The problem, always, with "legitimate concerns about immigration" is that they're always based on obvious and significant factual inaccuracies. The people pushing these concerns have made a conscious choice to not learn about a situation they demand to have their way over.
András Forgács W@andraswf.bsky.social · 2w agoyou do not have "legitimate concerns" about immigration. you just gave in to relentless xenophobic and racist propaganda
500 staff at risk. 200 compulsory redundancies. A world-class university under threat. Staff at Exeter are taking the next step in the fight against cuts, with a strike ballot opening on 27 July. ✊ Defend Exeter. Defend education.
ucu.org.uk
Many more people in universities will lose their jobs if nothing changes in the way HE is (under) funded. Even more prospective students will not be able to go to university, especially here in the Norheast. @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social @markfergusonmp.bsky.social @chionwurah.bsky.social
@ucunorthumbria.bsky.social obviously dead chuffed that the brilliant Jill Halfpenny got an honorary degree from @northumbriauni.bsky.social. 🎭 Just a shame - a tragedy, even - the same uni is cutting Theatre and Performance... 😢 @ucu.org.uk www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2627205...
Beloved North East actress and Strictly star 'thrilled' after getting honorary degree
Award-winning actress Jill Halfpenny, who is from Gateshead, has been awarded an honorary degree from Northumbria University.
thenorthernecho.co.uk
Tomorrow is the last day she will be treated with equality & respect at school. Tomorrow is the last day she will be safe at school. Trans kids are bearing the sharp end of aggressive state persecution that is hitting all trans people. No wonder the UK's on our 2nd genocide warning.
Just had meeting with kiddo's school. She has been fully supported, treated with full equality & dignity for years. All of that changes from September. Full segregation & humiliation across the board. The school staff cried in the meeting. This will absolutely lead to children's deaths 1/2
There's definitely a version of consultation that university management have that has more in common with a forwarded email titled FYI than actual consultation
Durham UCU@ducu.bsky.social · 3w agoLike, we've been complaining for quite a while that we feel like senior management have a tendency to just tell us what they plan to do and call it "consultation", but at least that way we get some advance notice of what's coming. Waking up to this news wholly unprepared feels absolutely awful.
As someone who works in decolonisation, and indeed co-runs the decolonisation project in my department, this feels like I'm being spat on. Years of work trying to disentangle UK academia from it's imperialistic past, and my institution goes and does something like this.
Everyone seems blindsided by this. I'm sure we'll get around soon enough to talking about what we think about Durham being top of this particular list, but even independently of that - how have we been signed up to this without Senate even *hearing* about it, let alone approving it?
Doctor Logic@saraluckelman.bsky.social · 3w agoI'm elected member of Durham University's Senate. This is the first that I have heard of this.
Is it possible to generate power from a total lack of surprise? If so I have an idea as to how the HE sector can slash its energy bills.
Flawed disciplinary cases at work cost UK economy £28.5bn a year, doctors say
Poorly handled investigations should be treated as threat to public health and damage not just staff involved, report says
theguardian.com
Busy but rewarding day of branch discussion and planning today. Always good to be in a room with members, talking about where we've been, where we are, and where we're going.
This stuff is just utterly normal at universities now.
Dr Laura Sangha@lsangha.bsky.social · 4w agodid I tell you the one about the emails that would be sent before 4.30pm and if you didn't get one you were not at risk? well some of them actually came the next morning
Have you been told ‘the business case is clear’ without real information? Share your experience with Birmingham UCU. Member testimony helps us challenge weak or unjustified decisions.
The new academic year starts in 2 months. The modules to run are set in stone even if the all-new first year ones haven’t yet been designed. All that remains is to decide which 3 of the 23 of us will still be here to teach them. The redundancy selection criteria has not yet been announced…
Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4w ago'Academics fear they are being “set up to fail” after several institutions finished the academic year by announcing fresh job cuts, casting doubt over who will return after the summer break, and what courses they will be teaching.' 1/3
Changing rules on the fly? Refusing to comment on changing rules on the fly? Pretending to not understand objections to changing rules on the fly? Deleting material to hide how rules have been changed on the fly? Do they think they're running a university?
John Bull@garius.bsky.social · last mo.That Belgian FA statement, with alt. The can of worms FIFA have just poured over themselves is huge. This has spooked all the European FAs. Their whole deal with FIFA has ALWAYS been that you don't let the leopard bite their faces. They just chomped on Belgium's nose www.rbfa.be/en/news/upda...
A launch even for Ahmed Al-Naouq and Pam Bailey's We Are Not Numbers in paperback is happening at The People's Bookshop in Durham 10.7.26 7pm, hosted by Durham PSC. Four Gazan panelists will speak on the lives, experiences and prospects of Gazans. Ahmed will be signing books following the event.
What's happening at the University of Exeter is a disaster for both the region and the country. The way the sector is set up, it is *inevitable* and *unstoppable* that this will continuously happen everywhere. We need to stop, get out a blank sheet of paper and start again.
A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.
Happening this Wednesday! If you are at Westminster make sure to join and encourage your fellow colleagues to do this same!
UCU Westminster@ucuwestminster.bsky.social · 2mo agoNext week, we are running a special workshop on how we can all stand up for casualised workers (or 'part-time visiting lecturers' (PTVLs), as they are known at Westminster). See yesterday's UCU Westminster email for the Zoom link or ask your rep for the link. See you there!
Announcement in my union’s (UCU) weekly email newsletter to members. Hopefully other unions are doing the same.
Being an admin means never have to face any scrutiny, but sure would love if someone could ask them why we're in dire financial straits one minute and on solid footing the next. Seems like you can't be both of those things at the same time, but I guess that's why I don't make the big bucks.
Northumbria UCU Branch@ucunorthumbria.bsky.social · 2mo agoFirst management @northumbriauni.bsky.social came for our pensions and pay - for no good reason. Now they're coming for our colleagues. This is terrible news for staff, students, and the region. @timeshighered.bsky.social @chroniclelive.co.uk @ukhenews.bsky.social @21group.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Northumbria UCU Branch@ucunorthumbria.bsky.social · 2mo agoUCU - Staff at Northumbria University to be balloted for strike action in job cuts row www.ucu.org.uk/article/14548
