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subtext issue
80 3rd
November 2011 ***************************************************** 'Truth:
lies open to all' ***************************************************** Every
fortnight during term-time. All
editorial correspondence to: subtext-editors [at] lancaster.ac.uk. Please
delete as soon as possible after receipt. Back issues and subscription
details can be found at http://www.lancs.ac.uk/subtext. The
editors welcome letters, comments, suggestions and opinions from readers. subtext reserves the right to edit submissions. subtext does not publish material that is submitted
anonymously, but is willing to consider without obligation requests for
publication with the name withheld. For
tips to prevent subtext from getting swept up into your 'junk email folder',
see http://www.lancs.ac.uk/subtext/dejunk/. If
you're viewing this using Outlook, the formatting might look better if you
click on the message at the top saying 'Extra line breaks in this message
were removed', and select 'Restore line breaks'. CONTENTS:
editorial, shaping the future, V-C interview, 2012 concert series, Lancaster
mobile app, more teaching, Cambridge election, buildings, floods ***************************************************** EDITORIAL As
William Goldman, the writer of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', was wont to say, 'Nobody knows anything.' He was
talking about Hollywood, but it's true of almost every sphere of life.
(Anyone who thinks that isn't the case hasn't been keeping up with the
banking crisis or the euro-zone meltdown, let alone recent weather
forecasts.) So, making definitive pronouncements about the future of Higher
Education, particularly in the light of changing government policy, and most
especially at Lancaster, with a new VC arriving and plans afoot to forge
links with Liverpool, would be foolish indeed. So here goes. Some
figures. Undergraduate applications are down around 10% across the sector for
the next academic year. This trend appears to be hitting universities in the
lower half of the league table hardest. (And, of course, some subjects much
harder than others.) It does not seem to be affecting Lancaster much at all;
in fact, in a spirit of 'to those who have, shall be given', it appears that
in the current climate applicants are seeking the security of a university
which will deliver the degree they seek, and that means Top Ten. Which, as we are often reminded, means us; up from tenth last
year to seventh this year in the Guardian. But not, let us be clear,
Liverpool, who were down from 39th to 49th. We have often counselled against
reliance on league tables, and Liverpool is, no doubt, an excellent
university. There's no doubting also that there are synergies (for which can
usually be read 'economies and/or redundancies') that can be achieved when
two institutions come closer. Now, put that thought beside recent
pronouncements by certain University big-hitters about reducing University
House to a couple of part-time secretaries and a filing cabinet by devolving
most functions down to Faculty level, and we might start to think that we are
seeing the way that the tide is flowing. At the least, the cost-benefit
analysis of hooking our star to a less successful but much larger University
will bear close scrutiny. ***************************************************** LANCASTER/LIVERPOOL
GREEN PAPER Consultation
on the LULU Green Paper comes to an end this week. It is not at all clear
what the next stage is. Despite the very clear position of both Council and
Senate that members wanted a full appraisal of risks as well as benefits, work
in that direction has apparently stalled, and there seems to be a state of
indecision and muddle prevailing in the centre at present. subtext
just wonders, in the light of the discussions at those two bodies and at
faculty level, what's happening about responding to these very clearly
articulated concerns? ***************************************************** NEW
READERS NEEDED Shocking
as it may seem, some university staff don't receive subtext. Undoubtedly some
wouldn't read it in a fit, but it's very possible that a good number simply
don't know of our existence. In a bid to rectify this, and particularly
bearing in mind that at this time of year many new staff will have just
joined the university, we asked LuText to post a
note about subtext. This they kindly did, but in the small ads section, where
it is possible - just possible - that some of the less punctilious amongst
our colleagues may have missed it. As such, if existing readers could tell
their colleagues (especially new colleagues) about subtext, we'd be very
grateful. Anyone wishing to subscribe should send an email to:
subtext-request@lists.lancs.ac.uk that just says: subscribe. Anyone can, of
course, unsubscribe at any time. And
if they, or anyone else, ever feel like writing us a letter, we'd be happy to
read it, and if it was funny or interesting or pertinent or even just plain
odd we'd probably publish it. ***************************************************** SHAPING
THE FUTURE The
official history of the University, written by Marion McClintock and called
'Shaping the Future' has just been published. This updates and replaces the
previous volume, 'Quest for Innovation'. We will be reviewing it properly in
a future issue of subtext, but a quick preview confirms that it is
beautifully produced, with many photographs of people and things of interest
over the last forty-some years. Those subscribers who are already familiar
with Marion's fluently perceptive prose and unrivalled knowledge of the
University and who therefore wish to obtain a copy without waiting for our
review may contact Marion directly or go to http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/shapinghthefuture. ***************************************************** VC
IN FAVOUR OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SHOCK An
interesting interview with our departing VC in 'The Australian' is worth a
look. It can be viewed at What
is perhaps particularly noticeable is the paragraph which reads: '[Professor Wellings]...speaks with passion of the role of the
university: the virtuous circle of teaching, research and innovation, and
quotes from an article by Sydney-based journalist Elizabeth Farrelly in which she argues that "university should
be seen as more than a sequel to school and prequel to work."
