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The King has landed: what happened when Paxman returned to Cambridge on varsity.co.uk The Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 | varsity.co.uk | Friday November 10 2006 | Issue 646 Academic Upset »Varsity survey reveals majority of academics have considered leaving their job Finance also appeared a major con- ficient financial support available, as a really bright British undergraduates is need to act immediately to prevent lec- TOM WOOLFORD cern for many academics. “The pay is right, to support research and teaching not considering continuing with this as turers leaving their jobs, and to ensure News Reporter pathetic”, said one, while another without me having to spend a large pro- a career?” She predicted that British that future generations are not com- admitted to being tempted by “higher portion of my time chasing minuscule universities will increasingly have to pletely discouraged from entering aca- A University and College Union (UCU) pay for much less intellectual effort” in resources from a state that talks high be staffed by foreign academics, blam- demia. From Varsity’s survey, it seems survey into academics’ job satisfaction the private sector. Even within the standards and prestigious research out- ing poor salaries for the state of affairs. that such a conclusion is especially appli- published last week has revealed that public sector the pay disparity is sig- put but doesn't want to pay for it”. The UCU argue that universities cable to Cambridge. 62 per cent have considered leaving nificant. A graduate entering the Civil But Dr Andrew Zurcher, an English their positions to work overseas or in Service Fast Stream could expect to fellow at Queens’ College, said that his the private sector. A Varsity survey has be earning between £34,000 and career choice had never been motivated this week found that this figure is likely £48,000 by their late twenties; Junior by quality of life considerations. “Most Time to stand and stare to be significantly higher in Cambridge, Research Fellowships in Cambridge of us are tired, haggard, often ill, and in with 76 per cent of those sampled offer salaries of approximately £14,500 a state of moral and political exhaustion admitting that they had considered tak- to £22,000. The attraction of overseas from trying to settle accounts between ing up academic posts abroad or aban- academic posts could be attributed in work, home, and civic life”, he doning academia altogether. part to higher salaries. A survey con- explained. “Few of us have any job The strain on academics caused by ducted four years ago by the security to speak of”, he added. “I cer- paperwork is comparable to the Association of Commonwealth tainly didn't elect this profession national average outlined by UCU, Universities showed that out of the six because I thought it was comfortable, with over a third of respondents claim- developed countries it studied, the UK or secure, or rewarding, in any simple ing that more than sixteen hours per offered the lowest payout for lecturers. sense”. Nevertheless, Dr Zurcher was week was given over to administra- Funding uncertainties also appear to “very satisfied” with his job. tion. This level of bureaucracy has be a cause for concern. One Geography Presented with Varsity’s findings, been described by one academic as professor argued “There should be suf- the University authorities seemed lit- “increasing amounts of ever-increasing tle surprised. Professor Andrew Cliff, trivia”. It seems Cambridge academics Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, work considerably longer hours alto- argued, “Cambridge is an internation- gether. The average unpaid workload ally renowned university in both teach- of respondents to our survey was 16.5 ing and research, and competes for its hours a week, significantly higher than academic staff in an international mar- the national average of 9 hours. One ket. It is no surprise, therefore, that academic described their overtime vol- our staff consider posts in overseas ume of work as “loads and loads”, while 76% rather than UK universities when another attributed their unhappiness have considered developing their careers, and do so in to having “too much work”. greater numbers than do staff in many The majority of Cambridge academ- leaving British UK universities”. He cited “low” annu- ics surveyed were satisfied with their al academic staff turnover figures of jobs. 71 per cent were prepared to rec- academia just under 10 per cent over the last four ommend it to their children, compared years as evidence of “a competitive to just 45 per cent in the UCU survey. edge in its recruitment and retention Fewer Cambridge academics claimed packages”. “Because Cambridge is that their job had been detrimental to internationally-renowned,” he contin- their health, although stress and ued, “it also has considerable success in “chronic