Sheffield University ignores student opinion regarding army recruiters!
Jack Daniels | 25.02.2009 18:44 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Education | Sheffield
Although there have apparently been discussions where several students have voiced their opinion supporting a ban of army recruiters from University campus, the University of Sheffield Careers Service could not care less. They have circulated an almost provoking email and have once more allowed army recruiters to hold interview sessions with students, which might even take place on campus.
This is the text of the email that has been circulated:
By:
careersdiary@sheffield.ac.uk
Date: 25 Feb 2009
Being an Army Officer is unlike any other job! Come along to these interview sessions on Wednesday 11 March, to secure your career!
The Army can offer unrivalled training and development to graduates of all disciplines, enhancing management and leadership potential and providing the skills and self-confidence to excel in the Army and, later on, in civilian careers. Beyond the many career-enhancing qualities in which graduates become skilled, there are many personal rewards for most officers - they will find it incredibly satisfying to discover what they are capable of under different kinds of pressure. After just one year of training, Officers can be responsible for over 30 soldiers and several million pounds worth of equipment. Graduates start their Officer training at the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst where they learn all aspects of soldiering, management and leadership training. On completion, they will join their Regiment or Corps where they will undergo specialist training for their chosen occupation. Subsequently, Officers may study for Army-sponsored or
vocational qualifications.
For more information see:
http://www.army.mod.uk/
Appointments will last 45 minutes. You will need to dress casual/smart.
To secure your appointment please visit the Careers Service. The Careers Service is located at 388 Glossop Road and is open 9.00am - 5.00 pm, Monday - Friday, except Tuesday when opening hours are 11.00 am - 5.00 pm.
Please note: The University of Sheffield Careers Service regrets that we are unable to respond to any email relating to this message. If you have any queries please visit the Careers Service where our staff will be happy to assist you or use our website for further information:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/careers
If you are not interested in the subject of this email we apologise for any inconvenience that receipt of the message may have caused you.
-------------- End of Message ----------------
What is even more frustrating than the message itself, is the arrogant note added by the University staff members: "The University of Sheffield Careers Service regrets that we are unable to respond to any email relating to this message."
It is like saying: We know many of you will be angry and annoyed, but this is business, we do not care about what our students think or to what extent they are represented by the actions of the University.
This attitude is confirmed by the disclaimer in the end: "If you are not interested in the subject of this email we apologise for any inconvenience that receipt of the message may have caused you."
This matter however, in the minds of most politically minded people, is not just business. This is political. The University wishes to retain an authoritarian attitude, blatantly ignoring any opinions it does not support. Once more, it proves that it is unable to put a foot down to the requests of the government. This is a good lesson to all the students who support this institution by paying their tuition fees. Pay, and you will be disrespected. They only want your money, they do not care about the educational side. Education is not just what happens during lectures, education is supposed to be everywhere within an academic environment, in all aspects of student life.
Furthermore, what amazes me is the attitude of the University staff. Students are young and some have not formed a solid political opinion yet. Some might be too busy with their coursework. Some might not even check their emails. But what is the excuse of the staff members? Are these really the people we want to control the flow of knowledge to future generations, to our children? People who do not dare to voice their opinions just so they can rest assured that they will have a good income? People willing to sacrifice their dignity for their payslip? We need people with a well-formed, strong opinion, who are willing to stand by it. We do not want traitors to act as role-models for our children. We do not want a generation of traitors coming out of our Universities.
Read the text of the email, you know what to do next.. See you all on the 11th of March!
By:
careersdiary@sheffield.ac.uk Date: 25 Feb 2009
Being an Army Officer is unlike any other job! Come along to these interview sessions on Wednesday 11 March, to secure your career!
The Army can offer unrivalled training and development to graduates of all disciplines, enhancing management and leadership potential and providing the skills and self-confidence to excel in the Army and, later on, in civilian careers. Beyond the many career-enhancing qualities in which graduates become skilled, there are many personal rewards for most officers - they will find it incredibly satisfying to discover what they are capable of under different kinds of pressure. After just one year of training, Officers can be responsible for over 30 soldiers and several million pounds worth of equipment. Graduates start their Officer training at the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst where they learn all aspects of soldiering, management and leadership training. On completion, they will join their Regiment or Corps where they will undergo specialist training for their chosen occupation. Subsequently, Officers may study for Army-sponsored or
vocational qualifications.
For more information see:
http://www.army.mod.uk/ Appointments will last 45 minutes. You will need to dress casual/smart.
