We have just proved that our university is being run by the Federation.
Everything I ever intimated about this place being a loveless well of despair is correct.
It has as much resemblance to a learning institution as "Springtime for Hitler" has to a West-End success - i.e. a manipulative profit making scam, masquerading as a public service.
I say this because the Principle's salary is £312,000; last year's surplus was £739,000 and we have £160 million in the bank, but none of that can be spared so instead they've started laying of lecturers.
In our department, everyone is being forced to basically reapply for their jobs in competition with one another, so they can then decide which 22 they want to lay off. This has already happened in the Philosophy department where (I hear) they deliberately targeted professors they knew no one would miss, people with less engaging teaching styles about whom no one would kick up a fuss. In my head, I already know at least one member of our department who is royally f-d if it comes to the same thing. Oh, the atmosphere here is just charming right now.
There are so many good people here, and I have never faulted the teaching. But the reason why so many of my friends (not to mention myself) keep getting screwed over by a system which doesn't function, which doesn't explain itself simply and doesn't have safety nets is because the powers that be don't give actually give a damn about teaching.
Our new Vice Principle for Research and Innovation is not a renowned academian, but an ex-advisor to BP.
I say this with a rather defeatist tone because last year, the same arguments were used to axe the Equality and Diversity department. If the disabled and the political correctness army can't convince, then what hope do people who merely Make This Place A University Instead Of A Big Empty Building have?
As a student representative, I'm now in charge of the "make a stand which will inevitably be crushed before it begins" effort. It's horrid. They are doing a student consultation, but what they mean is "we are going to meet with the students so they feel involved".
Expect to find me knee-deep in heroes and exiled to a prison planet with my memory erased before the end of the week...
Everything I ever intimated about this place being a loveless well of despair is correct.
It has as much resemblance to a learning institution as "Springtime for Hitler" has to a West-End success - i.e. a manipulative profit making scam, masquerading as a public service.
I say this because the Principle's salary is £312,000; last year's surplus was £739,000 and we have £160 million in the bank, but none of that can be spared so instead they've started laying of lecturers.
In our department, everyone is being forced to basically reapply for their jobs in competition with one another, so they can then decide which 22 they want to lay off. This has already happened in the Philosophy department where (I hear) they deliberately targeted professors they knew no one would miss, people with less engaging teaching styles about whom no one would kick up a fuss. In my head, I already know at least one member of our department who is royally f-d if it comes to the same thing. Oh, the atmosphere here is just charming right now.
There are so many good people here, and I have never faulted the teaching. But the reason why so many of my friends (not to mention myself) keep getting screwed over by a system which doesn't function, which doesn't explain itself simply and doesn't have safety nets is because the powers that be don't give actually give a damn about teaching.
Our new Vice Principle for Research and Innovation is not a renowned academian, but an ex-advisor to BP.
I say this with a rather defeatist tone because last year, the same arguments were used to axe the Equality and Diversity department. If the disabled and the political correctness army can't convince, then what hope do people who merely Make This Place A University Instead Of A Big Empty Building have?
As a student representative, I'm now in charge of the "make a stand which will inevitably be crushed before it begins" effort. It's horrid. They are doing a student consultation, but what they mean is "we are going to meet with the students so they feel involved".
Expect to find me knee-deep in heroes and exiled to a prison planet with my memory erased before the end of the week...
04:11 |
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Comments (1)
One day you must catch "A very peculiar practice" starring none other than Peter Davison in a TV series about a university being absorbed by big business. I'm sure the lecturers are even more stressed than the students about this! Well done for stepping into the front rank on this.