"University is a place where students learn to think critically and
flexibly," he argues.' Subscribers
may feel that, had they known earlier about the VC's passionate commitment to
what some may see as a refreshingly old-fashioned view of the University as a
temple of disinterested learning rather than a machine for churning out
salary-men and women, they might have argued rather harder against his
departure. As Joni Mitchell put it in another context, 'Don't it always seem
to go / You don't know what you've got till it's gone.' ***************************************************** A
MUSIC LOVER WRITES Review
- The Opening of the 2011-12 Great Hall International Concert Series Written
in 1830, the Symphonie Fantastique
of Hector Berlioz is a romantic work of startling originality. Inspired by Berlioz's passion for the Irish
actress Harriet Smithson, which she repeatedly rebuffed, the symphony's five
movements contain a recurring theme representing the object of his desire
(the idée fixe) around which he weaves a fantastic tale. Fortunately
it is not essential to know the story, still less to be moved by it - the
symphony can be appreciated for its musical merits and for the skill of the
writing. It is not only the composition of the music that is so daring: the
orchestration is also very novel, grouping instruments together in musical
combinations that one would not normally hear. We were fortunate in this concert that the
conductor, Paul McCreesh, drew on his experience of
period instruments with his Gabrieli Consort to
introduce authentic natural trumpets and horns, together with natural-vellum
timpani played with hard sticks, all of which gave the orchestral sound a
special piquant flavour. The players
were the talented schoolchildren of Chetham's
Symphony Orchestra. Their individual
skills were certainly of professional standard, and the very high quality of
the ensemble playing achieved under the baton of Paul McCreesh
attested to the work that had gone into its preparation in rehearsal. This
concert, which also included performances of Berlioz's Roman Carnival
overture and the highly romantic piano concerto by Scriabin, was an excellent
opener to the International Concert Series. (PS
Berlioz later married Harriet Smithson, but it didn't last.) (PPS
This week Paul McCreesh has a disc in the
specialist classical chart - a recording of Berlioz's Grande Messe des Morts.) ***************************************************** LANCASTER
MOBILE APP This
year ISS is offering a free mobile app which provides a range of useful
information for students, and indeed for staff. It works on smartphones
such as the iphone, and on Android-based phones; it
will also work on those prehistoric WAP phones, but without the good graphics
available on more state-of-the-art devices.
As well as general information like the campus map and the full bus
timetable, it can tell you when the next bus is due at your stop. You can also get personal data, including
your timetable (staff as well as students), the status of your Library
account, and even the status of your Finance account with the
University. You can find more
information about it at http://ilancasterinfo.lancs.ac.uk.
The
architecture of this software, called CampusM, was
developed by a commercial firm, oMbiel (anag - geddit?) and it is
already being used to provide similar app services to students at a number of
UK universities. All personal data
about people's Library accounts or their situation with the Finance Office is
accessed from the University's computer system, and subtext is assured that
this access is subject to the same checks on security as when personal data
is accessed by other means (For those who are wondering, the user enters
their password into the device on initial registration. It is then stored
encrypted on the device. There is no way to access another user's data from
the WAP version without knowing their username and password. Or by stealing
their phone - and apparently ISS have that covered too.) The
University has had to buy its licence for this software, and ISS has invested
time into working with students to develop the app and the data it
provides. Was it worth it? Well, a quick and dirty poll of a sample of
students indicates that just about all who have a
suitable smartphone have downloaded the iLancaster app.
According to ISS, more than 6000 students are using it, so it seems to
be very popular. A small number in the
sample said they preferred paper, but it was very much a minority. Having this app on offer helps the
University to build an image as a place that is both student-friendly and modern. (It is no surprise to learn that Marketing
and External Linkages Department have been involved in the project). So long
as other more traditional ways of obtaining information are maintained in
parallel with such advances, there doesn't seem to be a downside - we
wouldn't want to see students forced to buy a smartphone
because there was no other way of finding out where their lectures were being
held. There
are plans to extend the app to cover more bits of the University such as the
Sports Centre. Already it will do
things that can't be done any other way, like tell a student where there are
some public PCs on campus that are not in use: given the pressure on PCs this
seems a very useful facility. It will
also very probably help to sell more smartphones.
