A private historical past: 25. Why I used to be fired at UBC and a case research of college mismanagement

I’m writing an autobiography, primarily for my household, nevertheless it does cowl some key moments within the improvement of open and on-line studying. I assumed I’d share these as there appears to be a rising curiosity within the historical past of academic expertise.

Notice that these posts are NOT meant to be deeply researched historic accounts, however how I noticed and encountered developments in my private life. In case you had been round on the time of those developments and wish to provide feedback or a unique view, please use the remark field on the finish of every publish. (There may be already a dialog observe on my LinkedIn web site and on X). A full record of the posts so far shall be discovered towards the tip of this publish.

The top of the street at UBC

I’ve been pushing aside penning this publish now for over three months, as a result of it was one of the vital painful durations in my skilled life. Additionally, in spite of everything these years I’m nonetheless undecided what actually occurred, so that is my private view. Others, resembling Mark Bullen, in all probability have a greater image. If that’s the case please remark on the backside of this publish.

Distance Training and Expertise at UBC in 2003

There have been roughly 5,000 college students in on-line distance credit score applications (a part of common levels) in 2002-2003 taking programs by way of DE&T, most taking one or two on-line programs at a time (it was nonetheless unimaginable to do a full UBC undergraduate diploma at a distance), plus three absolutely on-line masters applications both already launched or in manufacturing.

By 2003, distance enrolments by way of DE&T had grown at a gradual 12 per cent every year over the earlier seven years.

The revenues for DET in 2003 had been roughly $5 million, of which

60% had been scholar tuition charges to cowl tutoring and distance scholar providers,
about 20% in direct grant from UBC’s normal working funds that primarily lined course improvement prices
4% in analysis grants
2% for the Director’s workplace (from Persevering with Research)
14% for college overheads

Virtually all the space training programs had been moved on-line, and absolutely on-line, cost-recoverable masters applications had been launched in academic expertise, inventive writing and rehabilitation sciences.

The Distance Training and Expertise Division had additionally arrange a analysis group, MAPLE (Managing and Planning Studying Environments), which had introduced in over $1 million in analysis grants over three years.

I had additionally been the chair of a university-wide committee, Advancing the Inventive Use of Studying Expertise (ACCULT), which put ahead quite a few suggestions to strengthen using studying applied sciences all through UBC, and I labored with UBC Media Companies to develop a video on how instructing with expertise at UBC may look in 5 years time (i.e. 2005). The report and video went to UBC’s Senate and had been accepted.

Above all, DE&T had an amazing workforce of pros (tutorial designers, internet designers, college students service managers) devoted to the design, improvement and supply of top of the range on-line distance programs and applications.

From suggestions acquired by way of convention invites, UBC was recognised each nationally and internationally for its innovation and high quality in on-line studying and distance training.

What might presumably go fallacious?

Chaos and confusion

Nicely, in 2003, UBC’s senior administration (the Committee of Deans) determined that Distance Training and Expertise as a unit was to be largely dismantled, all distance training programs for credit score had been to be returned to and run by the related colleges, and my providers had been deemed not wanted. This adopted an exterior evaluation of Distance Training and Expertise, whose suggestions had been largely ignored by a subsequent sub-committee of Deans, who really helpful the dismantling of the unit.

This resulted in virtually three years of chaos for distance training college students as Colleges tried, principally unsuccessfully, to take duty for his or her distance training programs. In the long run, the choice was reversed, and the remaining workers in Distance Training and Expertise had been moved to the Centre for Educating and Tutorial Development (TAG).

Pressured into retirement

I ought to have realised one thing was up when in a gathering with Jane Hutton, Neil Guppy and somebody from HR in late 2002, it was identified that I’d be due for retirement in 2004, as UBC had obligatory retirement at age 65 (this is able to later be abolished in 2009), they usually wished to know what my plans had been. It was made clear that my contract with Persevering with Research wouldn’t be renewed after 2003. I wasn’t glad about this. Though I had had a scare about most cancers in 2001, the operation was utterly profitable, and by 2003 I used to be effectively and match once more. Nevertheless, it appeared like I didn’t have a selection due to the obligatory retirement coverage. I used to be within the administrative workers class, I didn’t have tenure, and was completely depending on the funding of my place from Persevering with Research.

