Opinion Editor Grant Kuppenheimer profiles Vice-Principal (Locum) George Connolly on what brought him to St John’s College.
“You must be Grant, it’s wonderful to finally meet you”. As I sat in reception, reviewing my notes while enjoying what was left of my lukewarm coffee, I saw a tall figure with a booming smile extending his hand towards me. It was then I met our new vice-principal, George Connolly.
Over the weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with George to get to know the newest member of our community, who is temporarily filling in for Rebecca Bouveng, currently away on maternity leave. If you don’t spot him through his friendly, outgoing personality, then it will undoubtedly be the New Zealand accent which is most particular. It was most striking to discover how much George already knew about St John’s College and the Durham collegiate model in general, which I learned is well-received as far as New Zealand.
Before Durham, George worked for multiple colleges within the University of Otago, a top institution in his country, which is “based on the Durham model of colleges”. This was surprising as I still thought Durham’s most significant export was Klute nightclub bouncers ending up in government. Indeed, George was quick to comment on how very similar Otago and Durham’s university experiences are as both institutions are centred on the collegiate system, something George is very passionate about.
It was when he first arrived that George felt the “visibility of student college identity that gave the university a familiar feel;” specifically, how interesting it was to see the variety of college associations through the wearing of stash. In Otago, the benefit of grouping students with like-minded individuals creates a depth of community not always seen in non-collegiate university systems. To better articulate George’s commitment to the collegiate system, he explained how he had no desire to work at other New Zealand institutions because of a love for the unique system which Durham is organised around; “what we do here [in collegiate education] is special, our unique system allows for greater attention and focus on enhancing the student experience”. In such a system, students are able to “shape their identity, meet more people, live out those passion areas, which often does not happen when students go to non-collegiate universities”. George cites the Bailey Theatre Company and a very active sports & societies scene as evidence of the exploration of these “passion areas”.
Despite our clear similarities, George also was happy to explain some key differences between New Zealand university and Durham education. He expressed his admiration for the degree of student leadership demonstrated by the SJCR as very robust and active, something not seen on the same scale in Otago colleges. George comments how impressed he is by “the depth of student leadership, engagement, and the quality of that leadership in Durham” and the opportunities given to students in St John’s alone. “The SJCR gets people out of bedrooms”, he later explained, “and helps to shape and inform the character of the college”.
“what we do here [in collegiate education] is special, our unique system allows for greater attention and focus on enhancing the student experience”
The intergenerational aspect of our college system is also a key difference, he says, for only residents of the colleges in Otago are considered “members”, which is mostly tailored to first-year students. Unlike in Durham, upper-year students in Otago go “flatting” and search for private accommodations outside the college. A slightly humorous aspect of the Otago flatting tradition is where students name their flats on well-known student streets; when I asked for examples of such names, George politely remarked that “it wouldn’t be something you’d put in print”, so I will have to leave this to the reader’s imagination.
After getting slightly distracted thinking about names I would make for my own flat, I got back to the matter at hand: our interview. I pivoted my focus on how George developed a passion for collegiate education and how he ended up as our temporary Vice-Principal. His first exposure to a college community was during a pivotal time in his life after George was diagnosed with meningitis, requiring numerous admissions to hospital. He was advised to take a gap year but his “youthful feeling of invincibility” compelled him to go directly into university.
His first year of university at Otago “was incredibly challenging as I had to navigate my medical situation with academics, but it was because I was a member of a supportive college environment that allowed me to overcome such challenges”. George describes this first experience with the college experience as a “transformative yet necessary step”, which solidified his future career and passion project. Being a resident tutor and temporarily becoming Vice-Principal allowed George to recognise “how working in collegiate education was my passion”. When discerning career direction, George explained how “being invited to play such a core role in students’ lives during a formative time made me ask myself, ‘how couldn’t I do this?’”.
In coming to John’s, George responded to a seemingly vague post on LinkedIn, which encouraged him to apply for the position. A rigorous interview and selection process followed, taking place from midnight to 06:00 New Zealand time; “I wasn’t sure if this was more of a professional or physiological challenge”, George joked. It was expressed to me how impressed George initially was by John’s community after first hearing of his appointment. In just being here a few weeks, he told me how sincerely he feels our college lives up to its reputation of being the friendliest and kindest college in the university. Even before arriving in England, George “genuinely felt welcomed with open arms when I accepted the appointment”, and how this welcoming atmosphere still surrounds him today as students are “genuinely curious about getting to know me and developing a relationship”.
“being invited to play such a core role in students’ lives during a formative time made me ask myself, ‘how couldn’t I do this?’”
In looking at the next 12 months until Rebecca’s return, I asked George about his plans as vice principal including the relationship with the SJCR and with other members of college staff. As mentioned, George wholeheartedly supports the initiative of student leadership which can focus on the university experience while maintaining “a level of independence which allows them to focus more acutely on student needs”. George wants to be able to “support the SJCR with their needs while allowing them to maintain their independence”.
Turning to his vision, George aims to partner with Rebecca’s vision in her absence. Still, he wants to leave “a legacy to continue beyond the twelve months where I can continue to contribute to the college experience in a unique way”. This is “a year that matters”, as the entire college is transitioning with the appointment of Jolyon Mitchell as principal, the ongoing SJCR presidential elections, and Rebecca’s maternity leave. Such change requires a “compassionate yet bold” response from college staff, which is why George aims to work closely with Jolyon on being the kindest college. This must be “protected and preserved”.
After our conversation, George wanted to impress upon me the gift of university education which is often taken for granted by many including myself. George is a first-generation university graduate who “was extremely fortunate to have loving and supportive parents who saw the value of higher education and saw no better opportunity for their son”. He mentioned this to me in closing because George would love for all members of our community to remember that college staff come from diverse backgrounds, and this reality is a subtle yet incredibly beneficial asset to better understand and engage with student needs.
It was such a privilege to meet our Vice-Principal and hear his story; all of us in the community are excited to get to know George in the coming months.
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