Good Meet the Rector event in the Union Bar - but I really need to get a sign or something otherwise students tentatively come up and ask if I am free to speak when in fact that is what I am there for. A variety of issues which people want advice on or support for - Clare Riley and Didi Wambugu have a great idea for a skills exchange - I will post more about it once they are ready to launch but in the meantime happy to do what I can to support.

Toured the Barron Theatre with its administrator, Julie Amphlett, along with Sam Fowles, President of Mermaids, and Phil Pass, Director of Events and Services, Students' Association. The Barron is a great asset for student drama - a dedicated 60 seat 'black box' space. It is much used but like so many of the student facilities would benefit from fresh investment especially to upgrade the retractable seating and the technical box. Sam and Phil embarrassed Julie for this photo taken in the props room.

Whether you're organising a society event, campaigning on an issue or just need some advice, the Rector is here to help.

Kevin will be in the Main Bar of the Union from 2pm on Wednesday 21st October, so come and have a chat!

Arrived at the Buchanan Theatre this evening for Mohsin Hamid's lecture to find it absolutely packed - the aisles were littered with bodies and people were congregating in the doorways straining to hear. However, I was able to have a brief chat beforehand with Mohsin and then wangle a space to hear a thoughtful reflection on the craft of writing The Reluctant Fundamentalist  ("The job of the novelist is to re-complicate the over-simplified," he said).

To that end he pointed out the main character Changez is polite, Westernised, not observably religious yet his immediate reaction on hearing of the attack on the Twin towers is a smiling satisfaction. We have by that time been drawn into a certain empathy with Changez- not least because we see how affected he has been by his doomed relationship with his girlfriend - which makes the prospect of his capacity for cold blooded action all the more troubling.

But the ending is ambiguous: do we imagine what may happen only because of what we fear 'radical Muslims' are capable of post 9/11? 

St Regulus Hall asked me to join them for dinner, and for a talk in the library afterwards. As ever I was made very welcome by the Warden, Mrs Minick, and her Hall Committee. My thanks to them for an enjoyable evening.

Met up with the St Andrews United Nations Youth and Student Association society, which has ambitious plans fora charity fundraising event next semester. Whilst I was Chairman of Friends of the Earth International I was heavily involved with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, so I am keen to do what I can to help. We met up in the Students' Union to discuss progress - what this space for news.

At the first Meet the Rector event in the Union Bar, Hannah, Duncan and Matthias from the SusDev Soc brought me up to date with their priorities for the forthcoming year. They want to see the University becoming more engaged with initiatives like the Alliance for Global Sustainability, as well as more crossover between the academic and practical action in the University.

Whether you're organising an society event, campaigning on an issue or just need some advice, the Rector is here to help.

Kevin will be in the Main Bar of the Union from 2pm on Thursday 1st October, so come and have a chat!

Dear Students,

To those of you who have just arrived, welcome to St Andrews and congratulations on making such an excellent choice! And to all of you returning for the new academic year, it’s great to see you again.

As you will already know, St Andrews has many traditions, one of the most important of which is the right of students to elect their Rector. The Rector ensures that the student voice is heard when decisions as to the direction of the University are being taken, including everything from the availability and cost of accommodation to the functioning of the library and changes to degree courses.

I was honoured to be elected as your Rector last October. My St Andrews degree has taken me far and wide since I graduated – I have worked in the fields of international development and environmental campaigning, latterly as head of Friends of the Earth International – and I am now the Scottish Information Commissioner, based right here in St Andrews.

Over these next few weeks I will be particularly keen to speak to new students, so you are always welcome to come up and say hello or to come and speak to me about any issue you want to raise. You don’t have to make an appointment, and I hold regular surgeries in the Union (the next surgery will be at 2pm on Thursday 1st October).

I also regularly attend and take an active part in student events, including guest lectures, charity shows, debating competitions and so on, and I am happy to lend my support to as many initiatives as possible, given the phenomenal range of student-led activities in St Andrews.

You can always get hold of me by e-mail and I try to respond quickly. You can also contact James Shield, the Rector’s Assessor, for advice (the Assessor is a current student who assists me and also sits on University Court). James is a 4th year International Relations student and can be contacted here.

Finally, you can find out more about the role of the Rector and keep up to date with current activities here on my website.

I know you will have a great time at the University – enjoy.

Kevin Dunion
Rector

In the first of a series of video podcasts, Kevin discusses his time as Rector so far:

Find more on the Podcasts page.