Despite repeated claims about the central importance that the University of Essex places on providing academic skills support that will enable growing numbers of Essex students to achieve a truly transformational education, one of the key tools by which this aim might be achieved – the tailored academic skills support provided by professional educators in the Talent Development Centre – is in the process of being radically changed in ways that will undermine its capacity to do so. These changes involve the following:
- reducing the number of teaching staff despite growing student numbers,*
- removing scholarship and programme development from Tutor workload calculations,
- forcing full-time tutors to go part-time (shifting them from 1.0 FTE to 0.8 FTE) without reducing teaching loads,
- subsidising this loss with new staff on fixed-term contracts in a process of casualisation,
- reducing admin support,
- closing the TDC helpdesk–an important focal point for students seeking academic help.
These changes will seriously affect the quality of provision for students, reducing the TDC’s ability to provide focused and appropriate support. It will also have knock-on effects for lecturers, who will need to spend valuable discipline-specific teaching and research time providing students with specialist academic and language skills teaching – a task for which they are not trained and which their workloads cannot accommodate.
Further, if TDC colleagues are not given scholarship/development time, that does not necessarily mean they will stop undertaking those activities. They are professionals, so they will continue to do this work because it matters to them to do the best job they can for their students. In such cases provision might remain unaffected – but only on the back of the unpaid labour of our colleagues.
This is not the behaviour of a university that values its staff or its students. Essex deserves better.
We the undersigned call on the University to immediately halt this reduction/diminution of the TDC. The University should not be removing experienced and much-needed staff in this area when 100 new teaching posts are being created elsewhere. We ask that the University recognise that at a time when students and academics need more not less skills training support we should:
- keep full-time experienced staff in sufficient numbers to cope with growing student demand,
- acknowledge that teachers require scholarship and programme development time to deliver excellence in teaching. Full-time teachers should have full-time contracts,
- act on the University’s commitment to renounce the scandalous reliance on casualised work that undermines the integrity of the higher education sector,
- enter into immediate discussions with UCU to agree a plan that reduces redundancies and casualisation rather than increases them.
*see footnote at the bottom of the page
Signed:
779
Darren Moon
London School of Economics and Political Science
778
Richard Coyle
Midkent College
777
Enise Nur Agel
University of Essex
776
Dee Garrett
Lockdown & out OT student Zimbabwe!!!
Protect Our Rights and Equal Opportunities for All
775
J BOREHAM
local government
774
Sophia Stavrakakis-White
RHUL, UK
773
marria akhtar
RHUL
772
David Channon
Royal Holloway University of London
In support
771
Iman Taha
770
Daniel O'Sullivan
Australia
769
Chris Banister
Regent's University London
768
Cara Darroch
University of Essex
767
Hilary Mullen
Buckinghamshire New University
Solidarity with Colleagues and Students at Essex University
766
Louisa Sadler
University of Essex
More shortsighted, penny-pinching idiocy. Is this still a university?
765
Jane Sansbury
Petroc
764
Iain Stevenson
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
763
Matt Cooke
IDI/University of Hertfordshire
Yet again, the sector is undermined by casualisation. Shame on Essex University.
762
Cydney Barrows
Essex
COLCHESTER
761
sheila marrinan
University of Essex
Colchester
760
Jakki Oldfield
Essex
Colchester
759
Clare Maxwell
University of Leeds
758
Lynne Denyer
Sussex
757
Elizabeth Watkins
West Sussex
I think this is a shameful way to treat dedicated staff, and it makes a mockery of the university's claim to provide support for students from all backgrounds
756
Senay Bilen
New City College
My son in Essex University and had some chats with previous students.
755
Peter Wigglesworth
Crawley
I agree with the petition's proposals
754
Tim Denyer
753
John Fernandes
Retired - present Chair Council of Academic Freedom and Academic Standards
The austerity poicy of this Govt. continues to do damage to the educational standards in UK.
752
Aviah Day
Durham University (Formally Essex University)
751
Heather Symonds
Imperial dyslexia consultant VT
Attacks on support have been growing for a decade . Mission statements proclaim support for inclusion,WP, mental health and disabilities. And the corporate management just cut. Been there 5 years ago
750
Andrew Pritchard
andy_cinzia@yahoo.it
749
Emily Wheeler
University of Leeds
748
Lisa Clughen
Nottingham Trent University
I know first-hand the positive value of specialist Academic Support Centres. The contribution of this centre to the student experience goes way beyond academic support. The university does not seem to understand the specialist nature of this work and how long it takes to develop it. Offering academic support across the board is no easy task. The centre should be increasing, not dimisnishing.
747
Simon Gamble
University of Bristol
The Talent Development Center at Essex has an excellent reputation and I've seen them present their great work at conferences. To undermine this and enforce casualisation in this way is a huge mistake. Essex you need to appreciate what you've got.
746
Tracy Ryan
Merseyside
Liverpool
745
Carol Cody
UCU City of Liverpool College
744
Pam Gadsby
University of Essex (recently retired)
I'm appalled at the lack of respect shown by Academic Section management to this team of dedicated professionals during the review process. Extremely poor judgement to cut back on these essential areas of academic support.
