by Terry Bryan, Online Distance Learning Coordinator

About me

It all began on the 14^th April 1993 …. but before we get to Sussex, a little about me …. I was born in Wrexham, North Wales in 1970 (now famous for the Hollywood-owned football club). When I was in my late teens I would go hitchhiking with a friend, with no particular plan of where we were going. We once ended up camping in a cemetery on a hill overlooking Lyme Regis bay – we only left when the Rector from St Michael’s church asked us to leave because he needed the space for a burial plot! We arrived in Brighton after hitching a lift from some guys driving a hippy van. I loved Brighton so much I vowed to return one day.

Where it began and the journey

After moving to Brighton in Dec 1992, I saw a job ad in the Argus newspaper for a Secretary at the University of Sussex in the School of Cultural and Community Studies (Coordinators were called Secretaries in those days). I applied for the post and to my surprise got the job with no previous office experience (I did complete a PA course in Wrexham, which equipped me for office work). I was over the moon and very proud to tell my friends I worked at The University of Sussex.

I began work on 14 April 1993 as Music and Media Studies Secretary in CCS. Media Studies was in its infancy, and they needed admin support (hence me). Roger Silverstone (Silverstone Building) was Head of Media Studies and Jonathan Cross was Head of Music (Jonathan now teaches at Oxford). I was a jack of all trades, working for both Music and Media Studies, collecting exam scripts, organising parties, giving Music & Media tours to students and new Faculty, issuing harmony tests to wide-eyed musicians, taking Music students to Glyndebourne opera house (the list goes on).

One of my first tasks in the early nineties was to investigate a new electronic mail system called ‘email’.  If you wanted to reach someone across campus you would either phone or send a paper memo via staff pigeonholes. We had a very basic email system called SOLX1, so under the guise of research, I sent an email to a student called Craig at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York (this was revolutionary at the time), and I received a reply! I rushed to my line manager and said it works! I’m still friends with Craig from Hofstra on Facebook after 31 years. Another task was to set up the first Music webpage, which was very basic, with gaudy flashing icons (akin to a casino website!).

I left the Media Dept in approximately 2000 after a major restructuring and solely supported the Music Department. I had additional roles such as Visiting and Exchange Student Coordinator; Student Attendance Monitor; Coordinator for Faculty in Anthropology; Geography; Cultural Studies; Drama and English.

Working for Online Distance Learning

In August 2023 I left the Music Department after 30 years and started working as Online Distance Learning (ODL) Coordinator, which is part of the Educational Enhancement (EE) Department headed by Katie Piatt and Mellow Sadik, based in the Main Library. Many people at Sussex have no idea ODL exists, or how it works. The small team are amazing, friendly and do a terrific job. It’s like a mini-University where we deal with payments, admissions, teaching, statistics, enrolment, support etc. The EE team are also brilliant, and I’ve gained lots of knowledge regarding AI in teaching and learning.

People often say, how could you stay at the same job for so long? My answer is always the same … working at Sussex isn’t the same everyday …  it’s varied and interesting. I’ve got to know thousands of students over time, many interesting Faculty from all disciplines, along with wonderful professional services colleagues who’ve come and gone over the years.  I’ve also been through 3 major restructurings, moved office 6 times, witnessed 3 Chancellors, 5 Vice Chancellors, countless line Managers and saw the landscape of campus change dramatically.  And I’m still proud to say I work at Sussex University!