tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post6592919317441553938..comments2023-07-25T05:25:24.882-07:00Comments on future thoughts: The palaeographer and the managers: a tale of modern timesbooneryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11462594519638838908noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-14761070584184596072014-06-27T06:28:12.024-07:002014-06-27T06:28:12.024-07:00I think I miss this insightful article the first t...I think I miss this insightful article the first time round. Now King's is at it again, this time axing scientists, though (they did also last time round, but in a slightly gentler manner). The price to pay for not speaking out is high, and in the end I think the entire HE sector will sufferAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-83569356457380729922011-12-01T05:54:48.864-08:002011-12-01T05:54:48.864-08:00Thank you for sharing this insightful and morally ...Thank you for sharing this insightful and morally persuasive article. <br /><br />I suspect your wise words empowered many to stand up for their position and beliefs.<br /><br />PeaceToyin Agbetuhttp://www.ligali.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-50505654281736934892010-12-22T00:42:54.158-08:002010-12-22T00:42:54.158-08:00post some more!post some more!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-60971660388870103732010-12-21T14:38:32.254-08:002010-12-21T14:38:32.254-08:00excellent postexcellent postViagrahttp://www.securesafe.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-73699951436288506552010-05-06T08:52:06.873-07:002010-05-06T08:52:06.873-07:00Rick Trainor has risen without trace and is withou...Rick Trainor has risen without trace and is without shame, it seems. The VC of Bristol has returned part of his salary to the University but Trainor sees no reason to do so at KCL. David Ganz has reluctantly taken the package, on his lawyer's advice, although there remains a legal dilemma regarding the subject, as Palaeography at KCL was awarded a large external grant, onto which KCl wishes to hang, while ditching the subject.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-55975257063970192592010-05-04T16:43:56.460-07:002010-05-04T16:43:56.460-07:00that is wonderful and yummythat is wonderful and yummybullion gold barshttp://www.goldbulliondealers.net/bars.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-2460644409245555252010-04-09T17:03:14.397-07:002010-04-09T17:03:14.397-07:0023 MARCH 2010 04:55 - The IT Systems at King's...23 MARCH 2010 04:55 - The IT Systems at King's are a joke. The computers are the same as they have been for years, so that can't be the case. The IT spending would be less if they hadn't sold two contracts to two separate contractors, which is why the system is so inefficient also.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-71515006349480757052010-03-31T09:56:44.908-07:002010-03-31T09:56:44.908-07:00Dear Iain Pears,
Nice one, mate!
Cathy CrawfordDear Iain Pears,<br />Nice one, mate!<br />Cathy CrawfordCatherine Crawfordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-2280558120672823622010-03-23T04:55:10.990-07:002010-03-23T04:55:10.990-07:00While most of what you say is true, the School of ...While most of what you say is true, the School of Humanities did make a loss of over £3m last year, which is clearly unsustainable. Meanwhile, cuts in admin staff across the College have actually been made, though it may not appear so because obviously the College does not want to advertise the fact. So it isn't necessarily the case that the administration is swelling while the academics are squeezed, at least over the next few years. I'm sure the College would tell us that the increase in Admin costs that you mention was necessary to bring IT systems, in particular, up to scratch. These issues are never clear-cut. <br />What is also interesting is that while there has been a huge focus on the potential redundancies in Humanities, Physical Sciences had already gone through the same process, which resulted in the closure of the entire Division of Engineering, which had been ever-present at the College since 1829. The reason? Relatively poor performance in the RAE which it would 'cost too much' to rectify. <br />But what is King's to do? Stand alone against the might and muscle of Hefce and the government? It cannot. Until there is a change of heart in government and universities are allowed to focus once again on quality, on blue-skies research, and on not being subserviant to 'business', universities will have to play the game otherwise they will not survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-74409295540196775072010-03-08T08:24:45.292-08:002010-03-08T08:24:45.292-08:00Well, you know, one plus side to this swelling of ...Well, you know, one plus side to this swelling of administrative roles is that there will be greater room for making efficiency savings by getting rid of them all again. Tongue firmly in cheek here.TRThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18037601963025096788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-49629148772066768042010-03-04T17:22:22.577-08:002010-03-04T17:22:22.577-08:00We've syndicated this piece on the Defend UCL ...We've syndicated this piece on the Defend UCL Modern Languages blog, pending your permission. It would be great if you could confirm that it's okay for us to use it.