How a Russell Group University terminates a member of staff

I have worked for a large university (member of the much-vaunted Russell Group etc.) since 1999, full-time then the last several years part-time. There is no longer money for part-timers, so my contract runs out this year. I knew that this would mean the end of the easy access to online research resources on which I have depended for so many years, but the impersonal and uncaring way in which this has been notified to me still comes as a revelation.

And why can't long-serving staff (most of whom do not become Emeritus Professors) look forward to continued links with their former employer by being given research access? They could even give the university some publicity through their publications. 

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR UNIVERSITY ACCOUNT

IT Services has been informed by Human Resources that your Associate
registration is ending on Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012.

In accordance with current University policy, access to any of the
University's computing resources managed by IT Services, will be
withdrawn on this date. The result of this will be that your University
username and password will no longer work and you will no longer have
access to your email account."