FR IDAY, 27 TH OCTOBER, 2017 – Keep the Cat Free – ISSUE 1673 Felix The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London NEWS PRES results show continuing concerns over funding PAGE 3 COMMENT Should medics have their after- party at Heaven? Will anything change because of the staff survey? Only about half think so // Tom Mzarek PAGE 10 BOOKS Staff survey shows wide ranges in satisfaction NEWS College and Faculty future. leadership and staff is the staff thought that these Leadership One of the questions result of issues with com- were useful to their role Fred Fyles eliciting the lowest scores munications: only 45% at Imperial, with a large Editor-in-Chief Out of all sections of the asked whether changes of staff agreed that the number of staff having survey, leadership – both made are made for the communications received no opinion at all. Staff of Faculties and of College better, with only 34% of helped them understand members working more Philip Pullman Staff satisfaction rates as a whole – scored lowest staff agreeing. The De- College-level decisions, closely to the central in conversation vary widely across among staff. partments of Aeronautics, while just over half felt faculty (e.g. those working different CollegeFewer than half of those Computing, and Physics sufficiently involved in in Campus Services) at Southbank sectors, according to surveyed felt there was were the least likely to decisions impacting their were more likely to find PAGE 24 effective leadership from agree, with less than a role. Imperial Expectations Imperial’s staff survey Faculty heads, or had a quarter of staff feeling One of the areas of useful, while departmental results. clear understanding of the that changes were an College’s strategy that the staff generally had a poor purpose of their Faculty. improvement. Staff in the survey reflected poorly opinion of them: in the mperial College Staff in the Faculty of Faculties of Medicine and upon was the ‘Imperial Mathematics department FILM released their staff Natural Sciences were the Natural Science, and in the Expectations’ – seven only 22% of staff thought survey results ear- least likely to know the Union, were also unlikely statements the College ‘Imperial Expectations’ lier this month. The objectives of their Faculty, to think changes made claims “show how we were useful. Isurvey, which was last with only 37% of staff things better. respect and support each carried out in 2014, asks feeling they understood Somewhat surprisingly, other in achieving person- Departments and Col- staff members their opin- them. the overall response of al goals and the College’s laboration ions on a broad number In terms of overall 34% still places Imperial strategic objectives”. Ex- of topics, including their leadership, only 40% of second out of the ten amples include “champion The survey showed faculty, College leader- staff felt that the College universities used as a a positive approach to departmental staff were Who will take ship, and whether they leaders showed effective benchmark. change and opportunity” satisfied with their work, think the survey results leadership, and 45% felt It could be argued and “deliver positive out- and had good perceptions on Day-Lewis’ will be acted upon. they provided a clear that a contributor to this comes”. of the College: over mantle? direction for the College’s divide between College Overall, only 37% of Cont. pg 4 PAGE 26 FR IDAY, 27 TH OCTOBER, 2017 FELIX FELIX ISSUE 1673 EDITORIAL NEWS [email protected] CONTENTS Imperial improves in PRES results, but continuing EDITORIAL 2 The stories behind the data NEWS 3-5 problems with PhD funding are highlighted o this week has Fyles – Felix well – and I’m sure they ed Ed POLITICS 6-8 been a week of firsts Fr ito are! Pat yourselves on the The Felix Team for me: first time r back! – but speaking to NEWS with feedback, especially COMMENT 9-11 I’ve been to Union my postgraduate friends Editor-in-Chief before deadlines. I asked Fred Fyles SCouncil; first official paints a decidedly differ- • Fred Fyles him numerous times to SCIENCE 12 complaint made against ent picture. Deputy Editor Editor-in-Chief look at my early stage Felix (and certainly not Looking at the data Joanna Wormald assessment report, which TECH 14-16 the last); and first 48-page alone doesn’t show us • was 70 pages long, but issue of the year. Nearly. the people behind the News Editor The Postgraduate I only received his com- ARTS 17-19 On Tuesday evening we numbers. It can’t tell you Joanna Wormald Research Experience ments a few hours before were all gearing up to do about the friends I have • submission. Colleagues Politics Editors Survey results were MUSIC 22-23 a 48’er, which seemed like who felt forced to carry Avi Banerjee better than 2015’s, have had similar experi- a good idea for all of 30 on their research when Divyen