743
Julian Wells
LDSE
Shocking that vital support services are undermined in this way
742
D Parsons
University of South Wales
741
RUTH MUNRO
INTO Newcastle University
740
Gerard Clough
Royal Holloway
739
Kalina Stamenova
Essex
Colchester
738
Joy Robbins
University of Leeds
737
Lucy Pearce
University of Essex
736
Eirini Konstantinidou
University of Essex
735
Angela Hulme
University of Leeds
Staff deserve to be valued by their institution and this behaviour shows scant regard for their dedication and hard work.
734
Anna Murawska
Into Newcastle University
733
Melanie Aird
Balancing the books by forcing staff to work for free (as they will in order to maintain professional levels of output) is a very short term solution.
732
Sandra Haywood
University of Bath
731
Rachel Taylor
University of Essex
With widening participation it would seem logical to widen provision not reduce it.
730
Lachlan Moyle
Queen Mary University of London
Disturbing news from the institution named 'University of the Year' at the Times Higher Education Awards 2018
729
Wendy Greenfield
728
Christine Bellamy
Essex
Colchester
727
Natalie Sedacca
UCL
726
Anne Heller
English Language Education, Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh
725
Jen Baker
Warwick
724
Gavin Gavin
University of Leicester
723
Berenice Guyot-Rechard
KCL
722
Dion Georgiou
University of Chichester
721
Shiobhan Low
University of Essex
720
Katy Walsh
Lancaster University
This does big value students of staff and will be detrimental in the long term.
719
Christopher WALSH
University of Sussex
718
Faye Savage
Previously UoE.
These services were vital to me as a student and should be protected.
717
Iwona Winiarska-Pringle
University of Glasgow
716
Andreea Busu
University of Essex
715
Ana-Maria Amzoiu
University of Essex, Colchester
The TDC team have been really helpful especially now as I am approaching graduation. I am disappointed that such a huge part of the University is facing these hard times. The students need them!!!
714
Jane Dabbs
Colchester
Disappointed that such a large local employer is moving towards casualised labour. Maybe share this with alumni who may be supportive of aims
713
Joanna Al-Youssef
712
Linda Wonnacott
Dovercourt Essex
The plans seem a really backward step
711
Hannah Jones
University of Edinburgh
710
Liz Algar
University of Essex
709
Alex Trask
Patways
708
Alex Reynolds
AUB
707
Mandy Bannerman
University of Essex
The TDC team provides invaluable support; their expertise and dedication make a huge difference to the experience of so many students. Their work should be prized, not undermined in this way.
706
Majd Yafi
Essex University
705
Helen Hewertson
University of Central Lancashire
704
Daryl Streat
703
Elias Tawil
Outside the United States
702
kevin nunn
Colchester Trades Union Council
701
Jacqueline Reynolds
Essex
Without this additional support I would not have know what direction I was going with my work. Please protect academic support as student rely on it .
700
frances newman
699
Elisa Vasquez-Walters
Unison Eastern Region Probation
698
Anthea Cowen
University of Bedfordshire
I am appalled at the plans that the University of Essex has to remove and reduce front-line academic support to students.
697
Roger Jones
Chicago City Colleges
696
Fiona Broom
Colchester Institute
No to reducing student support
695
Peter Fenton
University of Nottingham, China
694
Raynee Gutting
University of Essex
693
Sally Theobald
Please select
Colchester
692
Christopher Eustace
Essex Pathways; University of Essex
This is an extremely worrying trend, and one that simply cannot continue. The TDC and Essex colleagues have my full support, and I hope this petition is testament to the number of academics who strongly contest this sanction.
691
Terri Edwards
Durham
690
Jonathan Smart
Freelance (despite e-mail address)
As I have no knowledge of the extent to which reasonable discussions between management and EAP practitioners (and other affected) has taken place, it is difficult to comment, other than to express my deep concern regarding such an apparently retrograde step.
689
Bojana Petric
Birkbeck
688
A-K Reck
University of Portsmouth
a very worrying trend indeed
687
Louise Ward
Essex University
The amount of support that is being cut is appalling at a time when we have so many foundation degrees and students are becoming more needy.
686
Annette Lawson
retired
685
Rowena Macaulay
Smart Networked Environments, Parkside, University of Essex
For 20 yrs the TDC have been among my closest colleagues - a great team of highly skilled/professional teachers supporting students across the spectrum of nationality, academic culture & ability. Swelling student numbers & diversity make this ever more vital. The TDC should be the Uni’s biggest growth area, not fighting to retain meagre staff nos & having its creativity & responsiveness squeezed
684
Lucy Watson
University of Southampton
683
Ken Plummer
Essex
This sounds like a very regressive move. Essex has built up an excellent system of student support over many years and this sounds like it is being reduced, even eliminated, with talented staff being removed. Oh dear! All very worrying.
