{"id":1224,"date":"2020-03-27T14:16:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T14:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/?p=1224"},"modified":"2020-06-19T08:28:33","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T08:28:33","slug":"letters-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2020\/03\/27\/letters-28\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTERS"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dear subtext,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
As the most recent Head of Department of the late School of Independent Studies, I am assuming I can consider inviting myself to authorise my own access to the University’s IT and email?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
John Wakeford<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dear subtext,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Reading the letters in subtext 192, I was struck by a sense of deja vu. Continuing members continuing to be insulted by the management on the strange basis that providing them with such things as an email address is costly to the university. I wrote before, a long time ago, pointing out that no real calculation of costs of providing IT and library access to continuing members had been made.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It is not legitimate to calculate that cost by dividing the entire cost of these services by the total number of users, to get a prime cost per head, and then to multiply that by the number of continuing members. Prime cost per head and marginal cost are not the same thing. Provision of services to continuing members only costs anything if it means extra staff have to be hired, extra servers bought or leased, more books purchased, et cetera. Until marginal cost has been correctly calculated, there is no case for alienating this group of former colleagues. If the real marginal cost has been calculated, then I think we ought to be told what that is and how it was arrived at, in order to be able to make a judgement about management’s stance, right or wrong, on this question.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yours faithfully,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dr Richard Austen-Baker<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Lecturer in Law<\/span><\/div>\n
Lancaster University Law School<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dear subtext,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
My attention was drawn by a recent news story on the University Portal page, ‘Fixed-term contracts and casual working policy: update’.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
One line particularly jumped out at me, which I’m sure colleagues in the Linguistics Department could devote entire research articles to: Paul Boustead, Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development said, ‘Our aim is to continue the effective partnership exhibited throughout the construction of this policy whilst we further mature the roll out plan.’<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On the basis of this alone, I think Director Boustead deserves a promotion, as this is a truly visionary refashioning of the English language and sure to become a classic case study on postgraduate Management Discourse modules across the country. Meanwhile, as I celebrate a decade of casual contracts at Lancaster University, I will continue in the hope of rolled out plans being effectively exhibited before I mature any further.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
With thanks,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
C Witter<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[Truly in keeping with our Quaker value of Simplicity – ed.]<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dear subtext,<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In response to the letter from the frustrated Dr Noel Cass, I think we need to address some of the confusion over the new indefinite contracts. Indefinite contracts can now be given to those whose work is externally funded with a finite end as is the case with many research projects, as Noel points out. The word indefinite suggests that the contract will provide security when the funding runs out, but this is not the case. At the end point of the project, the position for the staff member on the indefinite contract is exactly as it would have been on a fixed term contract, redeployment list access\/redundancy. In these circumstances indefinite is not indefinite.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
As much as I was disappointed by this situation, a friend did point out that the other benefits of having an indefinite contract are important too. It sometimes makes a difference when applying for mortgages, if your contract is indefinite, and there might be a positive impact with some maternity\/paternity\/adoption leave scenarios. Sadly, fixed term funding can delay people buying houses and starting a family, due to the financial uncertainty.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Anonymous<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear subtext, As the most recent Head of Department of the late School of Independent Studies, I am assuming I can consider inviting myself to authorise my own access to the University’s IT and email? John Wakeford *** Dear subtext, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":568,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[84,532,152,569,570],"class_list":["post-1224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters","tag-contracts","tag-emeriti","tag-hr","tag-issue-193","tag-paul-boustead"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p99sHo-jK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":887,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2019\/02\/01\/letters-21\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":0},"title":"LETTERS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"February 1 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, I like very much the look of your newsletter, and enjoy the terrible puns which hit the spot magnificently. But from time to time, you rather belie your excellent 'subtext' title, and write some piffle. It is really not enough to label people 'fascists' or activities 'hate speech',\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1504,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2021\/11\/11\/letters-32\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":1},"title":"Letters","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 11 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, In response to the letter at the end of the recent subtext, I googled the Lancaster list. Many of the more recent names I had never heard of. It would be helpful if they put 'Dead' by the name of those who had died. Who has currently held\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":578,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/05\/24\/letters-13\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":2},"title":"LETTER","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"May 24 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, Xin ch\u00fac m\u1eebng, to the writer of the Saigon evacuation piece!\u00a0 Actually stayed at my desk to finish reading it, guffawing all the way! Keep it up, colleagues Jackie H","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":318,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/02\/01\/letters-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":3},"title":"LETTERS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"February 1 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, On the 'There's only one University in Lancashire' thread. I do applaud UCLAN's short sightedness on changing their name and as a Lancs Poly graduate I well remember the arguments raging amongst staff about naming. I recall the favourite at the time amongst chattering classes was University of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":919,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2019\/03\/01\/letter\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":4},"title":"LETTER","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 1 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, Roger Kemp is right. Please use a font that can be read. Michael Heale","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":832,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/11\/23\/letters-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":1224,"position":5},"title":"LETTERS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 23 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, In the last but one Capita survey, one LUMS department was particularly identified for 'bullying'. By the next survey it was lauded how that situation had improved. To which the (rather obvious) reply is that, by the tendency of those who are bullied to quit, the metric is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/568"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1224"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1225,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224\/revisions\/1225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}