Letters

Send your letters to acting editor of the Reporter, David Pickering. Email the.reporter@leeds.ac.uk or send by internal post to press office, 12.67 E C Stoner building.

All letters will be considered for publication. We will not as a rule publish 'round robin' letters, letters that have been published elsewhere or letters that have also been sent to University colleagues for action. Letters may be cut (for space) and we will indicate where this has happened. If writers have asked questions, we will attempt to answer them. If they assert things we know to be untrue, we may add an editor’s note.

DÉJÀ VU INSIGHTS
(from Dr Susan Vladeck, New York)
I read an article in the Reporter [November 521 issue] about a blind man experiencing déjà vu. I am not surprised. Many years ago while working on my doctoral thesis about creativity in light of the then-new “split-brain” research, I concluded the following - déjà vu may come from a similar previous actual experience that has not been set in time and space. For a child may well experience something based on the senses (sound, touch, sight) and not yet have enough language to process it in time and space. Or someone may be focused on something intently and see, hear or touch something peripheral and not be paying attention to what passes on
the edges.

Here are two examples. While travelling through Sete, France, I had a strong déjà vu feeling I had been there before (although I knew I hadn’t). Later, having lunch in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn with my mother, it was an ‘aha!’ moment - for that is where I had been when I was about one year old.

I pursued this question with my uncle, a psychiatrist who realised he couldn’t touch ice without having a whole series of negative feelings rise to the surface. My asking him about it triggered a new memory that when he was an infant he’d had pneumonia, and they wrapped him in ice to bring down the fever.

In short, déjà vu may well arise from situations similar to those experienced, but not consciously processed, and therefore have no ‘fix’ in the memory.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT
(from Dr Gavin Reid, President of Leeds UCU, School of Chemistry )
During the long and difficult pay dispute of 2005-6, the one figure that was never disputed was the then-AUT's estimate of the extra money coming into the sector, enough to fund a decent pay rise for academic and academic-related staff well above 20%, and more to solve the problems of the very low paid. The announcement of £359 million [ Reporter November 521 issue], a quite staggering sum to be spent over the next ten years for some new and ‘outstanding modern buildings', represents in excess of £10,000 per annum that could, instead, be in the pay packets of each and everyone of us.

No doubt there will be justification attached at the foot of this letter that this money was never available for pay - that it inevitably comes from a different pocket, surrounded by tight rules dictated by government that preclude expenditure on salaries, even on pain of death, etc, etc.

Most of us I am sure would welcome some new investment in facilities, but not if it is to be funded from our own pockets. Indeed, just half of this money would have helped to solve the long-standing problem of relative pay decline. This issue will need to be addressed in the sectorial review of income that was agreed as part of that 2006 pay settlement and which will take place during the next few months. I am reminded of an old saying, that those who live in glass houses (or at least glass-fronted monoliths) shouldn't throw stones.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, John Fisher, replies: The University's vision in its recently approved Strategic Plan is that “by 2015 our distinctive ability to integrate world-class research, scholarship and education will have secured us a place among the top 50 universities in the world”. The achievement of such a vision requires a significant investment in facilities to address previous under-funding; this is a long-term sector problem which the HEFCE has persuaded Treasury to support via specific earmarked funding.

There is also the need to address rising stakeholder expectations and ensure long-term sustainability. Without the level of investment set out in the Estate Strategy , it is unlikely that we will be able to provide the first-class facilities required to compete in the global market. Failure to invest in infrastructure would also put at risk the delivery of the Strategic Plan , which could have a significant negative impact on University finances, developments and on our plans to support the ambitions of our staff and students.

A large proportion of the funding for the strategy (64%) is expected to be provided by the HEFCE for infrastructure renewal, specifically targeted at teaching and research. As Dr Reid indicates, this money can only be used for capital purposes. However, the HEFCE also expect institutions to make a positive future commitment to estates sustainability themselves, by setting aside additional funding for infrastructure investment. Other funding sources include loans (for accommodation projects serviced by rental streams) or one-off sales of property which again could not be used to support recurrent expenditure on salaries.

Future funding from the HEFCE for estates renewal is likely to rely on a robust Estate Strategy demonstrating long-term sustainability that also supports Strategic Plan objectives. The strategies recently approved by Council and Senate aim to demonstrate this.

REFECTORY IMPROVEMENTS
(from John Smurthwaite, Library)
I see from the Reporter [November 521 issue] that the University's plans include ‘a £4m redevelopment of the Refectory next year to improve it for concerts'. What we surely need is a separate purpose-built concert hall? Not only would this provide better facilities for concerts, but Refectory users would no longer have to put up with regular processions of roadies trundling speakers.

Director of Residential and Commercial Services, Dennis Hopper, replies: The Refectory redevelopment project is due for completion in February. It is designed first and foremost to provide an exceptional food service environment with a new ‘state-ofthe- art' food service area, kitchens, and completely refurbished seating areas on both the ground and mezzanine floors.

Part of the project includes the formation of a new rear access to help in setting up events, and to keep this activity separate from food service and dining.

Live music events at the Refectory are a part of the University's heritage and play an important role in the student experience at Leeds . The venue is rightly famous for having staged literally hundreds of events over the last 40 years, including the world famous Live at Leeds album performed by The Who, which is commemorated by a blue plaque next to the Refectory entrance.