682
Marie Juanchich
University of Essex
681
Polly Ann Flinders
University of Huddersfield
680
Robert Farmer
University of Northampton
679
Ralitsa Kantcheva
Bangor University
678
Carly Sharples
Norwich University of the Arts
677
Melisa Rinaldi
UEL
676
Angela Rogers
675
Sarah Kafala
University of Essex
674
Yannis Lignos
UEL
Short-sighted. Essex got a Gold in the TEF -- looks like some of them do not wish to follow-up well on their achievements.
673
Tom Burns
London Metropolitan University
672
Basim Musallam
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
671
raymond Geuss
university of cambridge
670
gina wisker
University of brighton
669
Allyson Noble
Heriot Watt University, Dubai Campus
The management's treatment of professional staff at Essex is disgraceful. It shows a lack of respect for the work being carried out by Academic Support staff.
668
Anna Alexandrova
Cambridge
667
Daniel Spence
Albert Sloman Library, University of Essex
666
Terry Felgate
Essex University
Seems counter productive and rather concerning.
665
Simon Hewitt
University of Leeds
664
Renée Reitsma
King's College London
Academic skills tutoring is an essential offering for any serious university.
663
Sarra Facey
662
Sylvia Broughton
QMUL
661
Charlie Kirk
university of essex
All about the money, honey.
660
Tom Flynn
School of Law, University of Essex
Colchester
659
David Bowers
I am a former Head of Learning Development at an English university, involved in national initiatives relating to HE academic skills support. Over the years, the TDC staff at Essex have engaged in professional development and contributed significantly to national networking events on behalf of the sector. To demoralise these staff by no longer recognising this element of their work is deplorable.
658
Siobhan McGrath
Durham
657
Joe Williams
Durham University
656
Susan Blackwell
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Our students at the VU have academic skills as part of their degree programme and are taught by academic staff.
655
Claire Harrington
Essex
654
Peta Jessemey
653
emma kittle
652
Camilla Fox
University of Essex
651
Sarah Hughes
Durham University
650
Elise Galand
University of Essex
649
Martin Price
Durham University
648
John Wainwright
Durham University
647
Niall Cunningham
Geography Department, Durham University
From experience here, this sort of 'restructuring' is not only bad for morale, it is profoundly counterproductive.
646
Chris Fox
University of Essex
645
James Wilson
London
As a former Royal Literary Fund Fellow and Consultant, I was dismayed to read this news. A few years ago I ran a couple of short writing courses for post-graduates at Essex, and – while I was impressed by the students’ attitude, and their eagerness to learn – it was clear that the level of academic skills provision at the university was completely inadequate. To undermine it further now seems a) g
644
Vanessa Baxter
University of Essex
As a parent of two students at another university who have both used this type of service,I've seen the direct benefits to them of being able to access it
643
Caspar Pearson
University of Essex
642
Stefani Goga
Oxford Brookes
641
Greg Cadge
University of Essex
640
Kehinde Adeyemo
Essex
639
LLoyd Shankley
University of Essex
638
Dragos Pavel
Accommodation, University of Essex
I agree that students pay a lot to study here and the University should not be taking support away from them, nor should it try to unload more work onto the existing staff. The ultimate goal should be providing an education to students. Also, considering the University is run by business people which is why they should know, better than anyone else, that you have to spend money to make money.
637
Gustav Kuhn
Goldsmiths, University of London
636
Ayoola Crooks
Essex university
students need these services*.
635
Ayoola Crooks
Essex
People need these surfaces. Not everyone has the same opportunity of college and school. This extra support helps bring those who are lacking up.
634
mike lilley
633
Hannah Onslow
University of Essex
632
Charles Ham
631
Samantha Woodward
University of Essex
630
Helen Croft
629
Scott Seton
University of Essex
This is an injustice, it can't allowed to pass.
628
Paul Skarratt
University of Hull
627
Atena Andreea Molcut
University of Essex
626
Natalie Noiyasoong Karlsson
University of Essex
625
James Anthony Pey
Essex
Whilst there is always room for part time academic work in higher education it should not be at the expense of required full time academic roles if standards are to be maintained and improved. Income inequality in British Universities needs a thorough review!
624
Julie Hartill
Imperial College London
623
Tumeka Ngojo
University of Essex
622
SARA SHERIFF
Essex
621
Lauren Beard-Robinson
University of essex
620
Harry Bond
University of Essex
619
Stephen Jordan
University of Essex
I agree wholeheartedly that "this is not the behaviour of a university that values its staff or its students."
618
Amy Sheekey
617
Deepa Govindarajan Driver
University of Reading
616
Tomaso Roche
U o E
615
Sarah Sherratt
University of Essex
We do not have enough student support available to meet student need now. The pressure of taking care and monitoring vulnerable people falls to academic staff. The situation leads to greater stress levels for both parties and has a wider impact on all students when support/tutorial time is used for those actually professional mental health and wellbeing services.
614
Nic Warren
University of Essex
613
Hannah Pyman
University of Essex
612
Hannah Groom
University of Essex
611
Audrey Guinchard
Essex
The rest of the project is good but I fail to understand why contact hours is roughly the only measure for the posts. It's ignoring significant elements of the jobs
610
Arianna Sparagna
609
Annemarie Brown
University of Essex
608
Isobel Irwin
Essex University
The TDC is so important to students
607
Camille Cronin
School of Health and Social Care, Southend Campus
I am concerned of the lack of specialist support for students and academic staff as the University continues to address widening access to students. While this is excellent initially, providing support for those with different learning needs is essential. I have found working in partnership with TDC provides excellent foundations for learning and addresses attainment, confident and continuation.
