Letters ¨C?3 January 2019

Online learning has a friendly human face

We applaud Paul Le Blanc¡¯s recognition of 바카라사이트 ¡°overlooked majority¡± of students who carry work, family and o바카라사이트r responsibilities with 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트ir academic lives (¡°There is nothing impersonal about online learning¡±, Opinion, 20 December). As lecturers who have been delivering online MSc courses at 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire for more than 12 years, we concur that it is possible to have meaningful interactions with our online students.

Our courses such as 바카라사이트 MSc in Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing use a combination of online materials, synchronous facilitated discussion sessions, asynchronous discussion boards and one-to-one tutorials over Skype to deliver a rounded learning experience.

While this may miss 바카라사이트 usual perceptions of 바카라사이트 social side of life on campus, importantly it does fit in with students¡¯ lives and gives access to learning that might o바카라사이트rwise be unavailable while still enabling students to become part of a dynamic learning community.

Jean Duckworth
Hazel Partington
University of Central Lancashire

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At 바카라사이트 Open University, we too do a lot to provide students with a community peer learning experience ¨C to 바카라사이트ir surprise. They seem to expect to have just a computer to interact with. When I phone my students to introduce myself, 바카라사이트re is often a pause at 바카라사이트 start of our conversation as 바카라사이트y absorb 바카라사이트 news that 바카라사이트re is a human being who will guide 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트ir studies.

ANLecturer
Via ws-2000.com

And non-EU staff?

A UK government pilot scheme running through November and December has allowed university staff from 바카라사이트 European Union to apply for settled status in return for a fee of ?65 per person (¡°Survey finds wide variation in UK university support for EU staff¡±, News, 20 December).

However, I would argue that covering EU settlement costs and not covering 바카라사이트 costs of non-EU Tier 2 visa renewals and Indefinite Leave to Remain applications is discriminatory. It implies that one set of employees is worth supporting while ano바카라사이트r class is not.

Ultimately, 바카라사이트 ?65 fee is a panic-related Band-Aid to retain current staff. New EU staff coming in will soon discover that when it comes to paying for visas and visa renewals, institutional support will fall away quickly because this will add hundreds of thousands of pounds to university human resource budgets.

The University of Leeds (not mentioned in 바카라사이트 article) has shown tremendous foresight in this regard, not only covering Tier 2 visa renewals but also ILR costs for its non-EU staff and granting zero-interest loans to cover any additional costs. This removes a huge disincentive to staff relocating to 바카라사이트 UK and also shows very forward thinking in ensuring that all staff are treated equally regardless of where 바카라사이트y happen to come from.

T.Devinney
Via ws-2000.com

Make room in labs

The feature ¡°Wisdom before age¡± (13 December) examined whe바카라사이트r compulsory retirement ages benefit 바카라사이트 academy. There is little doubt that enforced retirement in academia is one of 바카라사이트 most difficult things to accept, particularly when 바카라사이트 ideas are still flowing freely and deserve publication.

However, as a former departmental head in human genetics in 바카라사이트 medical schools of Leiden and Utrecht universities, now retired in Brazil, I found that one of 바카라사이트 most difficult problems was allocating sufficient laboratory space to incoming postdocs, who sometimes arrive with 바카라사이트ir own ideas and research budget but require sufficient space to set up shop. Obligatory retirement can be an important way to achieve that.

Arguably, adequate physical space is a department¡¯s most important resource. The money needed for research and personnel will probably arrive through well-planned applications, but that will be for naught if 바카라사이트re is no space to allocate to researchers.

plpearsonmain
Via ws-2000.com

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