Disability Narratives
Support from managers and department
Interview excerpt: Although supportive when available, Stella found her manager – a senior professor – was often too busy to fulfil her line pastoral duties.
© Disability Narratives
I suppose she isn't necessarily always around in Oxford. So yeah, it's not like - I suppose if you're admin staff then maybe your line manager is there a lot of the time, and it's easy to sort of knock on the door and say what's happening. I suppose in my position I wasn't able to do that. So it kind of had to be email. That's my main way of keeping in touch with her, I'd say. I mean, she is very good. I don't want to suggest that she's [not supportive]. And you know she is very understanding. But she's also very busy, and it's not kind of her responsibility. But, yeah. She's helpful but I just have to ask for what I need. And it's also about trying not to be dependent on one person, and to figure out who that person is you need to speak to, as well. You know, it's not like I've asked for something and it's been rejected. I didn't ask. I suppose you don't know what you need…