Cardiff University letter re overwork

[QueenRefusenik]

Everyone seen this? www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/500-lecturers-cardiff-university-sign-14946705

Not at Cardiff myself but I admire this enormously. I have to say I can't see much changing in the near future though...

Yeah, well done to all involved for trying to fight back - it is really heartening to see. The university's response, as usual, is less than helpful. I've been considering applying for a new position at a Russell Group and can't decide if I should go for it or leave this glorified hamster wheel altogether, for the sake of my mental health.

It's great to see, but I don't know how much effect it will have. We had a huge university wide consultation about staff wellbeing and dissatisfaction, and 100's of pieces of evidence were submitted. The final report was brilliant in articulating just the type of thing these lecturers have said. Then we got lots of emails showing how proactive the uni was, like offering Wellbeing week and listening more, whilst doing absolutely nothing about the workload and squeezing in more students like sardines which was one of the problems in the first place, and bringing in performance monitoring. Their response convinced no-one, I don't think they even believed in it, but on paper, everything is now 'much better'. Letters have been circulating again at our Uni but the staff dissatisfaction is still high.

I just try not to get too involved now as I've seen the cycle too many times, and work on how to lower my own personal stress, which is a selfish strategy but in a climate of 100 people for every lecturing job, I'm not sure it is worth the time and energy to get upset all the time for absolutely no traction or change.

I hope some people are less defeatist than me!

Summersup, yes I can see exactly the same things at our institution. Free staff yoga, anyone? Sure, right after I finish marking these 160 student essays, write a draft of the REF environment statement, teach the first years how to do an ANOVA and knock out a 4* Nature paper... I'll be interested to see what happens next at Cardiff. Oh, and what happens re the UCU pay negotiations ...!

Queen yes exactly, yoga really doesn't solve the problem and it locates the problem with the individual, not the institution. 'Take back lunch' is similar in tone- presumably everyone would like a nice lunch break and it's all their own fault they are chomping sandwiches at their desks. Not to say small changes can't benefit the individual but they don't solve the source of the stress.

At my institution, they're very proud of how many helpful staff events and stress relief / mental health activities they offer. But the only people able to take them up are working in admin, not the academics (who are teaching, researching, attending meetings and generally working).

Same here, moimichme! Though to be fair some of our front line programme support admin staff are every bit as stressed as the academics and just as unable to attend the joyous 'well-being week'!

As I see it the sector is a mess.

Student numbers were uncapped by government meaning:

A) traditional institutions are rammed full. Academics are overworked, because publication expectations remain the same and more students generate more work. Students with poorer grades need more support, universities are not set up for this type of student. Outcomes are poorer
B) new universities are loosing students, admin staff are sacked, students get lots of support but their students are the most needy now, academics blamed and overworked. Outcomes are poorer.

We need to work together as a sector, UK universities, and debunk league tables, re think the NSS, stand up for eachother and rehabilitate the image of the ' academic' whose ' role creep' is now a documented phenomenon ( learned that at our well being conference!)

Oh yeh and we were offered free barista training at the university Costa Coffee......supposed to be stress relieving.....I was worried it may become part of my job!!!!

A) traditional institutions are rammed full. Academics are overworked, because publication expectations remain the same and more students generate more work. Students with poorer grades need more support, universities are not set up for this type of student. Outcomes are poorer
B) new universities are loosing students, admin staff are sacked, students get lots of support but their students are the most needy now, academics blamed and overworked. Outcomes are poorer.

^^ This.

It's the best summary of the sector I've read in some time. How depressing it is...

The y had a staff satisfaction survey at Leeds. All the questions were set up to avoid real issues. The conclusion was that what staff wanted more than anything else was...

...wait for it....

...a swimming pool! [shoots hearself in the head]

Totally agree. I think a huge gulf is opening up between a handful of institutions who either couldn't or decided not to expand (including but not limited to oxbridge) and the rest of the RG. I work at a supposedly good RG university which has expanded aggressively and no way would I recommend any 18 year old to pay for one of our degrees right now despite v hard working colleagues who are strong in their fields. I will move as soon as I can. It is supremely depressing.

...a swimming pool! [shoots hearself in the head]

Hahahahahah

This made me laugh out loud, albeit in a slightly manic way!

You can imagine standing there in your swimmers with students saying "just a quick question......"

I actually wouldn't mind a uni swimming pool (or barista training!) but yes, there are many more pressing issues to deal with. Student support is by far the biggest issue as far as I'm concerned. I've spent all summer dealing with 'crisis' after 'crisis'. Sod all research has been done, and an agonised over email to my HoD asking for a meeting to discuss workloads received... Yes, an Out of Office Autoreply. Sigh.

At the time I used to have to teach in a prefab building that had been put up during WW2 and I shared an office (which doubled up as the corridor to the toilets) with 7 other people, but yes a pool was really my heart’s desire...mainly so I could drown the VC in it!

"a pool was really my heart’s desire...mainly so I could drown the VC in it!"

I can see a midsomer murder episode coming up.