Volume 17 - 1989/90 - SINEWS

Preamble

This (part) volume is different in that editions ran to several pages – a complete change from the previous two sided editions.  Separate visits from the Chief Executive of the CNAA and Baroness Warnock and her team helped give the Institute a higher profile, but internal complaints continued…………..

(1)   Vanessa Cole thanked staff for her leaving present from her new home in Hannover.  Clive Welsteed, as Common Services Officer, explained the reason for fitting locks on fire doors.  Jutta Manser  asked whether the  S in SCR  referred to Staff or Senior.  Julie Winning wrote of the birth of her baby and thanked staff for the presents.

(2)  Dennis Rutley apologised for the presentation of SINEWS saying that last week a typist had travelled up from Warsash to type the copy and he could not possibly allow money to be wasted like that.  Margaret and Shirley on the main switchboard asked for more co-operation from staff regarding information about courses etc.  A handwritten page from Clive Welsteed  gave telephone numbers for senior staff prior to the publication of a new directory.  Ann Davis defended the accusation that her course advertising on the radio over the summer had been aimed at ‘bored housewives’.

(3)  A Principal’s memo had been sent out to consider a fourth term in the Summer to improve the use of assets.  Dennis Rutley compiled a voting form on the proposition. NATFHE   reported on a meeting attended by 93 members where a resolution unanimously adopted was:   This branch has no confidence in the ability of management of Southampton Institute to satisfactorily conduct industrial relations.

(4)  Malcolm Mattick applauded the effort to hold a referendum on the fourth term but said he would not vote because there would have to be agreement on pay/conditions and he could not see that happening.  R. A. Lawrence defended the use of Senior Common Room for academics as a place to discuss academic topics with colleagues – ‘non academics are not usually interested in estimating how many fairies can dance on the head of a pin’.   He noted around the building rooms labelled Technicians, Caretakers etc.   Ray Stewart  submitted a long article about management at the Institute citing several examples where management proved inadequate over the recent past.

(5)  Dr. Jeff Richards, Dean, Academic Standards, reported on the visit of Dr. Malcolm Frazer, Chief Executive of the CNAA.  He had been favourably impressed on this his first visit.  David Leyland contributes an article under the title ‘They were the best of times, they were the worst of times.’  He asked staff who were critical of management to be sure of their facts and put things in perspective.

(6)   John Everson gave short shrift to the defence of senior managers by saying that serious thinking members of staff know blunders have been made.  Richard Swann welcomed the Principal’s use of Sinews to air matters.  Ray Stewart gave further examples of mis-management as he saw it finishing by saying – ‘After all, we are told that our senior managers are doing their very best – and I’m beginning to believe that it’s probably very true’.

(7)  Grace Mogg, secretary to the Warsash Ladies Darts team, challenged the Ladies from the Southampton  campus.  Baroness Mary Warnock headed a small committee of the PCFC that was looking into Teaching Quality.  That committee visited the Institute and met with staff and students from a range of courses.  Jeff Richards also commented that the committee had met with Mike Patten and Jim Rumsey who have taken a leading role in promoting educational development and innovative teaching methods within the Institute.   In a short debriefing session the committee members commented to the Principal that they were pleased with their visit.  Ian Tromans said that the replacement teaching rooms for the two good classrooms that had been commandeered to create large, low occupancy spacious offices for administration,   were inadequate – an open drain running through one, no heating and welding fumes were part of the problem.

(8)  Ann Davis pointed out that other PCFC Institutes had massive early retirement programmes in April /May 1989 but we did not.

(9)  Terry Baker wrote that friends and colleagues will be saddened to her off the death of Rita Austin, following a brave battle against cancer.  The Rev. Elizabeth Pratt has taken over from Rev. Andrew Rossiter.  Alan Barham queried the circulated Early Retirement Plan by stating, ‘It seems therefore our Principal, and probably others, are trying to implement a redundancy plan on the cheap and I for one am not falling for it.’

(10)   Stephen Woods, Graham Gosh and Steve Park gave details of the next Staff Photographic Exhibition.  Steve Vincent had left his role of Student Counsellor and been replaced by two part-time appointments, Robin Nouch and Owen Ashley.  Three Educational Technology Seminars were announced to be led in two cases by Dick Davies and John Carling.  John Hoar informed colleagues that the Solent Branch of the Royal Institute of Navigation is based at Warsash and holds monthly talks.  John Blizzard and Tina Sears  were announced as Access Co-ordinators  following a recent internal advertisement.  Cliff Rogers said their positions would be reviewed at the end of the Spring Term.

(11)  It was reported that Bill Findlay had had a heart attack last week and is now making steady progress in his recovery in hospital.  Alan Barham continued to comment on the Early Retirement Plans pointing out that Portsmouth Poly was reputed to be offering ten years enhancement and full redundancy.

(12)  Sarah-Jane gave details of the Christmas ‘Doo’ to be run by the Fitness Firm.  Two events had raised 1200 pounds for Children in Need.  Warsash Campus raised money in a sponsored row around the Isle of Wight and the Institute Rugby club had pulled a minibus from Bedford Place to Ocean Village.   Richard Swann encouraged staff to use the Staff Common Room.  Steve Woods warned about children on the premises and damage that had been done to his car in the car park.   The only photograph ever to be printed in Sinews was taken by Diane Hill and showed Norman Davies presenting Jim Rumsey with a small cricket bat to acknowledge his 100 runs in a game against Midland Bank.  Over 50 people attended the event in the Training Restaurant of the Technical College including Mike Barnard whose student team had been winners of the British Colleges Cup.   Keith Bailey gave details of a Staff Purchase Scheme, an opportunity to buy at discount from various college suppliers.  Ron Chalk  reported a national ‘first’ for the college with CNAA validation for a Social Work Diploma.

(13)   Lindsay Blow put out a plea for a freezer, invaluable for  a course (Scientific and Technical Illustration) that requires keeping fresh dead specimens, dead fish, rabbits etc.   Their freezer had broken and could not be repaired and they have no money to buy another.  Tom Thomas was to lead the last Educational Technology seminar of the term – Why Computer-Based Training.

(14)   A plea was made from the Students’ Union to be told the name of Course Representatives so that they could be informed of meetings.   Dennis Rutley thanked Liz Clark, Jeanette Harrison and Rosemary Halford for their work to make Sinews readable and Bob Howlett and his team in the print room who, machinery permitting, make Sinews available to all each Monday.

(15)   Cathy Pickup thanked all colleagues in the Business Division for the flowers and present.  The PE Unit published a timetable for staff to consider getting fit.  Colin Beavan  gave details of a Spanish course that staff might be interested in.  Terry Murphy advertised a NATFHE meeting to consider a Management offer of an interim award of 6% on all scales below HOD, subject to Lecturers lifting sanctions for the remainder of the academic year.   The editor wrote; ‘This announcement is released from the ban on union matters in Sinews’.

And that is it!  The papers that Dennis Rutley bequeathed to me end here.   I cannot recall if the series continued.  Certainly it is odd that the ending should come so suddenly.  Perhaps Dennis gave further editions to someone else?   He retired over two years later.

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