I used to be more and more doing consultancy contracts with different universities and organisations, however the charges went to into the DE&T accounts. On the assembly, I requested if I made a decision to retire on the finish of 2003, would there be objections to my taking the consultancy contracts with me. I used to be instructed that this is able to be superb, so I agreed early in 2003 to resign on 1^st January, 2004. As I had a substantial quantity of sabbatical depart owing, I’d step down as Director of DE&T in July 2003, and Mark Bullen could be appointed appearing director.

College politics

I used to be by no means positive precisely what went on behind the scenes, or not less than all the explanations behind the choice to dismantle DE&T, however primarily it was about cash (unofficially), and secondly concerning the future imaginative and prescient for studying applied sciences at UBC going ahead (formally).

By way of cash, the Deans noticed all of the undergraduate tuition income from ‘their’ programs going to Persevering with Research (the place Distance Training and Expertise was positioned), and about $1 million of normal working revenues going as an annual grant to DE&T. What the Deans didn’t actually perceive was that it was cash in and cash out; in different phrases all the schooling revenues acquired had been paid out to rent tutors, and a lot of the grant cash was paid to school and tutorial designers for course improvement and the remaining to supporting distance college students. There was no stability going as revenue to Persevering with Research, and even my wage was paid by Persevering with Research, not from DE&T’s revenues nor from the college’s normal working grant.

By way of future methods, after the ACCULT report had been accepted by Senate, there was appreciable dialogue throughout the college, and notably amongst the Deans, about one of the simplest ways to organise and help the event of studying applied sciences. In addition to DE&T, quite a few completely different instructing help items at UBC, such because the Centre for Educating and Tutorial Development (TAG), the Workplace of Studying Applied sciences (OLT), Telestudios, and IT Companies, had sprung up or expanded, with some reporting to the VP Tutorial/Provost and others to the VP Administration. On the similar time, a number of the Colleges had employed their very own tutorial design or academic expertise help workers, and a pair ran their very own distance teaching programs. Usually, the Deans had been sad about these central items, as they took cash from the final working fund which they felt must be going to their Colleges, and that instructing was finest managed inside the College.

A evaluation of DE&T had been mutually agreed with the VP Tutorial’s Workplace as mandatory again in 2001, primarily on account of the ACCULT suggestions. My very own view and that of my colleagues in DE&T was that:

distance training required an built-in system for the design, improvement and supply of on-line applications, and due to this fact DE&T ought to stay a single, built-in unit;
nonetheless, a powerful, skilled Centre for Academic Expertise must be established and DE&T, which was targeted on credit score and on-line programming, must be a part of a brand new Centre.

The vast majority of Deans, then again, wished a decentralised system, with ed tech and DE help inside every school.

DE&T objected from the start on the determination to evaluation DE&T in isolation. To maneuver the proposals in ACCULT ahead, DE&T argued that the roles and relationships of all of the completely different central instructing help items at UBC must be reviewed collectively, together with DE&T. This suggestion although was ignored by the senior administration.

A top quality exterior evaluation panel, together with Terry Anderson from Athabasca College and Joel Hartmann from the College of Central Florida, acquired enter from DE&T, together with a imaginative and prescient and strategic plan.

On receiving the exterior panel’s report, Barry McBride, the Provost, reported:

The Assessment workforce had great reward for the unit, for the workers experience and dedication, and for the management of Dr. Tony Bates. They commented, for instance, on the “excessive degree of experience” contained inside this “internationally acknowledged unit.” There might be little question that beneath Tony’s management the unit has been very profitable…. Over the following months we shall be on the lookout for new organizational alignments and an efficient monetary mannequin that hyperlinks the strengths of DE&T extra intently with the Colleges and e-learning help items that many have developed. DE&T will now report back to Neil Guppy, Affiliate Vice President, Tutorial Packages.(1)

Following this, Neil Guppy arrange a really small Committee of Deans, with himself as chair, two Deans (Arts and Expertise), and Mark Bullen (I used to be on sabbatical depart). Nevertheless, regardless of Mark’s sturdy objections, the 2 deans on this committee mainly deliberate to eviscerate the design, improvement and supply capabilities of DE&T by:

transferring all course improvement and supply funds to the schools,
transferring all analysis actions to the College of Training,
with DE&T left solely with advertising and marketing and central info sharing. (2)

This proposal was agreed by the Council of Deans on the finish of December, 2003.

