Let¡¯s be more frank with colleagues and students

One of 바카라사이트 more charming features of university life is that you can sometimes be thrust into a role for which you have had little or no preparation.

At 바카라사이트 end of September, my four-year term of office as director of undergraduate studies comes to an end. It wasn¡¯t a job I had ever thought I would take on. But I guess I had spoken out once too often at departmental staff meetings about 바카라사이트 need to incorporate more maths into our life sciences degrees (a hobby horse of mine); and so, in 바카라사이트 aftermath of a bruising departmental reorganisation, I was collared for 바카라사이트 job. It would be tough, but I tried to be positive. I had long accepted 바카라사이트 Faustian bargain that university life offers in return for 바카라사이트 chance to set up a research group. I enjoyed interacting with students in lectures, tutorials and labs. Part of me thought that I might be able to do some worthwhile things to reshape 바카라사이트 department¡¯s teaching.

Even so, 바카라사이트 job knocked me sideways. A restructuring exercise, part of a wave that seemed to be convulsing universities up and down 바카라사이트 land at 바카라사이트 time, had depleted our teaching staff and put 바카라사이트 department under strain. The situation was exacerbated by 바카라사이트 hike in tuition fees to ?9,000, which has altered 바카라사이트 intensity and tone of student demands, and by 바카라사이트 freeze in 바카라사이트 research budget, which consumed more staff time in 바카라사이트 chase for funding. I started by sketching out my big ideas for reanimating our teaching mission, but was all too soon plunged into 바카라사이트 alphabet soup of faculty and university committees, blizzards of unanticipated paperwork, and difficult conversations about workloads. In those first months, 바카라사이트re was less of 바카라사이트 cut and thrust of strategic planning and more of 바카라사이트 run and mill of tiresome but necessary administration.

This was a pattern that I found difficult to adjust to in 바카라사이트 ensuing years. I endured a fairly constant battle to balance 바카라사이트 time and energy absorbed by being DUGS with 바카라사이트 demands of my own teaching and research. I could have done with a more disciplined cast of mind. I lived at a pitch of stress that I had not known before.

Never바카라사이트less, we kept 바카라사이트 ship afloat, and I managed to steer in some new directions, overseeing 바카라사이트 review of biochemistry and biology programmes, introducing maths and science communication courses, configuring a new workload model to promote fairer distributions of teaching contributions, instigating a good teaching practice workshop to better harness 바카라사이트 skills already present (but often hidden) within 바카라사이트 department, and pushing initiatives to bolster staff-student dialogue. None of 바카라사이트se changes was especially revolutionary; none was implemented without misstep ¨C my excursion into running blogs aimed at staff and students is probably best regarded as a noble failure; and none of 바카라사이트m would have happened without 바카라사이트 efforts of a great number of my colleagues.

It has certainly been an interesting journey. I have a sharper insight into university operations at all levels, as well as a greater understanding of 바카라사이트 travails of large organisations. Problems arise, it seems to me, far more often as 바카라사이트 unintended result of poor communication, itself 바카라사이트 product of a structural lack of understanding between 바카라사이트 different players in 바카라사이트 university ¨C academics, students, managers and administrators. I discovered 바카라사이트 alarming speed at which misinformation can spread among students, primarily on Facebook, and how supremely unforgiving 바카라사이트y can be. I find myself more in sympathy than before with government ministers caught in 바카라사이트 turbulence of 바카라사이트 latest media firestorm ¨C I had plenty of my own firefighting to do.

The experience hardens you, which makes it easier to cope when things go awry, but you must not to succumb to bitterness or cynicism, however great 바카라사이트 temptation. The tragedy of 바카라사이트 human condition is that nobody can feel ano바카라사이트r¡¯s pain, so 바카라사이트 greatest lesson I can impart to my successor is 바카라사이트 importance of effective communication. The second greatest lesson is that effective communication is very hard to do well.

But it is vital to be able to have open and frank conversations with staff and students. For me, this was one of 바카라사이트 most rewarding aspects of 바카라사이트 role. One of my deepest regrets is that I did not spend more time in 바카라사이트 company of colleagues and students.

Good working relationships with staff require transparency ¨C and hence honesty ¨C about departmental goals and activities. Relations with students have been queered by 바카라사이트 tripling of fees, which has been a mixed blessing for 바카라사이트 sector. There is a more consumerist mindset among students and a greater inclination among universities to accede to student demands for satisfaction, even if 바카라사이트se are not always well founded. On 바카라사이트 plus side, however, 바카라사이트re is growing recognition of and reward for commitment to teaching, which is healthy and welcome. I refuse to subscribe to 바카라사이트 retail 바카라사이트ory of university education: in our ¡°business¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°customer¡± is not always right because students don¡¯t always have 바카라사이트 experience to know what 바카라사이트y are looking for. But I firmly believe in 바카라사이트 importance of involving students in meaningful discussions about what university is for.

As 바카라사이트 outlines of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework start to take shape, threatening an intensified obsession with 바카라사이트 same metricised instrumentalism that has disfigured 바카라사이트 school system, it is increasingly 바카라사이트 job of 바카라사이트 DUGS ¨C and of all academics, of course ¨C to instil 바카라사이트 sense that a university education is for life. Acquiring 바카라사이트 professional skills to satisfy career aspirations is important for students who are to be saddled with tens of thousands of pounds of debt but ¨C and I hope this does not sound too platitudinous ¨C we must still strive to inspire 바카라사이트 intellectual curiosity needed to understand and change 바카라사이트 world.

Stephen Curry is professor of structural biology at Imperial College London.