I nominate Alison Gilmour for going above and far beyond to keep university’s business ticking over, supporting learning and teaching to secure the quality of learning in the institution.
Tell us a bit more about yourself
I’m a fiercely proud Scot and have a weakness for footwear!
What was the biggest challenge you faced over the last 12 months?
The biggest challenge for me has been the lack of separation between work and home life. This isn’t simply about the physical separation – I’ve lots of experience of remote working – but it’s the difficulty in psychologically stepping away from work. Early in the pandemic, with more energy, I found I could create the space for physical activity and mental space. However, as time has passed and in a state of lockdown fatigue, I’ve found it very difficult to turn off the laptop and distance my thoughts from work at night or at the weekend. I’m really sick of 3am racing work thoughts.
This is related to feeling there is so much to do, and not enough time. I think we all need to recognise that the current context is like a marathon and we are at that stage of the race where we have hit the 20th mile and all we need to do right now is keep our legs moving even if we don’t go racing forward. I see managing workload as something that can be supported collectively. Nobody needs to send me an email starting with ‘I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner…’ and I hope that’s a type of compassion all of us can exhibit whilst running this marathon together.
What are you looking forward to?
I’m desperate to spend time with family, all at the same time, and be physically close with them. Time is precious, and something the pandemic has stolen is that treasured time with loved ones. My brother has Down’s syndrome, and health conditions mean he has been very strictly shielding with my mum, so I’m looking forward to being able to be physically close with them, and my other siblings. Similarly, I am long overdue a trip to Canada to see my father-in-law. His skills with the iPad and Facetime are still at the stage of ‘room for improvement’ and I’d really love to see his face rather than the ceiling.
Who or what inspires you?
In the current context, I’m filled with huge admiration for everyone who is a carer and looking after others. More generally, I’m inspired by, respect, and admire people who are guided by a strong sense of their moral compass and core values or principles. In many cases it isn’t always the easiest route for your actions to guided in this way, and that can take huge bravery. This is especially the case in everyday settings, when you may be challenging the norms or conventions of a particular context. I think we should all be ‘a bit more Rosa Parks’ in noticing, addressing and challenging inequity in the everyday.
