Laurence Totelin
@ltotelin
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Historian of Greek and Roman medicine and botany, mother of two, feminist, trade unionist, Welsh by adoption, super Belgie. Frequent typos (she/her)
Cardiff UK
Joined January 2013
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Many (most!) ancient 'scientific' and medical texts written in Greek and Latin remain untranslated in any modern language. When institutions dispense with the teaching of Ancient languages, they close entire areas of study.
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I heard a couple of days ago that I have been promoted and I'm now a professor. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and mentored me over the years. I owe you so much. I commit to giving back, listening, and continuing to learn.
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I can't thank my alma mater enough for insisting that I should be able to read Latin, ancient Greek, English, German, Italian, and Dutch. I hear the arguments about elitism, but I fear ultimately, they are entirely misplaced.
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It has arrived! Bodily Fluids, edited by
@abzmab
,
@tigerlilyrocks
and me. A wonderful project to work on. Thanks to everyone involved, including our partners and children to whom the volume is dedicated.
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"Several [men] said that they actively didn’t respond to emails, or acted in an exaggerated disorganised manner. This meant they were assigned fewer tasks, but were also less frequently asked, and thus got away without doing service.” Le big sigh...
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Amazing 15th century paintings of the seven deadly sins in St Cadoc Church in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan.
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'The average salary for our employees is over £40,000 a year': this is a quote from a uni spokesperson given this week. I'm not going to name and shame cos frankly this could be most UK unis. My colleagues will know this, but if students are reading, please read on.
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I have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I'm delighted and very grateful to my sponsor, Prof. Clare Griffiths. Until recently, however, I didn't know there was a simple process to apply for the fellowship. You can find details here:
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Honestly, I would happily read an essay on how 'moral' has been used by UK HE leaders in the current dispute. It is 'morally wrong' to withdraw marks from students, but morally right - indeed a moral imperative - to withdraw 50% of salary for months on end. 1/2
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I was privileged to read an embargoed version of this paper. Amazing stuff! Roman-era bone container holds potent, hallucinogenic medicine
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I honestly wonder what Anglophone universities think they are doing by closing language department after language department. Such a strange mix of arrogance, short-termism, and old-fashioned stupidity.
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I think I will tweet this every day until it happens. We need a
@ucu
HEC meeting now to make decisions about reballot and MAB. I understand HEC members are entitled to leave, but thousands of members are set to lose vast amounts of money in an action that is now losing direction.
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To any student whose degree might be on hold partly because of my participation in the
#MAB
, I'd like to say that I'm deeply sorry. I also have duties to junior colleagues, and it's for them that I'm taking action. I'll do everything else in my power to assist you in your career.
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I'm a little bit in love with this newly excavated portrait from Pompeii.
Une vue plus proche de ce magnifique portrait de femme romaine qui semble si proche de nous.
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Late start today to go to pickets. I've never really said it before but picketing gives me great anxiety. It's just about manageable, so I do it. But this round of strikes is proving particularly hard. Thought I'd say this publicly because I know I'm not alone in this situation.
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I'm not contracted to work on Thursdays, so on this day after five days of strike, I will take things easy. I'm rather exhausted. Here is a thread on the work that goes into striking
#UCUstrikesback
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So here we are. 14 further days of strike. Full honesty: I had a little cry. It's such hard work & I don't want to let students down. But things have to change. Time to locate my UCU pink hat it seems
#UCUstrikesback
BREAKING NEWS: UCU members at 74 universities to take 14 days of strikes in February and March. Union says it will also ballot for a fresh mandate to continue the action if disputes on
#USS
and
#FourFights
cannot be resolved. Full details here -
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As bad news are coming thick and fast in UK HE, I hope people will keep an eye on when the news are coming. Watch out for bad news on Friday afternoons and/or days before vacations. It is not a coincidence that there was such a cluster this week.
