Public Announcement
I resigned from The Open University last night. The University has allowed things to escalate to a point beyond repair. My trust and heart have been broken. As many of you know, I am taking the OU to the Employment Tribunal and will provide further updates on the case in the next week or two.
But today, I am delighted to announce that as of 1st January 2022, I will be moving to the University of Reading to become Professor of Criminology at the School of Law. I am excited about working with law and criminology specialists, and about the next chapter in my academic career.
It is a privilege and pleasure to move to a University that truly values interdisciplinary research and teaching, and that has demonstrated its commitment to upholding and protecting academic freedom.
The OU built it's reputation by offering mature students a 'grown up' learning experience. How strange it has succumbed to the ' you hurt my feelings,so I'm going to destroy you mob' . What a sad demise . Good luck Jo , better days are surely ahead.
The situation in which you have found yourself at the OU is appalling. It is - or should be - intolerable of such an organisation to behave in such a manner as they have - and no doubt will continue to do - and in part adhere to an ideology so vague and nebulous, and yet so pernicious that I am embarrassed to be even thinking about it.
I am pleased you have found another post at Reading, and I wish you well in that and also in your Tribunal process.
Good luck!