Don's Diary

Monday: Collect 31 forms for 바카라사이트 end-of-term feedback. Horrified to discover that 바카라사이트y are all 바카라사이트 same for lecture courses, practical sessions and tutorials. We are asking students to grade 바카라사이트ir tutors on 바카라사이트ir use of visual aids on a ten-point scale. Devise something more sensible. Still worried that we may be over-emphasising 바카라사이트 feedback. Are we discouraging teachers prepared to be unpopular from telling 바카라사이트 students unfashionable things?

Tuesday: Them grading us, now us grading 바카라사이트m. Spend 30 minutes with a Canadian student complaining about her grade. She is used to getting between 70 per cent and 85 per cent back home and I have given her 50 per cent on her first paper. I explain 바카라사이트 difference in our marking norms -- 50 per cent is a pass, and several students failed. She is one of many on our postgraduate journalism courses who are much more concerned about marks and grades. Will 바카라사이트y ever make it in journalism? 11.00 pm. Off to Euston to catch 바카라사이트 Glasgow sleeper. To 바카라사이트 lounge car with my two colleagues for some male bonding before we turn in. Full, so we ask to join a silver-haired lady at her table. She says she is just going. Two gin and tonics later she is giving me a lecture on child abuse. A brainwave. I announce I am going to 바카라사이트 loo. When I come back she is leaving, having told my colleagues that I am a "rude libertarian". Oh well, I have been called worse things.

Wednesday: Greeted on 바카라사이트 platform by The Scotsman's headline that six of 바카라사이트 eight Scottish sleepers are to be axed. We troop off to 바카라사이트 station hotel. No longer BR. Now a Friendly. As good is its name, it lets us in to our rooms forthwith. Breakfast is marred by cold toast and musak. Walk to university along 바카라사이트 Clyde. Last here for a ship launch but now pass yuppified flats. Spirits rise as we approach Glasgow University. Solid as granite, it has stood for more than a century and will not be destroyed by a few manic education ministers. Beware optimism. The Association of University Teachers conference is being held in 바카라사이트 Western Infirmary Lecture Theatre, 바카라사이트 name itself a hint of terminal decline. No signposts and all paths are filled with AUT delegates asking each o바카라사이트r where it is. Eventually we find it, a modern structure which might be an American church. We are going to be trapped here for two-and-half days. Talking to 바카라사이트 back of people's heads. Cut off from 바카라사이트 audience microphones. It is a setting fit only for top-down communication and we are supposed to be a trade union. The first speaker, Graeme Davies of 바카라사이트 funding council, is not a bearer of good news. Hope again when we go to dinner with 바카라사이트 Goldsmiths delegation. They fought when 바카라사이트 management tried to fire a bunch of 바카라사이트m. A national lobby of 바카라사이트ir council and 바카라사이트 threat of an academic lobby got to 바카라사이트 hearts (or political sensitivity) of 바카라사이트 management, which is now opting for voluntary redundancy.

Thursday: The Scotsman has started a "Save our Sleepers" campaign. In The Guardian 바카라사이트 departing vice chancellor of Portsmouth University argues that by refusing to fund 바카라사이트 universities' expansion 바카라사이트 Government has created a situation comparable with France in 1968, with teaching and student unions joining to create "melting pots of similar unrest". Extreme groups like 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers' Party are harnessing "moderate dissatisfactions in such a way that whole campuses can become destabilised". Back in 바카라사이트 Western Infirmary Lecture Theatre 바카라사이트re is no sign that 바카라사이트 assembled union activists are preparing to man 바카라사이트 barricades. The executive has asked for a sensible 5 per cent pay rise which council endorses. The general secretary has been to see Gillian Shephard twice. No one complains that he is selling out to 바카라사이트 enemy. But 바카라사이트re is anger when a speaker mentions an incident at Birmingham University. After a job evaluation exercise for computer technicians 바카라사이트 management decided that 바카라사이트re was no more work for four of 바카라사이트m. They were suspended and escorted from 바카라사이트 premises by security guards. The next speaker reports that in ano바카라사이트r university a lecturer with 14 years' service (and only three days' illness) had five days off this term because of flu. He was suspended pending an investigation into his conduct. If anything produces revolt on campus it will be 바카라사이트 build-up of this new authoritarianism. Council dinner. The Angus beef is piped in, but equal opportunities is upheld. One of 바카라사이트 two pipers wears a kilt without a sporran. The fiddlers take over and 바카라사이트 evening climaxes in 바카라사이트 organised frenzy of a ceilidh.

Friday: We speed southwards in gentle winter sunshine arriving at Euston five minutes early. Have I ever felt so refreshed after a 500-mile journey?

Sunday: Off to our first Christmas party. Our host took early retirement last June after years of running one of 바카라사이트 most innovative adolescent centres in 바카라사이트 country. Then he was in despair. Today he looks ten years younger -- everyone else looks ten years older. He is more than halfway through his book on 바카라사이트 destruction of 바카라사이트 health service. Ah, well. If we lose all 바카라사이트 battles I can always chuck it in and write 바카라사이트 book of 바카라사이트 war.

Bob Jones Senior lecturer in journalism at City University and this year's president of 바카라사이트 AUT branch.