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INKYTEXT 324
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THE NEC PLUS ULTRA OF DEJA-VU
Issue No 324 Thursday 6 January 2000
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancs.ac.uk
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AGENDA BEACON
Minutes and Matters Arising
1. Editorial Zone: Soluble Fish - millennial reflections on "reality"
2. News Zone: Deaths, Finance, IENS building, UMAG, APC, Council.
3. Guest Contribution Zone: Idealism and Accounting by Michael Mumford
4. Job Vacancy Zone: Director of Estate Management; Project Manager
5. Readers' Letters Zone: US Christmas news, Q Wright, Christine Flude,
6. Small Ad Zone: Room to Let, Seductive Stories, Concert, B&B wanted.
MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING
---------------------------
The funeral of Mrs Christine Flude will take place in the Chaplaincy
Centre on Tuesday 11th January at 13.00, followed by interment. Mrs Flude's
death was caused by an aneurism.
Still time (just!) to enter Jeremy Boreham's fiendish Christmas Comp
identifying villages (see Inkytext 322). Only one good entry so far -
but it can be beaten.
Many thanks for all good wishes.
Congratulations to Pro-VC Davies's Y2K working party on its
outstanding success and efficiency. It was slightly at cross-purposes
with the more general disaster planning committee under Tony Evans. Lab
closures over the vacation seemed excessive - more extensive than
elsewhere and spoiling our 365 days a year computer access. But UNIX
stayed up! Don't forget to upgrade your Windows and Office service
packs.
The Director of Merlewood Research Station and others were in
discussion with the Planning Officer and Prof Bill Davies yesterday.
1. EDITORIAL: SOLUBLE FISH - MILLENNIAL REFLECTIONS ON "REALITY"
----------------------------------------------------------------
[Held Over]
2. NEWS
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DEATH OF MALCOLM EDMONDSON: Malcolm, former street-cleaner, died of pneumonia
on 27th December. His funeral takes place at 12.00 on Thursday 6th January
in Pilling. All sympathy to his family and friends.
THE RT. REVD. BRIAN CHARLES FOLEY DIED ON 23 DECEMBER. The VC
represented the university at his requiem last week. Bishop Foley, 89,
retired RC bishop of Lancaster and an honorary D.Litt, was a
distinguished church historian. His obituary appeared in Tuesday's
Times.
BEST WISHES ALSO to former RC chaplain Brian Noble, now RC bishop of
Shrewsbury, who is convalescing in Grange after a serious operation.
Also to Bishop Brewer, who was taken to Manchester for emergency
surgery last week.
UMAG SUDDENLY CONSIDERED THAT "financial position and provisions
within the capital programme [give] sufficient headroom to meet other
priority projects (particularly informatics, High Performance
Computing, and ISS) over the period to 2002 and beyond."
THE APPRAISAL OF OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS within the Estate Strategy
(largely replacing paid for buildings that generate income with newer
non-incoime gen4eerating ones...) is progressing. UMAG considers
consultation and presentation of the results would be important in
reassuring all areas that their needs are being fully considered.
[NOTE: Tu parles, Charles! Now read on. (Ed.)]
LOSS OF CONFIDENCE: Here we go again. Agreement to commit us to a
buildings programme that involves spending 4 million of the capital
reserves we have laboriously been accumulating for all of 2 years was
rushed through APC and Council in the last two days of term. There are
widespread misgivings about the process amongst the deans and HoDs and
events seem to have caused a major loss of confidence in the VC and
UMAG.
Disappointment at the failure of the time-consuming JIF bid, a need to
replace the Biology Field Station, and a meeting of NERC next week at
which MAY become available additional funding to transfer the Merlewood
field station here, these seem to be the factors that motivated
enthusiasts for the scheme, on which there was of course no time to
consult the Senate...
The Deans were deeply unhappy the project and expressed numerous
misgivings, especially over the lack of the options appraisal insisted
upon by CRILL, including the nil option. The VC claimed there was no
nil option since the Biology field station needs replacement. Many were
astonished at what seemed a volte-face by Mr McGregor, who has hitherto
argued the need to accumulate reserves, since we are still at the far
end of the spectrum of financial indicators.
