I sat down at my desk at 8am, I ate lunch in ten mins whilst writing emails, I’ve got another couple of hours of work to do tonight. I am against student fees in principle. But remote learning is much more work than in-person tuition (which was already more than a full load). https://twitter.com/claudiawebbe/status/1346393311863590912

My students are getting all the teaching they would usually get at much more cost to me than it would usually be. And last year, pre-COVID, we were on strike for weeks because our workloads were unsustainable. These sorts of demands are really disheartening to rwad.

I would love HE to be comprehensive, free at the point of access, life-long. But really what you want to focus on here is getting students out of expensive rental contracts, and abolishing fees and reinstating grants more generally. Not kicking uni staff when they’re overworked.

Also tell the OU that remote learning is useless! Tell my students with chronic conditions who are finally able to participate in seminars during flare ups, or my students with caring responsibilities who can listen to a lecture even when their kids are off school.

Universities laid a bunch of staff off this summer when they thought they’d lose income this year. Universities are not benevolent institutions and they are driven by market forces. You want to reduce student fees, you also need to replace them, or thousands of us lose our jobs.

This is very BUCKLE UP FOR SOME HE POLICY but I’m exhausted, after a full two weeks off, and staring down the barrel of another long term of remote learning — oh maybe in person learning! — oh and all research leave is cancelled — oh but none of your research targets are reduced!