An email to April McMahon 04/07/21

 An email to April McMahon, following Manchester University's decision to move lectures permanently online 

Dear April McMahon, 

                I hope you're well. 

 

I'm emailing to express my great disappointment at what is quite frankly an utter let down on behalf of Manchester university, once again. I understand it must be really difficult for you at the moment; no doubt this is not the only email of this nature you've been receiving. However, it's no surprise given the ripping-off of students that the university has carried out this year and is allegedly, according to yourself, going to continue into next year. It is disillusioning to say the least, when it's already been an incredibly challenging year for everyone, both mentally and academically. To be honest, the way in which an education establishment treats it's students (who are partly the ones giving it such a good reputation) as mere commodities, is disgusting. 

 

In your recent interview with The Manchester Tab, you claimed that Manchester university is willing to listen to student input, however the recent developments would suggest otherwise. Not only have you ignored the detrimental effects online 'blended' learning has had on students' mental wellbeing, but you've also directly ignored the importance of democracy and student voice. I'd also like to take this opportunity to double check that the university understands the definition of 'blended', given that literally every interaction I've had with the establishment so far has been through my laptop screen. Your refusal to comment on the lack of trust students have in the university's senior management, as recorded in a recent referendum, demonstrates this clearly. 

 

Of course, none of us have forgotten how, at the beginning of the year, the move to blended learning was only announced once students had officially moved into their accommodations and many were already tied into contracts. The timing seems awfully convenient for those of us who have now just signed student housing contracts for this year. This year, Manchester's student population have been scapegoated, profiled, fenced in, and deprived of the service we were led to believe we would, and should, receive. What distinguishes our degrees now from an open university degree, aside from the 6 grand difference between the two? Quite frankly, I think the student led protests have been a bare minimum. 

 

Furthermore, someone at this university needs to be told that things like erecting fences around a student campus, or hijacking our experience of education by squandering any hopes we may have had of ever stepping foot in a lecture theatre, needs to be communicated with us directly. What's wrong with sending an email or text etc, rather than sharing news like this in an online article, or by responding to a student's tweet? This latter method was hideously unprofessional and a poor lack of judgement on the university's part. 

 

Finally, whilst I understand that you 'never give guarantees on staff numbers', I find it incredibly upsetting and disconcerting that the decision to move lectures permanently online will affect the university's staff members. Following the ridiculous marketisation of our education, we don't even feel like valued customers, never mind students, and I can't imagine how the university's staff are feeling. It seems to me that you are damaging your own reputation and prospects by failing not only to cultivate an inclusive and worthwhile work environment for the university's professors, but also by restricting them to produce nothing more than what is essentially online content not worth anywhere near £9,250 a year. Dissatisfaction has been expressed on both sides of the zoom screen, from students and professors alike, as well as in end of year module surveys which have seemingly also been completely disregarded. 

 

April, if there's anything that can be done to recover the university's rapidly dwindling reputation and to restore at least a modicum of the standard of education we've been denied, I suggest you do it. I really love this university, the content of my modules and the teaching I've received, given the circumstances, for the most part has been amazing and thought provoking. I transferred here from King's College London into second year and even despite the unfortunate but understandably necessary move to blended learning, I don't at all regret my decision. However, the idea of seeing out the rest of my university experience without ever having a lecture in the actual building seems like a bit of a kick in the teeth. In no other circumstance would a company get away with such a drastic deviation from the service initially promised to its paying customers. 

 

Moreover, the way students' wellbeing and new developments have been handled really lowers my respect for Manchester university as an institution. It's hard to maintain support and confidence in the management of an institution whose feelings are clearly not mutual, given the poor and delayed communication, and what comes across as careless decision making. 

 

I really hope this email, and those of other students, encourages a rethink for the future of teaching at Manchester university. God knows the senior management is being paid enough to be able to come up with something better than this. 

 

Yours Sincerely, 

Annie xo