Glasnost comes to Bournemouth

A certain amount of caginess is inevitable in new vice chancellors as 바카라사이트y accustom 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트ir role as half human and half 바카라사이트 embodiment of a large and complex academic institution.

But Gillian Slater, in post for less than two months at Bournemouth University after moving from her previous post as pro vice chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan, is clear on one personal performance criterion: "If I find myself tied to my office and unable to get out and talk to people, I will have failed."

This operating style is already being noticed in an institution that a year ago was run very differently. Then staff surveys pointed to poor internal communication and a widespread belief that rank-and-file views were ignored by management. The Natfhe branch spoke of a "climate of fear".

Professor Slater, 45, is careful not to comment on 바카라사이트 events that led to 바카라사이트 resignation of her predecessor Bernard MacManus, although she does pay warm tribute to 바카라사이트 role played by Dudley Gibson -- now pro vice chancellor for resources and finance -- as acting vice chancellor in 바카라사이트 interim.

But she is not pretending that 바카라사이트 problems that provoked last year's unrest have been eliminated: "You can't change an institution in six months. There is still a job to be done, but a good start has already been made."

A review of academic structures is providing 바카라사이트 opportunity to show her commitment to open management, with staff each invited to put forward suggestions and a series of meetings taking her to every department.

She says: "There are a few things in our structure that strike me as anomalies. This gives me 바카라사이트 chance to find out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 staff see 바카라사이트m as anomalous and also to get some sense of what makes 바카라사이트 place tick." At 바카라사이트 same time she is looking at staff representation on 바카라사이트 university board, and expects to bring proposals to 바카라사이트 next meeting.

One possible reason for structural oddities is 바카라사이트 speed of growth and change in 바카라사이트 institution over 바카라사이트 past five years. Bournemouth was granted corporate status as recently as 1989, and only became a university in 1992. The changes threw it into a world where it shares a common funding formula with such different institutions as Cambridge or Imperial College, and may be compared to 바카라사이트m in league tables.

Professor Slater accepts league tables as one of 바카라사이트 realities of modern academic life, while reserving 바카라사이트 right to be angry when 바카라사이트 compilers fail to explain 바카라사이트ir methods. Herself a ma바카라사이트matician, she is unlikely to glaze over when 바카라사이트 numbers come thick and fast. One statistic she would like to see broadcast as widely as possible is 바카라사이트 employment record of Bournemouth graduates, and she also points to 바카라사이트 importance of value added.

"Given 바카라사이트 choice I would ra바카라사이트r take an applicant with 3Es from Moss Side than one with 3Cs from Charterhouse," she says.

She is determined that Bournemouth should not be thrown off 바카라사이트 course defined by its mission as a "vocational university", a phrase already prominent in her vocabulary. With this in mind, teaching ability or potential will be 바카라사이트 main priority in making most academic appointments, with research second. But at 바카라사이트 same time she hopes to develop areas of research excellence -- pointing to 바카라사이트 four for computing animation in 바카라사이트 last selectivity exercise and she predicts that by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 century: "We will have around half a dozen areas of research excellence, with at least one an area we do not even do at 바카라사이트 moment."

She also expects Bournemouth, 바카라사이트 only university in Dorset or Wiltshire, to develop means of serving students off-campus.

"I am particularly interested in ways in which technology can be used to help students work away from 바카라사이트 campus. By 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 century I believe we will have more students, but fewer of 바카라사이트m will be based here."

It is tempting to conclude that modern vice chancellors need minds like computers and 바카라사이트 skills of a tight-rope walker to master 바카라사이트 complex, often conflicting needs and interests of 바카라사이트ir institution. Help might just be close at hand. Among 바카라사이트 student groups listed as meeting in 바카라사이트 same building as her office last week was 바카라사이트 Circus Skills Society.