This resulted in over a 12 months of chaos when it comes to distance training. The Colleges shortly realised that there was no ‘spare’ cash and they’d have to both rent new workers or present workers from DE&T. A number of the smaller Colleges merely didn’t have the assets after re-allocation from DE&T to handle distance training in addition to on-campus instructing. DE&T had benefited from the economies of scale of a central unit. A number of key DE&T workers left UBC for safer jobs throughout this tried transition. I had retired by this stage and Mark Bullen was left with the horrible job of making an attempt to maintain providers going when few within the Colleges knew what they had been doing.

Because of this, in March, 2005, almost three years after the choice to evaluation DE&T, a brand new AVP, Tutorial Packages introduced the choice has been made to not proceed with the dissolution of DET (3). Remaining DE&T workers had been moved to the Workplace of Studying Applied sciences, which later merged with TAG to turn out to be the Centre for Educating, Studying and Expertise, thus making certain the mixing of on-line studying with different digital applied sciences at UBC.

To some extent UBC now makes use of the ‘combined’ mannequin that Bruce King developed on the College of South Australia, with some studying expertise workers assigned long-term or completely to a College, however with sturdy liaison with the central unit as wanted. This was the mannequin that DE&T initially proposed to the Exterior Assessment committee. This mannequin appears to have been working effectively since 2005.

Why did the Dean’s technique go so fallacious?

A variety of components resulted within the tried dismantling of DE&T.

There was a transparent anomaly in that the majority the work of DE&T was targeted on college students taking common levels for credit score, however the unit was positioned in Persevering with Research, whose focus was on non-credit applications.

Walter Uegama, the AVP Persevering with Research, and a powerful supporter of DE&T, needed to step down in 2000 for well being causes and was changed by Jane Hutton. She had supported quite a few separate initiatives to determine on-line non-credit applications in Persevering with Research, and possibly believed that the $1 million that went to my wage may be higher spent on non-credit on-line studying, though she by no means stated as a lot to me.

Additionally, in 1998, Barry McBride changed Dan Birch as Provost and VP Tutorial. Dan had been a powerful supporter. In 1999, McBride appointed Neil Guppy, a sociologist, as AVP, Tutorial Packages, with duty primarily for the instructing at UBC, and was the principle liaison with me within the Provost’s Workplace.

One other issue maybe was that in 2003 I wasn’t at UBC for lengthy durations. I had gathered sabbatical depart and was away loads of the time working it off earlier than I retired on the finish of the 12 months. Nevertheless, I doubt I might have executed a greater job than Mark Bullen, who needed to face two very intransigent and self-serving deans with little help from exterior DE&T.

I moved on in 2004 to a extremely profitable 20 12 months profession as a personal guide (extra on that to return).

Classes discovered

I by no means regretted my time at UBC; it was in all probability probably the most intense, constructive and satisfying a part of my profession.
Some deans are like robber barons within the courtroom of King John; they pursue their College’s pursuits above that of the college as an entire.
It’s a lot simpler to destroy than to construct.
85 is the brand new 65, as far is retirement is worried (in case you are lucky sufficient to have good well being and a ardour to your work).
Everybody wants mentors and champions with energy and affect. I misplaced mine and made the error of not shortly discovering new ones at UBC.
Because the late soccer supervisor Tommy Docherty stated: ‘When one door closes, there’s at all times one other to slam shut in your face.’
There may be nothing extra satisfying as a supervisor than to have a devoted, revolutionary, skilled workforce working for you, however you’ll be extremely lucky if in case you have one.
There are few employers extra devious than a college.

Lastly, because of all of the fantastic workers who labored in DE&T, and to all of the revolutionary school at UBC I had the fortune to work with. I nonetheless miss you all, 20 years later.

Make a remark

In case you had been round at the moment, and have something so as to add, please use the remark field on the finish of this publish.

References

McBride, B. (2003) Distance Training and Expertise (DE&T), Inside memorandum to Administrative Heads of Unit, July 17
Isaacson, M. (2003) Re: DE&T Committee Inside memorandum to N.Guppy, December 15
Kindler, A. (2005) DET dissolution cancelled Inside memorandum to M.Bullen, Director of DE&T