Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Hi, you might think that this is irrelevant to many of you seen as I am in Lancaster and you aren't, but I would really like to ask for your help right now.

The department of continuing education runs many schemes which help students like myself get into university through 'unconventional' methods, such as various study programs. Today there was a meeting because the jobs and courses are going to be cut as part time students are no longer seen as a value to the university in regards to business.

Many staff are having to seek new jobs after being with the department all their working lives, and courses are going to be cut short leaving many students with no qualification after years of hard work.

The department works very closely with many of Lancashire's further education institutions, and provides courses for students all over the country. Some of your children could one day benefit from one of their courses like I have, and actually receive the support many of us need in day to day life.

The department and people who are associated with it like myself are encouraging people who care about the future of the staff and students to sign a petition which is available at Lancaster University / Adult Education - Online Petition

It greatly upsets me that the woman who ran my course is now having to leave due to the uncertainty about her job stability. She's had to find a new job and now many students who were due to attend the summer course that got me my place at university will possibly miss out on this opportunity. She isn't the only member of staff who is having to find a new job because we are running out of time to do anything.

PLEASE sign the petition. It breaks my heart that this is happening when I have gained so much from the department, and we could really use the extra support.

Thanks everyone,

Michelle

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Thats such a shame. I have signed.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Yes it is a shame further education should be available to as many as possible. I have signed it.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Unfortunately I was the only student my age who actually turned up to the meeting, so I am trying very hard to spread awareness through the student network.

There are many mature students on the courses that are under the most threat, and I think it is very important that we keep the doors open to students that aren't your typical 18 year old paying £3000 a year on a degree course. Variety is so very important and Lancaster is meant to be really good for accepting everyone.

I have cried about this because I do care so very dearly about it. We are going to be in the Lancaster Guardian and hopefully spread some awareness about it this way too, but we need as much regional support as we can get too!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

i have signed

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

And me..................

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I've just signed it too. Many people opt for part-time courses so that they can work around school hours or work part-time as well so they can still support their family whilst in education.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

done n Dusted.;)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I have signed.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I have not signed yet but will do when I get time.

What a shame we don't have a Labour goverment - oh I forgot we do - allegedly.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Good for you taking action on this,,,,you go girl

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Me signed too......

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

me signed too...

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Thank you everyone who has signed so far, your names are all visible (unless anonymous) on the survey and it makes me very proud that people from accrington and the surrounding areas are putting their names to something so very important.

Just want to point out that this isn't my survey but one that the department itself has started to save their own jobs. I'm only trying to spread the message as much as possible so we get more signatures. We reached 500 online tonight, and we have hard copies floating around the university too. I am hoping (fingers crossed) that we can at least get another 250 online before its handed over, if not double and reach 1000.

Please mention it to your friends and family, we need all the support we can possibly get for this one.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Signed xxx

p.s its 506 now :)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

It most certainly is, I have been refreshing it to keep tab on the numbers! It looks brilliant to have so much support from accrington. Hopefully a lot more people will sign for me too :)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

i have signed

lisa

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I've signed wil always support a worthy cause

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Hope theres no "mickey mouse" signatures, have seen these a few times on petitions and its just taking the mic out of a good cause

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

*goes to resign the petition after first signing it 'Ben Dover' *

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

OMG its an eclipse :D

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

cheeky mare :p

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Ya love it!!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

For once can we be serious, there are around 5,000 students who are on threatened courses and if we cant stop it their hard work will have amounted to nothing and staff will be losing their jobs.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

sorry :spank:

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

We have signed Blazey, and can no doubt encourage others too also

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I have attached the article from the front page of the Lancaster Guardian today if anyone fancies a read.

I am also in the picture :o not looking too fabulous but nevermind!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I have signed, there are now 555 signatures, hopefully with a lot more to come:)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Amazingly it is now at 624, so 1000 is hopefully a very very reasonable possibility for the next few days with the continued support of everyone.

I spoke at the Student Union Council today and got a lot of support there in general so we have the student representatives backing us which is a huge help.

I just hope this all leads to some success!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Can I just bump this up a bit and ask for some more support off the people of accrington. Burnley web dont seem to want to post my post even though the person running this campaign is in fact a gentleman from Burnley, so I would hope that accrington can do the local education routes a bit of justice and show them that we care as a community.

