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subtext ***************************************************** ‘Truth: lies open to all’ ***************************************************** Issue 134 28 May 2015 ***************************************************** Fortnightly during term time. All letters, contributions and comments to: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk subtext does not publish material that is submitted anonymously, but will consider requests for publication with the name withheld. subtext reserves the right to edit submissions. Back issues and subscription details can be found at www.lancs.ac.uk/subtext For tips to prevent subtext from getting swept up into your 'junk email folder', see: www.lancs.ac.uk/subtext/dejunk/ CONTENTS: editorial, sabbaticals, noise, staff absence, polymaths, John Hughes, membership, democracy, uclan, shart attack, letters. ***************************************************** EDITORIAL One policy introduced in Lancaster’s most recent strategic plan that could have been perceived to be a slap in the face for ambitious young staff / PhD students at Lancaster, was the endeavour to begin employing more people from top 100 universities, and more generally, those bearing gifts such as large European research grants. The strategy neglects to add “and spouses thereof” to that policy, perhaps because being the relation of an academic powerhouse is not enshrined as a reason for employment in the strategy, or because it goes against our own “Named Appointments” criteria. This is the practice of creating a post with someone in mind and forgoing a recruitment exercise, initially introduced to widen access for postdocs. More information here: tinyurl.com/oe5yhxy. Alas, the honour is in the breach, and it is understood that the UCU is presently keeping a close eye on recent appointments at Lancaster University. subtext does not wish to call into question the quality of any such ‘+1’ appointments on an individual basis – indeed we recognise the difficulties faced by academic families when both partners are seeking employment in the same region. But, it raises concerning matters of principle, namely; is it right that those worthy of having such conditions met should be able to potentially disrupt strategies in other departments? Does it put a ‘+1’ in an uncomfortable position? And just how much further will the University bend in the future to secure attractive appointments? In subtext 130, we reported on the impending arrival of the ALs (Anniversary Lectureships) – the academic crème-de-la-crème; a crack team of fifty protégés who were to hit the ground running producing world class research; the HE equivalent of those two year old kids featured on American television who can play Beethoven backwards from the age of 2. Concerns were raised over the ALs exemption from teaching and admin duties to cause rifts and resentment from ambitious junior (and senior, for that matter) academics who are buried in such mundanity, and these latest developments surely will do nothing to starve such fires of their oxygen. ***************************************************** REMEMBER THE SABBATICAL, AND KEEP IT HOLY. There are some folk out there that complain that all subtext does is moan. Well, we are partially guilty on that score but there is quite a bit to moan about; for example, only 3 of the 47 people long-listed for the Anniversary lectureships were women. However, occasionally subtext likes to highlight some of the positives. Industrial relations at a national level do not appear to be getting much better – not helped by a derisory pay offer and the spectre of performance-related pay – but locally, things are improving. Notwithstanding the VCs rather odd behaviour during the last dispute [subs passim], generally things have settled down and we have the glimpses of management and unions working together. This is something that has not happened at Lancaster for a while. Most local difficulties arise when the University does not follow its own policies and procedures but it does appear that the penny is final dropping with HR. There are other positive things to note. At the VC Forum on sabbaticals on the 19th May it was clear that the VC had no intention, as was rumoured, of removing sabbaticals nor - based on what he said – of making them harder to get. In fact, there were many potential positive points made by academic staff and the VC himself. He said he would email those who attended the Forum at a later date to identify which would be actioned. We await the content of that email – the devil will of course be in the detail and it remains the case that the documentation now distributed by the University no longer contains the phrase ‘entitlement to leave as of right’. In the meeting, the importance of flexibility in length and timing of sabbaticals was mentioned (perhaps having sabbaticals before they were due – or having a 0.5 load, for example, instead of having a full sabbatical if that suited a member of staff at that point). Also discussed was increased generosity of sabbatical leave (linked to the need for more time for monographs etc. for the next REF). Also mentioned was the possibility of sabbaticals/training/job swap/placements for admin staff at all levels (for career development etc.) and sabbaticals for staff on teaching-only contracts wanting to have a sabbatical to develop