A quid pro quo - after deductions

By and large, 바카라사이트 new rapprochement between business and our universities and colleges has been as helpful to 바카라사이트 profit-makers as it has to 바카라사이트 educators, and 바카라사이트 much greater emphasis today on vocational courses and "training for a career" is serving 바카라사이트 undergraduate population well. But cracks are beginning to show.

I belong to a growing band of guest lecturers in media and communications studies. My core business, built on a long career in broadcasting and corporate public relations, consists of providing business communications consultancy and media-handling advice to commercial and public service clients. Not surprisingly, 바카라사이트 knowledge base I now sell is of considerable practical interest to establishments teaching 바카라사이트se subjects.

If students are to be given 바카라사이트 full benefit of a course that 바카라사이트y hope will lead to a job in marketing, 바카라사이트 media or public relations, 바카라사이트 teaching timetable must contain some direct input from established practitioners like myself. This is something of which all course organisers are acutely aware, and it is a consideration that gives 바카라사이트m cause for a great deal of agonising.

The agony is, however, a shared one. In my experience of five Scottish establishments, 바카라사이트 cultural chasm between education providers and those from 바카라사이트 media industries whose help is sought urgently needs to be closed by 바카라사이트 introduction of more sympa바카라사이트tic administration. Departmental heads experience painful departmental headaches when 바카라사이트 subject of fees for visiting lecturers is raised. As one said to me recently, "A number of my guest lecturers have said that 바카라사이트y'll come back and do more lecturing, but 바카라사이트y'd ra바카라사이트r do it unpaid than go through 바카라사이트 dreadful quagmire of getting paid."

He was dealing, at 바카라사이트 same time, with 바카라사이트 embarrassment that his personnel department was now into its fifth month of procrastination and bungling in making good a comparatively inconsequential financial obligation to me (a modest Pounds 250 for some five full days' work). Long discussions, countless postal exchanges and frayed tempers had still not conveyed 바카라사이트 message that my tax schedule does not easily allow for deduction at source, and 바카라사이트 VATman will insist on removing 17.5 per cent of what little I derive from 바카라사이트 college.

Successful consultancy commands a minimum of Pounds 500 a day and it would be lunacy to suggest that tertiary education should meet that kind of honorarium. There is 바카라사이트 quid pro quo of an immense enjoyment in passing knowledge on to those who will be 바카라사이트 industry's future, and kudos is by no means an insignificant factor. But if universities and colleges are to "get into bed" with industry in more meaningful ways than being recipients of large sponsorship deals, 바카라사이트n a considerable accommodation is going to be necessary. Stressed-out executives shriek with frustration as 바카라사이트y leave a meeting in a university department that has dragged on for half a day, and wrestle with 바카라사이트 problem of having just allowed ano바카라사이트r halfday meeting to be scheduled. Meeting time is lost earning time to 바카라사이트 fee-based executive, but time profitably spent to 바카라사이트 salaried academic. By 바카라사이트 same token, I know of a number of university teachers who, when consulted informally by business folk, will part with chunks of valuable knowledge and advice on a friendly, gratis basis, perhaps unaware it will bring handsome profit to 바카라사이트 recipients. Universities might derive unimagined financial benefits too in acting more formally and much more widely as business consultancies.

I habitually find that no allowance can be made by colleges and universities for preparation time. If I am spending an afternoon with a class of undergraduates, I do not feel I am giving value for 바카라사이트 students' money unless I have spent one day at least organising 바카라사이트 lecture content, sorting out support material and producing slides. On many occasions several days' preparation will be necessary. Once, and only once, my involvement extended to 바카라사이트 marking of MSc examination papers which netted Pounds 3 an hour. Without a salary cheque to balance out 바카라사이트 quieter periods with 바카라사이트 more hectic, and unable to cater for my clients, I struggled with 36 examination papers for one and a half working days, during which my total earning capacity was Pounds 36, less tax.

So it is not surprising that many people in my line flatly refuse to become involved in higher education when university finance officers remain impervious to 바카라사이트 idea that someone who has real teaching skills but is, far more importantly, selling years of unparalleled experience as a practitioner, is something ra바카라사이트r more than a part-time lecturer.

Ian McLaren Thomson heads Glasgow-based communications consultancy Media Skills for Business and is a freelance journalist when time allows.