Please write to your MPs. All this questionable data and denying access to data is rife across #UKHE, and the Department for Education likes to hide in plausible deniability. Make that impossible. Suggested template to get you going: docs.google.com/document/d/e...

John Heathershaw@jheathershaw.bsky.social · 5d ago

I never thought that I would have to write this piece about my university. But after weeks of demonstrating privately to senior managers that their case is based on a false prospectus, that their data are inaccurate and their claims misleading, there was little choice. substack.com/@lucasamin/n...

Seriously, please watch this. And make your non-academic friends and family and neighbours watch it. Only 45 minutes, free, and SO revealing about the people making money off squandering what is a public good.

Catherine Gander@catgander.bsky.social · 4d ago

A deeply damaging, unethical model designed to dismantle the university and rebuild it as a corporation. It’s caused a crisis in Australia and its causing a crisis in the U.K. Sad to see Irish universities watching the chaos and happily following suit. youtu.be/quc24Ot9Qwgr

"And Exeter is not alone. Top UK universities are making dramatic cuts to faculty while the use of consultants continues to rise. Cardiff, which has been going through one of the most brutal rounds of cuts, spent more than £10 million on management consultants in less than two years."

John Heathershaw@jheathershaw.bsky.social · 5d ago

I never thought that I would have to write this piece about my university. But after weeks of demonstrating privately to senior managers that their case is based on a false prospectus, that their data are inaccurate and their claims misleading, there was little choice. substack.com/@lucasamin/n...

'Cardiff University has spent more than £10m on consultants over the last two years...A critic of the university’s ongoing cuts programme claimed that much of the spending on consultants had been caused by the cuts programme itself.’

Cardiff University spends more than £10m on consultants in two years

Martin Shipton Cardiff University has spent more than £10m on consultants over the last two years, according to figures released in a Freedom of Information Act disclosure. A critic of the university’...

nation.cymru

Cardiff University has admitted that it doesn’t know how much it is spending overall on external consultants or hold a central record of what work they are doing ✍️Martin Shipton

Cardiff University criticised over consultant secrecy

Martin Shipton Cardiff University has admitted that it doesn’t know how much it is spending overall on external consultants or hold a central record of what work they are doing. Academic sources have ...

nation.cymru

Why is the universities crisis being ignored? Essential piece by @gsoh31.bsky.social for Arguably on the “grim dribbling away of one of Britain's great triumphs and economic advantages” – and why so few politicians seem to care. www.arguably.uk/p/the-quiet-...

The quiet collapse of British universities

One of our great triumphs and economic advantages is fading away

arguably.uk

@saveassl.bsky.social featured in the latest issue of @privateeyenews.bsky.social

Relieved to see more coverage of the grip Nous is getting on #UKHE. Thanks @privateeyenews.bsky.social! A million pound @cardiffucu.bsky.social alone. That’s a lot of money for the very same PowerPoint…

Good HE is really simple: quality time spent with subject experts who know and care about their students. My university and many others are deliberately abandoning this truth in favour of financial and organisational efficiency.

On Friday afternoon before the Bank Holiday, colleagues in the Humanities department were called to a meeting on Tuesday. They were informed that the University Portfolio Review had decided that English Language, English Literature, Philosophy, History & Creative Writing UG degrees would close

Owen Davies@odavies9.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Aye. Heard today that my university is closing UG History, Philosophy, English Lit, Linguistics, and Creative Writing in one go.

2014 REF: 2026: closing UG History

The financial crisis facing Higher Education in Wales has struck another blow, with the University of Wales Trinity St David launching a voluntary severance scheme ✍️Martin Shipton

Another Welsh university announces job cuts

Martin Shipton The financial crisis facing Higher Education in Wales has struck another blow, with the University of Wales Trinity St David launching a voluntary severance scheme. Staff were told in m...

nation.cymru

In the UK (and not just the UK) university sector, we're living, working, thinking and being made redundant (sic) with and by emergencies. Join Wendy Brown, Margot Finn, Eva von Redecker and Sasha Roseneil, convened by Paul Gilroy and John Sabapathy, for 'Learning in Emergency States'. 5 June. 1/2

Learning in Emergency States: Flourishing, Universities, and the Future

A panel discussion with Wendy Brown (IAS, Princeton), Margot Finn (UCL), Eva von Redecker (H-U, Berlin), Sasha Roseneil (Sussex). Convened by Paul Gilroy & John Sabapathy

ucl.ac.uk

Solidarity with our colleagues at Nottingham ✊

University of Nottingham UCU branch@uonucu.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Every step of the way, for years at this point, the administration at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social (and the administration before, and...) has singularly focused on one goal: gut the institution for short term profits.

