Thursday 3 December 2009

Melville Report summary 'Wikileak'

'Wikileaks' have published the report here. Download as a pdf.

We feel completely vindicated in our position that the management at London Met must take responsibility for this crisis: not front line staff. What we have said about a bullying management culture at London Met is backed up by this report which describes the widely-held perception of:

“A highly centralised and dictatorial executive led by the vice-chancellor, which was incapable of listening to what was going on in the university, discouraged or ignored criticism and made decisions without consultation.”


We notice that nobody has yet resigned over this, and that the deadline given by HEFCE (last Friday) has not been met with the expected response. If the funding body has no confidence in the management, we the staff have no confidence, who on earth does? When will heads be rolling over this?

Watch this space for the results of a vote of no confidence organised by both unions. A petition is already being circulated calling for resignations and a 'Fresh Start' for London Met.

It's worth asking why, when the Nursery in Hornsey Rd got a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' in their OFSTED report of 2008, do they have to close down in 2010? Compare that to the Board of Governors and senior staff at London Met getting a 'no confidence letter' from HEFCE: can some one explain why they're all still in place?

7 comments:

  1. This makes for interesting reading!!

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  2. Hello Max,
    Yes, nobody has resigned yet over this and the idea of a petition seems the right thing to do but what about the students? They are the most important part of the university and they don't have access to the right information about the whole scandal! I am a lecturer for OLP department and I feel -speaking with my students-a need to start a campain and a petition for the students...
    I want to take part... give me your feedback
    Thanks

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  3. This might explain how so many bad decisions were made at London Met:
    'How we make decisions': http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/foi/classes/hwmd.cfm
    :(

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  4. maybe the student union ought to be leading on this? but if you feel the students should set up a new petition themselves, then go for it. draft something, send it to the email addresses (left) and the trade unions can help to set it up? we'd be happy to help...

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  5. The SU are under the control of LMU we do not have the official right to stand up for ourselves. Just last week the student mag was not published, allegedly because of censoring issues (see http://lmsuwatch.blogspot.com/2009/12/very-quite-coup.html).

    Any student wanting info should join the Facebook group 'STUDENT POWER @ London Met'

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  6. has not been met with the expected response. If the funding body has no confidence in the management, we the staff have no confidence, who on earth does? When will heads be rolling over this?

    ReplyDelete