teaching; possibility of extra sabbatical ‘credit’ for new junior staff (so being able have a sabbatical sooner – good for attracting staff). There was much discussion about the strict tallying of sabbatical ‘promises’ with actual outcomes (the VC seemed keen to allow much more flexibility recognising that research can go off in other directions); recognition that sabbatical ‘promises’ and their assessment against outcomes can make staff very anxious. Generally, the VC recognised that sabbatical leave was crucial in attracting/retaining staff and talk was of how the University should use this more prominently in job adverts to attract staff. As well as these potential positive movements there are some existing small things that make working here not too bad. Pockets of jolly collegiate workmates, the ducks, small acts of kindness by the travel procurement team, the students (most of the time), staff bus passes, subtext, the farmers market on a Thursday ... ***************************************************** EVERY BLOODY YEAR subtext 52 (6/5/09): “Despite it being the 'quiet period' within college residences, a private wedding reception was booked into Pendle College Bar for Saturday 18th April. Unfortunately, the event deteriorated into a brawl by the end of the evening.” subtext 105 (16/5/13): “We reprint this email here as a service for those affected who may think that such building work might better have been reserved for, oooh, say, any of the 48 weeks of the year which are not officially designated – by the University – as 'Quiet Weeks' for revision, and who may wish to express that opinion to the relevant authorities.” subtext 119 (8/5/14): “The helpdesk contact details should be particularly useful for those who live in County Main, where once again there is substantial (and noisy) building work taking place in the so-called 'Quiet Weeks'.” Once again, the honour is in the breach (see letters.), and once again Facilities are stressing the urgency of building works continuing, quiet period or no quiet period. Many students will no doubt feel a great deal of resentment at their liability to receive a hefty fine from their Dean for noise, while those pesky lawnmowers and multi-million pound building projects get off scot free. ***************************************************** BEAT THE CLOCK Older subscribers will remember the use of clocking-in machines. The spirit of such devices appears to be abroad in certain parts of the University. At this point non-academic staff might wish to skip this item - they have always been subject to subtle and not so subtle monitoring of their whereabouts during work time. But, for academics, this is a new thing. Some HoDs and managers have obviously been on a course or, rather more worryingly, are following some edict from further up the food chain. Time management of certain members of the academic staff appears to be on the agenda. subtext learns of one Department which has a section on its Moodle page headed ‘Staff Absences.’ Entries range from "letting the plumber in" to "still can't shake off the chest infection." Some staff members have refused both to publish specific reasons for absence and have, in general, never published that they are working from home. In response, the following notice was posted on Moodle: "Dear colleagues, I feel that I need to remind us all about the departmental rules about absences. Of could [sic] we try to accommodate these as far as is possible, but we have to follow procedure. The rules are as follows: [1] If you are away from the department during term time for 3 days in a working week (Monday-Friday) you need to write to HoD to ask permission, confirming that you do not have any duties on those days. This includes lecturing, scheduled meetings with students and marking (course work and exams). [2] Even if you are away for less than this (i.e. a single day), if the date clashes with an activity at which you are expected to attend (teaching, admin & marking) then you need express permission and to let relevant people know who is taking over your responsibilities (as well as posting your absence on Moodle). [3] Any leave taken should be posted on Moodle, indicating if it is holiday or work, in case someone needs you, [named person] will then record periods of annual leave, as she is required to do. I am sorry that I have to remind you but recent lapses have led to a huge amount of extra work for the administrators." Such procedures and rules do not form practice elsewhere in the University - subtext understands that in most departments both annual leave and absence on university business are permitted in term time, and generally permission is neither needed nor sought. subtext is aware of departments where annual leave is not even recorded, yet it would seem that some of our colleagues cannot go to conferences for more than 3 days and take marking with them (as they have to confirm that they have NO marking during the period). Also revealed by information passed on to subtext are some HoDs requesting that they are informed about all teaching swaps. This has never been the case before, as course coordinators have been allowed to be responsible if, for example, one has a week 2 lecture clashing with a grant meeting in London, and asks their colleague taking week 3 to swap. Is it only a matter of time before Moodle resembles a clocking-in