606
Lucy May
University of Essex, Southend-on-Sea
605
Gorka Mercero
University of Liverpool
604
Hayley Milburn
University of Essex
The TDC do a fantastic job and should not be undermined in any way. If anything, they need more staff, not less!
603
Alia Al Omrani
Essex Uni
602
Terence Bonner
601
Katherine Gahagan
Freelance language consultant Essex & Rome
600
Eric Smith
Essex
599
Aldona Norkus
University of Liverpool
598
Janet Dennis
597
Callum Plowright
University of Essex
596
Ann Kenneally
Southend hospital ex Essex uni student
595
Gillian Watt
Open University (Retired)
Yet another attempt at putting money and profit before the needs of students. An example of the continuing undermining of academic standards. I worked at The University of Essex for many years and the support given to students was the best, it went the extra mile to help students achieve their potential. Staff cuts and casualisation are bad for students.
594
Bob Watt
Former UCU lay officer at Essex; sometime Head of School of Law at Essex; formerly Reader in Law at Essex; retired Professor of Law
593
Fiona Annand
Essex
At a time with skills shortages we should be enhancing education not cutting back
592
Petra Rosier
591
Rachel Rich
Leeds Beckett
590
Erna von der Walde
Alumna of the University of Essex
589
Emily Cornell
Colchester
588
Ben Turpin
University of Essex
This restructure risks placing additional pressure on both students and staff and sets a worrying precedent for the casualisation of teaching and learning support roles more broadly.
587
Manuel Barcia
University of Leeds
586
Rachael Newman
Portsmouth
585
Louise Timms
SHSC
Without the support and interventions provided by this centre several of the practising professional health practitioners who are now qualified, would never have completed their training programmes. Tge are a vital resource
584
Ian Mounteney
UoE
583
Clare Carpenter-Timmis
Cornwall
Bodmin
582
Ian Harris
University of Essex
This is too important an area of work to target for efficiency gains. losing these highly skilled and experienced colleagues will undoubtedly lead to increased fragility in our skills infrastructure to the detriment of student experience and retention.
581
Niamj Taylor-Blow
Southend University NHS Foundation Trust
580
Amalia Khodr
University of Essex
579
Harriet Lock
NHS
578
Chiaki Kato
University of Essex
577
Laura Beauchamp
University of Essex
Students pay a huge amount for tuition and they deserve support when studying. Also, staff should be secure in their work and not have their posts reduced or casualised.
576
natalie cowan
university of essex
Southend-on-Sea
575
James Sumpter
Health and Social Care - Southend
I see on a daily basis the importance of this work and the incredible impact it can have on the student experience. As an academic and educationalist of over 20 years experience, I find this strategy incomprehensible.
574
Elizabeth Norris
Essex
573
Sara French
UoE
As per teams are being over stretched and are expected to take on more work with no extra pay. Our remit will soon be so large we will be completely ineffective
572
Marie Gribbin
University of Essex
In an era when we are accepting lower and lower entry grades from our students there has to be some recognition that the students need more and more academic support and not less. I do not support the changes to the TDC and worry that this University (despite being awarded University of the Year) is going in completely the wrong direction.
571
James Padovani
University of Essex
Unite The Union
570
Hazel Cromar
Univeristy of Essex
569
Kaez Condon
University of Essex
568
Isobel Eddyshaw
University of Essex
567
Louise MacLean
University of Essex
566
Stephanie Ozegin
Essex university
Do not cut down
565
Nita Karia
University Of Essex
564
Scott Forrest
University of Essex
563
Kevin Watson
Oxford Brookes University
Widening participation is a great thing but we are seeing students with increasingly complex needs who need complex interventions to help them reach their potential. Casualising contracts may have short term gains but the longer term prognosis is not good, for staff morale and professionalism or the student experience.
562
Katie Moore
University of Essex
561
Ian Johnson
University of Portsmouth
This type of work, and the research behind it, needs increasing not decreasing in a neo-liberal educational climate. Fix the system rather than cost-cutting the very necessary support for students to survive within it!
560
Pinar Aksu
UEL
559
Alexander Wallace-tarry
Essex University
558
Patrick Lown
University of Essex
557
Godfried Croenen
University of Liverpool
556
Enrique Matsumoto
University of Essex
555
Emma Claydon
University of Liverpool
554
Jamie Seakens
Essex
553
Clara Hiskey
Leeds
552
Gemma Hakins
University of Essex
551
Diane Stevens
Essex
Colchester
550
Lisa McKee
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
549
Dilwyn Owen
Wolverhampton University
548
Rubén Zamora
Birkbeck college
547
Iris Clapp
EU invigilator
If this short-sighted policy is adopted, Essex University will no longer be a university. The latter is not just about student numbers - it is about quality teaching and support. Such a policy takers away both. Not a wise move in every aspect.
