We spoke to a college principal about their role: An interview with Simon Forrest

Here’s what the principal of Hild Bede had to tell us about his role

2 months ago | UPDATED 2 months ago

May Thomson | Features

Simon Forrest is the Principal of Hild Bede, with a background in sociology and a long-standing focus on young people’s sexual health, gender, and education. Before joining Durham’s Sociology Department in 2019, he worked in schools, led research on HIV prevention, and helped set up peer-led sex ed programmes in medical schools.

The Durham Tab spoke to Simon about what being a college principal means to him and here’s what he had to say.

What was the process of becoming a college principal like? And how did you know you wanted to do it?

Simon explained the process was both “rigorous and robust”. He went through seven rounds of interviews and meetings with staff and students, as well as two interviews with the university’s recruitment firm at the time. He appreciated it being so lengthy though, as it provided him with insight into the role and forced him to question whether he really wanted it.

The principal said he always knew he wanted to serve a college community: “I loved the way that we really worked closely with our students and also all the life around the academic element which is largely about colleges.”

Simon added he’s never worked anywhere “with such bright and committed young people who understand that they are the real body of the institution.”

What are your favourite parts about your job?

Simon’s favourite parts of the job are “the sense of belonging and purpose [he is] rewarded with”. He cited activities people engage in such as clubs, societies, leadership, and activism as both “remarkable and special”.

Most of all, his joy comes from observing other people’s pleasure in it and what they get from it themselves.

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What is something people might be surprised to know about you and your role?

Simon revealed how despite being a sociology professor, he doesn’t actually have a sociology degree.

Perhaps more surprisingly, he was once a pop musician too!

The college principal spoke about just how varied his role is, with no day looking the same: “I sometimes look at my diary and follow a PhD supervision with discussing what our librarians want to do with our study spaces, perhaps attend a meeting about estates and facilities and then go to a show or performance or dinner.”

What’s something unique or surprising that students or faculty from other colleges might not know about our college?

“We are old but that history is full of radical, bold activism,” Simon said. He cited the college being the first to award Durham degrees to woman as a “socially progressive step”.

“It’s a reminder that being brave and principled is important,” he added.

What university-wide issues do you feel most passionate about, and how do you hope to influence these from your position?

Above all, Simon says it’s the use of expertise: “I work with students who plan events which costs thousands of pounds and run brilliantly; I work with academics who know so much about their subjects; I work with alumni who have passion and love from us”.

That energy, he believes, could be utilised to a much greater extent in thinking about the university’s function and future.

If you could implement one change across the entire university, what would it be and why?

The change Simon would most want implemented is starting every conversation with the question: “”How does what we [are] discussing relate and contribute to education, research and student experience?’”

If you could swap places with any professor at Durham for a day, who would it be, and why?

There are a lot of friends and colleagues Simon would love to swap places with for a day, and so he struggled to choose. He decided he’d want to be with a professor when they’re talking about their subject, or with a colleague and student when they realise that they’re “thinking about something new or seeing an old idea in a new way. That’s electric.”

What are some of your favourite stories from your time as a college principal?

There were too many for Simon to choose from! He spoke of singing Happy Birthday to a 93-year-old alumnus back at a formal for the first time in decades.

Other stand-out memories included “seeing students achieve remarkable things”, such as writing for publications or performances, as well as overcoming challenges to achieve their degrees.

Another memory was laughing until he cried at a theatre show, or crying with emotion as he stood before the local community.

“It all matters and the one thing I try to tell myself every day is that it will [be] the smallest thing that I should pay attention to but that will [be] a big thing to someone else. These are often where those stories start,” he added.

Finally, what is the one thing you wish every student, regardless of their college, understood about the university experience?

At its root, Simon said, is the notion that things will change for you in ways you can’t anticipate. He believes we should be “creating room for that to happen and revelling in it.”

Though there was an acknowledgement of how tough this can be, since Durham is a “smart place with high standards and expectations”, he outlined the importance of giving things “up to moment” every now and then and seeing where it takes you.

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May Thomson | Features

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