{"id":335,"date":"2018-02-15T17:27:39","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T17:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/?p=335"},"modified":"2018-02-15T18:05:39","modified_gmt":"2018-02-15T18:05:39","slug":"letters-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/02\/15\/letters-8\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTERS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear subtext,<\/span><\/p>\n

As a current member of USS (but not of any union), I must say that UCU’s reaction to the proposed changes to USS seems rather over the top.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the proposed changes, benefits already accrued will not change – all that will change is that benefits accrued from 2019 onward. The scheme would move to entirely defined contribution, rather than defined benefit. This is in line with standard practice in the private sector. In addition, the proposal would include an option for employee contributions of 4%, alongside the 85 already offered, making it far more appealing for to staff such as myself on lower salaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast UCU’s proposal would see employee contributions increase above the current 8% (hardly a low level to begin with), which would likely price many lower paid staff out of the scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n

While I believe there is a middle ground between UUK’s proposed reduction to benefits and UCU’s proposed increase in contributions, UCU’s response to UUK’s proposal being chosen over theirs seems to be melodramatic. To call for 14 days of strike action over a change which would simply bring the scheme in line with the private sector norm, and to do so before the consultation period on the new scheme has even opened, looks to me like UCU striking for the sake of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yours sincerely,<\/span><\/p>\n

Jack Fleming<\/span><\/p>\n

(History, 2010)<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear subtext,<\/span><\/p>\n

It is totally unnecessary for the university to require us to ‘double-teach’ lectures, as you report in subtext 172. The lecture can simply be recorded and placed on Moodle. A single optional session can then be organised for those students who wish to ask questions. When I previously wrote to subtext, a couple of years back, in support of the LUSU campaign for the video recording of all lectures, pointing out in the process that this was an opportunity for us all to lecture less, my views were not exactly warmly received. One of those who replied was, if I recall rightly, ‘appalled’ at my suggestion. Perhaps now, faced with the prospect of coming in on a Saturday morning to repeat the Friday afternoon lecture, staff will become more appreciative of the technological alternatives. There are, of course, some things that must be delivered fact-to-face – laboratory\/computer practicals being the obvious example. Some of these I do currently double-teach, but in my experience I generally have a flood of students for the early session, and then a sparse group for the late show. Students don’t seem to like double-teaching any more than we do. So let’s not have any talk of double-lecturing – let’s just get out the cameras, apply our non-reflective moisturizer, and get into the 21st century.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/span><\/p>\n

Derek Gatherer<\/span><\/p>\n

BLS (FHM)<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear subtext, As a current member of USS (but not of any union), I must say that UCU’s reaction to the proposed changes to USS seems rather over the top. Under the proposed changes, benefits already accrued will not change … 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_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},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[232,216,149,212,70,215],"class_list":["post-335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters","tag-issue-173","tag-lecture-capture","tag-pensions","tag-student-numbers","tag-ucu","tag-uuk"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p99sHo-5p","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":413,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/01\/subtext-174-ambitious-managed-divergent-subtext\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":0},"title":"subtext 174 – ‘ambitious managed divergent subtext’","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 1 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Fortnightly during term time. Letters, contributions, & comments: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk Back issues & subscription details:\u00a0http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/about\/ In this issue: editorial, senate stuff, gary\u2019s barmy army, bunker blues, fashion notes, pickets\u2019r\u2019us, sorry scan, court in the act, lusu democracy, lost and found, more lusu democracy, more lost and found, unis for sale, shart,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "editorial"","block_context":{"text":"editorial","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":276,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/12\/07\/subtext-170-a-frontier-without-borders-a-subtext-without-regulatory-alignment\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":1},"title":"subtext 170 – ‘A frontier without borders, a subtext without regulatory alignment’","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"December 7 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Fortnightly during term time. Letters, contributions, & comments: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk Back issues & subscription details: www.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext In this issue: editorial, the vc's pay, deliverology, plug, court, qa at ua, plenty of pvcs, signs, more signs, damp, lost and found, spirit of 84, end of term message, shart, mark thomas review, letters\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "editorial"","block_context":{"text":"editorial","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":379,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/01\/letters-9\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":2},"title":"LETTERS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 1 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear subtext, Mr. Fleming\u2019s letter (subtext 173) is factually inaccurate, and shows complete disregard for the strength of staff feeling on this issue at his alma mater, which had the highest turnout in the ballot in England and third highest in the UK, with over 88% endorsing strike action. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "letters"","block_context":{"text":"letters","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/hrKIJMLUIO4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":816,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/11\/08\/ucu-say-no-way-survey\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":3},"title":"UCU SAY NO WAY SURVEY","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 8 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The 2018 staff survey is now live. This has been covered by subtext already (see subtext 178 for example) but the real excitement for us this month is whether UCU's call for a boycott will gain any traction. After all, our staff traditionally take the path of least resistance with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":483,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/15\/strike-up-your-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":4},"title":"STRIKE UP YOUR LIFE","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 15 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In the fortnight since the last edition of subtext, there has been a considerable amount of strike-related activity, both in Lancaster and at the national level. THE LOCAL FLAVOUR The campus picket lines have been busier than ever, with a head count of over 160 on Tuesday this week, along\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":411,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/03\/01\/senate-sketches\/","url_meta":{"origin":335,"position":5},"title":"SENATE SKETCHES","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"March 1 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"PLUNDERING THE PENSION The VC opened his report with some good news. Applications are up, including a 9% increase from EU countries, while the sector average is down. Research grant income continues to be strong. Work has at last started on the new \u00a341M Health Innovation Campus. Now for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "news"","block_context":{"text":"news","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/category\/news\/"},"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\/335","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=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":336,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions\/336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}