On March 13th a front cover article in The Daily Post revealed that the management at JMU have ordered the axing of 34 courses. Aswell as disrupting the education of continuing students this will severely impact on those prospective students from the local area who can't afford to move elsewhere for university.
Whilst the university have claimed that there will be no redundancies it is known that at least two members of staff have not had their contracts renewed. The only communication with students from the management on this matter was a reworded press release received at a meeting on March 16th. Staff were only informed on January 20th after the decision had been, and after prospective students on cut courses were contacted and told that their choice would no longer be available
For the decision to have been made without consultation of students or staff is a complete disgrace. This demonstrates a total disregard for both staff and students on the part of the management at JMU. Come out on March 25th and make your voices heard. John Moores is our University and we need to show management that we will not lie down and accept their cloak and dagger decision making.
As such, at a meeting of students in Liverpool Students Union this afternoon it was decided that there will be a demonstration on Wednesday March 25th, assembling at 1pm outside LSU.
Demands are as follows:
- No course cuts
- No job losses; for either permenant contract or temporary contract staff
- No closed decision making
Tell everyone you know to come down... bring your own placards and banners!!
Whilst the university have claimed that there will be no redundancies it is known that at least two members of staff have not had their contracts renewed. The only communication with students from the management on this matter was a reworded press release received at a meeting on March 16th. Staff were only informed on January 20th after the decision had been, and after prospective students on cut courses were contacted and told that their choice would no longer be available
For the decision to have been made without consultation of students or staff is a complete disgrace. This demonstrates a total disregard for both staff and students on the part of the management at JMU. Come out on March 25th and make your voices heard. John Moores is our University and we need to show management that we will not lie down and accept their cloak and dagger decision making.
As such, at a meeting of students in Liverpool Students Union this afternoon it was decided that there will be a demonstration on Wednesday March 25th, assembling at 1pm outside LSU.
Demands are as follows:
- No course cuts
- No job losses; for either permenant contract or temporary contract staff
- No closed decision making
Tell everyone you know to come down... bring your own placards and banners!!
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Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
'Our' University
18.03.2009 18:56
As for consultation none is required if no redundancies are made. Staff have a duty to perform any reasonable task an employer asks them to, and if some JMU staff find their course ended they have the choice of doing something else their employer requires of them or resigning. Staff members do not have a right to run the courses they want. They have a duty as employees to do as they are told or quit.
Pete
Duty?
19.03.2009 19:08
As for 'Duty' I don't think any employee should be be required to do as their employer tells them or quit...hey why don't we just give in and let the bosses shut down our unions? We are talking about significant changes that have been made to teaching programmes... programmes that are not taught or recieved by the V-C or the upper-echelons of the University management. These are not decisions that should be made without the participation of either staff or students.
JMU might be a publically funded institution, but it feels increasingly like it is being corporatised. For gods sake, the first communication that students recieved from the University about this came from Corporate Communications, as the V.C behaved in such a way as to cut the student union out of discussions.
James
Consultation Is Required
21.03.2009 10:18
The failure to consult is symptomatic of the arrogance of a particular style of management that has no connection with the actual activities of the organisation. These are the people who argue that the workplace is not a democracy, that they are in charge and then demand legislation when "their" Workers do something they find distatesful.
Both Universities have embarked upon a face saving exercise. Both Universities were at the forefront of demanding students pay fees. Yet, the fee level was set too low to pay for the actual tuition. This has created the situation that needs to be managed. Managers felt comfortable that the decision to set the fees too low to pay for tuition was the right decision and would be financially sutainable. It made the Universities competitive in a world market and so on. Both Universities need to save face by closing course they can not manage to present. Manage, not afford. Their ability to manage the presentation of the courses is the central issue.
As Fee Payers, Students have a right to demand that the management of the University present courses that are fit for purpose. This is not only in course content but course presentation. To sign on to any University's scheme of learning is to place trust in the Academic Staff's capacity to deliver the best quality of Course and the Academic Management to ensure that the Course is delivered on time and in budget. Change without consultation is quite arbitrary and would incur financial penalties in the big bad world of business that the University Management point at laudable. Fee Payers invariably claim the right to be consulted.
That is the job of Management. That is what Management is paid to do. The ability to consult effectively is a central and genuine occupational qualification of Management. It is a genuine occupational qualification that ideological management chooses to obscure. The failure to consult is no longer a sign of "arrogance" but of a failure of management to engage with their role. For any employee outside of a management role to fail in their role incurs penalties. What justification do these managers have for taking fees and not delivering courses? Changing Contracts without explanation? Supporting Fees when the Feepayers are not treated as they would in commerce? Supporting Fees when Fees have created the problems they now face and the problems they have failed to manage?
Students generally do oppose fees. A tactic of opposition is to demonstrate. An equally good tactic is to demand all of the right a commercial Fee Payer might demand. Like it or not, Fees are a substantial part of Student Life. They are a wicked imposition and should be abolished. While they continue to exist, Students should also argue for their Rights as Fee Payers.
Ex Student