machine? ***************************************************** COMPETITION: SPOT THE MULTI-TALENTED STAFF Lancaster’s YouTube channel hosts a number of glossy videos espousing the individual wonderment of academic departments, replete with soaring skies, footage of attractive students sharing a joke over a textbook, and low angle shots of our wonderful buildings. One Friday night, whilst enjoying the videos with a curry and a beer, one of the subtext drones went haywire upon clocking cameo appearances from PPR academics Mark ‘Garnett’ (late of the subtext parish) and Simon ‘Mabon’ Mebyon-Kernow ... in a video promoting Theatre Studies (www.tinyurl.com/o4hoaa5). Have YOU been pleasantly surprised to learn of a colleague’s polymathic credentials? Perhaps you have ceased to be oblivious to your own whilst enjoying these audio-visual delights? If so, send your findings to the usual address. ***************************************************** JOHN HUGHES: OBITUARY Contributed by Dr Paul K. Miller. Following a long illness, John A. Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Sociological Analysis at The University of Lancaster, passed away on Friday 15th May 2015 at the age of 74. John retired in 2006, and one might ask why his life and career warrant a particular place here when those of so many other former staff have not. Ultimately, the answer is pretty straightforward - not unlike the man’s own demeanour. Over what he himself described as a ‘long and interminable’ thirty six year career at Lancaster, John embodied a number of the very best qualities of the University itself. He was a highly influential academic, a maverick teacher, a College Principal and a truly off-the-wall presence around the campus with little fear of controversy. In short, at a time when the progressive ‘professionalization’ of academia encouraged a general movement towards increasingly homogeneous and safe academic practice, John Hughes was a magnesium flash. His approach to the job – and to life - was maybe not to everyone’s tastes, but (a) he did not see this as a problem anyway, and (b) hardly anyone who knew him will not have at least one good “John Hughes Story” banked for a rainy day. Academically speaking, John’s career was truly prestigious. Over four decades he published books and papers on a wide range of topics, including political sociology, ethnomethodology, the philosophy of the social sciences, Wittgenstein and (latterly) Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). He was also a natural collaborator, working with equal fluency within and across disciplines. Perhaps his major gift in this domain was, however, one of clarity. As I have, at time of writing, just been reminded by a current colleague during a quick reminiscence, John’s work consistently “cut through the academic bullsh*t” to show what was really important in social work, systems design, air traffic control and policing (to name but a few). It is in Lancaster terms, however, that this obituary is being written and, in these terms, and for all of his academic success, it is John’s sheer presence on-campus that will endure in the memory for many. He was a vehement supporter of the collegiate system, and was Principal of Cartmel College from 1996 until his retirement. He regularly socialised within his own college, and was always prepared to engage with students in that context. He was an avid musician, and a regular member of a number of bands including campus legends The Very Sad Bastards. Rumour has it that he did, in fact, know a third chord, but saved it for special occasions. He was a hugely entertaining and often iconoclastic teacher, and a conversationalist who never forgot his working class roots, but also refused to be defined by them. I, personally, remember John Hughes above all as the internal examiner for my PhD. Although the viva voce was a pretty jocular affair throughout, each and every question he asked therein was a genuine intellectual challenge. It typified his unique combination of the socially accommodating and academically astute. Many of us owe him a great debt, and there are, sadly, very few of his kind left in the increasingly corporate landscape of modern academia. Those who knew him will miss him. For everyone else at Lancaster who prizes their college, and values character and accessibility in their lecturers, John Hughes’ name should not be forgotten. (subtext welcomes contributions and letters from readers wishing to share their memories of John Hughes). ***************************************************** CONTINUING SAGA The, ahem, discontinuation of continuing University membership persists in being a bugbear for staff across campus, and further developments suggest that the top table is unwilling to explain itself. In fact, subtext remains the only outlet in which this absurd and mean-minded policy has been announced to the wider community: as yet, there has been no formal announcement by the university that the policy is now in place and to be enforced. Members of the Senate are permitted to submit questions on notice to the Vice-Chancellor regarding business relevant to the body, and one senator has duly put a question asking how the University benefits from the denial of continuing membership to retiring staff. After all, the idea that money might be saved is a debatable one at best (see the letter from ‘Captain Swing’, subtext 133). Secretariat were quick to reject