Another month another payslip - £1484.52 deducted for June, on top of the deduction of £2103.06 deducted for May. All for refusing to provide one mark for a student.
Way to go
@cardiffuni
at making staff feel undervalued...
I am absolutely delighted to take on this role - the CTU network has been such an essential part of my own and so many others development. Prof Julia Brown has made it such an essential part of the UK research ecosystem and collectively we can build on that.
We are delighted to announce that Prof Kerry Hood
@kerryhood
has been appointed
#UKCTUNetwork
Director wef Oct23.
Kerry is passionate about the role of the Network in driving innovation while maintaining the high quality standards the UK is known for.
Yesterday I received the email which triggers the request for me to mark one single student project. This means that as of today and everyday until I do it I will be docked 50% of my salary. I cannot see that this is legal, but I think Unis know that.
@CardiffUCU
.
@UCU
faces “ultimate test” as v-cs seek to blunt marking boycott: union attempts to rally members behind potentially game-changing action despite threats of 100 per cent wage deductions.
I am really excited!!! Just over 2 months ago my husband walked away from 21 years of working in Universities to set up his own business as a candle maker. Our house smell beautiful and he will start selling his candles in just a couple of weeks. 😃
Today is a day we are encouraged to talk about mental health and illness in order to reduce stigma. As part of this I have temporarily broken my Twitter holiday to mention that I am currently off work with anxiety and depression...
#TimetoTalk
...
Exercise for all students: learning outcomes from analysing this tweet
1. Association is not causation
2. measures of centre (average) should have accompanying measures of spread
3. Two stage sampling requires adjustment for clustering
4. Missing data need to be considered
@JennyPickerill
Stop. Walk away and restart tomorrow. It took my GP to convince me that it was possible to not go into work the next day. It was entirely possible and the University survived.
Feeling a bit demotivated this morning by the fact that I am apparently 'volunteering' to do my job and am only getting 50% of my salary. Makes me wonder how easy it would be for
@cardiffuni
replace me and my skill set. I suspect they might find it challenging
@CardiffUCU
@Sillyshib
@franceshinde
I wanted to ask why no-one thinks its a problem that a small child lives in an environment full of drunken people who leave empty bottles all over the place, have fights and break their things in the garden...
Being interviewed along with fabulous collaborators for an NIHR grant today. Have a dental abcess, so have done my hair to mask the swelling and got my confidence shoes on!
So as
@UniversitiesUK
and
@ucu
seem to have come to a new proposal to end
#ussstrike
the
@UniSouthWales
puts out a proposal to make all new professional and support staff to be employed by a new company, with no access to DB pension scheme...
Today I would like to celebrate being Welsh, Eurooean and a member of the human race! To all my friends and colleagues I send a big hug
#WeAreInternational
#NoBrexitDay
Today I am ashamed - to all of my friends affected by this, to the thousands of care workers told they are unwelcome, to my collaborators and colleagues. Please know that I will never stop working for a fairer society that sees everyone as equal.
We’re ending free movement to open Britain up to the world.
It will ensure people can come to our country based on what they have to offer, not where they come from.
@FionaSturges
@JimMFelton
My husband has a whole variety of responses, including ‘you wouldn’t like me if I drink’, ‘it would get very messy’ and ‘ there is a court order....’
Whilst I am entirely comfortable with being called Kerry, I have changed my handle to my full name and title to recognise the way in women who are experts are ‘downgraded’ in their address.
Today I have worked for
@cardiffuni
* for a quarter of a century!!
* actually I started at the University of Wales College of Medicine, which then merged with Cardiff
I was really struggling with the pressure of work before Christmas and am focusing on improving my approach this year. The first thing I want to do is to try this:
Five years ago today I started as the Director of
@CTRCardiffUni
- a research centre which came into being on the same day. I had three very different
@UKCTUNetwork
CTUs to bring together as one, including different QA and IT systems, buildings, employment conditions and cultures
@SophieRunning
My reading of the case is that the matters of disputed fact (are the medications experimental or not), were outside the courts jurisdiction. What they have done is reinforce the fact that Gillick competence applies to all young people and should not be limited...
