Interview with David Ross

Interview recorded with Larisa Olaru-Peter, Abertay University Archivist on 30 September 2020.

David Ross talks about his time in senior management and about being the Dean of the Faculty of Science and the things that he taught (chemistry). He speaks about students and lecturers that he remembers, the courses, how things have changed since he was at the University, and the role that he played in the Dundee Institute of Technology gaining its University status in 1994.
He speaks about celebrations that took place when the university gained its status. and the reasons that the Dundee Institute of Technology wanted to gain university status.

00:37 Responsibilities as Head of the department
2:10 Students who stood out
2:31 Other staff members
4:00 Developments around 1990’s – course expansion, building expansion, equipment in labs
5:50 Differences in campus
7:20 University gaining status (keeping courses successful while getting more students)
8:23 + title for the university
9:06 Claverhouse as a potential name
9:36 Abertay name explained
10:00 Competing with Dundee University
12:21 New students from different areas (Ireland, India, China)
12:47 +advertising for students
14:30 Why the DIT wanted to get university status (prestige etc)
16:00 New courses to be brought in and the development plans
18:00 Courses that still exist and unsuccessful ones (Chemistry and management) due to changing perceptions etc
20:42 Courses with big numbers of students vs smaller courses
21:15 Lab developments easier through university status
22:28 Staff parties and celebrations for getting university status + law hill and banner
23:12 Staff close together and having parties
25:10 Staff experience story – getting high profile biologists
26:30 Getting more staff to match student number
27:20 International staff (England, India , Belgium)
28:35 Learning to split time between teaching and researching
31:39 Recording Ends