Thank you so far to everyone who has signed.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

770 signatures now :)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Signed xx

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Just signed,hope it does some good.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Just a few off 800 now. It might not do too much good by itself, but we have a lot of support from staff in other departments and the elected student bodies, so there are definitely a lot of influential people who are working at it, and we're hoping that the university will find it embarrassing more than anything and stop what they are doing, because it's clear that they aren't going to appreciate the value of the department any time soon. :mad:

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Well, tried to sign it, but informed me that my signature has already been recorded .... :confused:

Don't remember doing this at all .. maybe need an adult memory course ... LOL.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

That is strange Katex, there is a search feature so you can put in your surname and see if your name comes up, but I don't see how this is possible if you haven't signed!

Please do try again!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Oh my goodness, Blazey .. did sign it on 1/5/08 !... remember now after I read the comment I put in at the time. So nothing strange about your petition site, very efficient .. just like I said, may need these services at some time to get the brain cells a little more active... :rolleyes::D Sorry.

Anyway, you lot get signing, don't like to see any education facilities disappearing, particularly for adult education .. never too late to learn, but if the facilities disappear, what hope is there for us.. :(

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Thought some people might be interested in the developments of the campaign to stop the job cuts.

This article doesn't mention it but the petition has been successful in one of its aims and we have been granted a hearing at University Court on the 25th June, which is a massive achievement, and hopefully we will hear positive news from this! Will keep you updated! Petition at current time has 1130 signatures, so the support is massive!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

ee by eck blazey, with the look of ya in that paper, your looking more like ya gran everyday..:D

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Hey Willow,

To be truthful, I think the petition has ran its course now with as much as it can do, but thank you anyway for showing the support. Now we just have to wait and see what is decided at University Court, which is a massive thing. Unfortunately I can't be there because I am not on the student council and I am coming back to oswaldtwistle before it even begins, but I will keep everyone updated through my friends who ARE on the council.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

ah good to hear its got somewhere, a start anyway, might just learn some who reckon petitions are useless summat.;):)

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

People think online petitions are useless because they are so often collected but not then pushed in front of the noses of those they're meant to be addressing. The chancellor and vice chancellor couldn't really ignore this as an issue when we have a thousand strong petition and we've been stood outside their major meetings in t-shirts making them look bad. (I put mine on after the photo lol because i'd only just arrived).

I also went along to the Union Council meetings to speak as I am actually a student that has been on one of their courses, so I can speak from the heart and I'm quite brave haha (those meetings are scary!)

I hope it is all worthwhile that's all. As the article says, 6 staff have left voluntarily, and the university says the 'widening participation' schemes wont be affected, but this is a lie because I know that at least one of those who have left coordinates the widening participation scheme that I was on, and now they have lost her.

Shame really, but the university can only see one thing and that is the high profits they can make from the Management school and international students. For those who aren't aware of it, the management school is the best in the country, and has a massive interest from students all over the world, who's fee's are substantially higher than a student who lives in the country.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

The thing that annoys me is that they KNEW I was from accyweb, because they let me introduce myself and people from accyweb said hello to me, so they were just being blatantly difficult. I couldn't be bothered messaging the moderators to beg for them to allow such an important matter to be discussed, but ironically the man leading the campaign is from burnley, so I thought it was a bit rude and embarrassing for him!

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I'm a mod on BurnleyWeb Blazey but unfortunately I never saw it there either! I am sorry because if I had I would certainly have released it from bondage so to speak. I am so sorry that it was misinterpreted. It may well have been a mod who doesn't live locally who dealth with it and had no idea what the relevance was. As I said previously the site has been swamped with Nigerians selling non existent mobile phones and such like over the past few months and it probably got caught up in all that.

If you get any problems in future drop me a PM and I'll do my best to sort it out. Ask Jaysay - he'll recommend me! :D

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

wasn't aware of that willow, hope ya can teach the dingles some sense, but i very much doubt it.:D

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Could do with a few more people joining in over there. It's a bit on the quiet side. I plan on doing a quiz when there are enough people to have a go at it! :D

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Nevermind, I wont be back on Burnleyweb again. If they can't see importance in one of my very few important posts then there isn't much point to them.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education
 

I am sure I made a post about it which was also ignored. I understood the problem, though I don't understand the ignorance that followed it. I reckon cashy could explain the ignorance of burnleyweb to me very easily, but nevermind.

Re: Threat to the Department of Continuing Education