Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Graduation unsung hero: Trevor Seeley

trevor_seeley-2.gif_web.gifHear from colleagues who are taking time to contribute to graduation week, find out about their role and what they enjoy about it. It's a chance to see some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to help make graduation week a success.

Behind the scenes with...

Trevor Seeley

Head of Stakeholder Relations, External Affairs

Role at graduation: Civic Dignitary Host


My usual job involves...

Co-ordinating the University’s relationship with our three local authorities – senior officers and councillors – and many other local and regional organisations and people. This involves managing our liaison meetings with these stakeholders, representing the University at external meetings, responding to enquiries from councillors and local residents, arranging and manning public exhibitions about our campus development plans, and producing our newsletter 'CommUnity' and content for our community webpages.

During graduation week this means...

that I and my small team are responsible for looking after the civic dignitaries who attend the various degree ceremonies. Several weeks in advance we send out invites to the ceremonies to the mayors (some councils call them chairs) in the 16 local authorities that cover or are near to the campus, and also the High Sheriffs of Warwickshire and the West Midlands. On the days that they attend ceremonies, it is our role to greet them when they arrive, brief them on what to expect, introduce them to members of our senior management team and – most importantly - accompany them in the procession.

I really enjoy being involved with...

the degree ceremonies themselves. Although I have attended many ceremonies over the years, I never get tired of them. I love the buzz in the Butterworth Hall as graduands and families and friends settle in, the music – particularly the piece that's always played when we process into the Butterworth Hall – and especially the informal atmosphere that is a feature of our ceremonies. I know from colleagues at other universities that some of their degree ceremonies are very serious and quite solemn affairs.

Graduation week is unique because...

it is about celebrating what our students have achieved. And I’ve often overheard graduands talking proudly about what they have done at Warwick, and how they are going to miss it so much. It just makes you realise what being here has done for their lives.

If I could change one thing about graduation it would be...

ensuring the same weather conditions for every ceremony – dry and sunny, but with a reasonable temperature of 20 degrees C...

Not everyone knows that...

we are the people who get every ceremony started! A little-known part of the Civic Dignitary Host’s role is to let the mace bearer know when the Presiding Officer and other people on the stage are settled, and the formalities can begin – and we do this by giving him or her a discreet wink. That’s why our role is sometimes called The Winker!

What would you say to colleagues considering getting involved?

Particularly for those of us who do not have student-facing jobs, the graduation ceremonies are great at reminding us all why we’re here and who we’re working for.

In three words, what invaluable tip or advice would you give graduands?

Keep in touch. Not only with the University, but with each other. As it happens, I have just organized a 40-year reunion for a group of seven fellow Reading alumni who all graduated from university on the same day way back in 1975 (and who are still my best friends). I know that makes me sound old, but believe me some of the stories that were shared at the reunion seemed like they only happened last year...

Hear from our other unsung heroes