the question, on the grounds that the policy is the sole authority of the Council: subtext credits its readership with the ability to draw the relation between continuing membership and the key areas of responsibility of the Senate: “the strategic development of the academic activities of the University; and the approval of policies to promote and ensure the quality of the academic work of the University, including teaching and research.” Indeed, were the Vice-Chancellor to take a question on this matter, there would be no means by which the Senate could reverse any aspect of the policy: the VC’s responses are strictly for information only. Furthermore, given that encouraging staff to maintain their links with the University was a strategic aim of the 2009-2015 Strategic Plan endorsed by Senate, one might infer that this policy is very much the business of the Senate. Alas, it appears that nobody in University House wishes to publicly defend the policy at the present time, and they are quick to quote chapter and verse in order to head off any debate. Senate Standing Orders, as amended after the last Senate Effectiveness Review, give the University Secretary the authority to reject any questions to the VC she considers to be outside the remit of Senate. Now here’s a curious thing. The author of the policy to end continuing University membership is none other than ... the University Secretary, the same individual now preventing it being discussed in Senate. Conflict of interest? subtext is certain that the rules could be slightly overlooked to allow the question to be put: it’s not like those pesky standing orders have prevented the Vice-Chancellor from failure to put a single policy or amendment to a vote for about two years, preferring instead to decide for himself what the ‘spirit of the room’ is (the very method by which continuing membership policy was ‘approved’ by the Council). Will this idiosyncratic sacrosanctness of the rulebook lead Secretariat to declare every piece of policy approved by the Senate for the past two years to be out of order? Of course not. The saga continues. ***************************************************** LAING MAY YOU RUN (FOR OFFICE) Our call in subtext 133 for the names of Lancaster successes in the General Election has not set the subtext warehouse on fire, but we are pleased to note that the newly elected Labour MP for Halifax, Holly Walker-Lynch, is also of good Lancaster stock – she graduated from Cartmel College in 2009. Furthermore, we wish to clarify that Cllr Charles Edwards has been elected by the people of Bare to sit on Lancaster City Council, and not Morecambe Town Council as we erroneously reported in our last issue (see letters.) Another interesting electoral titbit has also come to our attention: while digging into the history of the Ross, Skye & Inverness West constituency (as one does), subtext was surprised to learn that the Conservative contender for this seat in the 2001 General Election was none other than a Dr Angus Laing ... “Surely not the man who has just been appointed as Dean of LUMS?” we thought, but it seems it is indeed he. Alas, yer man was not to be the top choice. ***************************************************** YES WE UCLAN subtext learns that when the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) began developing its five year plan earlier this year, those tasked with improving institutional rankings were looking north to see how we do things at Lancaster. UCLAN’s previous mirroring of Lancaster’s activities, particularly international affairs, didn’t end so well (http://tinyurl.com/npzzg8z), and unsurprisingly there is no mention of international campuses in their new Strategic Plan. It is, however, similar to Lancaster in its practice of putting pretty girls in front of things and photographing them, and in pledging to increase its entry tariff to 360 UCAS points (or 3 As) by 2020. Those involved might do well look into how even a top 10 institution such as ours struggled to (and suffered from having to) justify triple-A entry requirements onto some of its courses, and subsequently docked them down to AAB. ***************************************************** SHART ATTACK FROM: Mike M. Shart, V-C, Lune Valley Enterprise University (LuVE-U). TO: Heads of Departments SUBJECT: RESTRICTED: SAPP Dear Colleagues, I am confident that many of you will now have seen our latest addition to the university estate: a black, granite building on the far end of the campus surrounded by razor wire, designed so as to look like thorns on a rose bush (an idea of mine of which I’m especially proud). I am pleased to announce that this latest building (already entered into an architectural prize competition) houses our new Office of Academic Technologies. The staff in this office will be responsible for the roll-out of our new Sustaining Academic Performance Programme (SAPP). SAPP represents a step-change in our capabilities to ensure our continuing research excellence and impact as a world-leading university, and I am pleased to have approved of it on behalf of the Senate, the Council, and indeed the entire University. SAPP will allow the university to provide full spectrum real-time monitoring of all academics’ performance. The key performance indicators include: Publication productivity Citation metrics h-index and i-10 index values Estimated QR value of publications to a future