UCC wins "Hall of Shame" mismanagement award

haz

University College Cork has been awarded one of the first international "Divestors in People" awards for mismanagement, demotivation of staff, bullying and harassment.

http://bulliedacademics.blogspot.com/2007/06/divestors-of-people-first-entries-in.html
http://bulliedacademics.blogspot.com/index.html

‘Divestors of People’© is a standard awarded to Higher Education institutions that excel in mismanaging, bullying, and harassing their staff.

The criteria are:

1. Lack of strategy to improve the under-performance of the institution. This does not exist, is not clearly defined, or is not communicated to staff.

2. There is lack of coherent investment in staff development.

3. Whatever strategies exist to manage staff, these are implemented to promote cronyism, incompetence, favoritism, or inequality, and to disguise management failures

4. The capabilities managers need to learn and manage staff are not defined. Managers received little or no training to improve their communication, behaviour and people skills.

5. Managers are ineffective in leading, managing, and developing staff. High levels of over-management or under-management.

6. Staff are not encouraged to take ownership and responsibility through involvement in decision-making. There is no accountability and transparency in the decision making process.

7. Staff are demorilised, de-skilled or demoted. The working environment is toxic.

8. Lack of improvements in managing people is chronic.

9. The working environment shows high levels of work-related stress.

10. Internal grievance procedures are used selectively by managers - against staff. Some managers are untouchable despite their failures.

11. Staff report high levels of bullying and harassment by managers. Fear prevails among the silent majority.

12. The governing body is detached from the staff and is in the same bed with the management. Governors show no visible interest in the affairs of the staff.

Nominations are open to all staff in all universities. Institutions qualify for the ‘Divestors of People’© award if they meet at least 50% of the above criteria and this can be verified by at least two different staff members from the same organisation. Nominators can remain anonymous.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

haz

The Scientist wrote:

Has it not won University of the year for the last 2 years running though?

You mean that Sunday Times lifestyle magazine thing?!

A bullying environment and student satisfaction aren't incompatible - UCC does do well in the ST student guide http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/

But UCC doesn't appear (at all) in the academic assessment by the Times Higher Education Supplement http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2006/ - the only Irish university that does appear is Trinity College Dublin at a highly creditable 78th. UCC has some clearly excellent staff and research groups, and *could* be in that list.

UCC is one of the most litigious of all Irish universities, topping the Irish university Litigation League http://www.indymedia.ie/article/82641#comment196440 (although that isn't a boastworthy achievement).

upreme Court, [H]igh Court and nformation Commissioner judgments

UCC . -S- -S- -H- -H- -H- -H- -H- -I-
TCD . -H- -H- -H-
UCD . -H- -H- -H-
DCU . -H-
UL . -H-
NUIG .
NUIM .

Labour Court recommendations

UCD . ******************************************************************
UCC . ************************************************
NUIG . *******************************
UL . ***********************
TCD . **********
DCU . ********
NUIM . ***
RCSI . **

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

i see a student who has no study done

haz

From the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES 22 June 2007)
http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2037232

Where the bullied fight back
Vice-chancellors beware. A blog for bullied academics (http://bulliedacademics.blogspot.com) has launched a new award scheme, Divestors of People. It explains that the award “is a standard awarded to higher education institutions that excel in mismanaging, bullying and harassing their staff”. The criteria include: management strategies that promote cronyism, incompetence, favouritism or inequality; demoralised, de-skilled or demoted staff in a toxic working environment; internal grievance procedures being used selectively by managers against staff. Those nominating can remain anonymous. Institutions qualify for the award if they meet at least 50 per cent of the criteria listed on the site, and this can be verified by at least two staff.

haz

UCC seems to be farming out its less palatable management processes to the Students "Union" - apparently in the hope of sacking all the campus employees to have 24-hour service, a Starbuck's and a Quinzo's-Sub:

Livinbeyondthepale (Kris McElhinney, SU President): On the recommendation of the Restaurant Committee (2005/06), of which the Students' Union held a majority, the catering contract was sent to public tender. ... CAMPBELLS Catering, a subsidiary of the Aramark group has lost a lucrative €30 million contract with University College Cork to Kylemore Foods.
Dan wrote: Also any idea if the current staff will be given the option of working for the new company?
Livinbeyondthepale (Kris McElhinney, SU President): By law they have to be
padraigmacamhlaoibh: Its no-one's fault, but the SU and UCC will have to be vigilant in the long-term to ensure food quality improves. Its the same staff who will be cooking it
http://bb.ucc.ie/viewtopic.php?t=14462

Hunter S wrote:The main campus library opening hours. Absolutely a joke
Livinbeyondthepale (Kris McElhinney, SU President): working on this one - the labour court actions are killing me though... my aim all along has been 24 opening hours... with that point/aim clear in mind we'll see what we can get! Smile
http://bb.ucc.ie/viewtopic.php?t=14489

ShamOCeallaigh

You are so right.

It's a disgrace that the students union is working for longer opening hours of the library, how careerist of them! A 24-hour reading room in the library, what a ridiculous idea!

As for fighting for the catering contract to go to different multinational is completely against the notion of a "union". If Kris got his way, he would definitely want all those staff sacked because he is evil.

Grow up!

haz

Shame wrote:

Grow up!

Ahh, the intellectual level of debate at UCC! To be quite frank it is wasted on me because, unlike your sylph-like self, my maturation processes ceased years ago and I am more likely to regress into greater immaturity.

One thing I do agree with the most litigious university in Ireland (and only Irish Hall of Shame recipient) about is that the re-introduction of fees might energise genuine research, learning and teaching excellence. Anything that halts the slide into 24-hour internet cafes, coffee lounges and baguette bistros that some people feel a modern third-level childcare facility requires must be worth trying.

Perhaps with adequate staffing, UCC might be able to display its art collection and historical artefacts, or even match the 1990s library funding (on books and journals, not Bebo terminals).

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

who wants to play ball at lunch time.:D