| Description | Track 1 [01:23:16] [Session One: 5 October 2017] Professor Ken Board [KB] Born Llanelli, 1941, with Dr Viv Phillips [VP]. KB mentions going to Llanelli Grammar School. KB explains why and how he became an apprentice in the steel industry (Machynys Foundry [MF], Llanelli). Tells interesting story of events leading to him applying to University. KB Mentions he was interviewed at SU by Bill Gosling, started his studies in 1961. KB and VP discuss ways of entry to Swansea University [SU] with brief comparison to UK; KB mentions ‘A’ level and HNC level entry, and a performance analysis by Jeff Thomas, comments on the tradition of this entry in Swansea; VP briefly explains Inters and the Glamorgan Summer School. [00:05:00] KB confirms VP was a lecturer at SU when he began his studies. KB describes his first year experience, students, course numbers, attrition rate of first year students, explains he worked very hard to get through the first year, especially at maths. KB and VP explain the type of engineering taught in first year-. KB describes his 3rd year project on lasers assigned by Dr Godfrey Townsend – brief explanation of developments in this area. This led to KB’s Masters. KB explains VP taught him in 3rd year (televisions), compliments VP on his teaching, explains why. VP remarks on teaching, (briefly mentions Professor Fishwick [PF] teaching first year), remembers teaching course first year in DC machines. VP comments on why Engineering Drawing led to drop out of students, mentions foreign students – tells story of Chinese research student. KB comments he had geometry experience from school and drawing during HNC, also worked in drawing office at MF. KB describes his grammar school experience, remarks on focus of getting students to Oxbridge and lack of support for others. [00:13:04] KB briefly describes course structure; explains his experience as a student, remarks he was ‘scared witless’ he would fail, comments on being the first in his family going to University, how he worked very hard to keep up. VP comments on his similar experience, sense of doing something pioneering, and being privileged to be at university. KB and VP describe their background and their family’s attitude to them going to SU –VP’s mother trained as primary school teacher, father a carpenter, KB’s family (mothers side) mainly worked in Llanelli tinplate industry – tells anecdote. [00:16:10] KB and VP remember key staff members; KB and VP tell amusing anecdotes regards John Mc Cormack’s teaching, KB mentions being very close to Godfrey Townsend [GT] his supervisor. [00:17:43] KB describes physical campus, mentions huts and building work for new department (KB’s uncle a bricky on the site). KB and VP briefly describe huts, VP explains where lecture rooms were. VP mentions move to new building in 1962 (?), tells story of Dickie Dunmore who looked after the new building, mentions a plaque to him on campus. VP describes the move from huts to new building, mentions moving for 1 year to ‘shoddy’ wooden huts by the new Arts building. VP tells anecdote of going on an inspection of new building with PF before the opening, mentions concerns and outcome of no opening windows and maintenance of complex air conditioning. KB tells story of his later experience of building, mentions Raymond Carier [sp?]. VP remembers Llewellyn Jones’ refusal to allow non opening windows in the physics tower. VP comments on reasons for high static electricity in the building, tells amusing anecdote. KB and VP tell amusing anecdotes involving air conditioning system and cigar smoke. VP tells further amusing anecdotes, regarding static electricity problems, and cigar smoke and Professor Zienkiewicz. [00:27:51] KB returns to his time as an undergraduate student - travelling, ‘digs’ (Dunvant), influence of his fundamentalist religious background, playing snooker on campus, working very hard. Brief comment on abstinence from drink by KB and VP (Baptist and Methodist background). KB comments on friendships, fellow students, including overseas students, mentions student from Iraq. VP comments on why foreign students were attracted to Engineering, they sometimes went on to be very influential – tells story of Ethiopian from his own student days. KB explains why he did a masters, mentions going to SERL with GT, his first published paper with GT on tracking aluminium films. KB tells amusing anecdote about transistors and comments on advances in subject making it very difficult to teach, VP tells amusing anecdote of transistor examination answer, KB remarks on Moore’s law. VP remembers Dennis Gabor (Imperial College, London) who invented Holography. [00:36:00] KB comments on difference between undergraduate and masters course - remarks it was first year of a taught rather than research masters. KB explains why he did a PhD at Bangor with Fred