To secure your appointment please visit the Careers Service. The Careers Service is located at 388 Glossop Road and is open 9.00am - 5.00 pm, Monday - Friday, except Tuesday when opening hours are 11.00 am - 5.00 pm.
Please note: The University of Sheffield Careers Service regrets that we are unable to respond to any email relating to this message. If you have any queries please visit the Careers Service where our staff will be happy to assist you or use our website for further information:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/careers If you are not interested in the subject of this email we apologise for any inconvenience that receipt of the message may have caused you.
-------------- End of Message ----------------
What is even more frustrating than the message itself, is the arrogant note added by the University staff members: "The University of Sheffield Careers Service regrets that we are unable to respond to any email relating to this message."
It is like saying: We know many of you will be angry and annoyed, but this is business, we do not care about what our students think or to what extent they are represented by the actions of the University.
This attitude is confirmed by the disclaimer in the end: "If you are not interested in the subject of this email we apologise for any inconvenience that receipt of the message may have caused you."
This matter however, in the minds of most politically minded people, is not just business. This is political. The University wishes to retain an authoritarian attitude, blatantly ignoring any opinions it does not support. Once more, it proves that it is unable to put a foot down to the requests of the government. This is a good lesson to all the students who support this institution by paying their tuition fees. Pay, and you will be disrespected. They only want your money, they do not care about the educational side. Education is not just what happens during lectures, education is supposed to be everywhere within an academic environment, in all aspects of student life.
Furthermore, what amazes me is the attitude of the University staff. Students are young and some have not formed a solid political opinion yet. Some might be too busy with their coursework. Some might not even check their emails. But what is the excuse of the staff members? Are these really the people we want to control the flow of knowledge to future generations, to our children? People who do not dare to voice their opinions just so they can rest assured that they will have a good income? People willing to sacrifice their dignity for their payslip? We need people with a well-formed, strong opinion, who are willing to stand by it. We do not want traitors to act as role-models for our children. We do not want a generation of traitors coming out of our Universities.
Read the text of the email, you know what to do next.. See you all on the 11th of March!
Jack Daniels
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
erm...
25.02.2009 23:03
The 'the arrogant note added by the University staff members' is on all careers related emails, as is the disclaimer; not because they don't care about what we think (although I do agree that they don't) but just because it is. In fact, the disclaimer refers to the fact that the uni is suppose to be sending us targeted careers emails now but still manages to mess it up as can be seen by the epic amount of Law related careers junk I get spamming my uni mail.
Everything written in it is standard issue, the careers service just passes along what ever the employer wrote. Yea, I'd like them not advertise the army as a career option either - there are enough bloody adverts for it round town - but does this deserve being on indymedia? They send out army related careers stuff (along with lots of stuff on fun companies that like making bombs and such) a half dozen times every semester, and I'm presuming every other uni does to. There are people at Shef who go along and annoy the 'bad' recruiters, and I'm sure said people will continue to do so if the opportunity should again arise, and obviously, anyone else would be welcome to join in/do their own thing with it - but I don't think it needed to be on indymedia, seriously, the amount of careers junk you get sent from the army, BAE etc etc, if every uni posted about it the whole place would be swamped
Ae
Arrogance
26.02.2009 08:44
GI Joe
Stupid
26.02.2009 09:38
At least you get a choice, unlike your utopia cuba..............
Braz
haha
26.02.2009 09:57
Perhaps you need to find enough chavs, weeds, goths, punks, passivist religious types etc to sign up for the interviews and waste the recruiters time with humour, put on stupidity, tough ethical questions and blatently unsuitable candidates. Hidden cameras for a bit of Jeremy Beadle/Ali G style pisstaking in the interviews would make great youtube.
McQn
Army and Universities
26.02.2009 13:39
I would agree that it is wrong to subject students to any kind of extreme propaganda within a university environment, especially when this might cost them their lives. They still have a choice to join the army or learn about it, even without recruiters on campus. It's not like anybody said we should limit their choices.
SL
The problem with democracy...
26.02.2009 13:55
The university has tens of thousands of students, you need a few more than "several" people before you can seriously accuse them of ignoring student opinion. I'm sure you could find several people who would support banning Jews, gays or any other group.
Give me a day in Bar One and I could easily get a few dozen people willing to sign a petition to ban ginger people.
MonkeyBot 5000
RE: The problem with democracy
26.02.2009 22:49
theo