Professionalisation professionalisation professionalisation

Like most ex-polytechnic universities, there's been a drive to get staff to acquire PhDs and professional accreditation to add to their practical experience. (Not me: I have no practical experience). It's pretty much complete now. We're all experts on paper as well as in reality.

Except for one group: the consultants employed by senior management to tell us what to do. In particular, the review of our VLE and its possible replacement by Moodle. We've called in a consultant with zero pedagogical publications (why the rest of us bother with the REF is beyond me) or experience in the field. As far as I can see, he's been a dean of sport and a biology lecturer. Fine jobs both, but not exactly great training for an e-learning expert.

For an expert in distance and e-learning, his website leaves rather a lot to be desired. It's based in Cyprus, by the way. His London office turns out to be a 'serviced office', i.e. little more than a postbox for people trying to look professional. And the phone number is a mobile.

So we're calling in someone without experience or credentials to tell people with experience and credentials (and office phones!) what we should be doing.

I'm expecting great things.