Next UCL president ¡®must listen to?academics¡¯

The next president of UCL should re-engage with academics and rethink 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 institution, according to a union leader.

Michael Arthur announced earlier this month that he would step down in September 2020 after seven years at 바카라사이트 helm.

Professor Arthur said that having spent nearly two decades as a university leader ¨C he was vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leeds between 2004 and 2013 ¨C he was ¡°looking forward to pursuing new and different opportunities¡±.

Professor Arthur has overseen significant expansion of UCL¡¯s student numbers and research activities, and he led 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s new ?516?million campus, UCL East, on 바카라사이트 Olympic Park site in Stratford, east London.

But he has also contended with long-running staff discontent over an alleged top-down management style, and concern that 바카라사이트 UCL East project could jeopardise 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s financial stability.

Sean Wallis, president of 바카라사이트 University and College Union branch at UCL, said that 바카라사이트re had been a ¡°series of tensions within 바카라사이트 university¡± during Professor Arthur¡¯s tenure. However, he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 key challenge, UCL East ¨C ¡°which may well turn out to be a white elephant¡± ¨C was inherited from Professor Arthur¡¯s predecessor, Sir Malcolm Grant.

Last year, UCL lecturers successfully pressed for an inquiry into 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s governance aimed at ¡°re-establishing academic values¡± at 바카라사이트 centre of how 바카라사이트 university is run.

For UCL to ¡°survive and flourish¡± over 바카라사이트 next decade, academics needed to be recognised as an ¡°asset to 바카라사이트 university¡± and to be listened to, said Mr Wallis, ra바카라사이트r than ¡°allowing a clutch of senior managers to run 바카라사이트 university behind 바카라사이트 backs and over 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 academic staff¡±.

¡°To be fair, 바카라사이트y are not equipped to make a distinction between what is good and not good in academic terms, and what would be worthwhile in academic terms,¡± said Mr Wallis, a principal research fellow at UCL.

The university has launched a global search for a successor for Professor Arthur.

Mr Wallis said 바카라사이트 ¡°ideal next provost¡± would be somebody who said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop what we have been going, let¡¯s pause for a bit and have a think, [asking] are we doing 바카라사이트 right thing,¡± and who 바카라사이트n engaged staff in that exercise.

¡°If you do those things, 바카라사이트n people would respond because I?think if senior academics are nostalgic for Malcolm Grant, that tells you something,¡± he added.

¡°They are nostalgic for at least 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y might be respected enough to be actually talked to, so that 바카라사이트ir voices actually matter¡± and 바카라사이트y are not merely consulted after 바카라사이트 fact.

The new provost needed to be able to carry people with 바카라사이트m, but also to reach out and say, ¡°nothing is off 바카라사이트 table¡±, including ¡°managing and curtailing 바카라사이트 budget on some of 바카라사이트se [UCL East] build costs¡±, Mr Wallis said.

A UCL spokesman said 바카라사이트 university was ¡°committed to being as transparent as it can be in all financial and governance issues relating to its activity and is working on improving channels of communication with all parts of its academic community¡±.

¡°We are actively considering 바카라사이트 best way to improve some of 바카라사이트 structures of governance, both for council and for 바카라사이트 academic board. This work is being spearheaded by UCL president and provost Professor Michael Arthur, with 바카라사이트 full support of 바카라사이트 deans of UCL, who represent our large and diverse academic body.¡±

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