The last few entries have focused on the university sector in Wales and for this I make no apology.
Whilst the Welsh media has picked up on the odd story, it would seem that there is a quiet revolution going on within the sector, with hundreds of jobs under threat over the next few months.
We have already seen 100 jobs under threat in Bangor and a further 100 at IBERS in Aberystwyth.
Now, the news reaches me that three former colleagues at the University of Glamorgan Business School have been given a 90 day consultation with regard to their current positions.
This can only mean that more than 100 employees at the University have been offered redundancy to trigger such a consultation.
The fact that all three are professors within the Business School seems to be a worrying trend in that seems to be a targeting of senior staff for redundancy in an effort to save money.
If that is the case, then it could hit the university's reputation badly, especially if the business school, after an impressive growth in research reputation, reverts to becoming a teaching department once more as it was in the days when Glamorgan was the Polytechnic of Wales.
Worst of all, the university's standing within the Good University Guide has dropped from 55th in 2008 to 94th in 2010, and getting rid of high quality staff will not help this improve in the short term.
Does this cost cutting exercise suggest that some universities in Wales are already preparing for the worse following an announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government to commission an independent review of education funding?
If so, then the Welsh Assembly Government should come clean as to the extent to which the massive cuts to higher education highlighted in England by Lord Mandelson will be passed onto Wales.
Indeed, it can be expected that these job cuts may be the first of many lost in the sector over the next few months with a real knock on effect for the reputation of Wales as a 'learning country'.
Whilst the Welsh media has picked up on the odd story, it would seem that there is a quiet revolution going on within the sector, with hundreds of jobs under threat over the next few months.
We have already seen 100 jobs under threat in Bangor and a further 100 at IBERS in Aberystwyth.
Now, the news reaches me that three former colleagues at the University of Glamorgan Business School have been given a 90 day consultation with regard to their current positions.
This can only mean that more than 100 employees at the University have been offered redundancy to trigger such a consultation.
The fact that all three are professors within the Business School seems to be a worrying trend in that seems to be a targeting of senior staff for redundancy in an effort to save money.
If that is the case, then it could hit the university's reputation badly, especially if the business school, after an impressive growth in research reputation, reverts to becoming a teaching department once more as it was in the days when Glamorgan was the Polytechnic of Wales.
Worst of all, the university's standing within the Good University Guide has dropped from 55th in 2008 to 94th in 2010, and getting rid of high quality staff will not help this improve in the short term.
Does this cost cutting exercise suggest that some universities in Wales are already preparing for the worse following an announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government to commission an independent review of education funding?
If so, then the Welsh Assembly Government should come clean as to the extent to which the massive cuts to higher education highlighted in England by Lord Mandelson will be passed onto Wales.
Indeed, it can be expected that these job cuts may be the first of many lost in the sector over the next few months with a real knock on effect for the reputation of Wales as a 'learning country'.
Comments
Just as worrying is the extent of cuts in Local Authorities so far over 2,000 threatened in Wales, thats a lot of people looking for jobs that aint there. i am no fan ,like you , of an over large public sector , but more on the dole chasing the few jobs around isnt good either
And its not just here in Wales ,Birmingham have just announced
The UK's biggest local authority needs to slash £69m from its budget and plans to cut 5% of its workforce in the process.
Unions say children's services are expected to be hardest hit, with more than 1,200 positions that could go.
Further more, as they have gotten rid of the hourly paid lecturers the Law school has demonstrated that it is ill equipped to deal with full time lecturers absences for illness or whatever reason - the result - simply that there are no lectures if the usual lecturer is absent. Great value for money for us students hey! It is hardly going to raise the profile of the University if current students dissuade friends and acquaintances from studying at Glamorgan due to a complete lack of customer care, poor organisation, and no bloody lecturers!
click here