Colleagues,
This issue has obviously raised some very strong feelings and I know
these feelings are genuine and that you are all very concerned by Mr
Baty's message. I feel, however, that we must be careful not to over
react.
My personal view is this: there is no way of making an e-mail list like
Admin EO secure in any real sense. Electronic communications are not
secure and at least for the time being it is something we have to be
aware of.
Making the list a closed list would I believe be very restricting. I
welcome the contribution of list members and have received much help and
support from several list members who are not actually EO practitioners
but are interested parties.
Mr Baty has at least been honest with us, in his second message he says,
and I quote "If anyone is familiar with my work, I have a pretty good
record of exposing bad practice in equal ops in the higher education
sector (and helping to spread good practice)" We can debate what is
meant by the bracketed contents of this message.
I'm sure the contents of messages on our list and messages on other
lists are read (and perhaps monitored?) by people, not all of whom are
working towards the same outcomes as ourselves. I suggest this would not
change if the list was made closed and was "policed". If people really
want to, they can enter the list whatever we do.
I often respond to the messages of colleagues but I rarely reply to the
whole list for several reasons, not least the wish not to clog up
peoples in boxes. I think we should all manage our correspondence, as we
are used to doing with letters memos etc. that is to say, being aware of
issues of confidentiality, sensitivity and data protection. Even
responding to colleagues off list is not secure but perhaps a little
less likely to be intercepted and misused.
Best wishes,
Syd.
(Chair of HEEON).
Syd Kent mailto:[log in to unmask]
Equal Opportunities Development Officer
University of Essex
Wivenhoe park
Colchester
Essex
CO4 3SQ
Phone: 01206 872390
Fax: 01206 873396
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