It is with sadness that we note the passing away of former CR&DALL and University of Glasgow colleague, Keith Hammond.

Keith and his contributions to adult and lifelong learning are remembered in this piece by his colleagues Robert Hamilton and Mike Osborne.

Keith Hammond joined the Department of Adult Education (DACE) at the University of Glasgow in 1991 as a part-time tutor. He had previously been a coal miner before completing an undergraduate degree as a mature student. He continued his studies whilst working in DACE and was awarded an MPhil in Philosophy (with distinction) in 1996.

In 1992, Keith was given a half-time position in DACE with responsibility to manage and develop an innovative Pre-Access programme. Pre-Access prepared students from low-income areas to join the then-groundbreaking ‘Access to University for Mature Students’ programme at DACE. Pre-Access was financially supported by local authorities and was offered across the West of Scotland including in Coatbridge, Airdrie, and Govan. Students attended classes in their own area for one day per week over three terms with teaching carried out by DACE full time staff and tutors. The students studied two different subjects in each of the first two terms and one subject in the final term. The programme was a huge success and Keith put his own stamp on the project. He put the needs of the students first and helped them to gain the confidence to go on to the Access programme and beyond. Many of the students became graduates of Glasgow University.

Keith became full-time in 1994 as subject head of courses in Philosophy at DACE (later Open Studies). In his final two years at Open Studies, he handed over the subject head reins to another tutor and worked on other projects including with CR&DALL a project funded by the European Commission within the Tempus Programme: Lifelong Learning in Palestine. The project aimed to develop Lifelong Learning provision in formal and informal networks across the West Bank and Gaza, linking the work of universities to centres outside of the university in civil society.  Seminars and workshops were designed to develop pedagogic partnerships in different settings, facilitating a wide arrangement of adult learning offers across Palestinian society. Amongst other things, LLiP benchmarked comprehensively across all universities in Palestine the then current provision and its effectiveness, and set up the conditions for the establishment comprehensive programmes of lifelong learning.

Keith retired from Open Studies in 2013. He was a larger-than-life character who was always good fun at staff away-days and events. Robert Hamilton accompanied him on a research trip to Boston in America and can testify to his humour and capacity for mischief. He was committed to the people of Palestine.   Colleagues were aware of several occasions when from his own pocket he financially helped Glasgow students who were experiencing hardship. He will be missed by former colleagues, friends and family, to whom the condolences of all those who worked alongside him are offered.

Bibliography

Hammond, K. (2007). Palestinian Universities and the Israeli Occupation, Policy Futures in Education,  5(2): 264-270

Hammond, K. (2012). Lifelong Learning in Palestine, Journal of Holy Land Studies, 11(1): 79–85