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It is with regret that I have resigned my position as External Examiner in Classics, Classical Studies and Ancient History at the University of Reading in support of
@ucu
's fight for fair pensions
#USStrikes
#UCUstrikes
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Here is some unsolicited advice for people currently in open-ended jobs in UK HE, with quite a few years under their belts. My qualification is not that I lived through the process, but that I have been a UCU caseworker for 11 years. 1/
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This is good - better than previous articles on the topic. Makes the point that things won't stop with cuts in the arts and humanities, since they often help fund more expensive STEM degrees. 1/2
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Putting this out there as it might help someone. I have never subscribed to the academic culture of overwork. I work around 40 hours a week on average. It is sad that I had to get to professorial level to be entirely public on this matter, but here we are.
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Today I strike for our students, who have shown us so much solidarity. Your support means the world!
#UCUstrikesback
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I have retweeted many tweets about
#USS
. I won't stop. Neither will I forget being made to feel like a bad employee/teacher for standing for our rights. It angers me that HE employers made us feel like idealist fools and hurt our students in the process.
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On Monday I received the great news that I had been elected a fellow of the Linnean Society
@LinneanSociety
. Thank you so much to
@ElixirLibri
for recommending me.
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Just saw this. What a lovely end to a very rewarding day! Thanks so much!
Today's shortlist is for Outstanding Doctoral Supervisor!
The shortlisted nominees are:
⭐️ Michael Hanford from English, Communications & Philosophy
⭐️ Richard Cowell from Geography & Planning
⭐️ Lawrence Totelin from History, Archeology & Religion
Da iawn!⭐️
#ESLA20
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This pension restoration would not have happened without industrial action. If you have not taken IA but are set to benefit from it, please support those engaged in the current marking and assessment boycott
@CardiffUCU
for better working conditions.
BREAKING🚨: A new joint statement between
@UCU
and
@UniversitiesUK
has confirmed that USS pension benefits are on course to be restored in full
All cuts imposed in April 2022 will be reversed, pending the 2023 valuation
History makers ✊
#ucuTOGETHER
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'Michael Spence [UCL], admitted at a Times Higher Education event last year that UK universities have been “systematically underpaying” staff for “many years”, which was harming their competitiveness in attracting top global talent.' You don't say!
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Today I'm striking against races to the bottom, against those who feel they can justify e.g. a gender pay gap of c. 20% because it is worse somewhere else. University should be social equality leaders.
#UCUstrikesback
#WeAreTheUniversity
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To many, the crisis in UK HE might seem like a luxury issue. But look at how many people from the local community unis employ in, say, Winchester, Portsmouth, or Lincoln.
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That's it. I'm cancelling my subscription to
@timeshighered
. Just received a huge brochure, filled with corporate ads, on the uni world rankings. I refuse to fund this metrics culture any longer. And the Popletonian is gone!
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Further in
#MAB
. We can of course put this in Marxist terms, but it is not necessary: as people working in academia, we might like to think of ourselves as intellectuals, but we are primarily workers. Until everyone realises this, we are not going to improve our work conditions.
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A very enlightening read for those of you who don't know much about casualised jobs in UK HE. Or as some upper managers like to say 'agility' - people you can hire on casualised contracts and let go whenever there is a hint of a dip in student numbers.
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This is not acceptable. Universities must stop all this spin about student (and staff) wellbeing and invest in proper counselling services. Students deserve this, not because they are customers, but because they are (for the most part) young people facing tough times
David Eastwood (University of Birmingham) claims “student mental health is a priority” (UUK, 2018). Birmingham only employs six qualified counsellors, none of them work full-time (The Tab, 15 March 2018).
#UUKspin
#stepchange
#YesUniCan
#USSstrike
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Today I strike over casualisation, over the rolling 9-month contracts (not even paid over 12 months as in other countries), the zero-hour contracts (and the two-hour ones - we see you), the constant delays in wage payments. Enough is enough.
