Oxford/Cambridge - current students support/chat thread 2022 - cont

[Panicmode1]

@petitebleu - so sorry to hear about your DS. I hope that some time out over Christmas may help to give him some space and time to think about his next steps.

That’s such good news @beeswain and very well done to your DS for stepping out of his comfort zone to make this happen.

@beeswain I'm delighted to hear about your DS and it's brilliant that he's off to a party with friends tonight! Hope he has an excellent time and he's come very far from his difficult start. You must be really proud of him. It's also good that he's got another year to go still.

Good to hear news of the Bumps! DS2 has done lots of rowing in his time at Oxford, having been considered totally non-sporty at school and has really enjoyed this part of uni. life plus all the socialising around it. His crew has never progressed very far but he's always enjoyed it to the full and he's subbed for other crews from other colleges at times too.

@CinnamonJellyBeans and @Catsrcool69 I too remain really worried about DS1's (Cambridge) exams and dissertation not being marked. They are just over 2 weeks away from the fake 'graduation' ceremony and whilst I'm going through the motions and booking a meal out etc, it feels like a poor sham for those doing subjects where they won't actually get a proper degree.

@Catsrcool69 it's pretty bad that the VC office hasn't even responded to your email. I'd really like to contact them myself but don't think DS1 wants me to get involved. I remain dumbfounded that students aren't protesting very loudly about this and it's not making headlines in any of the newspapers.

On a brighter note. @pantjog how fantastic that your DD and choir sang in front of the King! That'll be another memory she'll never forget.

@Malbecfan well done to your DD on bumping yesterday and to @PermanentTemporary to your DS bumping again today! That's very exciting for them.

DS1 and DS2 now seem to have a stream of events going on with some days, for DS1, where he's going from Garden Party to Ball to the next day and another Ball, seamlessly!

It was interesting to see the contrast between their experiences at O and C and obviously their particular colleges too, for final subject cohort events:

DS2 at O had a prestigious black tie dinner and drinks, funded by the college, that went on until the early hours.

DS1 at C had a quick pub trip kindly organised by his previous DoS, whose currently on sabbatical. Some supervisors didn't show up, one left after a few minutes and another (which was expected) spent the entire time solely chatting to the girls and ignoring the boys! Despite me hoping DS1 might ask some of the supervisors about the marking strikes, it apparently "didn't come up" and as far as I know, that's his last contact now with his subject supervisors. Will he ever get a proper degree after all his hard work to get in to Cambridge?

@beeswain & @HoneyMobster I wish DD could have stretched to 4 years, but such is the life of a PPEist unless they rusticate. Perhaps they'll bump into each other in her final flurry of Oxford fun.

DD had her school's dinner last night. I think the PPEists just want to forget about their exams now & have fun for a few weeks. It's a bit strange not having a known date as they did for GCSEs etc.

That's such good news beeswain.

Yes, I'm so glad that DD4 is on a four year course.

HewasH20 mine seemed to have a pretty good idea of when their results were going to be released. Not precise but near enough. Is it different this year because of the marking issues - so literally no clue?

Malbec DD4 was also very put out that Oriel bumped St John's very quickly on Day 3 -she'd badly wanted to bump Oriel if only to annoy a brother.

I don't usually buy these prints but the fly over happened to take place on the July afternoon exactly as two of my DC got their results (one History one Medicine). A good day all round and I liked the photo because when I looked very very hard at our house it shows our dog padding around on the patio generally seeing what was what. Malbec you should recognise!

Very best of luck to all DC for all results in any event. Fingers crossed for they all want.

DS1 has been told the two day window when his results should be expected. It coincides with a rather splendid sporting occasion that DS2 is participating in - so I hope there are smiles all round.

I do remember @beeswain , that is such good news, I hope he loves his 4th year. D1 being v vague about results, I have a feeling she may know more than she lets on, which is fair enough.

BBC coverage of the strikes @mutterphore

theres a Twitter thread in which a Cambridge academic has said that it’s been announced that there will be no degrees awarded for English, History or HSPS unless marking can take place in the next 10days .

That would be an outrage.

Surely capable of challenge in court?

@pantjog thanks for that link. Not looking good really.

@cyclamenqueen I'm not on twitter. Do you have a link to that thread?

@goodbyestranger I agree it's an outrage. I don't think there's much to be done because by the time any students got it together to challenge in court, their exams and dissertations will have faded into the mists of time and what student has the funds, time or energy to pursue this?

@Catsrcool69 do you have an email address for the VC of Cambridge Uni? I won't and can't do anything without DS1's permission but it would be useful to know who to contact if he lets me try to help.

As far as I know, all those subjects have told student that 'graduations will go ahead but with some minor changes to the Latin at Senate House'. For some reason, this seems to mean that students believe - wrongly - that they'll be graduating when they actually won't and it's all a fake.

I keep hoping for good news on this but it really is not looking good. All DD has said is that they have been told they will "graduate" with a blank piece of paper. I think she and others are viewing that as graduation, but it can't be, as there is no degree. One glimmer of hope for her is that she has seen some suggestion that her faculty might exclude final year exams from the boycott . But, she is in a small and thus far really quite militant humanities faculty so I am doubtful.

This is a disgrace really and needs much more media coverage. @mutterphore the email address I used was [email protected]

Maybe if they start to get lots of enquiries and complaints they will start to respond. I have asked the following:

1. What are the university and the employer's association doing to restart negotiations?
2. How are they going to ensure finalists get their papers marked? What is the plan for this if industrial action continues beyond September? How can we be confident papers will be marked later if the dispute is resolved, given there will be all the usual other work for staff to do?
3. Do you have any plans to provide students and employers with estimated degree grades? And would these be revised if as necessary once the papers are, hopefully, marked?
4. If students do not get their finals marked and thus do not get their degree, what plans do they have to refund the tuition fees as this would appear to be some form of breach of contract?

Thus far, silence. It is as if they just don't care....

We need more noise about this!

mutterphore I meant more a judicial review/ class action

To my first email to the VCO I got a response, albeit generic, from a Professor Kamal Munir, who is Pro Vice Chancellor for University Community and Engagement. This came from the email address: [email protected].

Might try going direct to to him.

Although I also agree with point 4. above in individual terms

According to The Times, the outgoing VC Anthony Freeling has written a letter to academics, including this quote:

"If nothing changes in the next ten days, the human social and political sciences, English, geography and history finalists will not be receiving their degrees this summer.”

It's behind a paywall, but I'll try to upload a screenshot of the first page.

https://twitter.com/priyamvadagopal/status/1669646565923848192?s=46&t=DWl0YxHZLYmL9TlDJbiAiA

https://apple.news/AYpsHF3CjRnSVUzBQ-pLQlg. Not sure if this will work

Let's try this

& the final screenshot

You may need to work out which order the big batch should be read in!

Just back from the very last formal with DD1. Lovely dinner in hall, and I managed to catch DD’s tutor to thank him for looking after her so well. We had a brief chat about the MAB and he assured me that none of the Classics faculty were striking and they don’t support the action. We had a wander through the college gardens and then (most improbably) we had an impromptu swim in the river! It was absolutely magical. I’m still floating on air (and a bit damp!).

@pantjog smiling at the thought of your swim