A reflection from the 1st week of
#UCUStrikesBack
- I haven’t met a single person on the picket line who is doing this solely for themselves. The belief in our Universities as places of knowledge, learning & community, focussed on delivering a greater good to our society is fab!
Fun things to do whilst on holiday:
1. Work how
@cardiffuni
has calculated pay deductions for the Marking & Assessment Boycott
2. Check payslip for this month and check level of deduction
3. Email HR to find out why it is more than the formula they said they would use
...
We lost a bright flame of intelligence, energy and laughter this week with the passing of Prof Gareth Williams (
@cardiffuni
). This is beautiful piece says it better than I ever could!
Just finished this amazing book by
@Liz_ORiordan
- it is rare to read an autobiography that is also a page turner, but I could not out it down. Thank you Liz for your honesty and humanity. X
@Femi_Sorry
Even if she was completely guilty and not a victim in any way I don't think we should be able to strip her of her citizenship. She is our responsibility as a country.
It’s the end of another week of half pay from
@cardiffuni
- solidarity to all my colleagues in this. We are being treated c*** and I would really really like to see Universities being prepared to negotiate.
#ucuRISING
@CardiffUCU
Sadly tomorrow I am many of my colleagues will be outside our places of work picketing rather than doing our jobs (which we would all rather be doing). Instead of meeting my fab PhD student, I will be standing in the cold trying to explain why?
#UCUstrike
...and it is worth remembering that the VC of
@UniSouthWales
is Vice President of
@UniversitiesUK
. This continues a policy of trying to eradicate DB pensions from the university sector. Hope
@unisontweets
are all over this (and will have
@UCU
support!)
Really lovely celebratory lunch today
@cardiffuni
with amazing colleagues celebrating 25 years of working here. Lovely food (and speech from the Deputy VC), but most of all a chance to catch up in person with people who have shared the journey!
Really feeling it this morning - my head is full of all the things I need to be doing in work, big things, and yet I am pulling on my layers to go to a chilly picket line.
#ucuRISING
@CardiffUCU
As I start another strike day I am a little more reflective on the offer put to us yesterday by
@ucu
. First point to note is that we are engaged in two separate dispute driven by two separate ballots. The first on pensions affects some members and some employers….
Wandered back into twitter - firmly convinced that it is the world which has gone crazy not me! However compassion and consideration for everyone ( even when they are really hard to like) can only improve things.
@EmmaShe06213818
@JolyonMaugham
an abortion is pretty irreversible and this could set a precendent which would mean that a 15 year old girl could not access an abortion without parental consent. I think that would be a significant step backwards for the rights of women and girls autonomy over their bodies.
Today shows how hard it is to develop prediction rules that perform well at an individual level - remember this next time someone tries to sell you an app that will diagnose you.
Those of you who are new to following me, I may shamelessly be making posts about candles and soap today. My wonderfully talented husband is
@CandlesKite
and we are doing our first autumn/Christmas Fair today!
Quite a few job opportunities
@CTRCardiffUni
at the moment - just a quick reminder that we use open ended contracts as standard and are quite nice as well!!
So incredibly proud and delighted that my godchild has got a 2:1 in their Medical Physics degree. It has been tough couple of years for students, but their brilliance is shining through.
Whilst we are sad to no longer be core funded by
@CRUKresearch
, we are commited
@CTRCardiffUni
to continue delivering practice changing international and national trials meeting the needs of patients with cancer, in partnership with
@ResearchWales
and
@theWCRC
.
Congratulations to the 7 clinical trial units that have been awarded Cancer Research UK funding. This
#CRUKfunding
will help deliver multi-centre trials across the UK that improve the care and outcome for people affected by cancer.
Find out more:
Great start to Christmas week - get a paper published!!
Development of a core outcome set for the evaluation of interventions to enhance trial participation decisions on behalf of adults who lack capacity to consent.
@VickyLShepherd
Had a pretty good day - got through my PDR without feeling like a failure for the first time (I think ever) and came up with Chelsea Bun & Butter pudding!