Chemists felt that the last Senate had misunderstood the realities of
the finacial position if this kind of capital sum was now available.
It was clear that APC was going to reject the firm commitment being
sought, but the VC and Mr McGregor, almost certainly rashly, gave
assurances to Computing and the Management School that capital monies
were also available for their projects.... The VC argued that
commitment merely in principle was not enough to be sure of prising
more cash from NERC.
In particular APC objections were:
1. that morale in other income-generating areas might be harmed if
there was a perception that their expected contribution rates would
need to rise so as to generate the funds needed for IENS;
2. that accepting this plan would lead to the loss of other essential
projects to allow expansion of the Management School and of Applied
Sciences;
3. that other areas of the University were also being expected to work
in poor quality buildings which were ill-adapted to current needs;
4. that there was a danger of repeating the mistake with the Ruskin
building where the provision of external capital funding had left the
University with a long term drain on its recurrent income;
5. if the university was to go ahead with this initiative considerable
care would need to be taken in terms of how it was presented, if it was
not to generate significant disquiet within the institution.
Worse. At Council there were clear hints that Mr Heron and Mr Cann are
less than wholly enthusiastic about the commitment and the rush. One
observer commented that apart from the different faces - no Hanham,
Browning or Finch - the situation was astonishingly reminiscent of
1994-95. Deputy Pro-Chancellor David Martin was eloquent, statesmanlike
and realistic. Professor Deem pointedly emphasized that Mr McG's
vaunted 5 percent surpluses were at the expense of continued
under-funding in most areas of the university's activity. It fell to
the Planning Officer to find a form of weasel words that allowed the
proposal to go through.
TURBULENT IENS FACULTY MEETING in the last week of term. Do ask about
it. It was to outsiders hilarious - but otherwise quite the opposite.
As the faculty's most eminent scholar commented afterwards, "If
business is conducted with that degree of dishonesty, I just don't see
how the Faculty can function!"
BUILDINGS: Interim restructuring involves seconding Mr Hunter and Mr
Johnson to special projects involving cost-cutting in external
services. Simon Corless and Peter Scullion will report to the outgoing
director who is entirely involved in appraising our Estates. Martin van
der Marel's star continues in the ascendant. Staff were informed of
these changes without prior discussion.
THE VENUE continues to be an outstanding success. Coffee 60p, Espresso
80p, Hot Choc 1.00, Carrot Cake 85p, Tartelettes 1.45, Sandwiches 2.00,
rolls 2.20 wine from 1.50 to 2.60 a glass, Heineken and Budwar by the
bottle. The tuna and creme fraiche on sun-dried tomato bread was delish
but there really needed to be more choice! Attractive furnishings in
the Costa Coffee Bar style, newspapers, smoke-free, patio area for the
summer, best toilets on campus. The soup (95p) runs out absurdly early
and the lay out of the counter area is a disaster, causing huge queues
to build up as the staff get in each others' way between the coffee
machine, sandwiches and till.
STUDENT FUNDING: our projected T (teaching) funding position was
approximately +4.4%, i.e. we are overfunded. Whilst the MASN position
is satisfactory, the funding position reflects three factors of longer
term concern: A fall in part-time pgt students of ca 34%; a fall in
part-time ug students of ca 5%; an increase in the number of students
admitted to Band B schemes registering for Band D courses The recent
decision to shift entry quota from Applied Sciences to Social Sciences
would accentuate the last of these and corrective action would be
needed to avoid T funding reduction next year.
UMAG AND DEANS CONFERENCE NEXT FRIDAY 14 January.
UMAG/99/326 Science/Business Park: further discussions with interested
parties continue.
RUSKIN: congratulations to Prof Hanley, appointed director of the
Ruskin Programme. A lecturer in English is being allocated in support.
The lectureship would be the third post proposed by the Faculty for the
Department to provide coverage for the series of staff resignations
during the last session.
THE 3 BIDS SUBMITTED under the DfEE Innovations fund had not been
successful.