546
Timos Almpanis
Kingston University
545
Terry Finnigan
University of the arts london
544
Tracey Costley
University of Essex
543
Syd Kent
Colchester
Money, money, money, it’s all about the money.
542
Victoria Beckwith
University of Essex
541
Julia Miller
The University of Adelaide
540
Victoria Mant
Essex
539
Ma Khoonarat Thetsri
University of Essex
538
Amma Frimpong
Essex university
Essex
537
Gloria Good
Birkbeck College
536
Steph Driver
University of Essex
I have just referred to TDC about a third of the students whose assignments I’ve marked. What was the point?!?
535
Pauline Rendall
Essex
Wivenhoe
534
Daisy Malt
University of Essex
533
Athanasia Pliakogianni
University of Bamberg
The issues are the same all over Europe. Same problems, common fights!
532
Clint Verdonschot
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: An International Forum
531
Chloe Bearman
University of Essex
530
Megan Sharman
529
Sarah Dalton
Wivenhoe
528
Sue Teale
The University of Birmingham
We can only provide quality support for our students, if we are secure in our jobs.
527
Philip Finn
526
James Stannard
525
Owen Robinson
University of Essex
524
Claudia Alsdorf
Department of Language and Linguistice, The University of Essex
I am very concerned about this development as it will negatively impact on students' welfare and success
523
Nic Blower
University of Essex
522
jack blount
university of essex
please protect our students
521
Terence Vasey
Colchester
Absolute disgrace
520
Anil Vastardis
Essex
519
Rebeca Perez Leon
UNAM
518
Rachel Westerbeek
University of Central Lancashire
Specialist academic skills support is vital in ensuring *all* students are able to benefit fully from their investment in HE. Diluting this support undermines both the widening particiaption and student outcomes agendas, both of which carry a very real financial risk for institutions.
517
Cheryl Voake-Jones
University of Bath
516
Ricky Jospeh
University of Birmingham
515
Man Hei Chan
University of Essex
514
Courtney Waugh
University of Essex
Protect academic support for students at essex
513
Ruth Windscheffel
City, University of London
Ever-diversifying, larger cohorts means universities should be investing more not less in specialist departments like TDC. Worrying premises: 'academic skills' are less important/less academic than 'factual' information imbibed and regurgitated; specialist staff can be replaced by casualised temps. Not what I expect to see from UoE. Student experience/outcomes will suffer.
512
Angela Dorado-Otero
Queen Mary University of London
511
Dimitri Lera
University of Essex
The university has won the University also because student’ support yet ithe department that has delivered that is now being restructured; it doesn’t make sense
510
Lydia Karga
PhD student, Department of Government, University of Essex
509
Megan Daigle
University of Birmingham
508
Alexandra Popescu
University of Essex
507
Sandra Sinfield
London Metropolitan University
Deleting LDUs undermines the goal of widening *successful* participation. Severing research and scholarship from the work of those providing academic support for students is a retrograde step that goes against the basic tenets of what it means to be a university. It is exploitative, mean and contributes to a cheapening of the meaning of a 'higher' education.
506
Savvas Voutyras
Essex
Colchester
505
Peter Squires
University of South Wales
504
Anna Oxton
Colchester
503
laura Redburne
Southend
502
Steven Gormley
University of Essex
501
Caitlyn Rogers
Southend campus
500
Caitlan Burns
Essex
The TDC is beneficial to so many staff and students; to remove it would simply be putting finances before people and I thought Essex University was above that?!
499
Ellen Boyd
University of essex
498
Deborah Stevenson
SOAS
497
Elane Heffernan
UCU NEC
496
Rachael Parsons
University of Essex
495
Rosalind Scott
Colchester Borough Council
Lifetime teacher.
494
MIke Brennan
Open university
493
Alicja Syska
University of Plymouth
492
Matt Bennett
University of Cambridge
491
Julie Oliver
Department of Economics
We and our students find the current TDC service invaluable and have concerns about the changes taking place.
490
Jimena Vazquez
University of Essex
489
Ursula Canton
Glasgow Caledonian
good student support needs motivated experts
488
Catherine Oxton
Colchester
487
Joan Busfield
University of Essex
The role the TDC plays given the diverse nature of the student body is absolutely vita. Reducing staff or giving them less favourable terms and conditions (eg not paying staff over parts of the summer) is not acceptable.
486
Claire Wotherspoon
485
Gosia Marska
484
Suzanne Waugh
University of Salford
483
Alejandro Moreno
University of Essex
482
Constantin Mehmel
University of Essex
481
Dr Shelagh Mooney
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, new Zealand.
I suport this petition. This is an important issue.
