I haven't seen a thread on this so I thought I would start one. What do people feel about this? I have a very low opinion of UCU so maybe my judgement is clouded by this but does anyone else feel that this sudden objection to F2F teaching which starts in 2 weeks is way too late and is being presented in a ridiculous way?
Instead of protecting its members, UCU have been busy sniping and infighting between their factions over the past few months and haven't really done much about the hundreds that have already lost their jobs. Now comes this announcement, months after they knew that most places were considering some degree of F2F and Jo Grady goes on TV saying that this will be like the care homes (err, despite the 0.0016 death rate for under 25s) and that it will cause 50,000 deaths (when one person died of covid yesterday and few people still obey lockdown rules). I just think it's for show and it paints our entire profession in a bad light by using unscientific nonsense.
I think that online teaching inevitably has issues. I don't feel that it's as good for the students as F2F and I think the fee issue is very real. Is it really fair to charge over £9,000 and then deliver some half-baked online stuff (I know lots of academics are boasting about how great their online teaching and how it's good value is but I've been in webinars with some of them and, um, it's not as great as they think)? And surely these issues will still be here in January (which is when UCU propose we go back? Closing campuses indefinitely is surely not an option if we still want jobs? I think UCU believes that the students are always on our side (like they did during the strike) but I think there will be real anger from students if institutions backtrack after they have already paid their rent deposits.
As I said, maybe my view is clouded by my feelings about the UCU and especially the members of the odious Grady4GS faction, so it would be interesting to hear other views. My institution is doing online lectures and the option for students between socially distanced F2F seminars and online ones. They are risk assessing staff for return to campus. Maybe I am wrong but this seems quite reasonable.
Academic common room
UCU and F2F teaching
Pota2 · 31/08/2020 18:05
One of my colleagues (possibly the person I caught it from...) has been off work since April with organ damage from covid - and this was a previously healthy 40 something. Seeding an outbreak at a university here, when we're seeing the U.S. situation, rising infection rates in some areas of Europe and now here too, seems daft. 
There is of course an initial risk of a spike when students first move. After that, it will doubtless subside given that sensible social distancing rules will be followed.
I must have very different students at my university then. SD rules are not being followed now, around here, in that age group! And the small face to face seminar rooms I've been allocated have no windows that open and 1.5 metre distancing for the 14 seats - a lot of good that'll do with no masks in two back to back 2-hour sessions, and a virus that can spread when people aren't symptomatic yet. I want students to wear masks but my institution says not in the classroom. 
But yes, it's difficult because of the financial side of our 'industry'. I don't know what the answer is. 
My dept. is making it clear that we expect mask wearing in classrooms, but the uni says no need. So we will have masks available for any student who needs one, but can't tell them they should put one on. A mask is apparently needed in the corridor but not in class. 
We can at least ask a student to leave if they look visibly unwell (mask or no mask).
On my 3 days on campus recently, I've seen less than 50% compliance from (the very few) staff re: mask wearing in corridors. We don't have to wear them in our single person offices (we're very lucky there). And our VC has not been wearing one, once, when I've seen him in various corridors in our building. So not exactly setting a good example. He thinks it's all overblown and didn't want to lockdown in March until students insisted (despite approaching 70 years old himself). Clearly it's going to be when, not if, there is an outbreak, for my university. I hope I don't catch it and bring it home again. I'm very envious of the good decision making from other institutions and am actively looking for a new job now!
Well day 1 induction done. One group had x1 student wear a mask and the rest decide not to bother despite being asked to.
My line manager is yet to give me HR info about higher risk status with asthma.
They're also now realising the online access solutions may not work and are talking about doubling class size. Apparently it's fine. Those risk assessments weren't needed then?
Line manager told me that it wasn't about me when I queried it.
Stressed.
I really don't understand why the UK universities think they're so special and what has been happening elsewhere (e.g. the US) couldn't possibly affect us in a similar way. Blended learning is likely to become remote learning very fast once there is an outbreak on campus - but it didn't have to be like this.
@moimichme
I doubt they do think that. But they want students on campus paying for accommodation and other things. Many are no doubt facing obliteration if they don't have that income.
My university has now issued guidance on physically-distanced f2f teaching, and it's clear that this is going to be a much inferior experience to online synchronous teaching. There are all kinds of activities which I now won't be able to do in my seminars because of the masks and distancing that would be possible online.
Both my university and DH's currently have Covid cases and the students mainly haven't even arrived yet.
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