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Honorary Fellow, 1997
Bio | Citation
Keith Crook joined the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) in 1970 as a lecturer in English. He registered as a PhD student at Queen Mary College, University of London, remarkably completing his thesis in just three years of part-time study. His passion for scholarship was matched by his commitment to the development and evolution of the combined studies degree. When CCAT merged with Essex Institute of Higher Education, Keith became Academic Liaison Officer, responsible for marrying the cultures of the two institutions, and his work in this role was instrumental in enabling the new institution to gain accreditation from the Council of National Academic Awards. He retired from the University in 1993 and has had published two books (both reprinted), one on Jonathan Swift and another on Joseph Forsyth, a distinguished traveller in Napoleonic Italy. He has also published articles in books and journals and lectured in the Italian universities of Bologna and Pescara and Ferris University, Japan.

In 1997 Keith Crook was made an Honorary Fellow of the University in recognition and gratitude for his contribution to the establishment of this University.

Areas Of Interest: Education
Faculty: Health, Social Care & Education
Citation:

"The Senate of Anglia Polytechnic University has great pleasure in recommending the award of an Honorary Fellowship of the University to Dr Keith Godfrey Crook. In Dr Crook we honour a former colleague who had a significant influence on the shaping of the University, although he retired in 1993 shortly after it was established.

He joined the staff of CCAT in 1970 as a lecturer in the department of English and General Studies. He had previously taught at the Perse School here in Cambridge. There he invented the "senior mummery". The "senior mummery" was a classroom set aside for the study of English through drama. He went on to lecture on and demonstrate the use of this room as a part-time English lecturer at the University of Cambridge.

Shortly after his arrival at CCAT he registered as a PhD student at Queen Mary College in the University of London. One of his singular achievements was to gain a doctorate after completing his thesis as a part-time student in three years; those were the leisurely days when even full-time doctoral students would happily take 5 years to complete their thesis.

He became a significant force in the development of CCAT. Under his leadership the college developed a combined studies degree which was a precursor of our modular programmes. His main contribution was during the momentous merger of CCAT with Essex Institute of Higher Education to form Anglia Higher Education College. It was crucial to the success of this marriage that the new institution gained 'accredited status' through the Council of National Academic Awards - that is the authority to act independently in developing and recognising degree programmes. Without this we could never have become a Polytechnic and later a University.

In 1987 Keith Crook became Academic Liaison Officer responsible for marrying the cultures of the two institutions into a unified academic quality assurance system for the new College. It was largely through his work that the Council for National Academic Awards agreed to grant devolved authority for awarding degrees and later accredited status to the whole of the new college. This task called on and drew out great qualities of persuasion, persistence and hard work. His work laid the foundation of our present quality assurance system.

It is therefore, with great pleasure, that I invite you, Chancellor, to confer an Honorary Fellowship of the University on Dr Keith Godfrey Crook in recognition and gratitude for his contribution to the establishment of this University."

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The 2013 Graduation Ceremony dates can be found here

2013 ceremony dates