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ACADEMICS or anyone, help - I come back from mat leave and find they have taken away my favourite teaching!

55 replies

Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 14:21

I started back at work a month ago (study leave until 14 Jan) after a year's mat leave and was informed that (out of kindness and consideration for me) I would not be doing my usual teaching this term - the members of staff who covered it during my absence would be doing it again (although it is not until March).

Was a bit surprised by this (as it is not normal procedure to let people off teaching subsequent to their study leave, and besides, when I was new to the job in 2002 I had to teach 3 modules in my first term, so I don't know why they've started being all kind and considerate now). I was also really disappointed as it was the highlight of my job (a week's intensive teaching on an area I am interested in with a small group of motivated students).

I today spoke to one of the members of staff who covered for me and was informed that she had insisted on doing it twice because she didn't want to do all that preparation just to do it once. And that in future she will be sharing the teaching with me because it was such a success when she did it.

It also appears that she has slagged off my teaching to the HoD utterly without basis as I always got fabulous student feedback for it.

I don't think I have a leg to stand on legally wrt to the thing about your right to go back to the same job as you left - looking at the university's maternity policy this is what it says:

"She will return to the job (which does not preclude changes to the duties and responsibilities in the intervening period) in which she was employed under the original contract of employment and on terms applicable to her if she had not been absent. "

AIBU to feel totally furious, upset, disappointed, shat upon, etc etc?

What would you do?

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Kathyate6mincepies · 07/12/2007 10:14

Bumping in case anyone else sees it.
Spent most of the night awake, fuming.

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Judy1234 · 07/12/2007 10:31

A primary teacher this year went back after mat leave and was given a different class. The tribunal said she was employed as a primary teacher, not employed as teacher of Year 1 so the change was legal.

But it sounds like you need psychology not law to deal with this to get the result you want without getting a reputation for being a trouble maker. Perhaps talk to your boss about whether you can get the class back after this time so it is entirely yours. I am sure they will want to keep you happy.

Kathyate6mincepies · 07/12/2007 10:43

Thank you Xenia.
I saw the case about the primary teacher and it seems very relevant.

My job title is just 'lecturer', but I was employed in the first place to teach the module that the colleague is after, ie, that was the job advert I answered. She OTOH was employed for a different module (I thought at the time that she wasn't a good choice because her research area was so far away from the teaching area. It seems I was right.)
Do you think this fact gives me any more right than her to the teaching? I mean, my HoD seems to think at the moment that the fair thing is to split it. I don't think that's fair.

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Ellbell · 07/12/2007 11:02

Oh Kathy... what a shitty situation. I'm really sorry that this has happened and I do sympathise.

I do have some sympathy for your colleague (in terms of the basic situation,not in terms of how she's handled it) insofar as (as Tamum said) she has presumably put a lot of effort into preparing the module while you've been away, and feels sad that that work has been 'wasted' if she never gets to teach on it again. However, she has gone about this in a totally unprofessional way and your HoD seems to be approaching it with a 'line of least resistance' kind of approach rather than doing what is right.

I think that you may need to be prepared to share this module with your colleague, for a while at least. However, you need to talk to you HoD and make it clear that you feel that this could have been handled better. If you'd been in my Dept (I'm HoD... for my sins!) I'd have talked all this through with you before you went on Mat. Leave. You need to protect your role as module leader, and then talk to your colleague about how best to share the work... but making it very clear that it's your module, which you are inviting her to take part in teaching. I know this may be hard if the HoD has already told her she can do it, but I'd still say that 'morally' the module is yours.

It is hard though. I've been in a similar situation to your colleague insofar as in my current post I was appointed to a job that was advertised for someone with an interest in modern/contemporary stuff. I got the job, even though I'm a medievalist. Once I was in post, I was keen to become involved in the various medieval modules (which were, as it happens, being taught largely by non-specialists, so it seemed a bit odd for me to be teaching all modern stuff while they taught the stuff that I was an expert on). Anyway, I made it clear that I was very happy to teach the modern modules (indeed, I invented three new modules in my first year and teach two of them still) but that ultimately I'd also like to teach some medieval modules too. I was prepared to be involved in quite a small way at first (maybe even just some seminars or the odd 'guest lecture' on the other chap's modules) and to gradually increase my involvement. As it happened, the teacher involved (who was a bit odd anyway) decided that he couldn't possibly 'share' and basically just picked up his toys and went to play elsewhere, leaving me the whole module. I felt really bad, because I had been prepared to compromise, but he didn't feel he could do that.

