magazine - Somerville College - University of Oxford

30 | Somerville Magzine
later, when the Divisions were set up, that the colleges
had collectively to nominate a representative to each
new divisional board. Dame Fiona was the candidate
of choice as representative to Medical Sciences, an
excellent outcome. Wearing my college hat, I could see
that she understood and would defend the interests of
colleges, and looking from the Medical School, it was
equally clear that she understood the requirements of
education for the profession.
In no time at all, the division sought to make best use
of Dame Fiona’s knowledge and expertise by asking
her to take on the chairmanship of its Education
Committee. This followed immediately on a period of
massive expansion in the intake to the conventional
medical course, and the new ‘fast-track’ course by
which graduates could qualify as doctors was being
introduced. At the time, I was Director of Pre-clinical
Studies for the Medical School, and I could not have
hoped for a better source of support and political
wisdom. She was always open to new ideas in
education, she expected them to be properly backedup
with argument and documentation, and she always
kept a close eye on what change might mean for the
students and the staff as individuals.
I could not have hoped for a better
source of support and political wisdom
The creation of the Divisions in 2000 brought also the
establishment of a new senior committee, with a wide
remit referring to the employment and development
of all university staff, the Personnel Committee. Dame
Fiona was asked to chair it. The Personnel Committee
rapidly began to play an increasingly central role in the
University’s planning and management, a change which
was acknowledged in 2005, when Dame Fiona was
made Pro-Vice Chancellor for Personnel.
Dame Fiona had a considerable command of personnel
issues from her time in the Health Service, and her
experience at Somerville and in the Medical Division.
She was excellently placed then to lead the ‘Task
Force on Academic Employment’, a review body that
has examined academic employment in the collegiate
university with great care over a period of fi ve years.
This is an area of some sensitivity: it can only be said
that Dame Fiona’s considerable judgment and skill
have been essential in charting a passage through
deep and sometimes turbulent waters. Her approach,
characterised by patient, consultative working aimed at
fi nding consensus has earned her widespread respect.
The proper care of research staff, who are often
employed on relatively short contracts, has been
another major concern for Dame Fiona in her role
as Pro-Vice Chancellor. Under her guidance, a new
Code of Practice was developed last year and is now
being introduced. Equally, our non-academic staff
have received her attention: the University depends
heavily on its administrative and support staff, its
librarians, technicians and IT staff, its fi nancial
experts and lawyers, its maintenance and estates
staff, its secretaries, and so on. Dame Fiona and the
Personnel Committee have overseen the introduction
of new pay and grading scales, and the creation
and implementation of the University’s fi rst Human
Resources Policy.
Increasingly, she has focused on promoting equality
and diversity in all areas, a development in her role
that was recognised in 2008 by renaming her portfolio
(she became Pro-Vice Chancellor for Personnel and
Equality). In this context, she has been a strong
supporter of the consideration of gender issues and
an enthusiastic promoter of training programmes
aimed at helping women to develop the confi dence
to move to positions of greater responsibility. I have
seen all this at fi rst hand since standing down from
my position in the pre-clinical school and joining the
Personnel Committee fi rst as Proctor and then as
Director of the Learning Institute.
As I write, we have come to Dame Fiona’s fi nal year
as Principal of Somerville. In Michalemas Term,
2009, she chaired her last meeting of the Personnel
Committee having resigned as Pro-Vice Chancellor
in order to take on the chairmanship of the Oxford
Radcliffe Hospitals Trust. The word ‘retirement’ does
not fi gure anywhere, and, as she moves on, the
University’s loss will be the hospitals’ gain.
Her work for the University has been undertaken with
sensitivity, a willingness to listen, and a keenness to
understand the position that other people are taking –
all these I see as manifestations of the humanity that
she has brought to her work. It is clear that she has
given the University exceptional service through her
energy and hard work, through her wisdom and clarity
of thought and her sense of purpose, but I think that,
above all it is this humanity which has been the key.
And for all this, the University is greatly in her debt.
Joanna Innes this year completes her 28th year as
a history tutor in the College: Dame Fiona has been
Principal during half her years at Somerville. Joanna is
currently serving as Vice Principal, and working closely
with the Principal in that role. Dr Stephen Goss is
Director of the Oxford Learning Institute.