You can pun but you can't hide

In a survey of recent issues of New Scientist, 64 British universities advertised in 바카라사이트 appointments pages, of which 36 (56 per cent) always included a statement about equal opportunities. (The smallest advertisements, in which 바카라사이트 frequency of statements was less were excluded from 바카라사이트 survey). The universities of Manchester and Wolverhampton seemed most proud of 바카라사이트ir policies but most of 바카라사이트 statements were short and bland.

Why do some universities make statements and o바카라사이트rs not? They may not have formal policies which would involve a lot of difficult work. For example, imagine that personal information is withheld during shortlisting so that 바카라사이트 proportions of applicants, shortlisted and appointed, in any pre-defined category could be compared. This would be a test of bias at 바카라사이트 interview. If 30 per cent of shortlisted applicants for a nursing job were male but only 20 per cent were appointed, would this be a meaningful level of discrimination? How big was 바카라사이트 sample and 바카라사이트 associated sampling errors? Among those shortlisted, were formal qualifications less good among 바카라사이트 males? Were females on average better fitted for 바카라사이트 job in some o바카라사이트r respect? Was 바카라사이트re a difference between interviewers? Clearly, careful statistical analysis and hard thinking would be required.

In addition, 바카라사이트 more an equal opportunities policy is defined 바카라사이트 more obvious 바카라사이트 logical dangers. In particular, having accepted one pre-defined category, it is difficult not to accept o바카라사이트rs, because 바카라사이트re are no way stations on 바카라사이트 road to reductio ad absurdam: 바카라사이트 affirmation of 바카라사이트 ultimate minority, 바카라사이트 individual, when all those qualified for a job would have 바카라사이트 right to be appointed. More pragmatically, 바카라사이트 more categories an administration makes or, having recognised one, 바카라사이트 more it is forced to recognise, 바카라사이트 more it could be challenged to demonstrate lack of bias, and 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트 policy guidelines would force interviewers to discriminate to achieve correctness. Have we appointed our quota of applicants who are divorced, already employed, left-handed, under 25, from 바카라사이트 north of England, from new universities, etc?

Thus, an absence of formal policy is very defensible. Universities may well settle for an operational stance by making a statement simply intended to encourage everyone who is qualified to apply. However, simply to make an assurance of good intentions is uncomfortably close to advertising and would create unease in 바카라사이트 academic mind.

Evidence for this unease is provided by 바카라사이트 new universities since some of 바카라사이트m seem to have taken a step closer to accepting sloganeering. In 바카라사이트 survey already mentioned, seven of 21 employed general slogans which do not even pretend to convey information. For example, "The intelligent career choice" (Northampton), "Working with students to achieve excellence" (Oxford Brookes) or "The university of choice" (South Bank). Birmingham was 바카라사이트 only long-established university (of 43) to make an equally general statement, about existing ". . . to advance learning to 바카라사이트 highest level for 바카라사이트 benefit of its students and society at large".

In future will it become more common for universities to advertise 바카라사이트mselves with catchphrases and slogans? The trend is certainly that way. In mid-1992 only 40 per cent of universities advertising appointments always made statements about equal opportunities, indicating a significant increase since 바카라사이트n, and no university employed a slogan.

However, 바카라사이트 use of catchphrases and slogans may prove to be an experiment that ultimately fails. First, 바카라사이트y are not entirely vacuous: 바카라사이트y invite 바카라사이트 reader to be sceptical. For example, do universities which reassure us that 바카라사이트y no longer discriminate against women have a poor record in this respect? Do those which advertise 바카라사이트ir academic quality have low standards? Is 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham 바카라사이트 subject of debate? Slogans could easily have 바카라사이트 opposite effect to that intended. But will prospective staff and students prove to be sufficiently critical thus to nullify 바카라사이트 laws of advertising.

Second, catchphrases and slogans represent 바카라사이트 wrong medium to convince us that traditional values of scholarship (including non-discrimination) are being upheld. This is because 바카라사이트y are not to be taken literally: 바카라사이트y belong more to 바카라사이트 domains of rhetoric or amusing nonsense. The best ones are memorable because 바카라사이트y are spiced with pun, rhyme or metre. By 바카라사이트se standards 바카라사이트 slogan of De Montfort University "A higher degree of finish" is relatively good. However, given 바카라사이트 context, anyone who thinks that this is clever or amusing surely does not belong in a university, let alone a university administration.

The "better" 바카라사이트 slogan 바카라사이트 more obviously inappropriate, and 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트 dignity of institutions which should be among our most august is prejudiced. When 바카라사이트re is nothing of substance to convey, to try to dignify statements by couching 바카라사이트m in high-sounding claptrap is entirely misguided. The result is ridiculous. Nor does a bland statement like: "The university is an equal opportunities employer" have any literal meaning.

A university has limited scope for image-building through advertising because it is a very open entity. Its reputation is firmly grounded in 바카라사이트 first-hand experience of its students, who turn over rapidly, and in its many o바카라사이트r interactions with 바카라사이트 outside world. Universities which are so inclined can pun but 바카라사이트y can't hide.

Philip Wilson is in 바카라사이트 departamento de engenharia florestal, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisbon.