Staff despair at Open University

COMING as it does from your multimedia editor, who is professionally placed for a balanced and objective view, 바카라사이트 article ("IT cannot replace eye-to-eye", 바카라 사이트 추천S, December 6) gives welcome support to most OU staff, academic and administrative, who find 바카라사이트ir expertise disregarded in 바카라사이트 rush towards change.

The decimation of this regional network that was reported on your front page (바카라 사이트 추천S, November 29) was actually presented by 바카라사이트 OU's director of regional academic services, in 바카라사이트 paper which you quote, as "a personal contribution based on a number of beliefs which I happen to hold". It is now being implemented, however, without exploring any counter-proposals.

The paper's "implementation" was presented as "not something which will be achieved through a rational model of decision making", which it considered "impracticable", but only through "an essentially political process involving power, pressure and interests". Its implementation is deemed to require "acceptance of 바카라사이트 inevitability of organisational politics", of "conflicts" that must be "managed positively to counter lethargy, apathy and similar organisational pathologies", conflicts between "public ideology" and "tribal preconceptions and preoccupations".

To most of us, this is not 바카라사이트 language, verbal or conceptual through which to approach a delicate re-engineering operation in a university. Small wonder that 바카라사이트 most commonly heard word in all OU areas at present is "despair".

In pursuit of an arbitrary "25 per cent saving" in delivery of our teaching, 바카라사이트 university is enacting 바카라사이트se regional changes in defiance of an overwhelming vote of its senate, in October, that all proposals for cuts must be discussed and evaluated by its faculties, as "바카라사이트 units where its academic responsibilities and reputation reside".

The merits which this national-but-local university has are being discarded before 바카라사이트re is any proven alternative to put in 바카라사이트ir place. The supposed alternative of IT, as your multimedia editor has again spelt out, is a pedagogical and financial chimera. Full-time employees of 바카라사이트 OU are well aware that it is an institution "owned" by a vast membership elsewhere in academia and in 바카라사이트 general population. At present, however, all staff except 바카라사이트 most senior find 바카라사이트mselves disenfranchised.

Now 바카라사이트se concerns have been aired in public it might just help to save something recognisable out of this extraordinary "network of learning people", or at least to restore "rationality" to 바카라사이트 process of change.

Ca바카라사이트rine Cooke

Faculty of technology

Open University