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I noticed something today.

I was leaving a comment on Simon Reeds blog, Simon has commented on my posts many times.

I like Simons blog, it is always interesting and never dull.

Hopefully the OU will sort out them blocking Cuban students, something Simon has said he will leave the OU over.

So sort it out OU, its quite an easy win for you, and after all the bollocks we have had to put up with from you so far this year, its the least you could do.

I would be sad to see Simon leave, i am disappointed that Cuban students are banned.

So please try to do the right thing OU, after all, is the vice chancellor considering how many chunks of £3000 dollars the Cubans could add to his rapidly reducing budgets?



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Me in a rare cheerful mood

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Thank you for that.

I've rather given myself a problem with this.  I don't know who else to contact.  The only response from my approaches to the OU have been the SST who pointed out Cubans are not my problem.

There is no information I can find on when the OU applied for licences, how long the process takes or what progress - if any - has been made.

The OU has approached the government, I believe, for some purpose and, I believe, the government has pointed out it is the OU's problem to deal with.

I can't even get 50 OU students to say "I object" in the hope the OU Students Association will think about considering discussing the possibility of debating a draft change to something-to-be-determined so they can discuss debating a vote on supporting it with a view to doing something about something one day.

There's government agencies on the case, MPs, parliamentary bodies, members of the Lords, pressure groups and a few thousand concerned citizens.

I've tried using social media to attract some support in addition to the formal letters and emails.

I don't know what to try next.

Michael Gumbrell

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Hi Simon,

Change is best delivered form the inside of an organisation, rather than from the outside.

My way of saying that your ultimatum to leave the OU will only make it harder to sort the issue out.

you have engaged with the OU about the Cuban's as an internal stakeholder.

You have written directly to the M.P, one of the OU's external stakeholders.

Now you might try the OU,s far external stakeholders, the press, letter to the times, Email radio 4, whistle blow to the Independent. Or email or phone the BBC, the vice chancellor was after all, in his former roll,head of the BBC World service. He left many pissed of employee's in his wake there.

So the BBC World Service ( Cuban access to the OU) might want to follow up a story about an ex boss who pissed them off, now as vice chancellor of the OU,having a situation to deal with at his new employment. sounds like a good fit to me. The BBC world service might want to take a look at the situation,if you bring it to their attention.

But your ultimatum of 3 weeks to sort it out is too short a timescale. I think you should reconsider your position. You might not be able to change the situation by resigning. Staying might enable you to get it sorted.


Mike