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Annual Review
2010/11
W
hile in the United States in July
meeting Old Members, I was
asked what difference I hoped to
make during my time as Warden. This
is how I replied.
As I have said frequently since my
arrival, the College is in good shape. We
produce some outstanding academic
outcomes at all levels. Our finances are
well-managed, drawing on what is a
relatively small endowment by Oxbridge
standards and on the income from an
excellent conference business. We have
an ambitious vision for the future which is
on a scale which matches the ambitions
of our founders.
However, my responsibility is to make
things even better. Noting that what
follows is a personal statement, not a
Governing Body policy paper, I have four
priorities.
The first is to ensure that our teaching
of undergraduate students is of the
highest possible quality. This will
become even more important in the
future as new generations of students,
paying much higher fees under the
Coalition Government’s policy than
their predecessors, have ever more
demanding expectations of what Keble
will offer. Some of our success will be
observable in terms of student feedback,
but we must also be judged by reference
to results. Despite its imperfections as a
guide, I would like to see Keble aspiring
consistently to be in the top half of the
Norrington Table. That means among
other things that we must make ourselves
attractive to very able and committed
young people, making particular efforts
to identify those from less privileged
backgrounds who have the capacity to
benefit from an Oxford experience.
The second is to realise our bold plans for
the Acland site. We have the opportunity
to make Keble really sparkle in the
collegiate University with prominence
given to our Advanced Studies Centre
(ASC - see page 8) which will foster
inter-disciplinary research; new buildings
which will enable us to locate our
graduate and final year students in top
class accommodation alongside the
ASC; and, assuming that the building is
funded philanthropically, a new income
stream which will add substantially to our
current endowment income in support
of teaching and research. There is much
hard work ahead to raise the money. I
am absolutely determined that we will,
and that Keble will find itself at the heart
of the University both intellectually and
geographically, as the old Radcliffe
Infirmary site is developed for Humanities,
Mathematics, and the new School of
Government.
Third is the imperative of ensuring the
best possible stewardship of our current
endowment in a difficult financial climate.
In this the College is assisted by external
advisers and a number of Old Members
who bring tremendous investment
experience to bear on decisions about
our portfolio. One measure here, in my
view, is the comparison to be made over
time with the investment performance
of the University’s endowment. Another,
which goes to the broader management
of our resources, is our ability to continue
with the programme of refurbishing the
wonderful Butterfield buildings so that we
continue to have an attractive offering for
prospective students.
Fourth, there is a more disparate set
of goals (and associated targets)
which I describe as building the Keble
community. Looking first at the current
one, I hope that Keble’s ethos will
continue to include an emphasis on
the whole person. Students should
have academic excellence at the centre
of their attention, but we should also
maintain the tradition of welcoming
engagement in sport, drama, music and
the arts more generally, preferably with
outstanding performance in all those
areas, but also recognising that there is
an opportunity for young people to enjoy
such activities at various levels of ability.
The College should also be a community
in which ideas flourish, whether in formal
discussion or informal exchange around
the common table, or, for example, in
the Chapel or in other faith-based or
secular groups. The Warden’s role is to
encourage all this among students and
Fellows.
There is, however, a much wider Keble
community: our Old Members. Former
undergraduate, graduate, associate and
visiting students remain part of the family.
Keble is a relationship for life. Part of my
role is to foster that sense of continuing
contact. One obvious reason for that is
our need for your financial help to enable
us to support students and research
activity in various ways. But it is not all
about donations; the Keble network has
much greater potential. For example, I am
keen that we should find more ways of
putting Old Members in touch with current
or graduating students so that your
experience may benefit those beginning
to make their way in the world.
This new publication, the Keble
Annual
Review
, reflects the vibrant and creative
environment across all areas of the
College. I hope you enjoy it.
From the Warden