In the second part of a two part interview, Opinion Editor Grant Kuppenheimer discusses Professor Jolyon Mitchell’s vision to ensure John’s is seen as the friendliest college in Durham.
In the second part of my interview with Jolyon Mitchell, I learned about our new Principal’s vision for the college. If there is one trend I discovered while getting to know Jolyon, it is his empathetic and collaborative approach. Jolyon – who used to work as a peacebuilder – confided in me that: “I want John’s to be the kindest college in the university.”
Indeed, when I met with Jolyon, I recognised immediately how deeply he cared about John’s becoming an environment of collaborative kindness. In other words, our new Principal’s central tenet will be to continue to make John’s “a welcoming and hospitable community”, creating effective synergy within a dynamic and diverse wider community.
When I asked about his plans for St John’s, Jolyon emphasised a familiar attribute: peacebuilding. “Blessed are the peacemakers”, he said, quoting Matthew’s Gospel. This quotation was hardly surprising given his background, yet as the only explicit theology he brought up with me, its importance was signified all the more.
Creating a culture of kindness is the mark of character the Principal wishes to instil. “We are training peacebuilders”, he says – students are encouraged to be curious in their studies yet express sincere gratitude for such freedoms to learn, which for some are simply unattainable. For Jolyon, how we treat college staff is a determiner of kindness and hospitality, central to the “formation of a community of character”.
In these early stages of the principalship, “active listening” is the priority. There is a distinct focus on “what do we do well, and what can we do better?” Jolyon wants to be student-focused and be informed of the community’s wishes before implementing significant changes.
He achieves this through private dinners with groups of first-year students, a new tradition I asked him about. It allows the Principal to inquire about the issues that are most pressing for livers-in as “every single individual matters here”.
Jolyon shared with me how impressive that about 97% chose John’s as their first-choice college, save for one who “mistook it for John Snow college” and told him of the terrible mishap, definitely tongue-in-cheek.
Regardless, using small groups can explore welfare-related issues, especially imposter syndrome and the bombardment of social and academic pressures in university, for “a truthful community is one in which you can take the masks down and be honest with each other”.
Being a principal is about “celebrating the success of other people” at John’s. With over 9,000 alumni, 820 students, and around 80 staff, I asked Jolyon how he will achieve his vision of creating “a welcoming and enriching environment for our community”.
The first major changes will be improving the shared spaces throughout the college, ultimately giving “a revived renovated heart to the college”. Rooms for major renovation include the Old Library and Leech Hall, exciting prospects that will advance once funding is secured.
It is this concept of “developing communal vision” that is so central to our Principal. Ultimately, he asked how we can “improve the space [of college] in a way that will facilitate the integration of second-and third-year students”.
I turned to Jolyon’s relationship with the St John’s Common Room (SJCR) and their student representatives to answer this question. Having frequent conversations with their president, Anna Robinson, Jolyon commented how he “has genuine admiration for the SJCR” and enjoys facilitating dialogue with the president of the charity and its other branches, including the Middle Common Room (MCR) and Cranmer Common Room (CCR).
The SJCR is a unique and wonderful “student-centred approach to college life”, yet Jolyon recognises the breadth of student experience at John’s, especially livers out, postgraduates, and alumni. He believes that in addition to dialogue, improving communal spaces will create effective synergy within the college to facilitate a closer learning community.
Speaking with Jolyon was an immense privilege. I’m sure other upper-year students can relate to the void that became apparent with the departure of David Wilkinson, the former Principal of 17 years. I can confidently say that despite these uncertainties, Jolyon Mitchell appears to be on track to remove any such reservations.
In Jolyon, college has a leader with vision, compassion, and a sincere love for our college. We wait with curious anticipation to see this peacebuilder Principal in action.
John's Chronicle 