fatigue” were mentioned as recruiting outstanding academic staff effects of the Cambridge environment. particularly from Universities in the But a significant minority of 12 per United States, Canada and the EU”. cent were dissatisfied in their work. But Vice-Chancellor Alison Richard One professor told Varsity “Morale is 16.5 appears to be more concerned with the low-to-rock-bottom in some areas. average weekly state of the profession. In an interview People feel exploited and under-valued with The Times on Tuesday, she posed when they look at their careers in com- hours of unpaid the question, “What does it say about parison to those of people of equal sta- the perception of universities in this EMILY WRIGHT tus in private industry”. overtime country if an ever-falling proportion of A gentleman wears a poppy ahead of Remembrance Sunday ARTS & FEATURES ARTS LIFESTYLE FEATURES Touched by Sex and The Varsity Jonathan the cinema Blind Ross Date »PAGE 14 »PAGE 20 »PAGE 32 2 varsity.co.uk/news | 10.11.06 Write for Varsity News: Newsdesk Meet 5.30pm Sundays in King’s College Bar In Brief Protest hits travel agents Volcanic ozone »Green activists attract police attention at climate change demonstration research Protestor Tess Riley from St The eruption of volcanoes destroys ALICE WHITWHAM Catharine’s College said, “We’re ozone, according to new research at happy to talk with the police. We Oxford and Cambridge. Two studies On Monday 6 November, police gave want to be in dialogue with them, not have shown, from analysing the 2000 out cautionary warnings and threat- in opposition to them”. She added eruption of the Hekla volcano in ened to issue £80 fines to students that “if the police are concerned Iceland, that “mini-ozone holes” are protesting outside the Flight Centre about questions of legality, they created during eruptions by chemical on Sidney Street. should focus their attention on the reactions of volcanic gases. The In conjunction with the activist- actions of airlines and not on peaceful research’s leaders now hope to invest- group Plane Stupid, the students were student protests”. gate the effects of much larger vol- campaigning to raise awareness about Gary Fitzgibbon, manager of canic eruptions. Jamie Munk the high levels of carbon emitted dur- Flight Centre, complained to the ing short haul flights, a major factor police that the group were stopping contributing to climate change. people from entering the shop. Police warned that fines would be Fitzgibbon admitted that while air New homes near imposed on the grounds that the travel is a “significant factor” in caus- Trumpington group were obstructing the highway. ing environmental damage, he added that “campaigning outside a retail Plans are in the pipeline for a new shop is not going to help”. housing development programme on “police aggres- Fitzgibbon’s response reflects the the outskirts of the city. Plans reactions of a number of airlines to last announced in May revealed that a sive and unrea- week’s Sterne report, which argued total of 6,500 new homes will be built that reducing air traffic would be cru- on former green belt land between sonable... way cial in preventing climate change. In a Trumpington and Addenbrooke’s. It is report issued by the Guardian on hoped that this “affordable housing”, beyond what is Sunday 5 November, a spokesperson for which the occupier pays less than necessary” from Easyjet said that airlines were the market rates, will provide much- being unfairly vilified in the climate needed low-price accommodation for change debate, while Ryanair and local residents. Jessica King Thomsonfly suggested that the intro- duction of a green tax to force holiday- makers to fly less often would only A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire benefit the treasury. Jewish Shabbaton Constabulary told Varsity that the In response to the attempts made in Brooklyn students “were blocking the footpath, by the aviation industry to defend Student protesters negotiate with police on Monday EMILY WRIGHT forcing members of the public to walk itself, Laura Eddings, a protester liv- Last weekend, eleven members of the on the road and into traffic”. Elizabeth ing in Cambridge said, “that’s Stupid, and was the first of a num- coal-fired power station in Britain. CU Chabad Jewish Society made Dodd, a second year at Magdalene absolutely not the scientific opinion. ber of demonstrations taking place But Eddings stated that relying their way to Brooklyn, New York, to College said that the police had been Climate change is happening now and across the country to mark the on groups to inaugurate a shift in represent Cambridge in the annual “aggressive and unreasonable” and any reputable report will tell you so. start of the UN International the mind-set of the country at large International Student Shabbaton. went “way beyond what is necessary”. Airlines have a vested interest in pro- Climate talks in Nairobi.