I know the situation's not the same in your case, but I guess what I'm saying is that you need to be prepared to compromise, up to a point... Academic departments are like that... things can change quite rapidly. In a way, that's why I like the job - you know you won't be doing the same thing year-in, year-out. (Eventually I took over all the medieval teaching due to various staff changes. Then a year later we made a new appointment and I've ended up sharing it again.)

Another complication in this situation is that in Arts Departments (not sure what you teach, but I think it's in Arts/Humanities, isn't it?) the Dept may not have got much/any money to cover your Mat. Leave. When I had someone on Mat. Leave last year we couldn't simply advertise for a replacement post for the term of her leave. I was allowed (oh so generous!) to apply for some extra part-time teaching to cover some of her hours, but not all. We were expected to cover it from within the Dept, just as we would if someone was on study leave. This makes it hard for the HoD not to fall into the trap of doing what your HoD has done, using existing expertise (even if it's less 'expert' expertise than that of the person who'd normally teach the module) to cover the gaps, because there may simply not have been the money to cover all the teaching needs otherwise.

Having said all that, I don't think you are being at all unreasonable to feel hurt, and I think that you need to talk to your HoD to try to sort this out. It's a shame that it's only being done now, because this could have been avoided by simply talking through all the ramifications before you ever went on leave....

Sorry if that's not very helpful. I am thinking of you and hope you manage to sort something out.

Ellbell · 07/12/2007 11:05

In answer to your previous post (sorry - that great essay took a long time to write... I am putting off writing a lecture, can you tell?) I do think that the relative jobs which you and your colleague applied for should count for something, as should your greater expertise in the relevant area. You should be module leader and should get to organise the course in the way you want, inviting your colleague to contibute to some extent in a way that seems appropriate (e.g. some lectures on the parts that are closest to her research, taking one seminar group while you take another, that kind of thing...).

Kathyate6mincepies · 07/12/2007 11:28

Ellbell, thank you for that. Very helpful.

AFAIK he did get money to cover me, he just chose to spend it to extend the contract of a postdoc. The postdoc covered the other half of my teaching, but that will only have taken a small amount of her time - mostly it will have been spend on other developments in the deparment (a new distance learning course.) However, I have never been told this officially - this is what other colleagues think has happened.

I wish, wish, wish I had been more assertive in demanding to know what arrangements were being made for my maternity cover. When I asked my (former) HoD I was told it wasn't my concern. I shouldn't have let him get away with this - it just didn't occur to me I wasn't going to get the teaching back later.

Another difference between my and your situation seems to be that you said from the beginning that you were more interested in teaching the medieval stuff. My colleague expressed great enthusiasm for her teaching area at interview. Indeed, she refused to contribute to my module in the past (and I ended up getting her predecessor back as a visiting speaker!).
Basically she will contribute if it suits her, not if it doesn't. And my former HoD has most certainly taken the line of least resistance here.

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Ellbell · 07/12/2007 11:42

If they got money to cover your teaching then there's no excuse. Grrrr.... As HoD it is sometimes tempting to take the line of least resistance, but I do find that it tends to come back and bite you on the bum if you do that.

I think you need to talk to your HoD and explain the situation, saying that you are happy (through gritted teeth) to share the teaching to some extent, but that you feel that she should do x, y and/or z (i.e. specific bits of the module that you don't mind so much about giving away) and that you expect to be able to return to doing all the rest.

Thinking of you... (and still not writing lecture.. why, oh why, did I agree to talk at a 'study day' on a Saturday right at the end of term? [bozo emoticon])

fizzbuzz · 07/12/2007 12:50

I remember that primary school thing, that is why I was unable to take it further.

However, I think you could point out to your HoD, that you feel no effort was made to protect your position during maternity leave, and this has made it a very stressful return....possibly to the point of making you ill...????

I would put in a letter which is what I did. If you do not get your lecturing back, would you have to prepare a lot more work for another subject? Again doesn't this have ramifications for making it more stressful for your return than if you were coming back where you left off?

lionheart · 07/12/2007 12:52

How infuriating, Kathy.

I don't think I ever got back one of the courses I was teaching

after I returned from Mat leave but since I wasn't that attached to it decided not to make a fuss.

But it's a monumental pain when people start messing with your teaching without your say so, very undermining.

Bloody hell, Ellbell, I wish you were my HoD.

lionheart · 07/12/2007 12:54

I think it's also the nature of academia, as Ellbell says, that duties and responsibilities can be quite fluid and changing.

