What do most students think about our university? It has the country’s best Students’ Union? It throws a good night out? It’s a world leader in many subjects?
Whatever it is that people think, our Uni is quickly earning a reputation for making cutthroat business decisions which are detrimental to the student population, with alleged and continuous lack of consultation with the people that matter.
The huge loss of staff in the Learning and Teaching Services (LeTS) department seems to be another example of the University trying to push through a decision behind the backs of its staff and students.
The announcement of job cuts in LeTS and the introduction of the Voluntary Severance Scheme (VSS) – where staff are invited to retire early with a shiny one-off payment – came within weeks of each other. A cynic would probably point out what a convenient coincidence this was.
Former LeTS employee Steve Collier claims that many staff, including himself, felt forced to take the offer of VSS from the Uni.
Otherwise, he faced the sack a few months down the line. And a sack comes without the bonus bundle of cash.
He also claims that the Uni is targeting professional staff over academic staff to try to maintain the image of a healthy and fully-funtioning University.
That means anybody who doesn’t stand in front of a group of people and teach.(Anybody who can be removed with minimal fuss.)
If you look at the figures this certainly seems to be the case. 5 per cent of the Uni’s total staff has left recently, saving the Uni £13million.
In July, it was announced that a third of LeTS staff would lose their jobs. Considering this, no one would blame people for believing that Collier’s accusations are true.
Complaints have been made as the cuts mean jobs are being passed on to other people in their respective departments.
Experienced and highly-qualified members of staff who have been shown the door are having their jobs filled by the existing, less-qualified and ultimately cheaper staff – who already have enough on their plates.
Even worse, it means some chores which can be completed quickly by a technician or secretary are being left with academic staff.
Staff who should be standing next to a PowerPoint presentation in front of a lecture theatre, or leading a seminar group – reimbursing the multitude of students who have spent thousands of pounds for them to be there.
They should not be fumbling around with a faulty projector or sending emails.
The wrath of angry students is a mighty one.
After all, we’re the ones with the money – and it’s pretty safe to assume that the Uni would sooner keep us sweet than risk a repeat of the recent Biblical Studies protests.
Not to mention increased media interest since the protests kicked off.
As a result, it is mainly invisible staff being shown the door – under the pretence of the VSS – in an effort to appease the students and save money at the same time.
Sure, your lecturer is standing next to his projector as happy as Larry – but elsewhere, huge proportions of staff are leaving gaps which need filling.
Your seminar group won’t get cancelled. However, parts of your course will be severely unprepared because there’s no one there to do the background work.
If this situation worsens, the core of our University will rot away.
And it won’t be long before the damage on the inside begins to appear on the surface.