Thursday 24th April 2014 - Giving bad news to students

Some years ago I was with my father in the out-patients department when the consultant told him he had inoperable cancer and had only a matter of weeks to live.  The news was conveyed in an incredibly thoughtful and sensitive way - hinting at the situation rather than being blatant - so much so that three weeks later, when it was all over, I wrote to thank the specialist for the way he had conveyed bad news.  It is something all medical students are trained in as part of their 'communications skills' development, and needs updating throughout their practice years.

I wonder whether academics ought not also to be trained in 'giving bad news'.  Most of us don't like to do it, and we often seek to avoid it.  And although the bad news we may have to give is not going to be of a terminal illness, it can still be life-changing.  I am thinking of the cases I have come across where a postgraduate student just does not match up to the demands of a PhD - and in the judgement of experienced colleagues, never will.  I have seen students being encouraged by their supervisors to prepare a clearly sub-standard thesis for examination in the hope that the examiners will take pity on the student, or drop their standards, and pass it.  The first real inkling the student has that they are not going to get those extra letters after their name, with all that they might open up in terms of prospects, comes at the end of the viva and in the damning follow up report which offers the prospect of an MPhil at best or possibly nothing at all.  I am thinking of other cases I have come across where a succession of glowing progress reports (later claimed to be based on evaluations of  'effort' rather than of 'achievement') have been followed by a Faculty-based review hearing or a refusal by the supervisor to continue working with the student.  In these, and other similar cases, academic staff have backed away from being completely honest with their students and indicating that those students' goals are unlikely  to be achieved.

It is less likely that these things can happen at the undergraduate level because the remorseless accumulation of marks, semester by semester in our modularised system, provides an ongoing indication of an objective measure of progress to the student.  Most adjust their hopes and expectations in the light of their developing record.  Paradoxically it is in the medical degree, with its non-modularised structure, that students sometimes don't realise that their ambition is too high, and that they do not have the ability to qualify.

So perhaps academics should be trained in giving bad news in various forms.  It may sometimes be painful to do so, but being completely honest with our students may enable them to stop wasting their time, to re-set their goals, and to get on with their lives in different ways.

Sunday 13th April 2014 - Clocking up universities visited

I was out of the country for nearly a week at an international conference, so I've been catching up on recent copies of the Times Higher in  recent days.  This morning I came across an item, derived from a blog, about the numbers of universities that some colleagues have visited.  The original writer had  been to around 55.

This set me thinking about how many I have been to, and with the help of the complete list of UUK members I have tried to work it out.  I think in my case it comes to about 61 UK universities - and I have not been trying to clock them all, unlike some 'completists' who have that ambition.  I've not started trying to count the numbers of universities outside the UK that I've been to - they are almost all elsewhere in mainland Europe - but I guess that probably comes to another 20 to 30.

So how come 61 universities, when I've only ever worked in one UK university (Sheffield) in my life (although I did study at another - Oxford)?

Looking through the list I reckon the three commonest reasons in my autobiography for visiting other universities have been as follows:
1. Examining duties.  There are at least two places on my list that I have only been to for the purpose of undertaking a PhD examination. And the total of PhD and undergraduate examination duties comes to quite a few.
2. Conferences.  Apart from invitations to speak at various conferences, visits to other universities were occasioned for many years by the practice of my academic association - the Institute of British Geographers (now part of the Royal Geographical Society).  Until about ten years ago the annual conference was held in a different university - always in January (and thus not the best time to visit, often resulting in a test as to whether the heating system in the halls of residence had failed over the Christmas break).  Since the annual conference has now moved to London permanently, and in August, I haven't attended.
3. Giving guest lectures and seminars to schools, students, and research seminar groups.

More recently, during the time I was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching (I need to get used to that past tense now I've moved on to being Deputy Vice Chancellor) the PVC network of the Russell Group moved from university to university.  But in most cases this didn't add a new institution to my list. 

So what are the highlights in my memory from this set of visits?

Most impressive buildings - Royal Holloway, University of London; although Queens Belfast is also rather impressive.
Most impressive setting - Cambridge stands out; but the sight of the clock tower above the main block of the University of Glasgow is pretty good; and I do rather like the lake at York (although it's not what you'd call 'impressive')
Best accommodation (for conferences etc) - Keble College, Oxford (the NEW block!)
Worst accommodation - perhaps I should draw a veil over that, but I expect things have improved since I stayed at D.......
Best food (admittedly this relates to the quality of formal dinners or conference events rather than the food in cafeterias) - Sheffield (when Tracey Carr is cooking) and York run close.
Most inaccessible - Aberystwyth and St Andrews are both awful places to have to get to, at least if you are starting from Sheffield.
Oddest object - the effigy of Jeremy Bentham at UCL
Most thought-provoking picture - 'Women of the University' in one of the main meetings rooms at Queens Belfast - a real celebration of equality.

I'd be interested in others adding their own highlights list, based on their personal experiences.