Warwick UCU calls for Thomas Docherty to be reinstated

Reader's comments (4)

#1 Submitted by ... on March 13, 2014 - 2:21pm

Where is UCU when it comes to speaking on behalf of Prof Sarah Sayce of Kingston University, who was suspended for speaking out against closure of the School of Planning and Surveying?

#2 Submitted by Fanis on March 14, 2014 - 1:33am

A report on Prof Sarah Sayce of Kingston University: http://www.riveronline.co.uk/content/2014/02/27/prof-kicked-campus I quote from http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13144&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html "27. The maintaining of the above international standards should be upheld in the interest of higher education internationally and within the country. To do so, the principle of academic freedom should be scrupulously observed. Higher-education teaching personnel are entitled to the maintaining of academic freedom, that is to say, the right, without constriction by prescribed doctrine, to freedom of teaching and discussion, freedom in carrying out research and disseminating and publishing the results thereof, freedom to express freely their opinion about the institution or system in which they work, freedom from institutional censorship and freedom to participate in professional or representative academic bodies. All higher-education teaching personnel should have the right to fulfil their functions without discrimination of any kind and without fear of repression by the state or any other source. Higher-education teaching personnel can effectively do justice to this principle if the environment in which they operate is conducive, which requires a democratic atmosphere; hence the challenge for all of developing a democratic society." Can someone refute the following statement (my conclusion)? The United Kingdom is in violation of the UNESCO recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel as evidenced by the many instances where university managers frame and sack their ideological opponents.

#3 Submitted by ... on March 14, 2014 - 9:45pm

@FANIS MISSIRLIS - I can not only *not* refute your statement, but I can fully confirm it based on my own personal experience of teaching in the UK, an experience which, I can safely say, was not replicated in the US, where I've also taught.

#4 Submitted by Fanis on March 25, 2014 - 1:38pm

Thank you Howard. Today I was sent the information below, which could suggest problems are present on both sides of the pond? http://www.thenation.com/article/178821/columbia-university-fired-two-eminent-public-intellectuals-heres-why-it-matters