Neil Allen: a career in higher education

Introducing Neil 

Originally from Scarborough, Neil Allen completed his studies with us in 1982 before beginning his career. Now living in St Albans, Hertfordshire, Neil enjoys walking, watching wildlife and travelling. In his spare time he also enjoys watching football games.

When we asked Neil about his greatest achievement, Neil reflected on how far he’s come since completing his A Levels:

I’m approaching retirement, so you do tend to look back at your work career. From the streets I grew up in, there weren’t many of us who did A-levels, let alone went on to college or university. So having had a 30-odd year career in Higher Education is an achievement.  

I’ve also welcomed opportunities to mentor and support young colleagues and enable them to progress in their careers too. Recently one of these new colleagues, I discovered, was from my hometown. Age caught up with me when I realised that I was at primary school in Scarborough with his parents! 

Studying at York St John 

What did you study and why did you pick York St John to study it? 

I studied History and American Studies. I did the usual round of university visits but was drawn to the sense of community at St John’s. I also really wanted to study History in the surroundings of the wonderful Grey’s Court! 

Originally from Scarborough, did you find moving to York a challenge compared to the pathways of some of your friends? 

It was a challenge. I was the first in my family to go off to university and one of a very few from my neighbourhood. Many of my friends went straight into work. A few, who had studied A-levels, had then moved into banking or building society sector jobs. As they acquired cars and their first flats, it was a struggle to remain focussed on studying but I was aware of what my family were contributing to keeping me at university, so you keep going! 

When you started your course, did you have any idea what you’d do afterwards? How was this idea different than what actually happened? 

I originally thought I would teach. Many of my friends at St John’s were on Education courses, so were heading into careers as teachers. I realised that being in a classroom wasn’t for me, but I did want to be working within learning and education. I had an opportunity to work for a year in the (then) College library at Lord Mayor’s Walk. This traineeship guaranteed a place at a library school at Leeds Polytechnic and provided a route into a career supporting undergraduate learning and latterly in university management. 

Where was your favourite place in York? 

I enjoyed living in the city and getting to know the local pubs. But for many of us who studied at Grey’s Court, we all have strong memories of rushing round, during mid-morning or mid-afternoon breaks, to the coffee shop at St William’s College or, in the winter, to the Taylor’s tea shop on Stonegate. In my day they still had real coal fires! 

Did you have a favourite place on campus? If so, why? 

Like many students I have fond memories of the old Student Union. It was a source of cheap, good food and you usually found someone you knew in the bar. But it was a privilege to study and spend a large part of my St John’s life in Grey’s Court. The surroundings really brought history to life. There was a great community of lecturers based there, who you got to know. You also got a welcome from the caretaker and his wife (whose names I’ve sadly now forgotten) who lived in a flat to the right, as you entered Grey’s Court.  

What’s your favourite memory from when you studied with us? 

Lots of memories but I particularly remember coming back to St John’s after the Christmas break in January 1982. On the train from Scarborough, I’d seen that the River Derwent was in flood and a lot of the Vale of York was underwater. I arrived at York Station just as York City centre was being closed down. Nearly every roadway was flooded. I lived in a flat at Fishergate then and remember having to walk around the Walls to navigate across the City, trying to avoid the flood waters. It was after this experience that many of the recent city centre flood defences were installed. The reason I’d travelled back on this day was that my dissertation was due in. Thankfully, as all the staff had been sent home, we got an extension to the deadline! 

What was the biggest challenge you faced whilst studying? 

Adjusting to living in a HE-world. It was a world away from the one I’d grown up in. Today (working in a university), I’m very aware of the support and guidance available to our students who come from a Widening Access background. I’d have appreciated and valued similar support and advice whilst I studied. 

If you could give advice to yourself at your graduation, what would you say? 

Have confidence and dream bigger. 

Career questions 

After graduating you worked in our library for a year. How did you gain this role, and was it something you’d planned to do? 

It wasn’t something I’d originally considered but when I found out about it I realised that this would give me a route into supporting student learning. St John’s offered a one-year paid traineeship, which guaranteed a place and a bursary at Leeds Polytechnic library school. Several of us applied for it and I was very happy to be offered it.  

What did you enjoy most about working in your old college library? 

Getting to know the teaching staff in another context and working with them to support their courses. Working with final year students, helping them with their dissertation research. Also becoming aware of things about St John’s and opportunities, which I wished I’d known when I was a student! 

After leaving your role at York St John, where did you go next? 

I went from St John’s to Leeds Polytechnic library school based at Beckett’s Park, Headingley. Once qualified I became a site manager at Bradford and Ilkley Community College. Then I moved down to Hertfordshire, joining the then Hatfield Polytechnic and being part of its growth and development into the present University of Hertfordshire.  

