'Being restructured': A student's perspective

Writing about a university restructure that was traumatic for both staff and the students who experienced it, I use a 'critical incident' (Tripp 1994) to identify the contradictions between what we are told and what we experience. A member of management has said that staff whose research areas are broadly concerned with social justice have 'shown no leadership, done nothing worthwhile and are not bringing in money'. I use this as a focus as I 'speak back' in defence of education that does not fit the neoliberal mould. I seek to uncover interests in the way leadership and worth are defined with a focus on what sort of leadership and worth has nurtured my own academic journey. Underlining my work is an assertion that higher education belongs to students, academics and the public.