NEW from me and @AllFootsteps today... Our website on everything we're doing: events, activities, Project Partners, our Advisory Board, blogs, publications, etc. etc. Take a look! (1/4) allourfootsteps.uk
@AllFootsteps Here's all of us! There's a staff pages which also tells you about our high-powered Advisory Board and our Project Partners. allourfootsteps.uk/about (2/4)
And there's a publications section too, so you can see what we're writing... There's one thing in there already, and in time there'll be Open Access links to everything. allourfootsteps.uk/publications (4/4)
This article, by someone purporting to be the Universities Minister, is just an embarrassment. The person who really wrote it must (a) know nothing about unis as they actually operate today, or (b) have cringed with embarrassment. Let me show you. 1/? inews.co.uk/opinion/uk-uni…
Unis will not change courses near the so-called 'quality' borderline. That's far too risky financially, esp if you have to teach them out and/or absorb the uncertainty of double or quits investment. They will close them - indeed I imagine that's the real intent. This is wrong.
What a nasty, mean, degrading way to talk about the beautiful risk and adventure of Higher Education. I'm from a working class background myself. I was the first in my family to go to uni. I didn't want it 'labelled' with a condescending sticker. 3/?
The most amazing thing about the Dom Cummings takes is how **old** they are. How commonplace. Establish a No 10 command and control center. Right-ee-ho, Lloyd George.
Gets some experts in, real cutting edge maverick stuff. Hey, Harold Macmillan! How ya going with that weird Keynes stuff? Yo, Herbert Asquith, how's yer man Beveridge getting on at the Board of Trade?
We need programme review and analysis! We need computers! Yeah, Mr Heath! How's Rothschild doing in the Think Tank?
I thought that I would write quite a long thread on why strike ballot turnout looks fairly low in many universities - something which may puzzle outsiders, and some colleagues. This in lieu of an article, since I've got four Zoom calls coming up. 1/? /THREAD
1/ First and foremost, this is not unusual, but in fact the norm. Organising academics is indeed like herding cats - they are often highly individualistic Rule Governed Achievers... 2/?
1/ (Cont.) Who sit in that uncomfortable professional place - a bit like GPs - which says 'am I am employee, or am I a self-organising, self-employed sole actor?' Days spent in the office can be far fewer than those on their own - it's not conductive to collective action. 3/?
I have become extremely concerned about the pro-M*ller letter circulating among academics, which let's be clear does *not* defend him on free speech grounds but suggests agreement with his views (see below).
It has become clear over the last 18 months or so that British HE may be irretrievably broken. I'm not sure how this relates - these unacceptable views have always been there - but the narrowing of the talent pool may play a role in propagating this level of junk work.
Two things I've been thinking: (1) this is how the posion spreads out, via perhaps naive or well-meaning staff who think they are defending academic freedom. People are drawn in who wouldn't normally have dreamt of it.
Did a lot of writing this year. What were my highlights? Here are six: (1) January. What should #Labour do after a humiliating election defeat? TL:DR, sort themselves out, they get taxpayers' money for this and they're a rabble: publicpolicypast.blogspot.com/2020/01/
I'd just like to place on record that #NoDealBrexit is just about the worst *political* idea I've ever heard. In the 1000% unlikely event I was advising the PM, I would be extremely strongly against.
It's the classic Weak Man's Strong Man decision, like Steve McClaren dropping David Beckham. Sugar rush of the call, then all your problems get much worse.
It supercharges your opponents, allows Labour all the political landscape, is a *vast* gift to the SNP, revives the Lib Dems - all at a stroke.