#UCUstrikesback
#WeAreTheUniversity
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I feel I have no choice but to strike. I'm exhausted of working in a system where inequalities are so entrenched, workloads are so unsustainable, and casualisation is ever increasing. A fairer system is possible
#WeAreTheUniversity
#UCUstrikesback
“Going on strike is financially and emotionally draining. No one wants it but I don’t feel like I have a choice”
#FourFights
#UCUStrikesBack
#UCUStrike
#USS
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Safely got back from Basel late last night. Bar the stress from
#MAB
, what an amazing summer I have had. I have met so many wonderful people; visited beautiful places; and learnt so much. I have now officially started as Head of Department. I hope I'll do a decent job.
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I'm really trying not to give in to pessimism for the future of UK HE industrial relations, but it is very hard at this point. I will continue to work according to my values, but my goodwill is frankly entirely shot now.
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Over the last few weeks, several of us have worked very hard to preserve some form of ancient language provision in our beautiful Welsh capital university. There are some glimmers of hope, new seeds being planted, but support is welcome.
📢📢📢
I recently learned the teaching of ancient languages at Cardiff University (
@cardiffuni
@CUHistArchRel
) is under threat: Latin, Ancient Greek, Hebrew & Sanskrit
SIGN AND SHARE this petition created by ancient history and archaeology students
1/7
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Just filled in a survey in which I was asked how I took advantage of time saved on travelling during the pandemic. Well, I haven't saved time: commuting time used to be thinking time; then there was the small business of having to homeschool. Head... desk...
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On
#USS
pension, if you are not member of the UCU, it is very easy to believe what some HE leaders are saying: the current restoration has nothing to do with industrial action. I'm no economist, but the only appropriate response to that is a hollow laugh & a 'teacher's stare'
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We are
#MABing
in part to tackle casualisation in UK HE. HE leaders, instead of negotiating, are creating more casual work. Way to go (not)!
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Today, I strike for sick pay for all workers in UK higher education. I strike in the hope for compassion & realism from employers in the face of covid-19
#UCUstrikesback
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Occurs to me that 'business hours' in unis are now often 10-4, while teaching hours are 8-6. Makes scheduling stuff a nightmare. Who has actually asked a carer what they thought of this?
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As a MABer, I have accepted that my pay is lost (at least for now). Why make return of deductions a pre-condition for negotiations? Concentrate on the important stuff of the 4 fights, please!
Negotiations with UCEA have closed today. They will resume on Thursday. We will be making a full statement on Monday but the reality is this - UCEA must step back from their assault on our members or there can be no agreement, and the dispute will be escalated beyond this year.
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The justification for VC salaries is always the competitive nature of an international market. This argument also applies to some 'star academics'. It never seems to apply to ECRs. But this is an international market, and UK HE will only get away with paying in vibes for so long
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End of Week 16 of the
#MAB
. MABers feel deflated. We were making such progress, but it is getting clearer that UCEA was waiting us out, as they can easily do with the Tory anti-union laws. Staff & students have suffered terribly - leaders will get their bonuses. Talk about moral.
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I often see junior lectureships advertised at roughly the same pay as the one I got when I started mine 13 years ago. The erosion of pay is so bad that some points on the spine are no longer in use. I welcome future negotiations on the pay spine, but we need a move on pay now.
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So tired of trade unionists being presented as lazy, and those who mitigate their actions as heroes. I am very wary of 'martyrdom rhetoric', but I do object to my work (and I have continued to work normally, apart from marking) being seen as worthless.
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As I have started commissioning reviews, I think it is safe to announce that I am now one of the reviews editors, with
@janhaywood
, for the Journal of Hellenic Studies. If you'd like to review for us, drop me a line.
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Excellent news (for once) on our USS pension. University managers will say that industrial action has little to do with this - do not be fooled. Had we not stood in the cold for so many days, we would not be in a position where reversible changes are possible. 1/2
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I feel it is our duty to state that when we complained about shiny new buildings over staff (and shiny new campuses), we were right. Now universities are paying debts that they could never really afford, with all the strings that come attached to that. We pay the price.
