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To sink or swim:. Nottingham Trent University. The Golden Age (1990s). One department: Languages, EFL, and language centre Two campuses, two cultures Successful IWLP and languages degree Small-scale EFL Strong research culture. Work as a hobby (1990s).
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To sink or swim: Nottingham Trent University
The Golden Age (1990s) • One department: Languages, EFL, and language centre • Two campuses, two cultures • Successful IWLP and languages degree • Small-scale EFL • Strong research culture
Work as a hobby (1990s) • Amateur budgeting and information systems • Light staff timetables • Supply-led • Staff expertise not aligned with demand
Chilly winds (new millennium) • Overspending faculty • Overstaffing • Need for cost-effective provision • National situation in languages • University restructuring • Subject review
We live in a rational world, don’t we? Responses (Pre-university restructuring) • Develop research profile • Add new languages and subjects • Personal touch in admissions • Develop EFL
Woke up this morning, baby, my dept was gone….. • Total culture change • Schools instead of Faculties • Teams instead of Departments • Languages and EFL split • Change in research culture • Separation of administrative from academic
OK, they’re serious! Responses (Post-university restructuring) • Develop research profile but research imperatives now changing • Add new languages and subjects but national decline in all languages • Personal touch in admissions but centralisation of admissions • Develop EFL but separation of FL and MFL
Brave new world • New systems of budget management • Auditing of staff workloads • Need for cost-effective provision • Transparency of recruitment statistics • Close scrutiny • Competing priorities • “Less administration” (ho-ho-ho)
Good job we did that then! • Develop research profile Enables transfer to other teams • Add new languages and subjects Needed by IWLP • Centralised admissions More staff time freed up • Develop EFL Basis of commercial EFL questioned
Was it just an accident? Action responses • Networking • Internal redeployment • Brain-drain • Self-reprofiling • Skill changes • Efficiency gains
We’re all human! Staff responses • Leading by example • Denial of situation • Resentment • Opportunism • Realism • Engagement
So everything’s alright then? Challenges remaining • Square pegs in round holes • Academic profiles OK, but who does the admin-related jobs no-one wants to do? • Non-replacement of core skills
Navel-gazing Manager’s role • Advocate for realistic speed of change • Advocate against short-term fixes • Mediating with other teams • Getting out of the silo • Seizing moments • Silver linings