Having read the various posts, I am a little surprised there has been no comment on the decision by the Trustees to close the Teacher Building being taken last year and not until this year, the decision was made public, without prior notice to IET Scotland. While it is understandable alteration of the building would prove contentious, its worth noting Teacher Builing had been reasonably successful in a commercial sense due to accommodation letting, etc.
IEE/IET Christmas Lectures were on the go before the Teacher Building was purchased by the IEE. These lectures were seen as a partnership between the IEE/IET and the organisation that agreed to present these annual events. Since the presenting organisations were in the main universities, it seemed reasonable they were willing to provide accommodation, while through their connections with other universities come to an arrangement to host, as it was useful publicity. Inverness College, now the University of the Highlands and Island where always particularly keen to act as a host venue.
What I was always considered to be poor in terms of the IEE/IET, was the almost total failure to use the four street level windows to publicise the Institution, rather than as has been for quite some time, advertising the Teacher Building as an award winning meeting venue. We are after all an Institution promoting Engineering and Technology!
Throughout my time as an Interviewer and Interview Convener, around 9 or 10 session of interviews were held annually in the Teacher Building. Prior to the Teacher Building being available, interviews were held in the Ingram Hotel, where is did sometimes prove difficult to get a date for suitable accommodation. An issue likely to arise once more.
While there were and continue to be IEE/IET publications on display, being able to gain more general information about the Institution was never really possible. This is in no way a criticism of the Teacher Building staff who I always found to be extremely welcoming and helpful, and in that respect a very sad loss to the IET. They did their very best to respond to enquires, providing information on appropriate contacts within the Institution.
Finally it is worth noting the Teacher Building purchase was seen as an investment, at a time when the IEE had a positive funds balance. It will be interesting to see what the investment realises in the next set of IET annual accounts.
Having read the various posts, I am a little surprised there has been no comment on the decision by the Trustees to close the Teacher Building being taken last year and not until this year, the decision was made public, without prior notice to IET Scotland. While it is understandable alteration of the building would prove contentious, its worth noting Teacher Builing had been reasonably successful in a commercial sense due to accommodation letting, etc.
IEE/IET Christmas Lectures were on the go before the Teacher Building was purchased by the IEE. These lectures were seen as a partnership between the IEE/IET and the organisation that agreed to present these annual events. Since the presenting organisations were in the main universities, it seemed reasonable they were willing to provide accommodation, while through their connections with other universities come to an arrangement to host, as it was useful publicity. Inverness College, now the University of the Highlands and Island where always particularly keen to act as a host venue.
What I was always considered to be poor in terms of the IEE/IET, was the almost total failure to use the four street level windows to publicise the Institution, rather than as has been for quite some time, advertising the Teacher Building as an award winning meeting venue. We are after all an Institution promoting Engineering and Technology!
Throughout my time as an Interviewer and Interview Convener, around 9 or 10 session of interviews were held annually in the Teacher Building. Prior to the Teacher Building being available, interviews were held in the Ingram Hotel, where is did sometimes prove difficult to get a date for suitable accommodation. An issue likely to arise once more.
While there were and continue to be IEE/IET publications on display, being able to gain more general information about the Institution was never really possible. This is in no way a criticism of the Teacher Building staff who I always found to be extremely welcoming and helpful, and in that respect a very sad loss to the IET. They did their very best to respond to enquires, providing information on appropriate contacts within the Institution.
Finally it is worth noting the Teacher Building purchase was seen as an investment, at a time when the IEE had a positive funds balance. It will be interesting to see what the investment realises in the next set of IET annual accounts.