APC was promised the chance to discuss the budget setting process at
the February meeting of APC before it was considered at F&GP. (Hurrah
if it happens.... Finance has lately arrogated too much influence to
itself, to the uniform displeasure of all senior offficers except its
members.
CHEMISTRY: HEFCE had agreed to the academic rationale of the transfer
of the polymer group to Sheffield and the replacement of the Chemistry
staff at Lancaster with new people more closely aligned to Biological
and Environmental sciences. HEFCE were also content with the
arrangements which had been made for students to complete their
studies.
Verbal agreement (caution!) that Lancaster retains the MaSN (student
funded numbers) and the cash equivalent to the current QR for the
chemistry staff until 2002. Whilst HEFCE has not agreed to provide
funding to refurbish laboratories, they have agreed to consider
sympathatically any equipment problems which might arise in the course
of the move.
HEROBIC: The Planning Officer expressed his disappointment that this
bid had not been sucessful and stressed that the University had been
invited to resubmit in January. Since HEFCE were keen that most
institutions became involved with this area it was likely that a
reworked bid would be accepted at that stage.
APC noted Lancaster had the problem that it was seen by non-HE bodies
as being relatively uninvolved with industry. To our advantage was our
proximity to Cumbria. Professor Carter reported on progress in
developing new Teaching Company programmes. This was an area where the
available funding had increased, that did not just apply to Engineering
but also Management and Natural Sciences, and showed the type of
industrial links essential to underpin a successful HEROBIC bid.
TEACHING QUALITY ASSESSMENT: Good luck to Art, Education and Physics.
Professor Abercrombie drew APC's attention to grades for Teaching,
Learning and Assessment, an area where many Lancaster departments
struggled. The criticism was rarely about the standard of the teaching
and usually centred around how well linked assessment strategies were
to curricular aims and objectives.
3. IDEALISM AND ACCOUNTING by Michael Mumford
---------------------------------------------
You muse, in your Christmas edition, whether anyone might become an
accountant for idealistic reasons. Certainly the last few decades have
had more than enough evidence of crude systems of social control (or
attempted social control) using metrication systems, devised by
accountants amongst others.
But I urge you to try to get into the core of accounting and ask
yourself what concerns it addresses. I define accounting, at its most
general, as "estimating the outcomes of decisions".
This has several results. First, the task can never be done completely
(for well known "propter hoc" arguments); second, the task of how to
estimate outcomes arises when making any rational (?) decision; and
third, while most decisions only affect the individual making them (who
can decide what criteria to use to guide future decisions), decisions
made by social groups also require some means by which to assess
outcomes. It makes all the difference whether members of the social
group have the power to decide whether to collaborate or not, and
whether they share in the decisions and how to assess the outcomes; but
accounting arises in any case.
There will be legitimate concerns when people lack the power to choose
whether to work together or not, particularly when they also lack power
to participate in making the decisions and how to account for their
success or failure. But lack of power within social groups is not the
result of the need for accounting, even though accounting can be (and
often is) an instrument for creating and preserving inequality of
power. Accounting is not a neutral set of technical rules, but an
active ingredient within a social context. Thus it performs good or bad
functions.
This is in danger of becoming an essay in the wrong context. Let me
end on a personal note. I became interested in accounting largely as a
result of an interest in politics - and, in particular, the question of
how to create the conditions for democrat decision making in complex
societies.
While there are problems in ascribing pure or base motives to people
(let alone a large set of them - even nurses), I do know accountants
who appear to work hard, honestly, and for modest rewards and seem to
have a lively concern with promoting the welfare of others. Some are
involved, for example, in the NHS - not with the aim of imposing opaque
social controls for the coercion of saintly, but down-trodden, medical
staff, but to help clinicians make very difficult decisions about the
allocation of resources which are bound to some degree to be scarce.
The potential demands of ageing populations, facing the rigours of
mortality and increasingly complicated technical solutions to their
ills, probably means there could never be enough resources for every
physical and mental disability to be met in full, even if there were to
be a fully egalitarian NHS and agreement over what constitutes an ideal
outcome in any one case. It is not accounting that makes the resource
allocation problem so acute - but it has a key role to play if
decisions are to be made on any but a random basis. Habermas only tells
part of the story.
