BHC

The one about lust caused a particular storm in a teacup and was picked up by major mainstream news services.

Clearly, there is a witch hunt happening, but there is something worrying about the way academic freedom is being suppressed so someone can't even express an opinion without being in fear of offending.

In some ways I am less concerned about the idea of either lecturers perving over students (which although unpleasant is not exactly paedophilia or murder) or humourless puritans banning satire (people can adopt whatever attitude they want). Its more about the climate of censorship and the right of the offended to immediately demand other people conform to their way of thinking.

If this is the way things are going in the future, is there any point of being an academic any more? '


I think it's been like this for a very long time! And has as much to do with a general witch hunting climate which is rife (witness the slating of Madonna, anyoone would think she was a mass murderer, not a divorcee in the throws of a mid life crisis!) in the UK.

The hoo hah would not put me off being an academic - the guy isn't going to lose his job, just become more famous, in time for retirement.

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I think it was intended to be a bit of heavily ironic satire, but didn't quite work, and backfired. I'm sure full on letching was common place from male lecturers in days of yore - the older guys I used to teach with were very similar in tone to the article during staff chats over our tea and toast; but in practice they were very fair and professional in their treatment of the studes. Not sure if that's just because they knew they wouldn't stand a chance though...


I'm usually too concerned with teaching to think about how sexy my studes are! Although, I know the more relaxed (less newbie) lecturers must appreciate the opposite sex students occasionally, the way human beings do.


@ Bug: I had to wait ages for the article to load, I think it could be overloaded, the whole thing was covered on Jeremy Vine (Radio 2) today.


Yeah, there should be one in the style of Germaine Greer, although some of the students may be a bit old!

What do you all thnk about Terence Kealy's 'Lust' article, for the Times Higher's '7 Deadly Sins of Academia', and the surrounding hoo haaah then?

Here's the article
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=408135&c=2

Here's subsequent the Times Online blog
http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2009/09/sex-with-students-is-terence-kealey-as-misunderstood-as-juvenal.html

Well, this has certainly been an interactive thread! And brought us all together...

One of the good things about being self funded is that you are free to choose your own topic; so the student you describe did not have to take a UK centred topic, or attend a UK university, if they didn't want to, and weren't planning to stay in the UK. (some do wish to stay here).


It pays to put some thought into where and what you are studying before you begin a PhD course, and a bit of research may have led to the student finding other countries or topics they prefered, and thus, made a better personal choice.


I think there is racism in our education system, as there is in any Western system, but what you describe is not an example of racism.

Hopefully I will be able to pay my water bill, socialise, eat and pay for dance classes... And still be researching.

Hi Ruby,

That's good that you've always got what you wanted, without the red brick badge. I know when I tell people which degree course I've done, they perk up a bit and seem more interested - that's happened in industry situations and in Higher Education, and its got me more than a few of jobs - yes, snobbery seems to be rife, alarmingly so (it's not helped me get funding though). I hope all my sweat and sacrifcies (ie living on campus at the age of 26) when getting onto those courses wasn't a waste of effort though! You know, that I could have gone to the local poly and stayed with all my mates at home and had the same career chances.

I did choose those course because I knew I would want an academc career, in a particular subject, when I was applying, and it was mostly for the chance to be taught by people I greatly admired that I chose the the first degree - and people ask me about that experience at conferences etc.

On the denial thing: the only people I know who don't see a two tier system are my old school friends who went to ex-polys, they have no idea why I chose the unis I did, can't see that they are seen differently.

OOOOHHHWw, what a bummer! Wouldn't they even let you onto campus for vital treatment?

There might be some telephone counselling services you could go for, my ex-boyfriend did it - once a week they'd ring him up. Not like personal contact, but better than none at all.

I'm glad the forum helped, you could check in here every now and again for a bit of contact.


Good luck:-)

Bilbo, you're sooooo impressive!

If you have been diagnosed with depression, then surely that means there is a need for treatment of some sort, either medication or therapy/counselling which goes beyond 'pull yourself together'. Could you get some CBT at the Uni? Or you could request a change of counsellor, that is your right as a client, I've done it, a couple of times. I've heard CBT works wonders for depression - it sounds as if what you are going through is heavier than the usual break up stuff; it might help you build up a wider support network of your own too.

I wish I could help you more, but I just don't feel qualified. When I had problems at my last uni there was a postgraduate officer who I spoke to for advice, confidentially. She advised me what my options were, maybe your uni has something similar.

Whenever I've been depressed I've found company a great comfort, maybe you could do some voluntary work for a local charity one day or evening a week, it might help you feel less isolated.

Oh sorry Mlis, Megara is right, your supervisor should not have made the comparison they did! What I was trying to say was that, maybe it would help if your supervisor knew how ill you are, and how you are still struggling with that so much.

Hi Mis,

Sounds awful. Is there an advisor of some sort you can speak to at the university? It sounds to me as if you need to get yourself stronger, and work towards healing your depression in order to complete. I'm sure you can take proper breaks in order to recover from illness - completing a PhD is so isolating and pressured, I can't imagine it would help matters.

Does your supervisor know about the depression? If not, maybe that would explain the comments about your time off.

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I can't remember a time when there wasn't a two tier system - new universities have never beeen seen as equal to the old ones by those with power: the only people who have ever believed they are, are those with degrees from new unis; and I often wonder if there is a degree of denial going on there. I applied to uni in 95, and I remember thiking a degree from a new uni would cripple my academic career, not because of poor standards of research or teaching, but because of their poor reputations, academically, and amongst employees. My dad taught at a new uni, he started there when it was a poly, and the function of that institution has not changed much - my mum used to tease him at the time of the change over, back in the early 90s I think, calling it the 'pretty poly' or the 'puniversity' - parents eh!







I was one of very few students on my degree course who went to a state school - many of us on my course had straight As, and higher grades are far more frequently achieved at private schools - I think a grants for good grades system would end up giving money to those who don't need it, unless we had a grants for good grades AND low income family. The state school system, particularly senior schools need to be sorted out before there can be any hope of a level playing field in Higher Education.







I agree, this situation is worrying for the arts, and for all of us, because if acdemia shrinks, then so does our job pool. Just got to keep going, and do the best we can I guess.

My students were talking about manufacturing lines for retail, at the college, and that the creation of a business (with college support, and within a framework), which sustains itself over a period of time - the final year or two of their degrees - would be part f their education. They were interested in the idea of British made, semi-crafted, but affordable, garments, and in building up 'real world' business skills, but with guidance. I suppose it would be rather like engineers who do sandwich courses, and work in industry, only in house, at the college.

From what the student were saying, Manchester School of Art doesn't seems to sell final year show work so much, there isn't an arrangement of that sort, that they knew of. They do have work placements though. I'd love to run an art school!! But maybe the reality would not live up to the dream.

AAaaaaahhhh, well maybe my studes should try for postgrad there then. Do you think it works out well Ruby?