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I'm 41, and I have never been able to pull an all-nighter. I have to sleep between 7 and 8 hours a night. I won't let creeping workloads and expectations ruin my sleep & my health. I pledge not to model unhealthy work behaviour
#WeAreTheUniversity
Am I the only one who just can't work effectively when sleep deprived?
I never understood as a student how people in my cohort could pull all nighters. Still can't do it.
I'm a 26 year old and I have a bed time, okay? Don't at me.
@AcademicChatter
#phdchat
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Reasons given for the crisis in UK HE by managers are as follow: no change in fees, reduction in student numbers (especially international ones), and inflation. Every time I read this list, I'm frankly baffled. /1
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I hate REF with a passion. I'm barely keeping head above water trying to make sure my kids cope during this lockdown and my students get good support, but sure I will update my staff webpage for the environment statement in the next 3 weeks.
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Today I strike over pay inequalities, over race and gender pay gaps. At Cardiff University, the mean gender pay gap is 21.6%. There are no official statistics for the race pay gap
#UCUstrikesback
#WeAreTheUniversity
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This may or may not be my last tweet. I received this book stamp today, as a 'congrats on the professorship' peesent. It means the world to me. It was such a privilege to engage with so many of you in this virtual space; it taught me so much and helped me grow as a scholar
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From the
@ucu
website 'All members of UCU belong to a branch or local association, which is generally workplace-based.' If UCU switches from this branch focus to 'we want to hear all your voices without you having to attend branch-based GMs', I don't think it's the union for me
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I didn't think I would witness a day when I saw such violent imagery directed at UK HE. And VCs look on in silence. Makes my resolve to strike and
#MAB
even stronger.
One in five graduates would be better off if they hadn’t gone to university.
That’s unacceptable.
So
@RishiSunak
is cracking down on rip-off university degrees and boosting skills-based learning.
Here’s how👇
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Others have stressed this, but I can't get over the pseudo investment portfolio babble. What depth of absurdity are we yet to reach? Solidarity to colleagues at Kent!
Latest news from Kent. To go: Anthropology, Art History, Journalism, Modern Languages, Philosophy..
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Final thought of the week on
#MAB
. I suspect we are now handfuls in each institution. We probably have reputations as 'extremists' by now. This is so weird to me, and I never thought I would find myself here. I don't even think my family thinks I'm stubborn - just determined.
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First day where both children are in school since 11 December. I feel completely exhausted from the last 3.5 months.
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It looks like Religion and Languages are particular targeted at this moment in the UK death spiral. How can UK universities claim to be credible if they drop such topics at such a volatile time on the world political scene? Can't they see that they need to retain such expertise?
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#YesUniCan
choose to invest in decent student services
#YesUniCan
choose to make mental health a priority
#YesUniCan
decide not to exploit PhD students
#NoUniCant
make empty promises regarding future earnings
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Solidarity with all those at De Montfort, Roehampton and Wolverhampton facing redundancies. It's sickening to see what is happening in UKHE at the moment.
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It's becoming clear that there is a party line to deduct 50% for partial performance due to the MAB. Let's call it out for what it is; a strategy to divide us.
#UcuRising
/1
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Academics struggle as it is to take vacation. Both research and rest gone. More long-term illness due to stress. This is so bleak.
⚠️
@Uni_of_Essex
have proposed a new Academic Framework, including (among other things) a *45-week* teaching period, up to *3* entry points for students within the year, and sweeping rigid changes to module structure.
Staff are currently being "consulted" about these proposals.
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I have voted to reject this. The vote on USS and 4 fights should have been separated. Also, the means of comms are not satisfactory. I don't listen to podcasts, and I really don't want to wade through a transcript. By all means do the podcast, but we need clear written summaries.
🚨HIGHER EDUCATION NEGOTIATIONS CONCLUDE
We have concrete proposals to share in our disputes 👇
Check your email. Vote NOW in the e-ballot🗳️
Your union. Your dispute. Your vote
#ucuRISING
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Absolutely delighted to have been nominated for an Enriching Student Life Awards in the Outstanding Doctoral Supervisor category. This means the world to me! Thanks so much!