Every step of the way, for years at this point, the administration at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social (and the administration before, and...) has singularly focused on one goal: gut the institution for short term profits.

Chris Havergal@chrishavergal.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Leaked plans to cut 600 jobs at University of Nottingham described by @uonucu.bsky.social as confirming members' “worst fears” www.timeshighereducation.com/news/plans-a... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Can we have one of these inquiries here, please? #UKHE is also leading a stupid amount of money from the public institutions to these leechy private businesses. And yes, the lack of accountability is a key part of the issue about that.

David Mead@seethingmead.bsky.social · 4mo ago

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Management paid nearly a quarter million to the external consultancy NOUS, whose generic 'framework' is now used to turn QMUL into a Cookie Cutter University. These modules make QMUL. They bring students in contact with the cutting-edge research & widen the scope of academia. #UKHE

the departure of over 200 staff who took voluntary severance and redundancy has resulted in more work falling on fewer shoulders...there appears to be little understanding of the implications of these sweeping restructures for staff workloads, research time and quality of teaching

Research time ‘sacrificed’ as universities cut costs and jobs - Research Professional News

Academics at institutions implementing job cuts warn of “more work falling on fewer shoulders”

researchprofessionalnews.com

The Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University has been criticised for attending a property conference in Cannes while staff at the university are facing job cuts ✍️Martin Shipton

Cardiff University Vice Chancellor criticised for attending property conference in Cannes

Martin Shipton The Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University has been criticised for attending a property conference in Cannes while staff at the university are facing job cuts. In the past the MIPIM conf...

wp.me

What better way to end your weekend than by co-signing this petition in support of @ucuessex.bsky.social calling out the devastating cuts which their management is making. Let their governing body know managers may not care about the wider public, but the wider public sure does care. #SaveHE

Save Essex: Stop the Cuts, Save Southend, Protect Education

These proposed cuts mean people losing their livelihoods in a higher education sector already facing a jobs crisis, where alternative employment is scarce and careers built over many years can be dest...

megaphone.org.uk

Attended a Cardiff Uni “wellbeing” event for @cardiffucu.bsky.social today. Argued that the best way to improve staff wellbeing is to save jobs, improve pay & conditions, join a union, and become an active member. Recruited well, had lots of great conversations, & actually listened to colleagues. 🩷✊

Also, maybe don't use this as an excuse to cut courses and programs that are currently profitable? And make faculty who bring in research funds redundant? Seems, I don't know, obvious? #stopthecuts #savehe #UCU #UoNUCU #UON #UniversityOfNottingham

Feel somewhat heartbroken tbh www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Greenwich and Kent announce merger to become UK’s first ‘super-university’

Formal approval given for new university group to operate from August, with both institutions keeping their names

theguardian.com

🔊 Cardiff UCU members: remember to post your ballot today! You're voting to demand: 1. Removal of all staff from scope 2. No compulsory redundancies 3. To stop the dangerous workloads 4. To commit to staff H&S

Cambridge apparently scrapping veterinary education is a very normal thing to happen to one of the best universities in a very normal higher education system in a very normal island #UKHE

🔊 Calling all Cardiff UCU members: get your vote in by next Monday! ⏰ The countdown is on: www.cardiffucu.org.uk

In yet more devastating news, the VC has confirmed her plans to cut 80% of academic staff from Essex Pathways, our foundation year department. This would effectively close down all our existing foundation year programmes through the back door. But it's not a done deal yet. Please share urgently.

🔊 Calling all Cardiff UCU members: get your vote in by next Monday! ⏰ The countdown is on: www.cardiffucu.org.uk