Scotch College

Interview with Alan Watkinson

Editor Tim Shearer puts departing Director of Development Dr Alan Watkinson in the Great Scot spotlight.

You have been at Scotch for almost 23 years, 17 as Head of English. What were the major highlights, challenges and achievements of your teaching career?

In 17 years as Head of English there were lots of challenges, with the biggest ones facing me when I started at Scotch. The Principal asked me to take over the English department and modernise it: he was less than happy with the results at that time.

As Head of English, I was the youngest member of the department. A number of staff had been there for many years, and they weren’t comfortable with a young person coming in and telling them what to do. But we rose above that, and achieved consistently very high results at the top end of Year 12. In addition, the middle-ranking Year 12 students improved their results by up to 10 per cent.

The next challenge was to try to do something with Years 9 and 10, traditionally the ‘desert’ years in English teaching. I wanted to introduce a very strong academic curriculum in Years 9 and 10, and in this there were challenges and causes of great satisfaction. We were able to establish a strong English teaching team.

The achievements were there, and English remains an incredibly strong department with consistently high results and a very good structure. So in terms of my academic career, that legacy gives me my greatest sense of satisfaction.

Who were some of the characters you encountered during your time as a teacher at Scotch?

At the start, Scott Crozier was a great character in terms of inspiring the boys, particularly in promoting the literature course, and he was also greatly interested in swimming and drama. Patricia Holdaway – also an unforgettable character – provided an idiosyncratic approach to teaching and assessing English.

In 2002 you were appointed Director of Development at Scotch, after a period as Acting Director of Research and Development. Why did you make the change from teaching?

By then the English department needed a new vision and a new Head, and I needed fresh challenges. It was as simple as that. When this opportunity came up, I saw there would be some challenges I’d really enjoy, so I put my hat in the ring.

What’s involved in ‘development’?

There are two parts to it. The first one is to try to ensure the smooth running of the Development office, including the alumni, the Foundation, events, bequests, and the Archives and museum. All of that really comes down to two basic things: one is to ensure that through this office Scotch develops, maintains and enhances relationships with everyone associated with the School. My other hat is the Foundation hat. The Foundation tries to take those relationships and develop them further into philanthropic relationships.

What, in your opinion are the key ingredients of a successful development operation?

It all comes down to people. Without the right people it will never function well; and once you have the right people, you have to resource them properly. The right people have a natural empathy with others; they have the self-confidence to mix with an enormous range of people of different ages, backgrounds, interests and achievements. The development person also has to have a passion for what he or she is doing, and must be prepared to devote the necessary time to do the job properly. In summary, having the right people is essential, and you also need the right resources.

The Scotch College Foundation is regarded as one of the most successful educational philanthropy bodies in Australia. Why has it been so successful?

One reason is that we started early – in 1973 – and built up a culture. It began with a group of Old Boys who wanted to make the School fully independent of government funding by 2000. Though this objective wasn’t achieved, these dedicated Old Boys did create a starting fund, and they enthused a lot of people. The School engaged a full-time Director of Development in about 1980. The Foundation has now been going for 34 years, so it is one of the longest-running foundations of its type in Australia.

Cultivating relationships with parents, especially those who are not Old Boys of the School has been an ongoing task. A primary aim is to develop a culture of acknowledging the obligation we have to future generations of Scotch boys.

I think that over the past three years in particular there has been a growing realisation over the entire Scotch Family that the School we have now is the result of the foresight of those who have gone before. It follows that we should ensure the School of the future continues to be well resourced.

You are currently President of the national council of ADAPE. What has that body achieved for the development profession in Australia?

ADAPE has given a much greater credibility to the development profession. Over its 10 years of existence, it has brought all of us together. It has allowed us to run a lot of professional development courses for newcomers as well as experienced practitioners. It has supported and enhanced professionalism across the entire range of development activities in Australia and New Zealand.

After almost 23 years in teaching and development roles, Scotch will no doubt always be in your heart. In what ways has Scotch influenced your life?

Tim, Scotch has not so much influenced my life – Scotch has BEEN my life. You can’t work in a place like Scotch and be successful unless you fully commit yourself to it. All the Scotch activities I’ve been involved with – including my involvement with rugby and coaching squash and setting up and running the Adventure Leadership program – have encouraged me to be quite efficient with my time outside the School, because I have had so little of it!

I’ve been inspired by a number of very fine people I’ve worked with. Top of the list would be Gordon Donaldson. He has influenced my approach a great deal to a whole range of things. I believe he will go down as one of the truly great Australian school principals of the 20th century.

Scotch has encouraged me to pursue further education, including supporting me when I did my Master of Education and my doctorate. Scotch has also influenced me in my perception of people, including how I related with parents as well as students.

Would you like to comment on the support you’ve enjoyed from Astrida Cooper and your other colleagues at Scotch?

I don’t think anyone could have been more fortunate than I have been with the support I’ve received from the entire Development office. Everyone pulls their weight, everyone puts in when help is required.

In my role I have always received wonderful support, advice, and I have benefited from great wisdom. The director can only be a single person, but in a funny way it’s an accumulation of the wisdom of other people as well.

Astrida has been an absolute foundation of support. Her own knowledge of the Scotch community is unsurpassed in terms of current parents, and of course she’s married to an Old Boy, so she has a vast knowledge of the School and a passion for it which is as great as anybody I’ve ever met. She’s also incredibly efficient, and strives always to do the best possible thing for the School.

You’re only as good as the people around you, and the quality of the people around me – including you, Tim – has helped me to perform my job.

What are your key aims in your new role as Director of Advancement at Trinity College?

There’s a whole range of immediate tasks, including a $20 to $25 million capital campaign, starting straight away. That’s a great challenge, and I’m looking forward to it. The college also wants me to rewrite their vision statement, and that will also be a big undertaking. I will have a full-time personal assistant, and that will enable me to step back a little from ‘nuts and bolts’ matters and concentrate on strategic issues, including handling the portfolios of major donors. GS