Disorganised Uni - how to complain

[solimum]

Apologies RugbyMum - I meant "lowly" in the hierarchy of the university, rather than in any other characteristic - as a lowly Learning Support Assistant myself (with my very own 1st Class maths degree) I certainly didn't mean to impugn anyone else doing a job for which they might on paper be overqualified (and FWIW I would be hopeless at any kind of admin involving event management etc) .... But the Professor screwing up is also entirely plausible, and only indicates that he/his department is in need of some excellent administrative support. My OH left a fairly high-up job (not in a university) last year to set up his own consultancy, and one of the things he misses most (apart from the salary, company car, status etc...) is his superb PA who kept him organised, in the right place, at the right time, meeting the right people, with the right papers, for nearly 10 years....

(Edited to add)

What I should have written is that importance of good, efficient administration is very often overlooked - either (as in this case) it is assumed that academics can organise themselves, which is very often not true, or the support/admin teams are the first to be cut in times of austerity and are overworked/underpaid

[KB]

Fwiw solimum that was how I read your use of "lowly' but I can understand why someone might have read it differently​.

Having worked at a University what I can't understand is how anyone thought it was a good idea for an academic to organise anything without supervision at the very least

[Rugbymumto2]

Apologies RugbyMum - I meant "lowly" in the hierarchy of the university, rather than in any other characteristic - as a lowly Learning Support Assistant myself (with my very own 1st Class maths degree) I certainly didn't mean to impugn anyone else doing a job for which they might on paper be overqualified (and FWIW I would be hopeless at any kind of admin involving event management etc) .... But the Professor screwing up is also entirely plausible, and only indicates that he/his department is in need of some excellent administrative support. My OH left a fairly high-up job (not in a university) last year to set up his own consultancy, and one of the things he misses most (apart from the salary, company car, status etc...) is his superb PA who kept him organised, in the right place, at the right time, meeting the right people, with the right papers, for nearly 10 years....

(Edited to add)

What I should have written is that importance of good, efficient administration is very often overlooked - either (as in this case) it is assumed that academics can organise themselves, which is very often not true, or the support/admin teams are the first to be cut in times of austerity and are overworked/underpaid

Apology accepted and totally understood

I probably jumped to a different understanding due to the attitude of a member of staff I work with who does seem to think the admin team are "lowly" as in "beneath them".

[Amber]

​Having worked at a University what I can't understand is how anyone thought it was a good idea for an academic to organise anything without supervision at the very least

Now I'm offended!

[KB]

​Having worked at a University what I can't understand is how anyone thought it was a good idea for an academic to organise anything without supervision at the very least

Now I'm offended!

I'm sure you are the exception

Seriously, I'm sure there are perfectly well organised academics. One tends to recall the ones who caused difficulties rather than those who quietly got on with things!

[Amber]

​Having worked at a University what I can't understand is how anyone thought it was a good idea for an academic to organise anything without supervision at the very least

Now I'm offended!

I'm sure you are the exception

Seriously, I'm sure there are perfectly well organised academics. One tends to recall the ones who caused difficulties rather than those who quietly got on with things!

I never do anything quietly.