The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan recently attacked individual academics on social media, making false and egregious accusations that she has since been forced to retract. She has failed to apologise to those she attacked and instead has sought to hide behind her department rather than taking personal responsibility for…
Stop job cuts at Northumbria University: no compulsory redundancies!
2022’s ‘University of the Year’, Northumbria University, has announced huge budget cuts. In a message to staff, Northumbria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long stated that having already saved £20million through voluntary severance and other measures, the university was looking to reduce staff costs by a further £12.5 million by 1 August. This will have a massive…
Defend jobs and education at Oxford Brookes University
We, the undersigned, call on Oxford Brookes University management to halt plans to make staff compulsorily redundant and to close departments and schools at the university.Oxford Brookes University has announced plans to reduce academic staff numbers in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Maths, leaving 48 jobs at risk of compulsory redundancy. Please read and share…
Ravensbourne University: UCU recognition
Recognition of UCU at Ravensbourne University is important because it provides a framework for collective bargaining to help improve your working conditions and will give your UCU branch a voice at the university. Unionised workplaces have better terms and conditions, better job security, higher pay and more pay rises than non-unionised workplaces. Unionised workplaces can…
University College Birmingham: oppose the restructure
University College Birmingham (UCB) management are conducting a restructuring exercise. Management argue this is not a cost cutting exercise. 73 senior lecturing staff have been told they are at risk of redundancy and asked to re-apply for 42 new senior lecturer roles. These new roles have an increasing workload with no additional pay. Staff who…
University of Essex: space and ‘smart working’
University of Essex staff are increasingly concerned about the implications of messaging from senior management that proposes or implies substantial changes to the spaces in which staff will be expected to carry out their work in the coming months and years. It is essential that we acknowledge the serious short and long term negative consequences…
Stop the cuts at Kingston University
In April, Kingston University announced the closure to new applicants of its BA Politics, Human Rights, International Relations courses, the final closure of its BA History course, and proposed severe staffing cuts in Media and Communications and Film Studies. This represents a concerted attack on the provision of social sciences, arts and humanities at Kingston.…
Supported Learning restructure: stop de-professionalism of service and education cuts
Students need more support to develop as they recover from the pandemic. We the undersigned call upon New City College to withdraw threats of job losses, pay cuts and detriment to terms and conditions to supported learning staff. We should demand government provide the support our staff and students need, not implement local cuts.
London South Bank University: stop course closure and redundancies
In the midst of the global Covid-19 crisis, London South Bank University (LSBU) has announced a drastic programme of course closures following a review of its teaching portfolio by the university executive. Seven courses* in the School Law and Social Sciences have been closed with immediate effect, with 16 teaching staff placed at risk of…
Defend History and Language provision at Aston University
Aston University has announced sweeping plans to close a whole host of programmes and services which will hugely impact language and humanities provision at the institution. This includes closing the Department of History, Languages and Translation and the Languages for All programme. The plans mean that 24 staff are at risk of redundancy and would…