Cheryl Evans

Recalling the early years of Teesside University

What your first job at Teesside University and what you do now?

I joined in 1992, the year Teesside became a university, and my first job was as ESF project co-ordinator for the Institute of Design, and Professor Alan Whitfield was the Dean. I’m currently a DigitalCity Project Manager.

Why did you want to work at Teesside University?

I heard it was changing from a Polytechnic to a University and I thought it would be a good steady place to work.

What was the University like in 1992, and how has it changed over the past 30 years?

Everybody knew everybody back then, and there was always something fun going on.

However, the buildings were in desperate need of updating and the back car park was full of portacabins which were hot in summer and freezing in winter.

There was no email or internet back then, so we used to ring people or walk over to their offices if you had a query for them. I remember timetabling was a big peg board on a wall and everybody used to sit around a table and work out room requirements between them.

At the start of term there weren’t enough rooms for students, and some had to spend the first couple of nights on beds in the main hall until it was all sorted out.

The stationery was controlled centrally, and I remember asking for some pencils and was told to bring back the old pencil stubs before I could have any!

We had a really lovely nurse on campus, and we could go over to see her with any minor issues, and she was always happy to help.

The refectory was very basic, but the food was good and really cheap, a three-course meal was something like £1 and the Christmas lunches were always great.

What's your fondest memory of your time at Teesside University so far?

My fondest memories are of the people I’ve worked with.

They were just a really good crowd. Janice Webster was the most inspirational woman I have ever known, a true pioneer, and she really wanted you to do well.

I had the honour of going to Buckingham Palace when the University won the Queen’s Anniversary Award, and that was very special.

Working in the VR Centre Hemispherium and welcoming lots of school kids into the department was always good fun. We used to strap them into a hydraulic chair and push them out into the centre of the screen before taking them on a jet flight over the Lake District!

What advice would you give to your younger self about working at Teesside University today?

Make friends and enjoy every day, even when things aren’t so good because nothing stays the same.

What's the best thing about working at Teesside University?

Definitely, it’s the people I work with because we’re just like a family. We’ve been through some tough times, but we care very deeply about what we do, and we always have each other’s backs.

What makes you proud to be a member of Team Teesside today?

I am proud of how the campus has developed, and that we are environmentally considerate. I’m also very proud to be associated with DigitalCity and the wonderful team of people there.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I hope Teesside continues to go from strength to strength, and we should never forget our roots.