Hyde [FH], (completed 1969) tells of FH tragic death. After his PhD KB worked at the Hirst Research Centre, Wembley (6 months) and then Philips, Redhill, Surrey (6-7 years). KB tells ‘extraordinary’ story of his application to SU, mentions Aspinall the Head of Department [HoD] SU, and Alan Evans [AE]. KB confirms he returned to SU as lecturer in 1975. KB comments on changes in his 10 years away – mentions the new building, staff changes (mentions GT and AE) and New HoD David Aspinall, rise in student numbers, lecture theatres and lab changes. VP remembers changes in student attitudes, a push to helping to ‘govern the university’, cites a Government enquiry into the matter and being interviewed by officials (VP was Chairman of the senior common room), mentions resulting student representative in the Senate. KB and VP comment engineering was ‘quite non-political’ during time of student unrest. KB recalls advice to publish if he wanted to get on at SU. KB and VP share amusing anecdotes about qualifications. [00:43:47] KB first taught Electromagnetic field theory and semiconductors, comments on lecturing technique, compares to a stage performance. VP comments on changes in lectures. KB and VP discuss financial pressures and mention increased bureaucracy. VP comments on decline in collegiate atmosphere. KB tells story involving senior university management, general comment on using the senior common room, mentions Don Hopkins (lovely character). KB comments on work, friends and family life as a lecturer, tells amusing story about a colleague. [00:49:46] Brief comment on question of any department interaction with Swansea town, the idea of ‘town and gown’. VP explains opening of Taliesin, how it was funded, mentions Professor Dewi Z. Philips, comments on how it brought people onto campus, along with occasional functions, KB remarks too that people came to watch a national or visiting sports team training on ‘Ashley Road Fields’. [00:52:40] KB and VP comment on Welsh language at SU, KB remembers student right to teaching in Welsh. VP and KB talk about Welsh language in their respective grammar schools. [00:54:55] VP confirms he went part time at SU in 1994 and retired in 1997. VP comments on staffing levels over time, KB mentions Professor Rodstein and Tony Barker. VP and RB comment on new assessments required by the department, VP describes ‘quality assurance’ and a department ‘book of procedures’. KB remembers examiners board changes meaning staff couldn’t advocate for students in difficulty. VP remarks on how it was previously and that procedures started to change in the 1980s. VP and KB remark that Engineering Department [ED] student numbers went up in the 1990s but not overwhelmingly. KB comments on ED’s lack of attractiveness to students. VP remarks on believing that engineers should be called applied scientists - tells anecdote. [01:01:16] KB comments on Chemistry closing, tells story about a conversation with SU VC at the time, remarks on physics and why it should have closed. [01:03:14] VP comments upon his retirement, remarks on feeling systems were deteriorating at SU. (VP comments on ED students). KB remembers experience of working summers in Cornell University, New York, and the reason he turned down a temporary post there – mentions the HoD Professor Eastman at Cornell. VP explains the ED set up. KB explains circumstances of becoming Head of ED, mentions Mike Rod [sp?], Tony Barker and George Wilshire. KB explains department downsizing, VP explains fragmenting of ED lecture rooms, due to SU space issues. KB remarks as HoD his research interests diminished as his role was more administrative. KB describes getting a large grant from the Wolfson Foundation to build a clean room. – explains a clean room. [01:10:50] KB and VP talk about - Sir Terry Mathews, KB tells amusing anecdote. KB tells extraordinary story of Eddie Bowen [EB] (SU physics alumnus), born in Cockett, Swansea - KB tells amusing anecdote involving actor Michael Sheen and KB’s idea EB’s story should be made into a film. [01:16:34] KB explains he has an office in Bay Campus, part time in the SU School of Management, tasked with linking this with Engineering, remarks on the role. KB and VP comment on the new Bay facilities in comparison to previously. KB comments on the role of computing in Engineering becoming dominant. VP comments on revolutions in Engineering. KB and VP comment on the new campus - flat roofs, student social aspect, lack of sports facilities, and contrast with Singleton Campus. VP remembers Frank Llewellyn Jones’ opinion on building a campus in a different area, KB remarks on interplay between the two campuses. VP remembers previous talk of building a Great Hall on Singleton Campus, mentions the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; KB comments favourably on the Great Hall on Bay Campus. |