contact Middlesex Board members

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My advice is as follows: be polite. If you want to vent in private about managers and so forth, that’s your right. But it’s not politically effective to send insults to people.

I work part-time in administration myself, and I can tell you that what works are reasoned objections. No one wants to do illogical things or be seen as doing them, and most people are willing to reconsider decisions as long as they don’t look like complete fools in doing so. Cornering people by insulting their intelligence or character is unlikely to work.

A large number of calm, reasoned objections is the way to go in this case as in most others. The human intellect is finite, and sometimes we make decisions that have consequences that we had simply overlooked, and it’s good when people alert us to these consequences. But if you’re ever in a position where people start sending messages calling you a corrupt idiot, you’ll probably put them straight in the trash, and may even feel inclined to do the opposite of what they suggest. Treat these people not as corrupt, irredeemably soulless idiots, but as persuadable.

There are times when one has to abandon all hope of persuasion, but I happen to think that Middlesex philosophy is now in about as strong a position as anyone under a death sentence can possibly be. The international outcry and firm student protest has been an eye-opener even to many of us who support it. I am now betting on a reversal by Middlesex.