1/12 The Anatomy of a Management Style....
2/12 After deafening silence for 2 weeks, UofExeter VC sends "Personal Message" to "all staff" late on Friday night, with own assessment of "why we are where we are over pensions"
3/12 [Doesn't start well] Recognise "deep feelings" of those on one side of issue and then present own "strong, principled, reasons" for maintaining own position unchanged from 2 weeks ago [needs to follow Twitter more closely: ]
4/12 [Some good news] Happy for salary deductions to be phased over course of months; reassurance that primary commitment is to sustainable pension scheme.
5/12 [On the other hand] Double down on 'there's no getting around the deficit' line [again, doesn't seem to notice where that issue has gone in the last little while]
6/12 Look, the Pensions Regulator made us do it.
7/12 Chastise other VCs, congratulate self on not having "made public statements about potential uncosted solutions as many VCs have done". [No other VC has made any such statement about 'solutions, costed or uncosted, have they?]
8/12 Reiterate that UoE can't afford to support UCU proposal for more contributions, because would not allow hiring of +100 "additional" posts [honestly, UoE really doesn't need to be any bigger. It's in DEVON]
9/12 [To sum up] We appear to be where we are coz the UUK position articulated 2 weeks ago remains in all respects essentially correct [fail to notice that very few people seem to think this anymore - again, look at twitter: ]
10/12 Helpfully tell staff that "the key problem is that our students stand to lose from this protracted dispute" [I guess some of us think that they are not the only ones with something to lose; lots of students seem to acknowledge that too]
11/12 Insist UCU suspend its action while discussions are ongoing [despite having reiterated view that UUK position of 2 weeks ago is still the only plausible interpretation of the problem available].
12/12 "I give you my word"
