21percent.org. The 21 Group

A staff group founded at Cambridge in 2023, supporting members facing institutional retaliation.

Recent posts

201
Blog · 18 Jun 2024

Two Professors Dismissed

Over the last 2 years, two Professors have been dismissed at Leiden University because of serious bullying or coercive behaviour. They are Prof Tim de Zeeuw (astronomy) and Prof Corinne Hofman (archaeology) In the case of…

202
Blog · 26 May 2024

Vice Chancellor Vennells

It has been a riveting watch. The three days of Paula Vennell’s testimony have demolished forever the idea that those at the top of institutions like the Post Office are hugely skilled people worth gigantic salaries.…

203
Blog · 19 May 2024

Astro-Bullies 1

There have been a series of high-profile bullying scandals in astronomy in recent years. These include : These scandals have affected European & American universities. What about the UK? The Royal Astronomical Society has just carried…

204
Blog · 28 Apr 2024

The 21 Group Launches its Survey

There is a need for more statistics on bullying, discrimination, harassment & victimisation in academia. Existing surveys are either restricted to certain subject areas (eg astronomy & geophysics) and/or curiously unavailable (eg EPSRC’s Report on “Understanding…

205
Blog · 13 Apr 2024

Sherlock Junior & Mr Pork-Scratchings

If you raise a formal allegation of bullying or misconduct, your University will have to investigate. Studies show that bullying is endemic in Universities. A few examples among many will suffice. In one of the largest…

206
Blog · 16 Mar 2024

The Shame of the LSE

The London School of Economics (LSE) have just provided another classic example of failure to deal with harassment. The outcome has been — predictably enough — the demoralization of the victims and the exoneration of the…

207
Blog · 8 Mar 2024

False Allegations & Public Money

Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, made false allegations about two academics. Donelan wrote to the Prof Ottoline Leyser, the chief executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to “express, in…

208
Blog · 26 Feb 2024

The Shame of Oxford University

The Billionaire University has been found guilty of exploiting its staff at an Employment Tribunal. Rebecca Abrams and Alice Jolly taught Creative Writing at Oxford University for 15 years. They were employed on fixed-term “personal services”…

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