Universities

[beesonthewhatnow]

Looks like I’ll be using up leave on days I have to homeschool the kids...

 

[Cerv]

Just been made clear to me that childcare commitments aren’t going to be taken into account because the Uni views us all as key workers and I could thus send the kids to school. I’m fucking livid, this is insane.

this might be a stupid question, but isn't it up to the school to decide whether any pupil is eligible? could you get a letter from the headteacher saying that their key worker designation is bullshit?

 

[elbows]

Does anyone know what's going on with rent for uni accommodation this month? I know there were meant to be a few different student rent strikes in January, but if no-one's going back to campus for the near future, will their rent be suspended anyway? Or will unis still be trying to chisel rent out of people for empty student halls?

Johnson was asked about that in yesterdays press conference (and about tuition fees reduction) and he made it sound like they were talking to Universities to see what could be done.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

this might be a stupid question, but isn't it up to the school to decide whether any pupil is eligible? could you get a letter from the headteacher saying that their key worker designation is bullshit?

That is the plan, yes.

 

[Roadkill]

Losing halls income would bankrupt a lot of institutions, so either the students will keep paying or the government will have to underwrite the cost of cancelling the contracts.

 

[kabbes]

Just been made clear to me that childcare commitments aren’t going to be taken into account because the Uni views us all as key workers and I could thus send the kids to school. I’m fucking livid, this is insane.

Does it matter what the uni views you as? Surely what matters is what the official definition of “key workers” is. Is this defined anywhere? And given that the overriding instruction is “if you can work from home, you must do so”, this would surely take priority anyway?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Does it matter what the uni views you as? Surely what matters is what the official definition of “key workers” is. Is this defined anywhere? And given that the overriding instruction is “if you can work from home, you must do so”, this would surely take priority anyway?

Apparently this is the government line - all HE workers are key workers now. Fuck knows.

Still, I've just worked out a rota with me covering all the things I need to on site between now and the end of January. One week has me there for 53 hours.

Lockdown. Yeah, right.

 

[platinumsage]

The slightly vague offical list of key workers for the purpose of being able to send their children to school is here: Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

The slightly vague offical list of key workers for the purpose of being able to send their children to school is here: Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings

"Education, teaching and support staff".

Now, I'm guessing whoever wrote that hadn't quite thought it would come to encompass a bloke who looks after a concert hall, but there you go

 

[cybershot]

Just been made clear to me that childcare commitments aren’t going to be taken into account because the Uni views us all as key workers and I could thus send the kids to school. I’m fucking livid, this is insane.

Our team was told best endeavours and only if you feel it’s safe to send kids in. Kind of sounds like it’s up to discretion of line manager.

I believe there’s paperwork involved anyway and the school could well likely say fuck off.

 

[hash tag]

So pissed off with all this and it's causing I'll feeling at home now because of lack of clear guidance and pressure from above in uni.

 

[Pickman's model]

So pissed off with all this and it's causing I'll feeling at home now because of lack of clear guidance and pressure from above in uni.

Nothing new there then as senior managers so rarely offer clear guidance at the best of times while being generous with pressure

 

[chilango]

Does this mean PhD students are "heroes" too? Will the clapping be for me and my fearless meshing of Bourdieu and Barthes?

 

[Pickman's model]

Does this mean PhD students are "heroes" too? Will the clapping be for me and my fearless meshing of Bourdieu and Barthes?

Everyone's a hero baby

 

[chilango]

On rent strikes etc. 31 due I hear.

Worth remembering that many Halls are private operations and not run by Unis.

...but Unis may have contractual obligations to make up rent shortfalls should the students not show up. Which can be significant £££.

Finally, be very careful not to legitimise the marketisation of HE by leaping eagerly to support falls for fee "refunds". Fee cancelling, yes. Refunds, no.

 

[LDC]

Does this mean PhD students are "heroes" too? Will the clapping be for me and my fearless meshing of Bourdieu and Barthes?

Real heroes get the clap, not get clapped.