Generally I like reviewing grant applications because I feel like I can give feedback which helps to deliver better research. Then every now and then you read one that blows you away and you are left so excited by its possibilities.
Added new title to my signature as the Director of the UKCRC CTU Network. Hope my translation is up to scratch:
Cyfarwyddwr Rhwydwaith CTU UKCRC, Prifysgol Leeds
Used CTU as a name rather than translating the parts and not sure what Leeds is in Welsh!
@UKCTUNetwork
Can I ask if there has been discussion on providing PPI costs to cover IT and connectivity? We would have funded travel for people to get to meetings, but do we assume that people can access virtual ones 'for free' just because our connectivity is covered by our work?
@TTindrum
@elinlowri
@Jc4pmTomski
@martynware
...I value the doctors who would have looked at her and decided to give her a good death rather than splintering her frail ribs in a vain attempt to restart her heart.
As usual I have returned from leave determined to say no to more things - but the Dutch person who has asked me in Welsh to review something for them is very impressive and may change my mind...
@CarlRMay
Nope. I have stopped doing this. I allocate set amount of time for the other stuff and if it does not fit in then I say it can’t be done within their timeframe.
Sometimes I need to remind a chief investigator that they have to follow the protocol for a clinical trial, not what they think it said when they wrote it....
I spoke at the
@CardiffUCU
rally earlier on 'working conditions are our research integrity' as I believe our current culture of employment for staff delivering research leads to poor research.
We are looking for a new Professor of Medical Statistics who will lead our Statistics and Data teams
@CTRCardiffUni
please drop me a DM or email if you want to talk through the role!
Just wondering if it would help if we said Do to people instead of Don’t?
Do spend some quality time with those you live with?
Do fall in love with your house and garden again?
Do phone, write and email your olf family and friends you keep meanig to ‘when you have time’...
On my way to stand on a picket line - makes me feel sad and angry to have to do this. But at the same time I know I will be spending the morning in the cold and wet with people who are inspiring in their integrity and commitment to things being better for everyone.
#ucuRising
Off to London today with the team to be interviewed for some funding. Actually checked the panel to see if they might remember I am wearing exactly the same as 5 years ago!
One of the things that really moved me in the auguration was taking a moments silence to think about all the people who had died of COVID. Over 1,800 people died yesterday in the UK - when are we taking time to think about them collectively as people rather than numbers?
Very very unimpressed at this response from
@cardiffuni
- I struggle to see how withholding 50% for not marking one piece of work is proportionate!
#ucurising
Reply from UEB regarding marking and assessment boycott of 19th June | Cardiff UCU
@jessbrammar
I agree entirely. When I had my son 30 years ago as a single parent I found the focus of language on what the 'husband' should be doing for me really difficult. Changing that approach did not exclude people, so this shouldn't either.
Today I have worked for Cardiff University for 24 years. All this working from home has made me reflect on the various offices I have had over those years and what they were before:
Photocopying room
Dental receptionist
Student bedroom (x4)
My spare bedroom
...I have a large number of friends and colleagues who have been really supportive and offered
#timetotalk
...I would dearly love to spend time with them all, but find the ‘work’ of engaging exhausting. So yes talk, but also recognise that sometimes supportive silence is wonderful
Lots of posts about video conferencing etiquette. I love the fact that the two day funding committee video conference I am in started by saying 'We know you are all joining from your own homes. If you need to dive out for whatever reason just type BRB in the chat'
@trishgreenhalgh
I think it is entirely their choice and they should not have to give a reason - unless there are other reasons why they might be requested to turn it on (such as someone needing to lip read).
Having a few mixed feelings today - I want to acknowledge the huge effort so many people have made to
#REF2021
, but this feels like such an irrelevant game to be playing. We could have spent our time better I think.
Ahh don't you just love reviewers? Spend ages convincing people that they should not be doing hypothesis testing on a feasibility study, to get a reviewer to not only tell them that they must have p values in their results, but that they should leave out any that are not sig.
It really upsets me seeing doctors apologising for cancelling urgent surgery - if people had not moved about and shared the virus there would be beds for these patients. We should not expect the doctors to be apologising.