Personally, I deplore the fact that so many bright students,
particularly those with personal potential for creative ideas, have
been going into accountancy and adopting uncritically a set of complex
but often sterile rules. Often this has been seen as a sure route to
make money, and many accountants have done so. Much accounting routine
is boring but well paid. I have known accountants to give up tax
practice, for example, because they cannot stand spending their lives
making very rich people even richer. But there is a need, also, for
creativity in accounting ... yes, and idealism, too.
Happy New Year!
4. JOB VACANCIES
----------------
DIRECTOR OF ESTATE MANAGEMENT – ESTATES DIVISION
Following the retirement of the existing Director, the University
seeks an experienced and professionally qualified senior manager for
this challenging role. You will have a track record in value management
and best practice implementation with the skills and drive to achieve
challenging goals. You will be as comfortable advising on strategy as
in managing contractors and direct labour. You are an experienced
negotiator with honed communication skills and a client orientation as
second nature. Your management style will be open and inclusive and
will focus on achievement through the motivation and development of
staff. You will be capable of undertaking multiple roles within a team
orientated environment and be able to identify and implement creative
solutions to problems. Salary: circa £45,000 p.a Reference: A209
Closing Date: 14 January 2000
PROJECT MANAGER – ESTATES DIVISION. Further Details
An experienced project manager with excellent communication skills is
required to plan, monitor and control projects. You will be responsible
for integrating project work into existing work programmes. Ability and
energy to set objectives and to deliver large scale projects to time,
to budget and to agreed quality standards are essential. Resilience and
personal credibility are essential qualities as is commitment to
business improvement. Salary: circa £30,000. Informal enquiries should
be addressed to Mr Euan McGregor, Director of Resources tel:- 01524
592018 email:- e.mcgregor@lancaster.ac.uk.
(The newspaper equivalent of these seemed to add that buildings
experience was not required.)
5. READERS' LETTERS
-------------------
According to National Public Radio news, 23rd December, Bank America
made two "separate" announcements this week.
First, it plans to lay off 6,200 bank staff in the next few months.
Secondly, it has asked the (remaining?) staff to "adopt an automatic
teller." On their own time, and with their own equipment, staff will to
visit an automatic teller, clean it, sweep around it, trim the bushes,
etc. The second scheme is purely voluntary.
With best wishes for the holidays.
Bob Bliss
St Louis, MO
--------------------------
As usual, I enjoy receiving your newsletter. Best wishes on your
complete recovery and for Christmas.
John Milton
Hong Kong
----------------------
I was very sorry to read of your time in hospital.
Please accept our very best wishes for your recovery - you are a most
valued colleague and a great contributor to our fragile sense of
community.
A Happy Christmas and a reflective, creative New Millenium to you.
Richard Roberts.
--------------------------
Just a quick note to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year -
or do I mean to say "Millennium"? Thanks for the Inkytext, I do read
it.
Ref Princess Alexandra visiting County College 30 years ago, I took
her round twice during my term as County President, once at the Opening
and then again I believe on the subsequent Graduation Day when we
walked up the Spine together. She didn't remember meeting me before.
She asked to be taken to a student kitchen so I took her to C Floor,
much to the consternation of her security men and the occupants who
were making a very large curry.
Again Merry Christmas!
Quentin Wright
[NOTE: Q Wright was County JCR president in 1970 (Ed)]
--------------------------------
For the last few years I have had the great pleasure of working with
Christine in the development of modern language classes for staff as
part of the staff development programme. Although she had many other
demands upon her time she was so enthusiastic and tenacious about
continuing and developing the provision. Your phrase 'immeasurably
patient with her colleagues' really struck a chord with me as I think
about the complications of negotiating with tutors, 'students' and the
various other interested parties, all within a very tight budget. Her
good humour and optimism made working with her a regular delight. But
it was not only as a colleague that she delighted: she was a warm and
humorous person with whom one could chat about family and life in
general. I am very sad that she has died - she will be badly missed by
many people.
