Vice-Chancellor's Seasonal Message for 2024

Harper Adams Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan has written the following seasonal message to the Harper Adams community as 2024 draws to a close, with good wishes for Christmas, festive celebrations, and the New Year.

As we come to the end of this term, and the calendar year, I wanted to offer my best wishes to you for the holidays.

Different communities celebrate festivals at this time of year including Christmas, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Posadas Navideñas, and many more. Some people simply see it as a time to bring their families and friends together. Whatever you are doing, I hope you travel safely and get an opportunity for some rest and restoration.

The Autumn Term can be particularly challenging as everyone adjusts or readjusts to studying at the University. The rapid transition from the heights of Summer is replaced with long nights and shorter days. I know many of you will have had families or communities affected by flooding and other climate effects. I hope that things get under control quickly and that there has not been too much disruption and loss.

This term, those connected to family farms have been particularly concerned about the impact of tax changes in the recent Budget. We have continued to ensure that the concerns of our communities are conveyed to MPs and Ministers, including sharing the recent report from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, which provides its own assessment of the likely impact. We will continue to work with sector organisations and other as more information and intelligence comes to light.

It is hard not to be affected by matters which are happening further away from our lands. From the existing conflict in Ukraine, the impact of conflict in Gaza, the internal wars within Sudan, and now the rapid transition of power in Syria. This is a scale of displacement and disruption not witnessed for many decades. These, combined with rapidly deteriorating climate conditions, mean that mass populations do not enjoy the settled status that many of us take for granted. Our thoughts are with anyone in the UK or elsewhere who do not get to return to a home each day and to hope that a more peaceful and settled picture starts to emerge. 

I recognise that this time of year is not always a time of celebration for everyone.  It can be a reminder of people close to us who we have lost, or memories of less-happy times. Please do remember to reach out to someone if you feel down or affected by anything that happens. Reaching out to friends when we are feeling down is always helpful. Equally, if you have not heard from a friend for a while, please send them a message and get them back in the loop.  When it feels like most people are celebrating, it is important that individuals do not feel alone.

When we return to our regular routines after the holidays, we will quickly start to see the emergence of Spring. When nature unfolds its colours and textures, it is always a time for optimism. I will be holding a further series of drop-ins so that I can get to know colleagues and their work a bit better. We will also be starting to plan towards the 125th Birthday of Harper Adams as an institution in the Summer of 2026 and your ideas and input on how we do that will be welcome. More information on these will come in January. 

My final message is that we recognise and thank those colleagues who will continue to work through the University’s external closedown period.  Let us give a collective vote of thanks to each one of them for keeping our organisation safe and functional. 

For now, travel safely and come back refreshed and ready to take on the next set of challenges.

We have a remarkable community at Harper Adams, something I am reminded of every time I meet our students, my colleagues, and our partners on campus and elsewhere. There may be ups and downs, things we would prefer not to happen, and things that can be better.

Our community overall works to support each other and, at a time of significant external challenge, we must recognise and celebrate our individual talents and contributions. And pull together.

The year ahead will be challenging, but I am optimistic we will all lean in, play our part, and ensure that we continue our path to a sustainable, and successful future. 

My best wishes for Christmas, your festive celebrations, and for the New Year.