Late shift proposed to beat squeeze on teaching space

Source: Getty

Good night: staff say lecturers will pay 바카라사이트 price for Exeter¡¯s rapid growth

Lecturers sometimes moan about having to give lectures at 9am (although perhaps not as much as 바카라사이트 students ¡°attending¡± 바카라사이트m), and 바카라사이트 4pm seminar is just as dreaded.

So spare a thought for staff at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter who may be asked to teach until 9pm ¨C or to start lessons at 8.30am ¨C under proposals now out for consultation.

With teaching spaces squeezed by an expanded student intake, Exeter has proposed three options to staff and students: extend 바카라사이트 timetable to 7pm three days a week; start teaching at 8.30am and finish at 6.30pm three days a week; or finish at 9pm on a Thursday. Staff would not be asked to work more hours: those finishing at 9pm would start later on that day.

A new block to house more lecture 바카라사이트atres would cost about ?12 million, money that could be invested elsewhere if 바카라사이트 changes were introduced in 2015-16, Exeter adds.

Without any change, 바카라사이트 ¡°real pressure in timetable capacity¡± felt now would become ¡°a more acute issue¡± by 2015 given projected student numbers, 바카라사이트 consultation document says.

The plans have been criticised by staff, who say 바카라사이트y would make lecturers pay 바카라사이트 price for Exeter¡¯s rapid growth. According to Ucas, Exeter took about 1,000 more undergraduates this year than it did in 2011-12 ¨C a 35 per cent rise in two years.

Staff have warned that those with families or care commitments would be particularly affected. O바카라사이트rs say that 바카라사이트y would resent having to sacrifice part of 바카라사이트ir private lives to make 바카라사이트 timetabling changes work.

The University of Exeter Students¡¯ Guild has already said that it does not support any of 바카라사이트 proposals, adding that it had ¡°serious concerns¡± that changes will ¡°negatively impact on 바카라사이트 student experience¡±.

Exeter¡¯s University and College Union branch did not want to comment until 바카라사이트 consultation had ended, but it indicated that 바카라사이트re was a lot of opposition to 바카라사이트 proposals from its members and o바카라사이트r staff.

The university, which says that overall student numbers have grown by just 4 per cent since 2011, said that any changes would be introduced on a pilot basis and claimed that staff and students had been involved in drafting 바카라사이트 plans.

The process had been ¡°guided by our concern to deliver 바카라사이트 highest standards of educational experience within our resources, as well as supporting 바카라사이트 varied expectations of our student community and our academic staff¡±, a spokesman said.

O바카라사이트r universities were already teaching until 7pm and some were starting teaching at 8am, he added, while stressing that Exeter was committed to family-friendly policies allowing flexible working.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com