In reply to Falung:
That is what happens when the management system, UUK down, starts to rot. Of course your colleagues have a good job but they are highly trained people who, are amongst the brightest in the UK. Why on earth would they celebrate that they are better off than other jobs when for most its nothing like as good as it was and getting worse each year (job pressure is much larger across the board, pay (excepting at the very top) is worse, conditions much worse, pensions much worse): its hardly motivational, which management theory tells us is the key task of a good system. In any case I was talking about the prospects for the next generation of academics which look really shit unless something big changes soon.
In the 30 years I've been an academic: the workload has nearly doubled, student staff ratios have more than doubled, research has gone from uncontrolled to heavily directed (aggressively so in some areas with people forced out not making the grade), research outputs must fit in neat parcels arguably stopping the concentrated thinking time needed for some of the very best work done in the past, staff admin has tripled for no noticeable quality gain, direct admin support has reduced, subject staff development has gone from healthily supported to nearly all done on our own in our spare time (or through research links), our ability to teach is now measured by a portfolio essay to the (management run) HEA (conning the students and parents that we are better qualified than ever), management negotiations have gone from broadly sensible to barely used (most things offically due to be negotiated are just imposed these days) and for all this, pay, conditions of service and pensions have got a lot worse. Academics are pretty resilient but I'd say too many are close to breaking point in many institutions. For the moment, our main outputs are broadly holding up: undergraduate quality has held reasonably well, despite mass increase in numbers, although there are sticking plasters in many areas compared to the past standards; postgraduates have increased (if standards have dropped more obviously) but hidden in this, home numbers are a becoming a national disaster, as its more about making money to fill government funding gaps ( from recruiting overseas students) than meeting even minimum national needs. UK research outputs are internationally excellent but the investment to achieve this increasingly exceeds income so is not stable in many institutions. Its not all bad: there are a few beacons of good practice institutionally; in the top ranked institutions and some pockets below research stars do well and even in bad places a few teams 'shine a light'.
When I started I'd say on average the UK universities were regarded as easily the best in the world, I can't say that now and the outlook is worse still.
As for your other points: on the redundancy offer why on earth should anyone leave your place with a years pay unless they have a job set up.... they would get more (and more time to look for alternatives) by being forced out; as for lack of oversight what on earth is being an academic for if not that? UKBA demand institutions take registers not academics...wtf is wrong with investing in swipe cards in the modern world or a cheap classroom assisstant, rather than wasting expensive academic time?