The Vice-Chancellor spoke at a reception to thank staff members who have completed 25 years in University employment.
The Vice-Chancellor, senior University officers, colleagues and guests gathered in the Old Schools Combination Room on Thursday 30 November for a reception in honour of staff members who have worked for the University for 25 years this year. Sixty-five staff reached their twenty-fifth anniversary in 2017, and 41 of them attended the reception, along with their colleagues and guests.
Speaking to thank the staff members for their long service, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, said: “Many universities around the world claim that they are changing the future but this is a University that, over its 800-year history, genuinely has changed the way the world understands itself. For 25 years, you have been part of that tradition – thank you. Each and every one of you in your roles across the University has strengthened the institution.” Picking up on a theme he also covered in his open meeting conversation with staff last month, the Vice-Chancellor expressed the hope that the University had been a rewarding place to work for 25 years, and assured listeners that he is concerned with staff reward, saying “we’re going to do what we can to make sure it’s worthy of your commitment.”
Many of the staff present had stories to tell about their 25 years at the University. Meg Staff, Departmental Administrator in the Department of Genetics, said: “At my interview in 1992, one of the individuals who interviewed me said, ‘you won’t go far in the University’ and I thought, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’ I started out as a PA in Physics helping to define the role of Divisional Administrator there and I had posts in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and the School of the Biological Sciences before I took on my current role.” Asked which had been her favourite job of the 25 years, Mrs Staff said “I don’t have a favourite – they’re all different, and that’s what’s been so great about working for Cambridge. There’s a family atmosphere and that keeps everything going.”
Reflecting on his time at the University, Professor William Amos, an evolutionary geneticist in the Department of Zoology said: “It’s a fascinating experience, on the long view. Many things have changed – the students and the funding climate are both very different now to when I started. But the teaching environment at Cambridge is great. The biggest kick you can get is when a student comes and says, ‘you’ve really changed my life.’”