Comments on: Committee day… http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/07/committee-day/ Life and Work in the House of Lords Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:26:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: lordnorton http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/07/committee-day/comment-page-1/#comment-676 lordnorton Fri, 09 May 2008 08:43:59 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.wordpress.com/?p=304#comment-676 ladytizzy: good question but almost impossible to answer. I usually spend four to four-and-a-half days a week in my University office and two-and-a-half days in the Lords. However, the location does not necessarily reflect the nature of the work. Being in my university office researching material for a speech in the Lords presumably counts as parliamentary work. Being sat in the Bishop's Bar in the Lords having lunch and at the same time marking essays (something I shall be doing a lot of over the next week or so) counts primarily as academic. I have students on placement in the Commons and have weekly seminars with them in Westminster. I teach on an MA Online, which I do as often when I am at my desk in the Lords as when I am on campus. I use the train as a travelling office - I am not interrupted and I get through masses of paperwork - and it depends as to whether it is parliamentary or university work. Though there is some regularity to where I spend parts of each week, the balance between the type of work will vary enormously from week to week. The busiest days, though, are usually the ones on campus because of the volume of teaching I need to get through in order to free up time for the Lords. The overlap is enormous in that I do work that is as useful for academic and parliamentary purposes. I was in Brussels yesterday wearing my parliamentary hat as part of an inquiry into the initiation of EU legislation: the evidence was excellent, obviously of value to the committee's work but also tremendously useful to me in my teaching. Who has benefited most? I like to think each has benefited - I use my experience in the Lords to inform my teaching and my academic research to inform my parliamentary work. Wherever I am, I regard myself as pursuing my vocation as a teacher. Given that, I think I would have to say the answer to your question is the House of Lords. Membership of the House helps my existing teaching in Hull whereas my work in the Lords is a more significant extension of informing parliamentarians through my writings. Whether my colleagues think they have benefited is another matter entirely! ladytizzy: good question but almost impossible to answer. I usually spend four to four-and-a-half days a week in my University office and two-and-a-half days in the Lords. However, the location does not necessarily reflect the nature of the work. Being in my university office researching material for a speech in the Lords presumably counts as parliamentary work. Being sat in the Bishop’s Bar in the Lords having lunch and at the same time marking essays (something I shall be doing a lot of over the next week or so) counts primarily as academic. I have students on placement in the Commons and have weekly seminars with them in Westminster. I teach on an MA Online, which I do as often when I am at my desk in the Lords as when I am on campus. I use the train as a travelling office – I am not interrupted and I get through masses of paperwork – and it depends as to whether it is parliamentary or university work. Though there is some regularity to where I spend parts of each week, the balance between the type of work will vary enormously from week to week. The busiest days, though, are usually the ones on campus because of the volume of teaching I need to get through in order to free up time for the Lords.

The overlap is enormous in that I do work that is as useful for academic and parliamentary purposes. I was in Brussels yesterday wearing my parliamentary hat as part of an inquiry into the initiation of EU legislation: the evidence was excellent, obviously of value to the committee’s work but also tremendously useful to me in my teaching.

Who has benefited most? I like to think each has benefited – I use my experience in the Lords to inform my teaching and my academic research to inform my parliamentary work. Wherever I am, I regard myself as pursuing my vocation as a teacher. Given that, I think I would have to say the answer to your question is the House of Lords. Membership of the House helps my existing teaching in Hull whereas my work in the Lords is a more significant extension of informing parliamentarians through my writings. Whether my colleagues think they have benefited is another matter entirely!

]]> By: ladytizzy http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/07/committee-day/comment-page-1/#comment-675 ladytizzy Wed, 07 May 2008 16:13:56 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.wordpress.com/?p=304#comment-675 How much of your time is devoted to HoL work, and to university work, in rough percentage terms? How much do they overlap? Venn diagram or pie chart? Who has benefited most from your experience since joining the HoL - students or peers? I'm genuinely interested on this; please, no self-deprecating answer! How much of your time is devoted to HoL work, and to university work, in rough percentage terms? How much do they overlap? Venn diagram or pie chart?

Who has benefited most from your experience since joining the HoL – students or peers? I’m genuinely interested on this; please, no self-deprecating answer!

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