(Buy shares now.) ***************************************************** TEMPORA,
MORES AND ALL THAT Further
to the comments about smartphones above,
subscribers may have seen an article in The Guardian on the 30th October
about a primary school which provides iPads and
iPods for its pupils to use, and reports an improvement in literacy skills (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/oct/30/education-ipad). This
may just serve to reinforce the feeling of some educators that we live in a
Brave New World, whereas others will see it as evidence of learning going to
hell in a handcart. What is true, and
interesting, is that change is moving astonishingly quickly. The gap between the experience and
expectations of educators and their students is expanding all the time - an
educator aged over 40 has far more in common with those who taught them than
they do with their students. The problem, as many have pointed out, is that
the pace of change means that there is insufficient time to reflect and
assess, and that change is happening - and changes to the changes - before
anyone has time to work out whether a given change is a good thing, and what
it means for strategic direction. Maybe it's all good, maybe we're all
doomed. We'll find out when we get there, because there isn't time to find
out before that. **************************************************** THE
VALUE OF PEACEFUL PROTEST Women
gained the vote in England in 1918, partly as a result of the protests of the
Women's Suffrage movement before the start of the First World War. India gained its independence from the UK
in 1947, largely owing to the protests organised by Gandhi. The Occupy Wall Street and similar protests
across most western capital cities have (at last) raised awareness of the
huge disparity between the earnings of financiers and common mortals. The right to protest is fundamental to any
free society. Very
recently our local Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU) was invited to
join the anti-cuts protest in London on 9th November. Its response is that it 'will not be
supporting the anti-cuts demonstration on the 9th November in London'. And why has it made this decision? Because LUSU is 'concerned that the correct
procedures have not been carried out to ensure the safety and security of all
those that attend.' (http://lusu.co.uk/2011/11/01/statement-on-9th-november-demonstration/) In
its early days Lancaster was a radical university, where argument, debate and
protest were a regular part of life for both staff and students. Not any
more, it seems - at least if LUSU's response is an accurate indication of
student feeling. Call us old-fashioned if you will, but the subtext
collective can't help but find LUSU's attitude a bit dispiriting. **************************************************** AN
ELECTION AT CAMBRIDGE In
issue 76, we reported on the Duke of Edinburgh's retirement from the Chancellorship
of Cambridge, and on the official nomination of Lord Sainsbury as his
successor. At that stage, there were
no alternative candidates, although we noted that there was provision for
some to appear provided that they were nominated by 50 members of Senate
within 28 days after the announcement of the official nomination. It turned out that
three alternative candidates did indeed emerge, thus giving rise to the first
contested election to the Chancellorship since 1847. No doubt this happened because many felt
that Lord Sainsbury was not quite in the same league as the statesmen, Nobel
Prize-winning academics, former Prime Ministers, war heroes and Royal
personages who had held the post in the twentieth century. Having said that, however, the three
alternative candidates were not quite in this league either. They were: Abdul Arain
(a local grocer, nominated as an explicitly anti-Sainsbury candidate), Brian
Blessed (the actor, supported by a wide cross-section of Senators, especially
recent graduates) and Michael Mansfield (the radical QC, supported by many
academics as a protest against government policy on higher education). An
election was thus held on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th October. The eligible electorate was enormous as the
Senate includes all MAs and PhDs of the University. In practice, 5558 Senators actually voted,
with Friday being the day on which current Cambridge academics voted;
returning alumni cast their votes on the Saturday. In fact, Cambridge had something of a party
atmosphere on the Saturday, due in no small part to the glorious weather
combined with the general high spirits that attend large-scale university
alumni reunions. Some (though not all)
colleges hosted lunches for their returning members and the weather was such
that the food and drink was consumed al fresco in the various college
gardens, thus enhancing the party atmosphere further. It was therefore with some reluctance that
many left these festive settings to perform their constitutional duty and
vote in person in the Senate House. On
arrival at Senate House Yard, Senators found a long snake of black-gowned
figures forming a long, orderly and good-natured queue around the four sides
of the yard. The University had
undertaken to provide the necessary academic gowns, but most voters seemed to
have brought their own. Further
re-unions with old friends meant that the time queuing passed remarkably
quickly. The vote was conducted
according to the single transferable vote system and was done by secret ballot
(a far cry from 1847, when Senators had to cast their votes publicly into one
or other of two large chests - one for each candidate - in the presence of
the Vice-Chancellor). On leaving the
Senate House, voters were invited to take part in an exit poll, and at this
stage, hopes were being raised that Brian Blessed might indeed be able to
defeat the officially-nominated Sainsbury. Over
the post-election tea and cakes in the University Combination Room, word
began to spread that Mr Blessed himself was ensconced in the Anchor pub, a
rumour that turned out to be well-founded.