Vanniasegaram ences, which led to sleep- BOOKS 24-26 minutes. Then I realised their funding ran out, who • but reflect issuesless nights and working on that we still only had one bounced around from Science Editors with supervision and the weekend” FILM 27-31 computer, and that, to par- place to place, sleeping Chris Richardson funding. A spokesperson from aphrase Meatloaf, while on couches and in hostels, Henry Bennie the College told Felix that TV 33 I’d do anything for student trying desperately to • mperial College they have “already taken Tech Editor journalism, I won’t pull balance the demands of Tom Mrazek Union responded action to enhance and TRAVEL 34 an all-nighter – we’ll save their PhD with the mental • to the Postgraduate develop the supervisory that for another time. pressure of being essen- Comment Editors Research Experi- experience of research FOOD 35 This week Felix has tially homeless. You can Charlie Titmuss Ience Survey (PRES) students”, putting in place gone survey-mad, doing content about how things But the survey shows only get that by speaking Alan Perfect this week. The results “improvements to poli- HANGMAN 36-37 some analysis on both the are going, and others that for a lot of staff, to people. • indicate an improvement cies” and the opportunity Staff Survey – which was furious about what’s going our concerns are their Simone Weil wrote that Arts Editors on 2015’s results, but for anonymous feedback. Indira Mallik PUZZLES 38 sent out to all staff working on on-campus. There concerns too. A lot of “the love of our neighbor JJ Cheng issues with supervision Completion rates at Imperial – and the Post- mainly seemed to be a them feel powerless to in all its fullness simply Adam Gellatly and funding continue. also revealed the issues SPORTS 39-40 graduate Research Expe- disconnect between the enact change; many feel means being able to say, • Imperial reported an with funding that affect A number of student reported concerns about funding their PhDs // Creative Commons rience Survey (PRES), Faculty/College leaders, isolated within their own ‘What are you going Books Editors increase in average scores a significant number of which went out to research and the general staff, department, and yearn for through?’” Now, I’m no JJ Cheng across all question sectors PhD students. While Another student these pressures place “an Mechanical Engineering, feedback was not valued”. postgrads. Both were which I think can come as collaboration; and I don’t Simone Weil, but I want Alice Peberdy since the last PRES, with the completion rate at Felix spoke to, who has unnecessary burden on and the Institute of Scores were particularly largely similar, asking a surprise to quite a few think anyone on campus Felix to have the same • seven of ten sectors being just finished their PhD, student”, affecting both Clinical Sciences all low in in the Department Felix Office Music Editors Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road people about what they people. I think when a really understand what viewpoint (although Andy Djaba above or equal to the na- confirmed that financial welfare and work quality. reporting above average of Aeronautical Engineer- London, SW7 2BB thought of the College and lot of students at Imperial ‘Imperial Expectations’ maybe without the early Adrian LaMoury tional average. However, “Completion pressures caused a large The PRES also revealed scores across a number of ing (66%), and the CEP Tel: 020 79548072 their colleagues, whether grumble about how their are. Sometimes it turns out death): we’re here for you, Henry Eshbaugh some sectors highlighted psychological burden: departmental variation: domains. (62%). Email: [email protected] they had everything they cooked breakfasts have you’re on the same side to represent your voice and • issues research postgrad- rates revealed “While Imperial is having the Department of Aero- Imperial scored particu- In a statement to Felix, felixonline.co.uk needed to do a good job, been taken away, or that after all. your views, to challenge TV Editor uates face: supervision, a push away from three- nautical Engineering, for larly highly on resource Nick Burstow, Deputy @feliximperial whether they were happy the College is being run Moving on to the College and the Union on Andrew Melville in particular, scored the the issues year funding, funding example, scored below availability, with an 88% President (Education), – the usual. as a business (no judge- PRES, I think that what • furthest below the UK was still a huge issue for the Imperial average on satisfaction rate compared Printed by Illifee Print your behalf. But for this Film Editors with funding said: “The Union has pro- Cambridge, Winship Road, But they both threw up ment, I love to complain), this can show is the issue to happen, you’ll have to average, with 83% of me.