480
Kristen Treen
University of St Andrews
479
Konstantinos Roussos
University of Essex
Colchester
478
Michel Mason
TDC, University of Essex
477
Ryan Flitcroft
University of Essex
476
Elaine Speight-Burton
Deakin University Burwood Australia
Students need to interact, meet, engage with and be inspired by, learn from , be accompanied on their learning journey by teachers who are valued for their expertise, skills, commitment to and passion for, learning. And thus, the proposed introduction of annualised teaching should therefore be also accompanied by annualised learning and annualised administration, support services, funding and re
475
Adam Devine
University of Suffolk
474
Anika Easy
University of Leeds
473
Michael Beaney
London School of Economics
472
Johannes Maronda
University of East London
I think these changes are motivated to save money at the expense of the quality of teaching and welfare of staff. These changes should be reversed because they overlook the welfare of staff; the very critical resource that keeps the University moving and maintains its standards and name. Such insentive policies can only backfire.
471
Brian Dunsmore
University of Salford
470
Jordan Welsh
469
Jan Plummer
Ex Essex student
468
Rosie Worsdale
University of Cambridge
Essex alum and former GTA
467
Hannah Duncan
University of Essex, School of Health and Human Sciences
HSC students gain so much vital support from this service to support their learning and wellbeing. It is such an important service to which students would be greatly affected should this no longer be available to them.
466
Savanna Rayment
University of Essex
465
Holly Pester
University of Essex
464
Jess Meacham
University of Sheffield, VP Sheffield UCU
463
Tracey Hill
Bath Spa University
Essex alumna
462
Sarah Lewthwaite
University of Southampton
461
Jo Grady
University of Sheffield
460
John Prudhoe
York St John University
This is a sad example of erosion of standards for the sake of cutting cost. At a time when two of the highest profile developments in HE are internationalisation and student mental health, the squeezing of academic support budgets can only be detrimental to the student experience. Please reconsider this action.
459
Jane Ismail
University of Essex
458
Paloma Carretero García
457
Alexandra Beaumont
University of Essex
456
Angela Gillet
University of Nottingham
455
S White
The institution is removing something valuable that it will need to subsequently re-introduce, probably at greater expense.
454
Jill Doubleday
453
James O'Geran
University of Essex
452
Julio Gimenez
University of Westminster
451
Cristiana Rodrigues
450
Timothy Chapman
Goldsmiths, University of London
449
Rosie Bonny
Essex University
448
Aeronwy Thomas-Osborne
Oxford Brookes University
447
Nicholas Beuret
Essex
COLCHESTER
446
Ania Bailey
445
Tony Shannon-Little
University of Wolverhampton
Put students first
444
Lisa McDonagh
Staffordshire University
443
Khrieu Healy
University of Essex
442
Rob Marks
University of Manchester
441
Audrey woraker
University of Essex
I am retiring just in time!!
440
Gill Green
University of Essex
439
Caroline Burns
Northumbria University
This is disgraceful on the part of Essex University
438
Max Maher
University of Essex
437
Sarah Smith
University of Essex
436
Katya Kostadintcheva
University of Essex
435
Tom Edge
UWE Bristol
434
Milada Walkova
University of Leeds
433
Anne Prince
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
432
Michael Bailey
Essex University
431
Klaus Mundt
University of Nottingham
430
Rachel Elmslie
University of Glasgow
429
Susie Cowley-Haselden
428
Lisa Brennan
University of Liverpool
427
Lisa McGrath
Sheffield Hallam University
426
Mary Carr
St Andrews University
425
Catherine Duxbury
UCC
424
Vernon Strachan
University of Essex
423
Sarah Taylor
LSE
422
Jack Rutherford
LiFTS
421
Amber Silk
Essex
Colchester
420
Milena Marinkova
University of Leeds
Leeds
419
Christopher Cunningham
The University of Essex
I have met so many students who have benefited from the work of the TDC and its dedicated staff. Increasing student numbers, which largely results from widening access policies, and a strong focus on international recruitment, depends on the work that TDC does, in order for this expansion to be beneficial to not only individual students, but the institution as a whole.
418
Vicky Blake
University of Leeds
417
Elena Anna Maria Gandini
University of Central Lancashire
416
Evangelia Koumentaki
Phd student Essex University
This is not the university I chose for structuring my academic future! And the one I promoted to others! Unacceptable!
415
Cecily Blyther
Petroc
414
Aleks Palanac
University of Leicester, ELTU
413
Kerryann Bradshaw
University of Essex Student
412
Richard Davie
Canterbury Christ Church University
411
Desmond Thomas
University of Luxembourg and Ex-University of Essex
A short-sighted cost-cutting measure conducted in a high-handed fashion has resulted in trust and goodwill being destroyed. I no longer recognize the excellent university that I once worked for. Treating TDC staff with such disdain reflects very badly on decision-making processes made by the very few on behalf of a voiceless majority.
410
Elizabeth Cassell
University of Essex (retired)
It is essential to support this vital service
409
Maite Rodríguez
University of Essex
408
Carol McAleavy
University of Essex
Such cuts will have an adverse effect on staff and students and ramifications for the whole university.
407
Nicholas White
University of Portsmouth
I am astonished that Point 3 ("forcing full-time tutors to go part-time (shifting them from 1.0 FTE to 0.8 FTE) without reducing teaching loads") is even legal.
406
Hilary Nesi
Coventry University
I'm particularly concerned about international students who pay high fees to study in the UK, and under the proposed new system are not going to receive adequate professional help to adjust to UK university study requirements.
