School of Health & Wellbeing

Spend 5 minutes with SHW Admin's Jane Goodfellow... (Dissemination and Information Officer)

Tell us a bit about what you do in SHW

I work as part of the SHW admin team. My role is a mix of IT-related tasks and information management, with some lovely Athena Swan, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities thrown in! My responsibilities include editing the SHW monthly newsletter HAWKEYE, looking after SHW’s website and our Athena Swan twitter feed, preparing data for Athena Swan reports and award applications, devising information systems to help with the smooth running of our school, and supporting inclusiveness and wellness initiatives. 

What do you enjoy about your role?

I never expected to find myself in a technical role and certainly not one that involved number-crunching! But I find it hugely satisfying when, for example, an Excel pivot table or v-lookup function works as I need it to. And it’s always a good day when my figures add up! I am probably slower than some might be at this stuff. But attention to detail really counts in this job, and I’m happy to put time and care into getting things right, even if I’m not a "natural".

My EDI work is also close to my heart. My urge to get involved grew out of my own sense, over many years, of feeling different, of struggling to "belong" and wanting to be part of helping others who might feel the same way. I’m proud to be contributing to this important activity, and thankful in particular for the opportunity to lead SHW’s invisible disabilities work.

What are the challenges?

• Production of a monthly newsletter can feel quite onerous! No sooner has one edition been sent out than work must start on the next :(
• At my age and stage, and despite belonging to the "technical and specialist" job family (cue major imposter syndrome!), the constant stream of new technology that we’re required to master poses a huge challenge. I want to move with the times. I try to grit my teeth and get on with it. But it’s not easy by any means! The Clarice Pears lockers, for example, have totally defeated me. I just stuff my belongings into the nearest unlocked cupboard and hope for the best… (But please don't follow my example!)

What is the best thing about working in SHW?

Three things:

1. SHW’s genuine commitment to making our teams, offices and underlying culture as welcoming and inclusive as possible, and to bringing kindness and fairness to all we do. I now come to work feeling confident that my needs (as a disabled member of staff) will be accommodated, that I will be listened to if I have concerns, and that people with open minds and good hearts are doing all they can to make working life better and easier.
2. The good-natured, supportive colleagues who make me smile, let me cry, allow me to be the person that I am (quirks and all), believe in me, and help me to believe in myself.
3. Rudy Costigan :D (and all SHW puppers of course)...

Tell us something we might not know about you

I rarely miss an episode of Aussie soap "Home and Away", which I've watched religiously since it first launched in 1988. Visiting the place where it’s filmed (Palm Beach in New South Wales) in 2006 was a highlight of my life!

And I have really soft spot for Sylvanian Families! An unexpected bonus of attending the Aurora leadership training in 2019, which took place in London, was being able to make a "pilgrimage" to the Sylvanian Families shop (now sadly closed), which turned out to be just a short walk from the course venue. Result!

When or where are you happiest?

Sitting in my garden on one of the first warm days of the year with a cup of coffee and a flapjack, preferably in the company of a dog or cat. Or in a bookshop (Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland, if at all possible!). 

Tell us about something (or more than one thing!) you are proud of

I'm proud of the volunteering work I do. I am a dog walker/fosterer for the Cinnamon Trust, a charity that helps vulnerable older people look after their pets. And in January 2022 I took up the role of twitter editor for a farm animal sanctuary (FARS in Warwickshire, near to where I grew up and still have family) – telling the residents’ stories and encouraging people to live and eat in ways that are kinder to these beautiful, clever, gentle beings.

And, in recent times, I have spoken openly about my mental illnesses. I hope that, as a consequence, someone, somewhere within SHW or UofG has perhaps felt a little less alone, and that I have played my part in reducing stigma and starting conversations about conditions that, for many years, were hidden and "unspeakable".

If you could have your time again, what might you do differently?

That’s a difficult one, as I find it very poignant to reflect on the things that haven’t gone so well in life and work, and what might have been. But I would probably delay going to university until I was grown-up enough to make the most of the opportunity and knew what I wanted and needed from the experience. 

Any secret – or not so secret! – ambitions?

I had a secret yearning, for quite a number of years, to be a postwoman. The fresh air, the exercise, the uniform, the dogs behind many gates and doors, everything! It’s probably far too late now though (I applied a while ago and was unsuccessful), and I’m sure it comes with its own stresses and downsides!

Do you have a favourite quote or saying, or mantra by which you try to live your life?

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there." (Rumi)

Stunning, mysterious words! For me, it’s about just doing the best we can, forgiving ourselves when we fall short of the standards we set for ourselves or the ethics we try to live by. And, of course, applying the same kindness and non-judging to our dealings with others, starting each new day and each new interaction free from the hurt or harshness of the day before. It’s a work in progress of course. I mostly fail, but trying matters.

Any final words?

After a whopping 28 years at University of Glasgow, I will shortly retire. I am apprehensive to say the least. Despite the undeniable challenges of working life, much of my self-worth has come from my UofG role. And many amazing colleagues have passed my way, too numerous to mention of course. You've given me a role and an identity I would have been lost without, and it’s hard to imagine how life will be minus the warmth and supportiveness I've come to rely on as I go about my SHW business. I thank all who have looked out for and after me over the years – for kindness and consideration, wisdom and guidance, understanding and empathy, and for being truly by my side. You met me in Rumi’s "field". I'll remember and be grateful forever.

If you would like to appear in "5 minutes with...", do please get in touch (shwadmin@glasgow.ac.uk)! We aim to feature colleagues from across a wide range of roles and grades within our school, both staff and students, research/teaching and professional services. 

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First published: 12 March 2024