REF submission Grant monies successfully raised Social media profile and activities Mentions in local, national and international media We have partnered with BlackOps Ltd. to develop a user-friendly SAPP app which, as Head of Department, you will find has already been downloaded to your mobile devices. With this app, you can expect to receive real-time alerts and updates. Members of your staff experiencing fluctuations in h-index scores of greater than +/- 2.1% will be required to attend a 1-to-1 research interview. I am confident that this new app will enhance your ability to get the very best from every member of your staff and ensuring that their personal anxiety levels are maintained at a level just the right side of a nervous breakdown. We are already developing Phase 2, which will involve a real-time ranking of the best performing academics, to be displayed on a big screen in Ferguson Square as an inspiration to all. Happy SAPPing! Mike. ***************************************************** LETTERS Dear SIRs, Many thanks for my shout-out in your latest esteemed issue. There is a slight error which I would hope to address. I would like to inform your readers that the good people of Bare elected me to be their City Councillor, and we will be working alongside our counterparts within the Morecambe Town Council. BareFest 2015 will take place on Princes' Crescent on Saturday June 13th, from midday, where there will be a range of activities for young and old, including a climbing wall, funfair rides (those who know me will be pleased to hear no dodgems involved) and a stage for "open mic". Think of it as "the Extrav that also was". All are welcome; it should be a fun day. And many congratulations to Matt, Sam and Lucy, who I look forward to working with over the next four years. Best wishes, Cllr ... No. Plain old Charlie Edwards. [Thank you for the clarification. See the erratum above. Eds.] ******** Dear subtext I thought this was quiet time ... I am in Bowland North. Our students sat oral examinations a couple of weeks ago, while drilling was going on downstairs ... Yesterday a tree was taken down and then cut into pieces opposite my office window, not to mention opposite revision rooms downstairs. It took me several telephone calls to get to a voice mail box and no response. Today I received an apologetic email, stating that my complaint was being investigated, but that at this stage it is “not sure who had undertaken the works, Facilities staff or contractors, but please be assured we will do everything we can to pursue your complaint and mitigate any further issues.” Meanwhile a digger is working opposite my window – less noisy and more fun to watch, I must admit. Incidentally, we were all looking forward to this new green space ... why has a tree been cut down and why is a big path getting dug through it? Michela Masci DELC Bowland North ******** Dear subtext, Your "Spot the Swoosh" feature has really highlighted just how much work there is left to do in completely eradicating the red swoosh from campus. If I recall, original plans were to remove swoosh branding before the beginning of September, but departments seem to be getting a shuffle on in recent weeks, hoping for the end of May. UK Student Recruitment and Outreach, in particular, had a tonne of leftover branded items that were deemed unusable. In any case, at risk of getting some rather odd looks from passers-by, my other half and I decided to photograph as many of those damned swooshes as possible. Attached are five photographs, but we have included the complete list below: - The uniform of David Orr (Venue Manager for The Hub, County Bar, Grizedale Bar, and Pendle Bar). Dave must remove his shirt before the end of the month, and County's porters were being measured for their new uniforms last week. (www.tinyurl.com/o7rwtjk) - Internal telephones. (http://tinyurl.com/p6jpyyh) - Fire safety instructions on the back of every single "study bedroom" on campus. Each room also has a sticker with the extension number for Security, left over from the days when rooms were fitted with internal telephones. (http://tinyurl.com/pd4yu8d) - Carpet in the library's entrance. (http://tinyurl.com/pw8c4cy) - Recycling bins. (http://tinyurl.com/oxcopjm) - Entrance sign to the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. - Signs instructing you to use the library's "Phone Zone". - The sign attached to the side of the Roundhouse. - Even the 17 buses that arrive on campus every hour seem to be swoosh-branded. Evidently, swoosh-spotting has been a welcome break from revision over the past fortnight. On another note, I am curious of the likelihood that the shield will be added to the front of the Sports Centre? Mathew Gillings (The County College) Rhiannon Llystyn Jones (President, The County College) [Thank you both. As the only entrants into our competition, we are pleased to offer you both a two-week unpaid internship in our newly refurbished headquarters, sub-21 (formerly ‘the subtext warehouse’). As for your query re: putting the shield on the Sports Centre – subtext fears that road safety may stand in the way of such a thing happening. Eds.] ***************************************************** The editorial collective of subtext currently consists (in alphabetical order) of: George Green, James Groves, Ian Paylor, Ronnie Rowlands, Joe Thornberry, Johnny Unger and Martin Widden. |