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Original poster

University Fees for on-line Lectures

999 replies

Kastanien · 04/05/2020 09:00

Latest this morning(sorry if it is already on here, I checked and could not see a thread)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52506283

Just wondering how those of you with DC due to start (or return to Uni) in the Autumn feel about full tuition fees for on-line learning?
I feel there should be a reduction as the teaching is not the same on-line as face to face.

OP posts:
JacobReesMogadishu · 07/05/2020 12:51

My uni have decided that teaching is to remain online until at least January.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 12:54

I now think you are just a goady fucker, with a huge chip on her shoulder, and envious of academics for some reason. Maybe a teacher at school told you you were stupid.

Yep, really promoting academics in good light. The veneer starts to crack doesn't it.

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 12:56

So are we just supposed to sit hear and let you attack us?
You are the one showing yourself up hear

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 12:58

*sit here even.
I'm getting too angry to type

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 12:58

AgileLass

For the umpteenth time, she has directly approached the uni and asked what support there is available. I have seen the email they sent her. It clearly says their advice is for her to go home. Their is support available for students remaining in halls. That's it. No signpost to help available to other students. That isn't her misreading the email.

I've also said that her, and fellow students, have complained. I will encourage them to escalate it.

AgileLass · 07/05/2020 12:58

Yep, really promoting academics in good light. The veneer starts to crack doesn't it.

Don’t worry, we are all professional and empathic with genuine students. We just give short shrift to goady clueless parents who just want to have a go, prod and prod incessantly until they get a desired response, and then triumphantly blame an entire sector for the perceived failings of one dept. Pathetic.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 13:00

SueEllenMishke

Nope. I'm attacking institutions that have responded poorly to their students. If that isn't you there's no need to feel attacked is there? I also haven't stopped to personal insults, unlike some supposed professionals on here who are starting to show their true colours.

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 13:02

You've been relentless in your attack of my profession. Not once have you acknowledged a single positive comment we've made. You've just tried to trip us up constantly.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 13:07

I'm not tripping you up.

I have no knowledge of what you or your establishment are doing yet when I've said about the negative experiences the young people I know are reporting you've jumped in denying that it's happening and trying to blame them.for not attending the on line lectures (that arent happening) or not reading their emails correctly.

As with everything there are good and bad universities, and staff. Yet listening to all of you that absolutely is not the case because your university is doing a good job. By profession I was a nurse - I can fully admit that there a good, bad and mediocre nurses out there and good, bad and mediocre hospitals. If someone came on to describe a bad experience in hospital I wouldn't be jumping on accusing them.of being a liar or it somehow being their fault because in my experience everything was perfect.

TheMerrickBoy · 07/05/2020 13:10

I think this says it all, HearsHooves:

I'll tell her that she should expect them to provide it for her and to make a complaint if they don't

Most people would insert a 'thanks for the info' here, and also not go straight 'make a complaint if they don't'. Maybe you could tell her (hopefully you can find a way that's not facebook, what with her having no internet) to ask if that's a possibility at her uni? Just, you, know, to be polite and pleasant?

Buzlightyear1 · 07/05/2020 13:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Xenia · 07/05/2020 13:17

I am sure most lecturers agree a lot of students have suffered strikes and now lost their last term. It is hard to say that has not happened. It is not nice for my twins to be in this situation in their last year. They won't get this year back. Whether employers will treat their degrees as toilet paper because exams were on line etc remains to be seen. however life just isn't fair - we just have to make the best of it.

My son is working outside every day (we have a garden) on his dissertationa t present trying to work from pdfs, not books. His friend has given him access to another university's materials. His twin has just found him access to some books - apparently one had been retyped by someone and parts put on line and he gave his debit card to sign up to the site and it all seemed a bit risky to me but he is not worried as if someone steals his card details he will cancel his card he says. IN other words it is very difficult. We are hoping even with the dissertations the supervisors/markers will take all these difficult conditions into account in giving the marks. My twins are obviously some of the lucky ones with a reasonable house with wifi in which to work.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 13:22

TheMerrickBoy

I have no way of contacting her other than when she posts in the Facebook group. She has internet access via her phone but that's limited data for many people.

She has already detailed the many ways that she has asked for help from the university. If it was as some as them supplying a dongle and a data package then why on earth didn't they offer her that as soon as they knew what her issue was? Why on earth would they allow her to have to decide to.leave university altogether and not bring that option up? As such, I think she should make a complaint.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 13:26

Xenia

Exactly. It is not working as well or as straightforwardly as some on here would like.us to believe.