405
Steve Kirk
Durham University
In a time of increasing student diversity, pressure to succeed and the growing mental health crisis, these moves are the precise *opposite* of what should be happening. Removal of scholarship time is also a fundamental misunderstanding of what 'excellence in teaching' requires.
404
Zenna Marshall
University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
The casualisation of work spells the end of academic integrity
403
Alberta Righetti
Coventry
402
Tom Muir
OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University
401
Deborah Clarke
University of Helsinki, Finland
400
Dilly Meyer
Essex/TDC/Colchester
I have devoted my life to this work, supporting our students and now it’s is being destroyed.
399
Timea Tallodi
University of Essex
398
Norbert Schmitt
University of Nottingham
Nottingham
397
Diane Schmitt
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham
396
Helen Sadig
Leeds University
395
Fiona Wattam
Colchester English Study Centre
It's disappointing to hear that Essex is reducing the support for students who need it the most and who pay so much to study there.
394
James Norman
393
Julia Molinari
University of Nottingham
392
Liam Rodger
The Open University
EDINBURGH
391
Penny Wrout
Essex University, LiFTS dept.
390
Sheila Black
University of Essex
389
Jan Peacock
Wivenhoe
I though you were UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR, this will be an award that you will not see again and should possibly revoked. I suggest you think about your actions and the consequences before you ruin the university and other people’s good work. People do right to stand up for themselves and fight for the students. The people doing this should have their performance reviewed before it goes to far.
388
Brendon Nicholls
University of Leeds
As an alumnus of the University of Essex, I am ashamed. This is not the University I knew.
387
Karen Nicholls
Sheffield Hallam University
386
Jacqueline Grossart
RCS Glasgow
385
Penny Simpson
University of Essex
384
Jennie Todd
Essex
Colchester
383
Jane Sjoberg
University of Birmingham
382
Emma Frost
University of Essex
381
Jimmy Page
Former engineering student any withdrawal of support for students is not a good thing.
380
olivia arigho stiles
Univ Essex - Dept of Sociology
379
Calum Delaney
Cardiff
378
Shaul Bar-Haim
University of Essex
London
377
George Mann
Independent HE Consultant
These are developments that will negatively impact on the experience of students and staff and adversely affect the reputation of the University.
376
Maria Teasdale
UWE, Bristol
Appalling.
375
Mario Burghausen
University of Essex, Essex Business School, Employability and Careers Officer M&M/OSHRM
374
Hannah Gurr
Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies, University of Bristol
in solidarity
373
Nigel Harwood
372
Joanne Webster
Sheffield Hallam University
371
Liz Hamp-Lyons
former Editor of the Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Essex used to be well-regarded in ELT and many MA graduates went on into EAP. How sad to see it sink so low. How damaging to its student body as well as to its dedicated professional EAP staff.
370
Daisy Jordan
University of Essex
369
Dr Jörg Schaub
University of Essex
368
Mike Bowles
Zayed University
367
Sue Whitehouse
Halesowen
Appalling!
366
Marian Mayer
Bournemouth university
I hope that Kent's management will rethink this short-sighted decision
365
Josipa Javora
University of Essex
364
Daniel Watts
University of Essex
COLCHESTER
363
Sara Camacho Felix
London School of Economics and Political science
362
Jonathan Cooke
University of Suffolk
361
Teresa Eade
UoE
360
Linda Belgrove
Alumni - Uni of Essex
As a former Mature Student - graduated 2017 - I can confirm that the Talent Development Centre does what it says on the tin. Intelligence and talent does not mean that academic 'mechanics' come easily. I am confident that this decision will be reversed because the Uni of Essex VALUES equality, education ensures access to your rights & equality.
359
Malgorzata Drewniok
University of Lincoln
358
James Richards
Heriot=Watt University
357
Yan Li
U of Essex
356
Natasha Osben
University of Essex
355
Michael Salmon
University of Liverpool in London
354
Caroline Browne
Password English Language Testing
353
Ceiren Bell
Goldsmiths
352
Miriam Schwiening
University of Warwick
351
Sharon Riddle
Durham
350
John Wrigglesworth
Sheffield Hallam
349
Alex Holloway
University of Leeds
348
Rhea Mehmet
London
347
Chen-Yu Lin
Taiwan
346
Alistair McCulloch
University of South Australia (formerly Edge Hill University)
Severing research and scholarship from the work of those providing academic support for students is a retrograde step that goes against the basic tenets of what it means to be a university. It is exploitative, mean and contributes to a cheapening of the meaning of a 'higher' education.
345
Ya Han Chang
KPMG
344
Caterina Fantacci
343
Ian Bruce
The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
English for Academic Purposes courses require full-time, academic staff engaged in an active scholarship of teaching and learning. These proposed changes undermine the quality of courses that are able to be offered to international students.