Terry Wareham
Higher Education Development Centre
----------------------------------
This was such sad news! I knew Christine from way back, from when my
wife was a colleague of hers at the Adult College, and from when she
taught German to both one of my sons and myself, as well as to
several groups of EFL teacher training course participants in the
IELE, as part of a "language learning experience" activity. I know
that colleagues here and overseas who knew her are also greatly
saddened by the news. She was a wonderful person who infected all
who knew her with her positive and down-to-earth outlook, her
apparently indefatigable cheerfulness and dedication to the good of
others. A rare and precious spirit - she will be sorely missed
indeed! Our sincerest condolences to her family.
Alan Waters
IELE
------------------------------
6. SMALL ADS
------------
ROOM TO LET/HOUSE SIT
Large modern study bedroom with own bathroom to let in a cottage= in
lovely country setting just 3 miles from the University (10 minutes by
car). 50 pounds a week. Suit graduate or visiting staff. Please phone
01524 793288 or 770793.
------------------
SEDUCTIVE TALES FOR ADULTS AT THE DUKES 12 JANUARY 2000
It may be cold outside, but temperatures are sure to rise when adult
storyteller Cat Weatherill brings her new collection of Seductive
Stories to Lancaster on January 12th.
Flame-haired femme-fatale storyteller Cat has wowed audiences across the
country with her erotic tales. Now local audiences get a chance to fall
under her spell at the Dukes Studio.
"I call them seductive stories because they draw the listener into
another world," Cat explains. "Time passes, but you just want more."
And are they sexy? "Oh yes!" laughs Cat. "They're sensual, erotic - or
joyously bawdy! Basically, they're designed for adults. Some people
think that storytelling is just for kids, but it's not. My stories deal
with adult themes, like desire and seduction, and the language and
imagery must reflect that. Adults enjoy a bit of glamour and spice."
Cat has a reputation for being one of the most theatrical storytellers
in the country, and listeners can expect a darkened room lit by
flickering candles. " I love telling ghost stories," explains Cat, "but
it has to be in a room full of shadows! Most of my stories deal with
magic and the supernatural, so creating the right atmosphere is really
important."
Cat's Seductive Stories were a huge hit at last year's Sunday Times
Festival of Literature, with one audience member famously declaring in
The Times the next day: "She is beautiful, shining and bursting with
life. You don't get that when you go to see Harold Pinter do you?" In
February, Cat will be the first storyteller to have a full page photo
feature in the best-selling GQ magazine, while the show is set to tour
literature festivals nationwide throughout the summer.
Cat presents her Seductive Stories for Adults at The Duke's Theatre on
Wednesday 12th January at 8pm. Tickets are 5.00/4.00 available from The
Duke's Box Office:01524 66645.
Storytelling at the Dukes is supported by Lancaster LitFest.
tel: 01524 62166
website: http://www.folly.co.uk/litfest
e-mail: info@lancslitfest.demon.co.uk
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Thursday 13th January 7.30pm
Orchestra-in-Residence Series
BBC PHILHARMONIC
Martin Roscoe (piano)
Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
McCaldin Fanfare for a Celebration
Brahms Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat Op 83
Richard Strauss Don Juan
Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Weber
Martin Roscoe is musician-in-residence at Lancaster University
Tickets 12.50 10.00, 7.50 (12.00, 9.50, 7.00 conc) Students 5.00
Box Office 5-93729
-----------------
ACADEMIC SEEKS OCCASIONAL B&B ACCOMMODATION in Lancaster; typically a
couple of nights a week during term time. If you are able to help
please email j.stewart@lancaster.ac.uk or home email address
jstewart@cunarder.co.uk. Telephone ext. 94091 or home 01422 844229.
John Stewart Senior Lecturer in Social Policy Department of Applied
Social Science Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YL
------------
ROOM WANTED FOR VISITING TRANSLATION STUDENT from Maastricht, from the
end of January until the end of June. Please contact Rory O'Connell at
r.oconnell@lancaster.ac.uk if you know of anything.
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AND NEW YEAR GREETINGS TO PROFESSOR PYE IN MARBURG
Huge backlog of Scandal and Council Minutes next time