So many departments right now dealing with this exact thing: the massive extra push of work to launch a new curriculum, mandated from above, while under threat of redundancy

Plashing Vole@plashingvole.bsky.social · 4w ago

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…

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

Strike at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh over job cuts #StopTheCuts #SaveHE news.stv.tv/east-central...

Queen Margaret University staff strike over job cuts on graduation days

The dispute comes amid plans to save £4 million from staffing costs.

news.stv.tv

reminder that despite valiant efforts and alternative proposals, the University of Essex now only offers Spanish & French to new students — cutting German, Portuguese and Italian + our all non-credit language classes many of our students are local & many are the first in their families to go to uni

Onni Gust@onnigust.bsky.social · last mo.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Trans Kids Deserve Better protesting outside UCL this morning in response to a conference on "Rethinkong Youth Gender Medicine". Solidarity!

What The Trans?! 🏳️‍⚧️@whatthetrans.com · last mo.

They have also started doing protest chants - "HRT, HRT, over the counter and for free!"

Awkward timing… 👀 Staff moved out of Coventry University. TPS REMOVED Trust damaged. Years of expertise GONE. Now TPS employer contributions are going DOWN. Turns out keeping staff in the University may have been the smarter choice. Was it worth it? #ValueYourStaff #HigherEd

With trans rights under attack as never before, we need to show our support for the trans community. Will you join us? goodlawproject.org/s/d23a8a

I stand with trans people | Good Law Project

goodlawproject.org

Lincoln puts 140 staff at risk in latest job cuts “Redundancies will be concentrated in the schools of humanities and heritage; engineering and physical sciences; social and political sciences; chemistry; geography; and design and architecture, as well as the Lincoln International Business School.”

Times Higher Education (THE)@timeshighered.bsky.social · last mo.

Staff at the University of Lincoln fear they could lose their job as early as next month after the institution announced dozens of redundancies across its academic departments. @twilliamsthe.bsky.social reports

We are dismayed to learn about further proposed HE cuts, this time at the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Exeter. In solidarity, please join us by signing and sharing the two urgent petitions below. 🚨🖊️ 1/3

Can someone please take a look at the massive red flags waving in the air over the crisis in UK HE.

Karen Gregory@karengregory.bsky.social · last mo.

"Two former principals at a crisis-hit university received payments totalling more than £290,000 after leaving their posts, despite a financial and governance crisis plunging the institution into turmoil" news.stv.tv/north/dundee...

Given ongoing attacks on university staff and research (at @exeter.ac.uk and many other institutions) with arts and humanities, critical social sciences, environmental science and sustainability particular targets, it’s worth resharing ‘Universities Degraded’.

‘We urge the Government to prioritise this issue. Should this situation continue unchecked, the damage to the health of higher education, research and innovation will be profound and have long-lasting consequences.’ www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/stateme...

British Academy President: UK higher education crisis risks irreversible damage

As course closures, shrinking provision and widening regional inequalities threaten the future of UK higher education and research, President of the British Academy, Susan J Smith calls for an immedia...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Members - this is an important and welcome announcement, that the employer contribution rate to TPS will decrease. We have asked the VC what the implications of this cost saving will be for University finances, given the current plan to save £20m by cutting 200 jobs.

This morning, UCU wrote to SMT across every post-92 institution (incl. ours), calling on them to safeguard access to TPS and to spend the money they save on protecting our members' jobs, courses & the future of our students.

UCU Westminster@ucuwestminster.bsky.social · last mo.

This morning, UCU wrote to SMT across every post-92 institution (incl. ours), calling on them to safeguard access to TPS and to spend the money they save on protecting our members' jobs, courses & the future of our students.

UCU Westminster@ucuwestminster.bsky.social · last mo.

Solidarity works! Colleagues in History, Classics and Archaeology (HCA) at Newcastle have raised £586 for the UCU Nottingham fighting fund in support of members taking strike action against compulsory redundancies. The collection was organised in recognition that what happens at one

'The proposed industrial action is over plans to cut 200 jobs as the Brighton facility attempts to save £35m annually. It comes after more than 600 staff were put at risk of redundancy across academic, technical and professional services departments.'

University of Sussex staff vote whether to go on strike over job cuts

Hundreds of people face redundancy as the Brighton-based facility tries to save £35m.

bbc.co.uk

The Edinburgh Joint Unions Financial Working Group has done an excellent job of going through the university's reports, finding that there's a sizeable surplus, management is using misleading metrics, and spending on buildings is *still* growing www.ucuedinburgh.org.uk/ju-finance-w...

Read this and weep, @uniexecec.bsky.social

‘Please think again’: fury over Exeter University plan to scrap dozens of humanities posts

Rowan Williams and Mark Kermode join campaign against proposed cuts for arts and social sciences

theguardian.com

Found out on LinkedIn, that 142 academic staff at University of Lincoln were put at risk of redundancy, including the entire Politics and International Relations team.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2mo ago

'Union members at the University of Lincoln have declared “no confidence” in their senior leadership team while further strikes have been threatened at Northumbria University as concerns mount over job cuts in the English sector.' 1/3

In our meetings in response to the cuts at Exeter

What a great meeting today, with so many brilliant contributions from our casualised colleagues (or PTVLs as our management like to say). In case members missed the meeting today, we will have an all-members coming in the next day or two with the key headlines. Solidarity!

UCU Westminster@ucuwestminster.bsky.social · last mo.

*UCU University of Westminster calling* Join our Cross-Branch Meeting! 🗓️ Wednesday 1 July at 12:00-13:00. 💪 Come along, get involved, and encourage your fellow UCU members to do the same! 🔗 Join via Zoom (link in UCU Westminster email from 31/06) See you there!

Happening today! See you there at 12!

UCU Westminster@ucuwestminster.bsky.social · last mo.

*UCU University of Westminster calling* Join our Cross-Branch Meeting! 🗓️ Wednesday 1 July at 12:00-13:00. 💪 Come along, get involved, and encourage your fellow UCU members to do the same! 🔗 Join via Zoom (link in UCU Westminster email from 31/06) See you there!

This petition needs as many signatories as the Exeter one. Please sign and share — don’t let Hertfordshire managers get away with this just because a Russell Group one took the spotlight. #UKHE

Joanna Bourke@joannabourke.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Shocking news about redundancies in the Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire, despite their exceptional research activities. I have signed the petition against these actions: it would be great if you would as well: c.org/kDQynZV7J4 @bbkhistorical.bsky.social @bisa-bkk.bsky.social

While it may look like the only thing our branch is doing is striking or boycotting, we are also tirelessly working behind the scenes to address the financial problems our university faces.

“I won't roll out the red carpet for any employer who mistreats their staff. Drop the deductions, get back round the table." Thanks to Lewisham Mayor Liam Shrivastava for coming down to the pickets at Goldsmiths today.

We are calling for - a forensic audit of the the finances of the University of Dundee - a review of University governance structures - a judicial review of the processes that led to restructuring of the University and proposal to close courses and services sites.dundee.ac.uk/ducu/

*UCU University of Westminster calling* Join our Cross-Branch Meeting! 🗓️ Wednesday 1 July at 12:00-13:00. 💪 Come along, get involved, and encourage your fellow UCU members to do the same! 🔗 Join via Zoom (link in UCU Westminster email from 31/06) See you there!

Such absolute SHITE from Labour. STILL less than half of 18-yr-olds go to university. STILL a majority don't. STILL the politicians want to blame universities for... something...