Live! - News

DPGS Misses High-Level Meeting

Oct 25 2006 09:41

Ronak Chitroda

The DPGS has missed a meeting with the Deputy Rector due to time "mix up".

That's how analogue clocks work (that's about .. ooh, 10am)

Some readers may remember the story we ran over the summer regarding the missing DPGS. Well it seems that "missing" is a word that the DPGS Shama Rahman is quite keen to keep in her dictionary.

ICU Exec recently asked Rahman to go to a meeting with the Deputy Rector along with ICU President John Collins. The meeting with the ICU President takes place every month, with DPEW Ben Harris normally attending too. Rahman was invited on this occasion so that she could have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with the Deputy Rector and raise any important postgraduate issues. It was supposed to take place at ten in the morning on Monday, however due to a time mix up Miss Rahman did not attend the meeting. Mr Collins had to raise issues on her behalf. Live! is not aware at this stage what this apparent time mix up was.

When contacted by Live! yesterday evening (not aware at that time that Rahman did not attend), Miss Rahman neglected to answer the question of how the meeting went.

It was only later on at night that Mr Collins told council that Miss Rahman had not attended the scheduled meeting and cited a time mix up as the reason. Mr Collins was answering questions on Miss Rahman's behalf as she was away for Eid celebrations.

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Discussion about “DPGS Misses High-Level Meeting”

The comments below are unmoderated submissions by Live! readers. The Editor accepts no liability for their content, nor for any offence caused by them. Any complaints should be directed to the Editor.

1. Concerned

Oct 25 2006 12:49

oh dear. Hopefully this is just a one-off mistake and not symptomatic of a serious problem....

2. Tris

Oct 25 2006 22:08

Happens to everyone, easy to do...

3. Concerned

Oct 26 2006 08:35

Oh indeed yes. It's just that this is how it started last year as well.

4. John Collins

Oct 26 2006 21:08

I think Shama is being unfairly picked on here. She is not the first union officer to ever accidentally miss a meeting and she probably won't be the last. This is, however, the first time I have ever seen Live! publish an article about an officer missing a meeting. Two other sabbatical officers attended Monday’s meeting with the Deputy Rector and all of the relevant postgraduate issues that Executive tasked us to raise with him were discussed. Furthermore Shama has been meeting regularly with the Pro Rector for graduate students and the Graduate Schools’ heads to discuss postgraduate specific issues.

5. Not Concerned

Oct 26 2006 22:54

"They" (Live!) wouldn't be victimising Muslims for no particular reason?

She was observing a religious occasion based on moonsighting which without much brains will make you discover this is only decided a a night or two before. The things that make the news nowadays...tut...tut...

6. Editor

Oct 26 2006 23:28

Live! wasn't aware that Eid was celebrated at 10am in the morning, followed by turning up to work by 11am.

Eid was only mentioned to defend Miss Rahman against complaints that she did not attend Council - she was celebrating Eid that evening so we wished to make that clear. Her non-attendance at the meeting with the deputy rector was not related to Eid. Please read the article in future before playing the religious card.

Live! believes in equal opportunities - we do not attack people on religious grounds, nor will we give people of particular religions special treatment.

In reply to Mr Collins, Live is aware that this is not the first time Miss Rahman has failed to arrive at 10am, meeting or not - indeed, Live! made many visits to the union just after 10am during September, with Miss Rahman being the notable omission from the office complement. Missing one meeting is a mistake, readers may judge what repeatedly failing to turn up during your contractual hours of 10am-4pm constitutes.

Live! looks forward to receiving a list of who has missed which meetings with the Deputy Rector and what time they arrive at work (on average), so the student body may determine an appropriate course of action.

7. EDL

Oct 27 2006 11:49

I'd just like to say I attended the post-graduate welcome event organised by Miss Rahman. It was great! This is my second year as a post-grad at Imperial and I can tell you none of the events last year matched up to this and it was only her first attempt.

Shouldn't she be judged on performance rather than obsessing over one missed meeting? This whole thing smacks of back biting by sour-faced colleeges. Sort it out!

8. Reply

Oct 27 2006 17:39

But if she is repeatedly turning up to work late and there are students like Mr Editor who wanted to see her to express post grad issues then she is not doing what the union is spending thousands of pounds on and that surely is not performance!

9. Andy Sykes

Oct 29 2006 00:57

"University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small." - Henry Kissinger.

10. ?

Oct 30 2006 15:39

"so small"

If you consider 25K to be so very small then perhaps you would like to donate your year's salary to me!

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