded an impressive diversity both in offers and acceptances. In August 2020, 154 undergraduates were confirmed for 2020 entry. A small number deferred their places, but no student who had obtained their offer level was made to defer to 2021. The results period was 9

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complex this year, incorporating last minute changes of Government policy. Nevertheless, upon confirmation, 78% of those regulated by the Office for Students had been educated in the state maintained sector, the College’s largest ever proportion. 48% had at least one of seven ‘widening participation’ flags. Most of our in-person outreach activities were curtailed by the pandemic, but the admissions teams developed a series of online events which will remain part of an enhanced programme in future years. 154 new graduate students also confirmed that they would take up places at the College in October 2020 (101 for Masters courses, 38 for PhDs, 2 part-time EdDs and 13 for clinical medicine/ veterinary studies), and 66 new part-time MSt students commenced courses during the year.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Academic staff continued to combine research and teaching, as conditions allowed. On the basis of their research, teaching and institutional contributions, Dr Gathercole was recommended for appointment to a Professorship, and Dr Jardine, Dr Lees, Dr Mukherji and Dr Powell were recommended for appointment to Readerships. Professor Giles Oldroyd (Director of the University’s new Crop Science Centre) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO). Dr Holly Canuto was appointed to the Senior Tutorship at St Catharine’s College; Dr Rogier Kievit left to take up an appointment as Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at the Donders Institute, Radboud University, in the Netherlands, and Dr Sarah Kolopp left to take up an appointment as Lecturer at the Sorbonne, in Paris. Former Master Professor Nicola Padfield and alumni Sonita Alleyne OBE, Sir John Vincent Cable, Sebastian Dakin, Andrew Powell and Adele Thomas were elected into Honorary Fellowships. Visiting Fellows in Michaelmas 2019 worked on scanning helium microscopy and Catalan literature. 13 new ByeFellows joined the College in 2019-20, taking the total number to 44, and 19 of the University’s post-doctoral researchers were elected into a new category of College membership, as Research Associates.

As usual, the College hosted a diverse programme of lectures, discussions, conferences and cultural events, which continued online during lockdown. Highlights included Professor Bhaskar Vira’s Foundation Lecture entitled ‘From the Himalayas to the Fens: Towards a Political Economy of Environment and Development’, an inaugural ‘Fresh Thinking at Fitz’ discussion between Dame Louise Casey, Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke and the Master on issues from education to social exclusion, with a focus on why some issues seem so intractable and how that could change; Professor Giles Oldroyd’s online Arrol Adam lecture on ‘How beneficial associations in plants can drive sustainable food production’; and an excellent series of graduate symposia which moved online and increased in frequency during the pandemic. A new actor-musician ensemble based at the College, Jack & Master, ran three practical workshops; Mr Francis Knights completed a 30-concert recital series of keyboard music from the c.1610 Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; and Dr Subha Mukherji’s conference and festival ‘Migrant Knowledge, Early Modern and Beyond’ brought together international scholars, artists and activists to think about migration and what it does with, and to, knowledge, marking the culmination of her five year ERC-funded project ‘Crossroads of Knowledge’.

I remember approaching my graduation from another Cambridge college many years ago with a sense of the end of an era, no inkling that both my friendships and my relation with the institution would continue and deepen in the ensuing years. I think that among those studying at Fitzwilliam College these days there is a much stronger sense of a community which stretches across the generations – but the disruptions of the pandemic and in particular the absence of the usual graduation ceremonies last summer were very keenly felt and, for some, may have shaken that sense of belonging. We have said loudly and repeatedly, in print and on video, that we look forward to welcoming those students back for a proper extended celebration when that is once again a possibility. And beyond that we are determined to find more ways to ensure that the College remains open to hosting, inspiring, and learning from our members throughout their lives. Whatever circumstances the College faces, its purpose is clear: to support the development of our members past, present and future, and the benefits that your learning and research help you bring to the wider world.

Paul Chirico

Senior Tutor

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During the Easter term lockdown, and throughout the summer months, the Grove lawn, with its physically-distant chairs and tables, became a popular place to study and revise for those remaining in College. Photo: Bluebell Drummond