We write as academics to express our profound disquiet at what is happening at London Metropolitan University. We are incredulous at vice-chancellor Brian Roper's statement that he did not intend to dismiss hundreds of staff (Letters, September 10).
He and Lyn Link, the director of human resources, have written repeatedly to hundreds of staff stating that dismissal would follow if lecturers did not do as they were told.
Senior management seeks to inculcate fear and anxiety; discussion and compromise are alien to them. We would normally expect the governors, chaired by John Carter, to provide checks and balances upon management.
However, Carter has refused to play any mediating role and has declined to meet union representatives.
Academic structure and policy are also increasingly determined by diktat, and alternative views seen not as opportunities for constructive debate but almost as dissent. We have lost faith in the ability of the governors, or President Roderick Floud, to act independently of senior management to restore the values of an academic community and ensure staff are treated with respect.
We provide an excellent education to students and will continue to do so, but we believe the reputation of our university is suffering incalculable damage as a result of the actions of Roper and the inaction of governors.
Alan Oattes and Sami Ramadani
On behalf of 155 academic staff
London Metropolitan University
Sarah Adam
Zoubida M. Hampshire
Mike Pokorny
Louise Archer
David Hardman
David Purves
Marion Banks
Professor Stephen Haseler
Habibur Rahman
Greg Barnett
Anna Hassall
Janet Ransom
John Barraclough
Alan Haworth
Barbara Read
Charles Barrow
Dominique Hemard
Lynda Reaich
Dean Bartlett
Peter Hewitt
Deborah Rees
Sue Batley
Sumi Hollingworth
Chris Rhodes
Guy Beggs
Dave Horn
Tony Rich
Anthony Begley
Tracy Hunt
Marivi Rivero
Peter Birch
Laila Ibnlfassi
Rosemary Rizq
Martin Birtill
Robin Iwanek
Frank Rollings
Colin Bladen-Hovell
Sarah Johnson
Richard Ross
Dominique Blondel
Kiran Kalsi
Mervyn Rowlinson
Professor Bill Bowring
JohnKeefe
Katharina Rowold
Jes Bradley
Leonie Kellaher
Janet Rudge
Liselotte Brodbeck
John Kelly
Chris Ryan
Carina Browne
Zafar Khan
Amanda Sackur
Meg Camm
Gholam Khiabany
Chris Sale
Mark Campbell
Richard Kirkwood
Professor Geoff Sanders
Tim Carson
Kelvin Knight
Catherine Schumann
Rob Carty
Professor Douwe Korff
Suki Sian
Elizabeth Charman
Robin Kyte
Chris Smith
James Chiryankandath
Alan Lafferty
Steve Smith
Timothy Cleary
Peter Lampier
Cliff Snaith
Jean Collingsworth
Sue Lawrence
Anthony Sobers
Maggie Conway
CaroleLeathwood
Peter Storfer
Chris Cornes
Jennifer Levy Halford
Rosemary Stott
John Cross
Jane Lewis
Cathy Sullivan
Steve Cushion
Professor Peter Leyland
Humphrey V.Swann
Nilesh Dattani
J. M. Lindsay
Tim Thompson
Jaye Daulphin
Janet Loveless
Ross Thompson
Thomas Davidson
Mohammed B. H.Ludi
Geraldine Thorpe
Professor Mary Davies
Joanne Lusher
Rob Thoyts
Liz Davies
Karin Marson
Frances Tomlinson
Hazel Dawe
Dermot McCann
Barry Toseland
Caroline Derry
Rosemary McGuinness
Rebecca Tovey
Professor Chris Dixon
Mike Mills
Marie Turner
William Dixon
Rosmond Milner
Jeanette Uribe
Mo Dodson
Abdul Momen
Ian Waters
Mark Donati
Marie-Pierre Moreau
Nicholas Watts
Pat East
Professor Iwan Morgan
Mark Wheeler
James Elander
Anne Mulholland
Sam Whimster
Klaus Fischer
Alex Muresan
Shirley Whitfield
David Fletcher
Anny Northcote
Peter Wilkes
Becky Francis
Eileen O’Keefe
Millie Williamson
David Frederick
Bill Osgerby
David Wilson
Helen Gabriel
Alex Ostmann
Professor Mike Wilson
Dita Gill
Robert Parkinson
Caroline Woodhead
Maurice Glasman
Helen Parry
Terry Woods
Pat Gray
Georgie Parry-Crooke
Heidi Yeo
Simon Hallsworth
Helen Peters