{"id":719,"date":"2018-09-13T19:53:36","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T19:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/?p=719"},"modified":"2018-09-27T20:04:04","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T20:04:04","slug":"working-at-lancaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/09\/13\/working-at-lancaster\/","title":{"rendered":"WORKING AT LANCASTER"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Lancaster is preparing to undertake another staff survey. In order to ensure that the responses are as positive as possible, we at subtext would like to take a look back at where we went wrong in 2017-18 and offer some pointers. We could start by not doing any of the following…<\/span><\/p>\n

In subtext 166<\/a>, we reported that the Dean of FASS had drawn up a new procedure for appointing heads of department. This began in the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion, whose natives expressed a clear preference for their next Head of Department (HoD). Dissatisfied with their choice, the Vice-Chancellor decided that future HoD’s should all be professors, and that he should have a direct say in their appointment. The VC’s micromanagement of appointment processes when he doesn’t like a particular candidate, no matter how far down the pecking order they are, is nothing new. But in this case, insisting that HoD’s must be professorial is not only a slap in the fact to the non-professorial staff who have led departments over the years, it also prevents junior (i.e. below professor) academics from developing their experience, and dries up opportunities for women and BME groups, who make up a very small portion of the professoriate at Lancaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then again, being a professor automatically makes you a better candidate for the post of HoD. You only have to look at our report in subtext 167<\/a> on the HoD who called an all-staff meeting, at which he berated and humiliated the Criminology personnel in front of the entire Law School, threatening them with closure if they didn’t drive up admissions. With morale boosting like that, it’s little wonder that Criminology at Lancaster is rated 1st in the Times Good University Guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, staff members on grade 6 and below were pleased to learn that their bus passes were now 30% more expensive. While this is a negligible amount for those on higher grades, the twenty six quid increase is going to be felt by those who aren’t. The situation is worse for staff on short term contracts, who often are employed on a termly \/ monthly basis, aren’t entitled to full year bus passes, and therefore have to buy a one term Unirider for a hundred quid. Three times a year if their contracts are extended. And none of these passes entitle them to travel to university during the vacation weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s yet another blow to staff on precarious contracts, who make up 65.9% of our workforce. International staff make up a large part of this figure – our report in subtext 178<\/a> demonstrated that many of them declined to go on strike for fear of deportation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still. At least we can all get on with our research – something which the faculties are keen to help us to do. How? Well, as reported in subtext 179<\/a>, the Faculty of Science and Technology aims to do this with Research Impact Fund Sub-Committees, scrutiny panels made up of academics often with different specialties to those in the research they’re scrutinising, who decide which academics win five thousand pounds to track their impact. It’s good to free up time to research, isn’t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

The subtext collective tries to stay aware of the challenges and concerns facing our friends and colleagues who work with us at the university, because we believe our primary purpose is to provide a voice for staff to air those concerns. We think that we did this rather well in 2017-18, and you can read all of it via the links below.<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/10\/12\/hod-carrying\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/11\/09\/subtext-168-giving-our-graduates-the-tools-to-make-subtexting-happen\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/11\/23\/clod-hopping-hod-dropping\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/10\/26\/lessons-in-how-not-to-do-things\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/10\/12\/non-flexible-benefits\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/04\/24\/deep-dive-casualisation-and-precarious-working-practices\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/05\/24\/you-say-potato\/<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/06\/07\/impacted-wisdom\/<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Lancaster is preparing to undertake another staff survey. In order to ensure that the responses are as positive as possible, we at subtext would like to take a look back at where we went wrong in 2017-18 … 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":[103],"tags":[390,145,82,86,125,355,365,354,342],"class_list":["post-719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","tag-annual-review-2017-18","tag-buses","tag-casualised-staff","tag-criminology","tag-hods","tag-hostile-environment","tag-impact","tag-precarity","tag-staff-survey"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p99sHo-bB","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":816,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/11\/08\/ucu-say-no-way-survey\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":0},"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":217,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/11\/23\/survey-monkeying-around\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":1},"title":"SURVEY MONKEYING AROUND","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 23 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The VC is said to have been pleasantly surprised by the warm reception given to the plans for UA92 by the people of Stretford. We have to wonder how he gained that impression. At a recent public consultation, Gary Neville and our own Professor Sharon Huttly experienced at first hand\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":143,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2017\/10\/26\/lessons-in-how-not-to-do-things\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":2},"title":"LESSONS IN HOW NOT TO DO THINGS","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"October 26 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Not long after the messy introduction of a divisive plan to close down a department in LUMS (see subtext 165), subtext learns of some rather odd and worrying developments in the Law Department. The Head of Department, Professor Alisdair Gillespie, held a \u2018secret\u2019 strategic review to determine the future of\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":838,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2018\/11\/23\/hostile-environment-update\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":3},"title":"HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT UPDATE","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"November 23 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A petition has been launched against the fees charged to non-EEA citizens working at Lancaster, and the University's (in)activity in helping those who have to pay them. Supporters note that, whilst some universities fully cover these costs, Lancaster's loan scheme fails to cover all relevant expenses and must be repaid\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":1296,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2020\/06\/19\/editorial\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":4},"title":"subtext 194 \u2013 \u2018voluntary subtext reductions\u2019","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"June 19 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Increasingly less often during term time. Letters, contributions, & comments: subtext-editors@lancaster.ac.uk Back issues & subscription details: http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/about\/ In this issue: editorial, BLM, open letter, appeal for editors, online teaching, rent strike, liddle, phones, nuttall, elections, pandemic, letters. ***************************************************** EDITORIAL Our new Vice-Chancellor was clearly trying to strike a Churchillian note\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":1492,"url":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/subtext\/2021\/02\/19\/subtext-196-wholly-government-approved-free-speaking-subtext\/","url_meta":{"origin":719,"position":5},"title":"subtext 196 – wholly government-approved free-speaking subtext","author":"Johnny Unger","date":"February 19 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Frequency determined by contributions received. 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