I am spoilt for choice on what to discuss this week, dear readers, so much has been going on: we hosted a meal for a multitude of alumni designers and architects last Thursday; we launched a book on nineteen years of architectural interventions by alumni Peter Elliot in the fine surroundings of the old chapel in Building 11 (What is the collective noun for a gathering of architects? An architrave?) And last Wednesday I was joined by many, many colleagues at my inaugural professorial lecture. Thank you to all of those who joined my family and I at what was a very special – and for me, very moving – occasion. Great intro from Martin B, fine wines, good friends and wicked canapés: RMIT does these occasions so well. And on top of that, they gave me a nice souvenir – a very fine (and rather heavy) medal on an RMIT-red ribbon. I wore it to bed that night.
But top of my diary dates was a special lunch at KPMG to celebrate the Educator of the Year, Dr. Claire Davison, who is an associate lecturer in the College of Business. She gave a full and at times very revealing presentation about what it is like to work with our students. She revealed how she educates them in the fineries of communication and how she makes sure that long list of generic and transferable skills – creativity, communication, initiative, etc. – become a working reality for each and every student, not just a set of attributes on a course guide. Eloquent, energetic and enlightened, she set a terrific example for us all. She was also very witty, regaling us with emails from students who wished, in the nicest possible way, to get their assessment grades, or as she put it with memorable mimicry: ‘wanna my grades, gonna need them for me testamur…’ I am sure Claire put them right and proper.
See you soon. I’m on the road north to Barcelona, London and all points European…
'On the edge of my seat...' 