expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« on: February 22, 2008, 04:29:53 AM » |
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We have a new policy at my uni...
1. If we do ANY travel within the UK we must FIRST get permission from our Dean.
2. If we do ANY travel outside of the UK we must FIRST get permission from the VC.
This applies even if you have to go to one of the other campuses (our Uni has several). It applies even if the ... for example... Research Committee approves funding (out of our budget). So before anything can be booked it has to go to either the Dean or the VC for approval... adding a couple of weeks to the process.
I have several research grants and as part of the grant I have to do a certain amount of travel. I can't do any of the travel unless I first get permission.
This is insane.
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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snape
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« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2008, 04:51:58 AM » |
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Wow!
Your deans and VC obviously don't have enough work to do!
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jim73
New member
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« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2008, 04:53:18 AM » |
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Good grief. Do you have to seek the Dean's advice on what you are going to have for lunch!?
I wonder if this is linked to the Government's new policy on obliging universities to know where their non-UK/EU staff and students are within any given two week period. We were all dozing in a staff meeting a week or so ago when this was brought up. It woke us up...
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scotia
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« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2008, 04:57:01 AM » |
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Do I detect that a financial crisis may be looming?
We had a variant on this when I had an industrial job and finances were getting tight (US company!). It lasted precisely two weeks until the vice presidents of this and that informed the CEO that they could do no work because they were spending all their time dealing with travel requests (multi-site company, many research projects across sites.....).
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fishfolk
Junior member
Posts: 57
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« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2008, 05:38:00 AM » |
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I agree, it is sounding like a financial crisis in the works. I do some part time work for Roskilde UNiversity in Denmark and they instituted a no travel policy last year-- everything has to be signed off by the higher-ups ...
Let's hope not for you!
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normative_
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« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2008, 06:32:48 AM » |
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Ouch.
Maybe next they'll start barring people entering or leaving campus unless they have a special passport, and undergo pat-downs, x-rays and bag searches.
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Fortune favors the bold. Excellent analysis by Normative. All hail Normie! Normative, that was superb. |
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sandgrounder
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« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2008, 06:41:57 AM » |
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I suppose the small consolation is that you know your v-c is actually doing something in processing all these requests but it sounds like ludicrous over-centralisation...I hope it applies to administrators too.
If not a financial crisis, might it be that someone's been caught misusing travel expenses in a big way, and they're cracking down in a crazy over-reaction so that they can be seen to be doing something?
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normative_
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« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2008, 07:21:28 AM » |
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We have a new policy at my uni...
1. If we do ANY travel within the UK we must FIRST get permission from our Dean.
2. If we do ANY travel outside of the UK we must FIRST get permission from the VC.
Apparently they got no Valentine's Day cards this year. |
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Fortune favors the bold. Excellent analysis by Normative. All hail Normie! Normative, that was superb. |
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science_expat
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« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2008, 01:15:20 PM » |
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It definitely sounds like a financial crisis! (Kind of like Manchester...) And it's completely unworkable, of course.
Jim73, that new policy is insane. I saw a minute on it a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe it - if the University doesn't report any non-EU staff or students who are away for two weeks or longer, ALL non-EU staff/students could be affected. Does anyone have a link on this insanity?
Am so so glad I got my citizenship a few years back.
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It's not procrastination. It's "just in time" delivery.
Nutso is the new normal.
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expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2008, 01:22:27 PM » |
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It definitely sounds like a financial crisis! (Kind of like Manchester...) And it's completely unworkable, of course.
Jim73, that new policy is insane. I saw a minute on it a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe it - if the University doesn't report any non-EU staff or students who are away for two weeks or longer, ALL non-EU staff/students could be affected. Does anyone have a link on this insanity?
Am so so glad I got my citizenship a few years back.
Oh my GAWD... I'd not heard this. I guess I now need to pony up the 665 quid to pay for my citizenship. I passed the freaking test. I keep seeing my big screen tv side further and further away. |
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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qrypt
Qryptacular & not really a Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 5,439
the great vampire squid round the face of humanity
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« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2008, 02:06:57 PM » |
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I wonder if this is linked to the Government's new policy on obliging universities to know where their non-UK/EU staff and students are within any given two week period. We were all dozing in a staff meeting a week or so ago when this was brought up. It woke us up...
Okay - I didn't see this story. Anyone have a link, please? Assuming it's true, I see a significant opportunity (as a non-UK/EU type person) to try to create a bit of trouble. Hey, I'm an immigrant - I must pose a threat! I'm strongly inclined to "disappear" for three weeks, just to piss someone off. As for this new citizenship initiative here - I still can't figure out what the benefits of citizenship are, and the more difficult they make it, the less likely I will be to pledge my loyalty to the *$#!** queen. |
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"I'm tired of being your love slave!"
"Does that mean I'm not going to get my coffee?"
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science_expat
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« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2008, 02:16:05 PM » |
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I think it's real, unfortunately. I just looked, without success, for an internet link but here's a paraphrase of the minute I referred to above:
In order to educate/employ non-EU students/staff, the University will have to purchase one or more licenses from the Home Office. We will be required to report to the Home Office if they fail to attend for more than 14 days. Non-compliance may result in the licence being withdrawn and all non-EU staff and students being required to return to their home country.
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It's not procrastination. It's "just in time" delivery.
Nutso is the new normal.
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jim73
New member
Posts: 49
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« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2008, 05:57:48 PM » |
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In order to educate/employ non-EU students/staff, the University will have to purchase one or more licenses from the Home Office. We will be required to report to the Home Office if they fail to attend for more than 14 days. Non-compliance may result in the licence being withdrawn and all non-EU staff and students being required to return to their home country.
That was pretty much the gist of what we heard in our meeting. A further sanction that we were told about was something along the lines of if the university was not able to comply with the above then the UK government may take responsibility for tracking non UK/EU citizens within our institution. The mind boggles. Disclaimer: If the above makes no sense its because 'preview' does not work on my mac! |
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normative_
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« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2008, 02:58:53 AM » |
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The 14 day thing is insane. I may re-think wanting to relocate there eventually.
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Fortune favors the bold. Excellent analysis by Normative. All hail Normie! Normative, that was superb. |
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expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2008, 10:30:05 AM » |
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OK I finally decided to go ahead and shell out the 655 quid to get the Brit citizenship thingy. Only thing... they say that it takes 14 weeks and I have to send in my American passport when I apply.
There isn't a 14 week period in the next year that I don't have to travel.
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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