342
Anna Murawska
Into Newcastle university
341
Milly Williamson
Goldsmiths
340
Jessica Garska
Trinity college Dublin
339
Rob Playfair
Liverpool
338
Annie Jones
Sheffield Hallam University
337
Marilyn Sore
Suffolk
Sudbury
336
Katherine Grayson
The University of Essex
335
Sarah Bones
334
Sally Zacharias
University of Glasgow
This is wrong
333
Silvia Ranawake
Queen Mary University of London
332
Dolly Okeowo
331
michael bassett
Clacton On Sea
330
Emily Wallace
University of Bedfordshire
329
Jane Sabey
328
Sarah Wagner
University of Essex
327
Maria-Irina Popescu
University of Essex
326
Pasi Ahonen
University of Essex
I serve as an Associate Director of Education in Essex Business School, university’s largest and fastest growing department, I am deeply concerned about the announced plan to reduce learning skills support for our students.
325
Tom Vaughan
University of Essex
324
Evangelia Tsimpoukli
323
Miharu Hori
Student of University of Essex
322
Sasha Litvintseva
Queen Mary University of London
321
Ewen Speed
University of Essex
320
Patrick Chester
QMUL
319
Henry Anim Del Rio
Colchester
I would like to see this department to carry on offering more support to students
318
James Bicknell
University of Essex
317
Jo Kukuczka
316
Caitlin Adams
Open University
315
Mary Davis
Oxford Brookes University
I hope signing this petition will help to protect both the hardworking and professional staff at Essex and protect the vital academic support for students.
314
Jade Archer
University of Essex
I believe that these changes will have a major down-slide effect on our students and staff here at the University of Essex.
313
Robert Smart
University of Essex
Part of a general trend of reducing support at the university.
312
Neil Robbie
SOAS, University of London
London
311
Elaine Smith
University of Nottingham
310
Gary Riley-Jones
Goldsmiths, University of London
309
Debra Jones
Bristol University
308
paul dickinson
university of liverpool
in solidarity
307
Alexandra Kimbo
University of Essex
306
Els Van Geyte
University of Birmingham
305
Noah Johnston
304
Nikolas Chatzicostis
303
Louise Greener
Durham University
302
Philip France
Queen Mary University, London
London
301
Beatriz de paiva
300
Gareth GEE
CELE, University of Nottingham
299
Carlos Carrillo-Tudela
University of Essex
The TDC has been doing great work. A couple of years ago we teamed up to deliver support to entry PGT students in economics with wonderful results. They are a core part of our offer. If anything make them stronger!
298
Ai Gooch
University of Essex
297
Astrid Kohler
Queen Mary University of London
296
Trevor Herndon
Arts University Bournemouth
295
Melody Mason
The University of Warwick
294
Jola Tong
University of Essex
293
Jody Bradford
University of Leeds
292
Anna H
University of Essex
291
Katie Shaw
Royal Holloway, University of London
290
Emily Pfefer
Queen Mary University of London
289
Justin Colson
University of Essex
288
Helen Taylor
CU Services
To maintain a quality provision academic teaching staff undertake research and scholarship and this should be recognised, valued and paid. REF and TEF metrics are increasingly improtant and this research and scholarship has a direct and positive impact on the University and its ranking. Such a change to the TDC seems to be short-sighted and a retrograde step.
287
Jane Saville
University of the West of England
As an alumni of Essex University, I am shocked at the proposal to reduce the importance and scope of student support. This flies in the face of inclusivity, widening participation, internationalisation and student attainment.
286
Saskia Price
University of Essex
285
James Bullock
University of Portsmouth
284
Cheyne Truman
University of Essex
Our TDC is a vital resource, especially for mature and international students as well as those with additional learning needs.
283
Alice Ferro
University of Essex
282
Rosa Fass
University of Essex
281
Camille Walker
University of Essex
COLCHESTER
280
Jake Collinson
*Consultation documents suggest otherwise, but this is based on their tendency to calculate FTE numbers without taking into consideration number reductions based on previous redundancies and restructures. Hence a comparison of absolute numbers is best able to communicate what is at stake:
In October 2017 TDC staff comprised:
- G10 x 1
- G 8 x 3
- G 7 x 7.8
- G4 x 1.7
- Plus hourly paid tutors in the Autumn/Spring term.
Under the new structure proposal the team (now known as ‘Skills for Success’) would comprise:
- G9 x 1
- G 8 x 2
- G 7 x 5.5
- G 6 x 1 (fixed term, to review structure and procedures)
- G4 x 1
- Plus hourly paid tutors in the Autumn/Spring term.
When calculated solely in terms of ‘skills delivery staff’ (i.e. those who undertake teaching) the numbers provided in the briefing documents are misleading:
- their calculation of 8.5 FTE in the new structure includes the new Grade 9 post (heading up Skills for Success); but
- their calculation of 9 FTE previously excludes the current G10 post of TDC Head, and excludes a TDC post that was left vacant earlier this year (0.8 FTE) – even though both posts contributed to ‘service delivery’ (i.e. teaching).
- In addition, the Southend G7 tutor has had her contribution factored in (for both new and old structures) as FTE 0.5 – while this is only true of the new structure. Previously, the post holder has had her contract extended each summer (using TDC budget). This made her FTE up to 0.8 FTE
- Therefore a previous FTE comparison for ‘service delivery’ should more accurately be totalled as 11 FTE reduced to 8.5 FTE.