From what I'm.reading on here though if your son contacts the library the librarians will provide access to the texts that he needs (or not, which is.probably the more likely scenario)

TheMerrickBoy · 07/05/2020 13:42

Even when you're given useful, constructive information and context, you are ungracious and ungenerous and make it into a way to be unpleasant, though.

Librarians cannot just ''provide access", they have no power over who publishes e texts and who doesn't, but if there's a way to purchase an e text or send a scan, that might be a possibility.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 13:50

TheMerrickBoy

Oh hold fire. When I described my dds inability to access the library I was shot down by people insisting that my "second hand" information wasn't true and that librarians were available and providing everything needed either online or going into the library and scanning the required pages of books not available on line.

I didn't see you saying to that poster

Librarians cannot just ''provide access", they have no power over who publishes e texts and who doesn't, but if there's a way to purchase an e text or send a scan, that might be a possibility.

So, surprise, surprise. It seems that provision is variable across institutions. Who'd have though it? It's almost like some universities have better provision and support than others, isn't it?

dingit · 07/05/2020 13:51

My dd is on placement this year. She has paid £3000 in fees. A tutor has visited once, and pulled her to pieces and shattered her confidence. She can't be doing that badly as she has been offered a graduate job. Second contact a 10 min phone call.
A third of a years fees? What a bargain. £9000 for online next year. What a joke 😡

justasking111 · 07/05/2020 13:51

I do worry about DS who is normally required to do a lot of studio work, ditto library access for A1 printing. No idea yet what uni. have planned, they have not said.

TheMerrickBoy · 07/05/2020 13:53

If you can point me to the post where somebody said that librarians could provide "everything", I'll be happy to do so.

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 14:03

I have no knowledge of what you or your establishment are doing yet when I've said about the negative experiences the young people I know are reporting you've jumped in denying that it's happening and trying to blame them.for not attending the on line lectures (that aren't happening) or not reading their emails correctly

I have said repeatedly that some students may have been let down and provided advice as to what to do if that is the case.
However, some students don't attend lectures or read emails. That is a fact and is more common than you would believe.
I have just run an online session - i was expecting 20 and I got 8 people. This is despite this date being on their timetable since September and me checking repeatedly that they would like the session to go ahead at the agreed time/date.
I regularly get emails asking me things that could be found via the VLE or handbooks or that have been emailed out previously.
We know how student behave and interact with us.
While there are good and bad universities/academics there are good and bad students.

You have been given some excellent advice on this thread and not once acknowledged that or said thanks.

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 14:05

So, surprise, surprise. It seems that provision is variable across institutions. Who'd have though it? It's almost like some universities have better provision and support than others, isn't it?

Has anyone disagreed with this? But you seem to think all university staff are sitting around doing fuck all.

JanetheObscure · 07/05/2020 14:13

I have absolutely no doubt that universities and academics themselves are doing the very best they can to cater for their students at such a difficult time.

However, it's beyond question that my DD's tuition has been patchy during her first year at university, following two sets of strikes and the pandemic. She can't be alone! I actually support the right to strike, but for a humanities student like her, this meant 10 days of no teasing at all in November or December and four weeks of one seminar a week in February (immediately following quiet spaced out exams in January). Online tuition since closure has been hit and miss - lectures are uploaded ok, but seminars have turned into a one written question, one written answer each session. This is a RG university, by the way.

I have real sympathy with all you academics trying to make the best of things, but can you also see things from the students' point of view? It HAS been an unfortunate set of circumstances.

JanetheObscure · 07/05/2020 14:13

No teasing?!! No teaching.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 07/05/2020 14:13

You have been given some excellent advice on this thread and not once acknowledged that or said thanks.

What advice? Tell her to complain - yes, she's done that, several times over and got nowhere other than apologies.

What do you want me to thank people for - calling me stupid or suggesting that teachers have called me that?

SueEllenMishke · 07/05/2020 14:17

I have real sympathy with all you academics trying to make the best of things, but can you also see things from the students' point of view? It HAS been an unfortunate set of circumstances

We have acknowledged this, a number of times. It gets ignored though as it doesn't fit with the narrative of all students being let down and all academics being uncaring, unprofessional and generally shit. One poster even accused us of causing student suicides......that was nice.

It also needs to be acknowledged that not all students are engaged, enthusiastic, keen to learn and make the most of the opportunities offered to them.