 

[hash tag]

Nothing new there then as senior managers so rarely offer clear guidance at the best of times while being generous with pressure

We are both officially on leave this week. So far she has attended about 2.5 hours of team meetings with more promised and will probably have to drag in to work a few times next week, by public transport. And guess what, I am defined as clinically extremely vulnerable and numbers are shooting up.

 

[Pickman's model]

We are both officially on leave this week. So far she has attended about 2.5 hours of team meetings with more promised and will probably have to drag in to work a few times next week, by public transport. And guess what, I am defined as clinically extremely vulnerable and numbers are shooting up.

Driven to heroin by pisspoor leadership in the institution

 

[SpookyFrank]

I've been given an official letter saying I can send my kids to school because I'm critical.

I don't have kids though. Wondering if the letter is redeemable for cash instead...

 

[hash tag]

Driven to heroin by pisspoor leadership in the institution

Very tempting

 

[SpookyFrank]

My university is letting students off all their accommodation fees for the lockdown period, provided they're not actually living in their accommodation during that time. Goes for the university's own housing and their accommodation partners ie. student housing companies.

What happens to privately renting students is another question of course. A lot of buy-to-let shitcunts' mortgages could be at stake here.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Party line from management, both in my dept. and the uni, is "we're following the government guidance", we're all "essential" and physical library spaces need to be offered to students for academic and wellbeing reasons.

Most of my colleagues are not happy, arguably the most sustained level of anger I've seen in my time there, and many are simply refusing to return to campus.

Few meetings next week that may have an impact on things, including library management presenting a proposal based on reduced staffing and a meeting for all uni staff on Thursday.

Think there's a lot of hope that Khan's announcement might change management's thinking, but given what they've said about the government guidance and the fact that Khan hasn't actually introduced any additional legal rules (far as I'm aware?), I'm not super confident.

 

[cybershot]

I don’t know how true the below is as the post only has a screenshot. Easily doctored. Rather than a link to the actual article, and I can’t be arsed to read through the whole guidance again.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I don’t know how true the below is as the post only has a screenshot. Easily doctored. Rather than a link to the actual article, and I can’t be arsed to read through the whole guidance again.

We've heard tales from other depts. where staff are basically being expected/told to send their kids to school so they can come into work, but thankfully so far that's not the line from our management.

Much as I disagree with them on things, got to give credit where it's due and say I think our management are doing a lot better and taking this a lot more seriously than other teams. Do get the feeling they do actually have a decent amount of humanity to them, even if it's now channelled through the prism of management.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Getting distinct "well if you can't do the work when the kids are at home you'll need to do it in the evening when they've gone to bed" vibes today. Fucksake

 

[hitmouse]

I don’t know how true the below is as the post only has a screenshot. Easily doctored. Rather than a link to the actual article, and I can’t be arsed to read through the whole guidance again.

I can't find anywhere saying when exactly the change was made, but fwiw the guidance is here: Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings

And here's a guardian article about it: Government U-turns on school guidance for children of key workers

 

[Wilf]

Does this mean PhD students are "heroes" too? Will the clapping be for me and my fearless meshing of Bourdieu and Barthes?

'I went out walking with a bible biro and a gun'.

 

[existentialist]

We had a departmental meeting today (FE college), in which our management line seem to be intending to be guided solely by government advice, not what people (tutors AND students) actually feel is safe. They'd have us in a socially-distanced classroom doing a 7 hour teach, in a flash. Except that my co-tutor and I are both vulnerable, and I'd certainly refuse to go in.

They reckon to be reopening at half term. I might have asked them if they had any particular half term in mind (but they're used to my lese-majeste and generally disrespectful attitude )

 

[cybershot]

I think a lot of buildings will be closing at our place as estates seem to be demanding there’s a fire warden and first aider in the building at all times. I suspect this has come from union advice. It seems to be pissing off a few people who do actually want to be working on campus for legit reasons or because it’s safer for them to be at work (history of domestic violence , better for their mental health than being home alone etc) but now can’t use the building where all their stuff is because the college can’t resource estates demands.

All getting a bit messy.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I think a lot of buildings will be closing at our place as estates seem to be demanding there’s a fire warden and first aider in the building at all times

Ours is open, and I am that fire warden and first aider