Tag Archives: university

Graduation traditions in Edinburgh declared OTT (Rousse)

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Dreamaticus

We’d forgotten how much hassle it was to go out at this time of year. Any pub with the vaguest association with the University of Edinburgh implemented its “ancient” traditions in graduation week. To gain entrance to this particular bar … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bar, drink, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University, Friends, graduation, helmet, iron, member, OTT, party medieval, pub, steps, stone, tradition, traditions, university, University of Edinburgh | Leave a comment

Rousse’s new job

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Dreamaticus

I’d never before applied for an academic job where all short-listed candidates were interviewed together. The panel comprised two well-respected academics: the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of an English university, who – quite out of character – had turned bad cop for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged academia, academic, academics, art, bacon, bad cop, boss, campus, candidates, Chinese, Christmas, competition, dilemma, dining room, driving, family, father, Friends, Glasgow, Glasgow University, Heriot-Watt, interview, job, kitchen, leadership, Manchester, mother, niece, panel, position, post, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, questions, resignation, romantic, short list, short-listed, Stockton-on-Tees, stuffing, turkey, university, University of Glasgow, Victorian, White House | Leave a comment

University redeployment policy disappoints (Rousse)

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Dreamaticus

I bumped into KA in a newly opened museum in Newcastle. She was not pleased. Sunderland University had just offered her redeployment as a departmental secretary.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged disappointment, museum, Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, redeployment, secretary, Sunderland, university | Leave a comment

Synchronised surf-boarding and questions of copyright at Birmingham University main library (Rousse)

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Dreamaticus

Single study rooms were at a premium in Birmingham University’s main library, especially the ones with beds. Fortunately I managed to secure one for myself, although I was disappointed to find that the sheets were torn. The last user had … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged acknowledgement, action, bed, belongings, Birmingham, Birmingham University, black and white, copyright, dissertation, gold, library, main, main library, medal, owner, photo, photograph, photographs, photos, picture, pictures, professional, reinforcement., room, rooms, sheet, sheets, single, study, surf, surf-board, surf-boarders, surf-boarding, surfboard, surfboarders, surfboarding, surfing, sychronised, Team GB, torn, university, University of Birmingham, user | Leave a comment

National Library of Scotland raids English universities for new staff (Rousse)

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Dreamaticus

The team at the National Library of Scotland had already grown significantly and they were keen to take on even more staff. The main source of new employees appeared to be two English universities. SW was a recent recruit from … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bonus, employer, job, library, National Library of Scotland, recruit, staff, summer, universities, university | Leave a comment

A patchwork quilt, property in Perthshire, and a stay at the Palace (Rousse)

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Dreamaticus

My parents were selling up and disposing of their possessions, as was the University of Birmingham. If I wanted to save anything, now was the time to act. I wanted nothing from the White House, but was keen to retrieve … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birmingham, carpet tacks, cottage, dentures, evidence, false, family, holiday, house, Manor, Manor House, palace, parents, patchwork, Perthshire, photo, photograph, Pitlochry, Queen, quilt, rent, restoration, royal, sell, stair, stationery, Stockton-on-Tees, teeth, university, University of Birmingham, White House | Leave a comment

Friday night terror for females on campus (Rousse)

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Dreamaticus

There was something so frightening at the university that DB offered to provide protection and accompany me to my office. When we reached campus we noticed how much the layout had changed due to the building work. However, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged building, business, campus, colleagues, desk, desks, fear, female, Friday, layout, midnight, protection, terror, university, work | Leave a comment

Common room queens rule supreme as Rousse gets on with her work

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Dreamaticus

This student common room housed three queens: my sister J, my sister S and ECM. The loyal subjects of each gathered next to their chosen monarch on the appropriate section of sofa, faces turned in awe towards the object of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged common room, fans, loyal, management, monarch, MSc, Queen, queens, senior, smile, sofa, student, subject, throne, university, viva, vivas | Leave a comment

Unexpected advice on the cultivation of dahlias (Rousse)

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Dreamaticus

As I walked across the exam room I started to argue the value of timed written assessments that comprise a compulsory multiple choice section followed by a choice of two essay questions from a selection of five. The invigilator hoping … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged admin, administrative, advice, American, assessment, assessments, British, campus, conversation, counter, cultivation, dahlia, dahlias, essay, essays, exam, hotel, interior design, invigilator, multiple choice, paper, papers, PhD, propagation, public, reception, receptionist, receptionists, registry, staff, student, students, summer, university | Leave a comment

Rousse’s rubbish reunion

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Dreamaticus

This was the most peculiar of university reunions. First the woman across the table congratulated me on another successful event. “I didn’t organise this!” I responded. (I secretly added “Had I been in charge this would have amounted to far … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birmingham, bus, class, congratulate, crowd, dentistry, difficulties, disgrace, domestic, drab, event, impostors, Leith, logic, Manchester United, mittens, party, primary, reunion, running, school, table, tea, university | Leave a comment