You spent some time working in Higher Education library management. What did this entail and what did a typical day look like? 

One of the things which has always attracted me about working in a university is that a typical day rarely happens. You may start the day with a ‘to-do’ list but as soon as the doors open, daily incidents rapidly impact on it and priorities alter! 

When I worked as a Faculty Information Manager and then as a Campus Manager, the needs of academic staff, our students and my staff team were the priority. I would spend part of my time meeting with academic staff to support their work in delivering teaching or planning new courses. I would work with student groups or individual students or researchers to support their learning and research. As a Campus Manager I’d be involved in:

• managing service delivery via help desks and automated services
• training the staff team
• budgeting and planning for library and information services, and service developments.

I gained a lot of experience in being involved in the planning and design of new buildings and forward planning the provision of new services and learning environments. 

I’ve been very fortunate to have had a career which has allowed me to develop in a number of directions. 

Why did you decide to swap fields and move into business risk management? 

I realised that I’d gone as far as I could. Moving elsewhere, I’d have been doing similar things and I really wanted to try something new. I was asked to take over as University Business Risk Manager and was supported as I began a post-grad course in business risk management. I studied part-time, alongside working, and qualified after three years. At the time, being a risk manager in a university, I was rare beast. I studied alongside risk managers in the finance, transport and energy sectors. Happily, over the past ten years the numbers of risk managers within universities have grown and we now have an active network. 

What was your first role in this field, and how did you prepare for this role compared to your previous post? 

I was able to join a business risk management course, which introduced me to what I should be doing and thinking about, but there were only a small number of risk managers in post at other universities and colleges in the UK.  

Externally there was a clear need to build a network to enable mutual support and guidance. Using HE networks, a number of us reached out to each other. The first time we were able to meet, there were about 20 university risk managers from across the UK who attended. Now we have a national conference and there are far more of us. 

Internally, within the university, there was a need to get to know my university again. Stepping outside of a large professional service department and joining our Vice Chancellor’s department, causes you to get a different view and perspective of your organisation. I had to spend time getting to know managers, gaining their trust and confidence and re-learning what I thought I knew about my university. It took about two years before I began to feel I was starting to make progress on this! 

You currently work at the University of Hertfordshire as a university business risk manager. What do you do in this role, and what does a typical day look like? 

I have a dual role.  

Firstly, I support our university senior managers in identifying and managing external business risks and reporting on how we do this to our Board of Governors and to external bodies such as the Office for Students, Government departments and Research and Professional partners. This could be planning responses to a change in Government policy or assessing the impacts of Covid restrictions or the Ukraine crisis on how we are able to deliver our university business.  

Secondly, I work to support our University Schools, Departments and companies in identifying risks attached to their operations and business plans and supporting planning responses to these. This can range from supporting a School in planning a new academic programme of study or partnership with a university located overseas, to reviewing Professional services departments plans for safeguarding continued access to energy or fuel supplies. 

It is a varied agenda! I enjoy this variety and being able to support managers in their planning and decision taking. I have also really valued the experience of the past 2-3 years, when as a risk manager, I’ve been part of the University core team in planning responses to rapidly developing situations, such as those presented by Covid and the Ukraine crises and helping to keep the University operating and in business. 

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to change their career path? 

If you’ve started to think about heading in a new direction, then you have probably already realised that it’s time to make a change. So follow your instincts.  

I would also say be prepared to become a student again. Even if you feel you know enough about what it is you are planning to do, being a student again, will both update your knowledge or introduce you to new alternatives and you will also start to develop a network in your new environment. Having access to a network of your peers is an invaluable resource. 

Reflections 

Compared to your first job at our college library, how different is your career compared to what you expected? 

Very different! I’m not sure that what I’m doing now was even a career option when I first graduated. 

How did your degree prepare you for the career you’ve had so far? 

I really enjoyed the subjects I studied. But I think the practical skills of time management, researching and delivering presentations have probably proved most useful.  

Do you have any advice for recent graduates looking for their first ‘proper’ job?  

Not all of us are lucky enough to have a clear vision of what we want to do. So be prepared to research options and see where your interests and skills can be applied. Make use of the specialist careers advice services that are open to you as a graduate. You don’t have to do this on your own. You may find out the advice you receive sends you off on a career path you may never have thought about. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? 

Enjoying retirement but probably also doing some volunteering as well. A recently retired friend is now volunteering in her local sixth form, helping sixth formers prepare for university applications etc. I’d have welcomed such support when I was at that stage. Maybe this is an opportunity to give something back! 

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

I’ve enjoyed a long career in Higher Education, and it all started in September 1978, dragging my bags up a staircase to Room One, Chapel Corridor. My time at St John’s saw me grow as an individual and opened a lot of doors for me. I always value and appreciate the time I spent there.