Debbie Cittern

60 Second Staff Spotlight

What’s your role and how long have you worked in Accommodation Services? I am the Accommodation Administrative Manager and have worked in Accommodation Services for 7 years.

What do you find the most challenging thing in your job? Although we try very hard to do this, it isn’t possible to give all of our students exactly what they want, and it can be hard when we have to say “no”. I have 2 adult children who both lived in university accommodation and I know how potentially stressful the transition to university can be – but rest assured that as a team we always try our hardest to make the experience for students a good one.

What is your favourite part about working at Brunel? Brunel is a very friendly University and the team in Accommodation Services is focused and enthusiastic about providing the best service possible to students – these things make it a very good place to work

If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring? I’d bring my husband - he’s a very practical person and would be able to do all of those essential things like building a shelter and finding food! I’d also bring my phone and my kindle.

What book did you read last? I’m currently reading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, which is set in an Italian monastery in the 14th century – it’s a murder mystery, with medieval history and religious thought in the mix!

If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?This is a hard one, but I would probably go for fillet steak, baked potato and salad.

What is your favourite hall of residence and why? Each hall has its own advantages, but I think my favourite would be our postgraduate halls in the Isambard complex – it’s great that Brunel can guarantee campus accommodation for postgraduates and I think it works well for them to have their own halls away from the noisier parts of the campus!