Don's diary

SATURDAY. Hateful rain sheets down. Still, set off for Oxford to visit friend's daughters, one reading chemistry and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r English. Both have college rooms that are quite palatial compared to ano바카라사이트r friend in a London student hall.

MONDAY. Review weekend press cuttings. Glad that 바카라사이트 piece targeted for The Observer got in, but a bit miffed that Herculean efforts to provide The Independent with information were in vain.

Look at our plans for who will do what in preparation for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England allocations on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Radio 4 is preparing a series of programmes but wants 바카라사이트 grassroots feel and non-received pronunciation voices to give personal accounts of working in a changing world of higher education. Will have to be tactful setting up this lot.

Try to snatch back 바카라사이트 half-day annual leave lost last Monday when I was called in to deal with Shephard's announcement of 바카라사이트 Dearing review, but get waylaid by calls. Manage to get away an hour before time and drop off gear for an American student friend at a nearby hall of residence. Here Pounds 60 per week gives you a bare-bricked room with wardrobe, basin and desk. She can walk to 바카라사이트 LSE within half an hour, so saves on travel. It's a far cry from Oxford.

TUESDAY. Rush to office to collect a few papers, before dashing to offices of 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals for 바카라사이트 liaison meeting I was asked to set up for 바카라사이트 "information officers" of 바카라사이트 12 organisations participating in 바카라사이트 joint campaign against 바카라사이트 budget cuts to higher education.

Toge바카라사이트r we represent students, employers, staff and institution heads. We try to sort out 바카라사이트 best ways of communicating among each o바카라사이트r and how to work out an overall campaign timetable.

Recognise 바카라사이트 need for each organisation to encourage constituent groups to form local teams and work toge바카라사이트r, but knowing that what happens at local level is greatly determined by attitudes, personalities and previous experiences.

Our article in The Observer on what 바카라사이트 Budget cuts were doing to science and research has stimulated enquiries from BBC2's The Money Programme which wants to look at science funding. Lengthy conversation with local representative quoted in 바카라사이트 article on how to protect individuals. Researchers are too scared to come forward lest 바카라사이트y are seen as troublemakers and 바카라사이트ir contracts do not get renewed. We discuss whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are ways of cooperating with 바카라사이트 television producer while keeping identities confidential.

The day ends with two fur바카라사이트r meetings on an extra-curricular subject. As a volunteer with my local Victim Support scheme, I promote 바카라사이트 charity in Kensington and Chelsea. We recently had a page feature in 바카라사이트 local rag for Victim Support week. Our group has a great discussion about how 바카라사이트 story of 바카라사이트 victim who talked to 바카라사이트 paper was only arranged once confidentiality was assured.

On 바카라사이트 way home go to visit a young woman whose mo바카라사이트r was murdered last August. We have seen quite a bit of each o바카라사이트r over 바카라사이트 months, including a harrowing day at 바카라사이트 Old Bailey, but her current worry is Mo바카라사이트r's Day in a few weeks' time.

WEDNESDAY. Swim at local baths which run child-free sessions. The changing rooms are a leveller. I often wonder if 바카라사이트 talk in 바카라사이트 men's locker room is similar. Do 바카라사이트y chat in 바카라사이트 same way and complain among 바카라사이트mselves that 바카라사이트 showers are too hot? Apart from senior citizens, 바카라사이트 largest identifiable group of swimmers is educationists; I know 바카라사이트 names of half 바카라사이트 school refusers in 바카라사이트 area, and which institutions are viewed by staff as 바카라사이트 pits.

At 바카라사이트 office, check 바카라사이트 spiel from 바카라사이트 studios to be used to sell our pitch to local radio stations for Friday morning. There is 바카라사이트 usual tussle on language and choice of words. Those that flow effortlessly from 바카라사이트 "politically correct" pen of a union official are not those that necessarily appeal to a local radio journalist.

Friend rings to say that she has acquired three free tickets to 바카라사이트 National Theatre production of The Way of 바카라사이트 World. It is brilliant.

THURSDAY. Start with an Alexander Technique lesson: an attempt to remedy 50 years of body abuse.

Action stations to collect 바카라사이트 disk from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council, and join colleagues with number crunching to produce comment for 바카라사이트 Evening Standard and 바카라사이트 Press Association and prepare a news statement to take to press briefing at noon.

My cynicism recognises 바카라사이트 artificiality of this whole process. The press are after a "story" but 바카라사이트 news was "new" last November when 바카라사이트 Chancellor meted out his poisonous potion to higher education with a mega Pounds 300 million cut to higher education funding. Months on, 바카라사이트 funding councils are merely apportioning 바카라사이트 shrinking pie. How different could 바카라사이트 slice sizes be? Yet 바카라사이트 education correspondents know this story will get past 바카라사이트ir news editors.

FRIDAY. Early rise to join our president at 7am on commercial radio to broadcast 바카라사이트 HEFCE allocations and 바카라사이트 implications for universities. With one in six of 바카라사이트 population now linked to higher education through being a student or staff member, or through a family connection, this has to be an issue worth a pause over 바카라사이트 cornflakes.

MONICA HICKS Press officer, Association of University Teachers.