In some ways that's a good thing but at other times it can really land you in it.

Ellbell · 07/12/2007 14:02

Perhaps we could set up the University of Mumsnet?

Habbibu · 07/12/2007 14:09

Might be the only way to tempt me back to academia, Ellbell... What's your area, by the way (ex-medievalist married to medievalist)

Ellbell · 07/12/2007 14:11

I work on Dante, Habbibu. You?

Habbibu · 07/12/2007 14:12

Kathy, is this a special-subject type thing? Surely this is something which is CVable, and relevant to any future posts you might apply for. And if it is your main area (of research as well? Or am I misremembering) it does seem very odd to appoint a non-specialist. I mean, is it, say, as far apart as a Shakespearian teaching Anglo-Saxon, or more subtle a disctinction?

Habbibu · 07/12/2007 14:13

Long time ago! Late medieval English literacy .

Ellbell · 07/12/2007 14:19

Ooh, how exciting. I have the Cambridge History of Lit Crit (Vol.2: The Middle Ages) open on my desk. (Writing lecture on Virgil in the Middle Ages... send me some inspiration please!)

Habbibu · 07/12/2007 14:24

Oh blee - linguistics and paleography/codicology all the way. If I gave away any more of my subject I'd be way too easily googled, but would explain my lacks of literary knowledge. Will proffer strong coffee, biscuits and GET OFF MUMSNET, if that would help?

And also biscuits to Kathy for hijacking!

Ellbell · 07/12/2007 14:29
lionheart · 07/12/2007 14:37

Talking of googling, Kathy, are you not worried someone who knows you professionally

(or the woman who has pinched your course) might see this?

Small worlds and all that.

Kathyate6mincepies · 07/12/2007 16:54

Lionheart - I have been pretty cautious about mentioning my subject or my university on here, so I don't think she's likely to find it via Googling. She doesn't have children so I don't think she'd be on Mumsnet. Not sure I'd care if she did see it really though....

Habibu - her research is probably a bit closer than a Shakespearean teaching Anglo-Saxon would be.
But yes, it is my main area of research.
It is closer to my area of research than it is to my colleague's area of research (ie slap bang in the middle of it), but it is closer to her area of research than her current teaching is IYSWIM.
However, I think that's her problem - if she didn't want to do the teaching she shouldn't have taken the job.

I hate undermining colleagues, but honestly, she has clearly been telling HoD that her version of the module is better than mine so I am going to have to fight back. I have always given her the benefit of the doubt in the past when she said inappropriate things about my work, but I have got to stop letting her walk over me.

I would challenge her to a duel, and whoever won could have the module, but I can't shoot straight

Hope lecture is going ok Ellbell!

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lionheart · 07/12/2007 17:51

I think you're right about thatwhen you step into someone shoes you don't really get to dictate the termunless the department was desperate and she had more leverage than is usual.

chocbiscuits · 07/12/2007 21:20

Someone pinched one of my research projects when I was pregnant. BAH!

frannikin · 07/12/2007 23:13

As a student (considering entry to academia hence checking the thread about maternity leave and academia) I get REALLY P*ED OFF when I do a module and it's not the subject specialist teaching it when they could.

Afraid I take the view that I want to be taught by someone at the forefront of the field not someone for whom it's a sideline. Which is obviously why my dissertation on the Music at the Tudor court is being supervised by an Italian Baroque Madrigalist instead of the chap whose specialism is Early English Music.....

Bring that up with the HoD.

inthegutter · 08/12/2007 15:48

I don't know whether this is relevant .... but I belive the amount of maternity leave taken has some bearing on this. I believe if you take 6 months leave you are entitled to return to your previous job. If you take the additional maternity leave (ie up to one year) your employer can offer you an 'equivalent' role - ie same status and pay but not necessarily same job.
ALthough as Xenia pointed out, you may find that even after the 6 months leave, your employer could quite lawfully give you different courses/classes as this will still fall within your job description. I am a teacher, and I believe all teachers have that cover-all phrase in their job description about 'carrying out any other duties as ditected by the Head'. In other words, in theory anyone could be directed to teach a new course.

Kathyate6mincepies · 08/12/2007 21:11

You're right inthegutter - I took a year and anyway I am just a 'lecturer', not a 'lecturer in that particular course'. Legally there's nothing wrong with what they've done.

Frannikin - yeah, you're right - I should remember that actually the students would probably rather have me too.
At least having read this thread, if you do go into academia you will know what to watch out for

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