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Papers relating to the Director's Working Group on the Survey Research Unit
[This page is under construction]
Papers released to me under F.o.I. throwing light on how universities should (not) run research and how academic jealousy and politics can destroy even the best of initiatives. These papers clearly explain why I started to plan for early retirement at the first opportunity and justify my deepest suspicions of the machinations and motivation of senior management. Hereby hangs a cautionary tale for all those who would like to have a thriving research operation in a hostile academic environment.
Initial request from JFH to London Metropolitan University for copies of records relating to the Director's Working Group on the Survey Research Unit (4 Feb 2010)
The following items are in chronological order
1: Memo from Richard Skues (Faculty Chair, Natfhe) to JFH (26 Nov 1987)
2: Memo from JFH to Academic Registrar offering full co-operation (4 Dec 1987)
3: Letter from Academic Registrar to Ian Clarke setting date for 1st meeting (9 Dec 1987)
4: JFH response to draft report of Working Group (16 March 1988)
5: Memo from Dianne Willcocks (Director, Research & Consultancy and Dean Designate,
Faculty of Environmental and Social Studies) to Leslie Wagner (Director) and Dorma Urwin (Deputy Director) (13 Aug 1988)
6: Note on SRU by Dianne Willcocks (Director, Research & Consultancy) (14 Aug 1988)
Unfortunately, the draft report of the Working Group has since "disappeared", but you can get a pretty good idea of its contents from my response (item 4).
The first time I ever saw the comments by Dianne Willcocks (items 5 and 6) was 22 years later in 2010 when the Records and Compliance Office at London Metropolitan supplied them in response to my intial request.. They are riddled with errors and misrepresentation. They will eventually receive a vigorous and detailed riposte. Meanwhile it is interesting to compare them with my response to the draft report (item 4) which predates them by more than three months.
SRU is handsomely acknowledged in all PNL Research Reports except one: you will search in vain for any mention of SRU in the 1990 Report [Editor, Dianne Willcocks] even though I submitted material for inclusion Stalin could not have done better! Needless to say, she eventually became Vice-chancellor of York St John University. As Angus Campbell once said, "A thriving research centre is no place for (ruthlessly) ambitious people."
Papers released to me under F.o.I. throwing light on how universities should (not) run research and how academic jealousy and politics can destroy even the best of initiatives. These papers clearly explain why I started to plan for early retirement at the first opportunity and justify my deepest suspicions of the machinations and motivation of senior management. Hereby hangs a cautionary tale for all those who would like to have a thriving research operation in a hostile academic environment.
Initial request from JFH to London Metropolitan University for copies of records relating to the Director's Working Group on the Survey Research Unit (4 Feb 2010)
The following items are in chronological order
1: Memo from Richard Skues (Faculty Chair, Natfhe) to JFH (26 Nov 1987)
2: Memo from JFH to Academic Registrar offering full co-operation (4 Dec 1987)
3: Letter from Academic Registrar to Ian Clarke setting date for 1st meeting (9 Dec 1987)
4: JFH response to draft report of Working Group (16 March 1988)
5: Memo from Dianne Willcocks (Director, Research & Consultancy and Dean Designate,
Faculty of Environmental and Social Studies) to Leslie Wagner (Director) and Dorma Urwin (Deputy Director) (13 Aug 1988)
6: Note on SRU by Dianne Willcocks (Director, Research & Consultancy) (14 Aug 1988)
Unfortunately, the draft report of the Working Group has since "disappeared", but you can get a pretty good idea of its contents from my response (item 4).
The first time I ever saw the comments by Dianne Willcocks (items 5 and 6) was 22 years later in 2010 when the Records and Compliance Office at London Metropolitan supplied them in response to my intial request.. They are riddled with errors and misrepresentation. They will eventually receive a vigorous and detailed riposte. Meanwhile it is interesting to compare them with my response to the draft report (item 4) which predates them by more than three months.
SRU is handsomely acknowledged in all PNL Research Reports except one: you will search in vain for any mention of SRU in the 1990 Report [Editor, Dianne Willcocks] even though I submitted material for inclusion Stalin could not have done better! Needless to say, she eventually became Vice-chancellor of York St John University. As Angus Campbell once said, "A thriving research centre is no place for (ruthlessly) ambitious people."