On entering the pub, Mr Blessed's
unmistakable booming voice could be heard reverberating around the rafters,
and in a discreet corner sat the man himself surrounded by a large crowd of
nominators and other supporters. No
doubt, he was more subdued the next day, however, when the result was posted
on the notice board of the Senate House.
Lord Sainsbury was declared elected having garnered 2893 votes. Blessed came second with 1389, Mansfield
attained 964 and Arain 312. As
we reflect on these events, perhaps the most salutary observation is the fact
that the election took place at all.
This was in marked contrast to what happened here in Lancaster when
Princess Alexandra retired from the Chancellorship in 2004. On that occasion, a single candidate was
presented to Court for a rubber-stamp appointment. No opportunities were given for the
emergence of alternative candidates, and thus the possibility of an election
did not even arise. It is to the credit of Cambridge that the appointment of
its Chancellor is one in which most graduate members of the University may,
in principle, participate. In its
commitment to democratic processes, it sets a standard that other
universities ought to seek to emulate.
Even allowing for those disappointed at the result, the fact that an
election was taking place at all gave rise to a feeling of goodwill among
alumni toward the University rather than of bitterness. A second reflection concerns the specific
candidate who was in fact elected.
There can be little doubt that many of those who voted against
Sainsbury did so because they thought it unbecoming of the University to
nominate a man whose chief qualification appeared to be his status as a rich
and generous University benefactor (he has already donated £127 million to
the University over the last decade).
The Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University and, as such,
has traditionally be seen as a unifying figure who embodies the principles,
values and aspirations of the university and its members. The nomination and subsequent election of
Sainsbury does appear to signal a shift in this conception. It would be regrettable indeed if the
appointment of university Chancellors were to become merely a matter of
'locating the nearest rich man and squeezing him until the pips squeak'. ***************************************************** BUILDINGS
OFFICE LOSING THE PLOT? The
campus has seen a large programme of building works over the past decade:
initially demolition of low-grade buildings, then construction of new ones,
and now upgrading of those that are being retained. During the earlier part of this programme
most of us were able to carry on with teaching, learning and researching
without too much disturbance; but recently doubts have been expressed in some
quarters as to whether the Facilities office is according enough priority to
the minimising of disturbance to the University's business. A
few weeks ago a senior colleague wrote to the Director of Facilities to
question the planning of building projects and whether enough is being done
to minimise this disruption. The
letter raised the cases of the Underpass, still closed after more than a year
and likely to remain closed, we are told, until March 2012; inadequate
drainage in Alexandra Square, so that parts of it flood during rain; and poor
communication by Facilities about progress with jobs. The writer suggested,
very politely, that more thought and consideration be given to the needs and
activities of the members of the University whom the Facilities Office exists
to serve; and that, as part of this, efforts be made to plan jobs
intelligently, in such a manner as to minimise disruption both in time and
space. No reply has been received to
this letter, a lack of basic courtesy that makes the writer's point rather
effectively. The
flow of money to finance all this building work over recent years has clearly
been very substantial and virtually continuous -
subtext is wondering if this could be leading to a degree of hubris at
the top of Facilities. Is this office beginning to lose sight of the purposes
of the University? ***************************************************** QUIET
HERE, INNIT? A
propos of which, visitors at Open Days sometimes comment on what a quiet
campus Lancaster is. That isn't always the experience of everyone working
here. Take this Wednesday as an example. Working in County, lawn mowing
starts outside office window. Decamp to
Cafe 2010, where staff are hurling plates and metal
things into buckets while builders shout and do competitive drilling. Go to Bowland North to teach, where computer in teaching room
hums constantly and some lunatic plays the theme to Cagney and Lacey repeatedly at high volume in a room nearby. (Not
making this up.) Retreat to Learning Zone, which seems to have become the
Laughing and Shouting-at-the-top-of-your-voice Zone. Go to Square, which
vibrates with low hum from underneath, presumably from work in the Underpass.
Head for Furness...you get the picture. Anyone know of any remaining quiet
places on campus one might retreat to? ***************************************************** FLOODS Talk
of floods in the Square brings to mind the day about eight years ago when
there was a cloudburst in the Easter holiday. Janet Clements, the then
Principal of Furness College, remembers coming out of the front of the
College and looking up at the Square, to be greeted by the sight of a
two-foot high wave coming down the Spine straight at her. It was too late to
do anything, so she stood there while the flood swirled around and past her
feet. She swears that, as she stood looking at the ruined new carpet in the
foyer, the Porter splashed over to her and pointed at a man standing on the
dry side of the quad. 'When you've a minute,' the Porter said, 'that man over
there would like a word. He's from the Submariners' Conference.' ***************************************************** The
editorial collective of subtext currently consists (in alphabetical order)
of: Rachel Cooper (PPR), George Green, Gavin Hyman, David Smith, Bronislaw
Szerszynski and Martin Widden. |