<br /><br />You can find us here: http://defenduclml.blogspot.com/Defend UCL Modern Languageshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00777371231923346758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-65272932459890915562010-03-04T06:55:22.619-08:002010-03-04T06:55:22.619-08:00I work as an academic support staff member of the ...I work as an academic support staff member of the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds; this is so accurate and identical to our situation that it's all too depressing to comment on other than to say, "ditto" and good luck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-27652291022178553522010-03-04T04:02:03.032-08:002010-03-04T04:02:03.032-08:00The problem does not lie in the personality of thi...The problem does not lie in the personality of this or that manager, for it is structural, growing over the decades. At bottom, it appears to be a problem of the absence of any real separation of powers, and of checks and balances to monitor and enforce the separation. In the political sphere, fortunately, we have for several centuries now become accustomed to the importance of this principle, in the form of a clean distinction between the legislative, executive and judicicial components of government. But no such system has been developed - or even widely articulated - for the growing sphere of management of large non-governmental institutions, be they commercial companies or universities. Separation of powers is required there too, in order to prevent the uncontrolled and hence inevitable growth of self-serving, self-appraising, self-perpetuating, and self-expanding directorates. The form that such a separation should take is open to debate and may perhaps vary from case to case, but in principle it should at the least include bulkheads between those who set remuneration levels and that who are remunerated under those levels, as well as between those who manage and those who review the successes and failures of management. Such functions should be as well separated as those between internal accountant and external auditor, and need to be protected from erosion as much as the latter.david makinsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-37211078035225604262010-03-04T02:24:10.876-08:002010-03-04T02:24:10.876-08:00Spot on. Substitute any Australian university'...Spot on. Substitute any Australian university's name for Kings, and it describes the situation exactly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-46646221767020041982010-03-03T23:43:41.661-08:002010-03-03T23:43:41.661-08:00This is from Eisenhower's Farewell Address as ...This is from Eisenhower's Farewell Address as a prophecy concerning the universities' share in the military-industrial complex:<br /><br />'Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present -- and is gravely to be regarded.'Julia Bolton Hollowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17815712145337889572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-9704514831100536812010-03-03T17:14:32.773-08:002010-03-03T17:14:32.773-08:00very well put, thank you!very well put, thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-21110956001885269482010-03-03T13:25:24.212-08:002010-03-03T13:25:24.212-08:00Unfortunately we've seen this happen in so man...Unfortunately we've seen this happen in so many different walks of life in Britain, and not just Britain, either. Look at the government and public services in general, and you'll see that what could be (for example) one of the best health services in the world bleeds away its money to managers and management consultants. I suppose that it was only a matter of time before universities were hit too.<br /><br />I was an undergraduate at Oxford until I finished last year, and I recall the Dons' battle against Vice-Chancellor John Hood's plans to introduce a new ruling council, the majority of whom were to be appointed businessmen with little or no background in academia. The Dons managed to win that one (just), so perhaps there is some hope for civilisation yet, even if it looks bleak.James Mortonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-29757228506963856282010-03-01T10:52:38.625-08:002010-03-01T10:52:38.625-08:00Nice article. You are spot on lots of useless over...Nice article. You are spot on lots of useless overpaid managers in Universities on higher wages than the professors !!! Crazy!!! These managers just pump out lots of useless strategy and ridiculous documents...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-73836106963117592492010-02-28T16:47:52.684-08:002010-02-28T16:47:52.684-08:00I'm afraid that the situation so clearly descr...I'm afraid that the situation so clearly described here is that of most British universities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425947044988938623.post-88324080631598493222010-02-28T02:54:59.389-08:002010-02-28T02:54:59.389-08:00Dear Iain Pears,
May I, as a fellow admirer of Mac...Dear Iain Pears,<br />May I, as a fellow admirer of Macrobius, thank you for your concern about my obscure discipline.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com