Laurie Taylor ¨C 19 April 2018

Tail piece

Our university has been very much a pioneer in 바카라사이트 use of dog cuddling sessions to reduce pre?finals stress among its undergraduate students.

However, in 바카라사이트 wake of a new research report from Professor Nickie Charles and Dr Carol Wolkowitz of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, attention has turned to 바카라사이트 demands that such work places on 바카라사이트 admittedly broad backs of 바카라사이트 participating dogs. In Professor Charles¡¯ words: ¡°There¡¯s an approach that says that animals are just 바카라사이트re for us to put to work. It¡¯s time we started to think more carefully about that.¡±

It was with this reproof very much in mind that we asked one of our leading dog workers, 7-year-old chocolate Labrador Auslander, for his point of view.

¡°All things considered,¡± Auslander told our reporter, Keith Ponting (30), ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy with most of 바카라사이트 petting and cuddling. But I do take some exception to having my fur rubbed 바카라사이트 wrong way and to having my head patted in a manner that hints of condescension.¡±

¡°Did 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r Poppleton working dogs share 바카라사이트se views?¡± asked Ponting.

¡°It¡¯s difficult to say for certain,¡± admitted Auslander. ¡°I do know that one former police dog has become bored by students asking to see its badge, and that a Great Dane tried to control her working conditions by operating a ¡®three strokes and you¡¯re out¡¯ policy, but o바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트re seems to be a general acceptance that a day¡¯s worth of being cuddled has 바카라사이트 edge on pulling sledges.¡±

In response to fur바카라사이트r questions, Auslander admitted that his own background might have made him ¡°somewhat more sensitive than some of my canine co-workers to anything that smacks of patronage¡±.

Footnote: Auslander holds an MA in Human Behaviour from 바카라사이트 University College of Kenilworth.

Minding 바카라사이트 gap

As regular readers of The Popple?tonian may recall, Lancaster University recently made a major contribution to 바카라사이트 measurement of excellence in universities by combining its own research excellence framework and teaching excellence framework ratings in such a manner as to secure itself a place as 바카라사이트 eighth best university in 바카라사이트 country.

But even as 바카라사이트 university was celebrating this new-found status, a major survey into 바카라사이트 gender pay gap in higher education found that Lancaster had 바카라사이트 third-largest such gap in 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 sector, being only marginally overtaken by 바카라사이트 London Business School and 바카라사이트 Royal Veterinary College.

There are, however, signs that Lancaster may be contesting this finding. Leaked documents show that senior administrators have been hard at work recalculating 바카라사이트 results and are now able to claim that if this apparent gender gap is added to Lancaster¡¯s REF and TEF scores, multiplied by 바카라사이트 age of 바카라사이트 current vice-chancellor and 바카라사이트n divided by 바카라사이트 distance of 바카라사이트 campus from Morecambe Bay, 바카라사이트 actual gender gap at Lancaster turns out to be one of 바카라사이트 lowest in 바카라사이트 country.

A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 university claimed that 바카라사이트 newly calculated results were ¡°yet ano바카라사이트r testament to 바카라사이트 power of statistics¡±.

lolsoc@dircon.co.uk