| Description | Interview with Sir John Tusa, Chairman of Governors between 2007 and 2013.
The interview can be accessed in Waveform Audio formats, and a transcript is also available.
Interview description:
Audio 1 [00:00] John Tusa; Chairman of Court of Governors. [00:49] Background; journalist; worked on Newsnight; managing director of BBC World Service; Managing Director of Barbican Centre. [01:41] Discusses becoming involved in UAL; knew Will Wyatt and Michael Bichard; decision to turn down Vice-Chancellorships; difficulty as Head of Wolfson College, Cambridge. [04:06] Attraction of UAL; arts institution; timing; sympathy with arts; attractive university. [05:50] Discusses appointment as Chair; timing; meeting with Clara Freeman; opening of Chairman of V&A; receiving offer during staff away day; party at V&A. [10:18] Concerns over clash of interest and prioritisation. [12:35] Discusses listening to concerns; making a choice between institutions; potential of UAL; surprise of senior staff; no doubts about decision. [16:29] Discusses turning down V&A offer; public reaction; no political agenda; choosing the future over the past. [19:10] Vision for UAL; parts becoming a whole; uniting colleges as a university. [20:58] Role as Chair; setting direction; diversity of court; committee meetings; Central St Martins move to Kings Cross; financial stability; appointment of next Rector; uniting institution. [23:57] Discusses bringing university together; strategic review; autonomy from Nigel Carrington. [26:09] Discusses appointing Nigel Carrington; shortlist; Nigel's background; managing partner; personable; 6 interviews; decision making; trust. [30:19] Discusses will to unite colleges faster; trust in Nigel; identity of university; importance of common brand; potential for efficiency; discusses example of differing application processes. [34:22] Discusses example of colleges viewing teaching at colleges as unique; dean's meeting and finding similarities; experience of finding commonalities at other institutions; discusses example of libraries as cross-university facility; importance of agreement over direction. [37:52] Consolidation of premises; success of Chelsea; Central St Martins' site; financial difficulties from banking crisis; good bank loan; discusses signing documents for move on day of Lehman Brothers crash. [41:32] Success of Kings Cross site; move to Stratford; LCC move; transformative process of consolidation. [45:12] Discusses making Court of Governors more effective; large numbers of staff present; reducing staff in Court; unpopular decision; recruiting external members. [48:36] Concern about gender and diversity balance; recruiting Grayson Perry; unified board; governor's lunches; active board; benefits for professionalising board. [52:57] Nigel Carrington; streamlining executive board; removing level of Deputy Rectors. [54:10] Discusses savings in administrative staff; financial manoeuvrability; raising international student fees; strong management. [57:18] Decision to step down; plan to remain for 2 further years; discussion with wife as turning point; communicating decision. [1:00:49] Importance of move towards consolidation without retracting from colleges; identity; strong purpose and direction; change in 10 years time; cohesion. [1:03:16] No formal continued involvement; importance of patience and purpose; choosing the right rector. [1:05:28] Discusses teaching quality; discussions with teaching staff about topic; responsibility; teaching as learning. [1:08:30] Discusses preference for the arts; hatred of people who cannot see the point of the arts. [1:09:28] |