@CU_StudentVoice
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Never been so tempted to leave UCU. Never been so tempted to vote no in a ballot. Please don't tell me that 'you are the union, join in'. I have worked my socks off for this union at branch level - not a central type of gal.
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The Wellcome shop is open again and I found this gorgeous necklace in the shape of an oxytocin molecule!!!
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Feeling extremely drained after this 7th day of strike. Lots of emotional stuff at rally and teach out today, but great solidarity too. Will be hard to go back to work on Thursday.
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One problem that I see over and over again in UK HE (probably prevalent in other sectors) is that 'support' often seems to mean 'institutionally-sanctioned bullying'. 1/
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Week 10 (I think) of
#MAB
starting. Getting harder, but I won't give up and will be there to the bitter end. I hope we will have some success, but if not, I will have made my point: the degrading conditions in UK HE - not in my name. Everyone suffers from them.
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Yes, we are. And the Times Higher Education has actively contributed to the situation.
Are we getting to the point where entire regional communities in the UK are effectively locked out of studies in the arts & humanities?
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Today I strike against the fear that is so prevalent in higher education, especially among ECRs. 'Repackaged' as anxiety, 'mental health' (such a terrible euphemism) or even anxiety, it seems almost acceptable. It is not
#UCUstrikesback
#WeAreTheUniversity
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University leaders increasingly speaking like investment bankers in a bad 90s TV series. Honestly, I can't help but laugh. Then I remember that good people are losing their jobs, and UK students are being short-changed.
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It's out! Essays on the ancient medical market place in honour of Vivian Nutton, edited by
@FlemmingRebecca
and me.
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Please feel free to mute as I will be unsufferably enthusiastic over the next week. I can hear the Pacific Ocean from my hotel! My first time! With COVID, I will never again take for granted things like travelling.
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This first semester as Head of Department has been exhausting, frustrating, and very rewarding. I will focus on the rewarding, but I think it's important that I acknowledge the other aspects.
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Someone very wise (and very senior) once told me that, if the university sector really wanted to work like a market, it would close medical schools. After all, they cost a fortune to run. Reductio ad absurdum can be an effective tool 2/2.
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Periodic reminder: if a hierarchical superior writes to you with important, unexpected information on a Friday afternoon, they are following a rule from Bullying 101.
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What a disgusting ad. It's ageist for a start: junior staff are not necessarily younger. It also normalises casualisation of junior staff in HE.
💬
@ionayoungmoney
on the new, short-term flexible option being considered in UUK’s consultation for the growing number of early career staff being priced out of the scheme.
Find out more 👉
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This is essential reading for
@ucu
members. Unison HE is rejecting the offer on pay without consulting its membership because it rightly considers the offer to be insufficient. We should only be surveyed on USS at this stage, because that is where progress has been made.
📢 We now have some news to share with you regarding the Acas negotiations and our plans for an upcoming strike ballots. A thread of updates for you:
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Had amazing, and very productive, time in Bamberg and Munich. Now off to Florence on the train (super exciting trip!). I do love my job.
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Extremely relieved to hear that my institution has decided to delay face-to-face teaching (with some exceptions) until Feb 22 in the first instance. This is the right decision in the circumstances, even though I know this will be tough on some of our students who value f2f.
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2) more importantly. Note the word 'employee'. Many people working in unis are not employees - they are workers. They don't have the same rights as employees. They are on very precarious contracts.
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If you are not in UCU, you might be told that it is UCU that is refusing to negotiate. This is a brazen lie. UCEA made offers, which the UCU membership rejected. UCEA has since refused to negotiate. That refusal is 'normal' in industrial relationships,but the lies are egregious.
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For the last few weeks I've been doing some early (for me) writing, starting at 7.15am. This has had a great impact on my writing but also on my overall mood. I hope I can keep it going!
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Because the system is built so that those of us with the good contracts feel lucky, then feel guilty. The impostor syndrome kicks in.
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And this is why, even though the financial and emotional toll is heavy, I will go back on strike again if needed. Things must change.
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