Name: Janet Horrocks
Title: Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences
Length of Service: 25 years (nearly 26!)
What made you want to work at Abertay?
It was a great opportunity to become involved in teaching.
How has the University changed over the years?
Definitely the technology and teaching spaces. When I first started, there was a different set-up in every classroom. And some of the policies were very different from how they are now. For example, you needed the Head of School's permission to phone abroad; which made international collaborations more difficult!
Looking back at my old (FE64) contract, it has the wonderful line “on date of confinement employment shall cease”. Confinement being a term for having a baby – in the ‘60’s you had to be confined to deliver a baby!
The ways grades and feedback is communicated to students now has also changed. We used to pin all the grades and tutorial lists on a public noticeboard. Also Timetabling! It used to all be done on pieces of paper over the summer.
What would you say has been the biggest improvement?
Technology has had the biggest impact on how we work. When I first arrived at Abertay, we use a very primitive and unfathomable word processing system, All memos were hand written – we had memo pads and a physical inbox.
We had office staff that would type material for staff (although I had an Apple computer that I found unused in a corner). The height of education technology was the overhead projector and you needed to learn quickly how to replace the bulbs. The alternative was a white board or a roller blackboard.
There was also no internet so literature searches involved books of abstracts and travel to Dundee, St Andrews and Ninewells libraries, just to obtain journals.
What one thing do you miss the most?
A school office as it gave the school a sense of cohesion and was a great place for finding out what was happening – essential without email
What are your memories of the campaign and, eventually, confirmation of University status in 1994?
I remember some discussion on the final name. It wasn't quite clear as to why we were called Abertay.
Who has been your favourite or most memorable colleague?
Dave Button.
What is it about Abertay that has made you want to stay all these years?
Great colleagues and students.
Posted on 15th Aug 2019
Last modified by API