QM_UCU

Unions pass no confidence vote in University of Nottingham bosses They say it follows "years of shocking financial decisions and governance failures".

An understated part of this: teaching staff, PhD students, research support staff, technical staff, facilities workers + more ALL voiced zero confidence in university leadership.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get all these people to agree on anything. The boss is truly the best organizer.

Words of fire! 🔥🔥❤️‍🔥 Please read and share this current @northumbriauni.bsky.social student's view on @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social's fight for pay and pensions justice, and against management's plans, at Northumbria University ucu-unn.org.uk/blogucu/325-...

No-one wants to go on strike, and no-one ever does it just for themselves. @jimdickinson.bsky.social @moneyontheleft.bsky.social @ukhenews.bsky.social @ucea.bsky.social @andylong6.bsky.social @georgeclarke.bsky.social

A screenshot of an article from ResearchProfessional News with the headline "Nottingham cuts 'theatre status as research-intensive university'"

A screenshot of an article from the BBC with the headline "Unions pass no confidence vote in university bosses'"

A screenshot of an article from NottinghamshireLive with the headline "'Breakdown of trust' at University of Nottingham as Vice Chancellor told to quit'"

Hey! We're in the news again! And if the University believes that all press is good press, they're nailing it.

This sobering SPICe report warns without structural reform to our higher education sector there is a long-term & irreversible decline in university capacity, economic impact, and global reputation.

digitalpublications.parliament.scot/ResearchBrie...

"This matter is not simply regarded as a sectoral problem confined to higher education as it may threaten Scotland's economic future, innovation capacity, and regional stability."

Why hasn't UUK produced a report like this for all of #UKHE? Their strategic ignorance is destructive.

9,600 redundancies at just 24 universities. Imagine what the picture is for the sector as a whole. This is the other half of the student loan scandal picture, which has been national news lately. Nothing at all from the government on a key sector effectively in freefall…

Pour tous les collègues en France qui regardent encore le système britanniques des frais d'inscriptions à la hausse avec des étoiles dans les yeux (si si, on vous voit), une page d'utilité publique de @qmucu.bsky.social qui recense les licenciements, restructurations et fermertures en cours 💔

: Half of UK universities face a deficit next year. Up to 50 could close.

That is a sector in crisis. Simply blaming a tuition fee freeze and nudging fees up with inflation is not a plan. Where is the long-term strategy for higher education?

#Universities #HigherEducation

Grateful to @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social for pointing out the *financial system* is the problem. Horrified at the evasive response by the minister; Bennett didn't query the fees, she queried the entire instability and reliability on chasing funding.

♥️ the @qmucu.bsky.social shout-out #UKHE

In an unprecedented move, one reflective of the deeply unprecedented times at our university, UoN branches of three different unions (@UCU.org.uk, @unisonorg.uk, and Unite) have all successfully passed motions of no confidence in the Vice Chancellor and the entire executive board.

You can't have a university without staff. Yet somehow managers (and trustees?) seem to think you can have a university without that staff trusting management.

Is the screen-based bureaucratic management tasks (attendance, record keeping, email torrents, form filling, reimbursement labyrinths, inane video training boxticking, multiplication of online platforms and teaching materials) demanded by Uk university making us dumber and exhausted?
Yes.

and the last four years have been so very rosey...

UK unis: we need to pay mid-six figure salaries to the people in charge, because it is imperative we get the best and brightest to lead us.

Also UK unis: It isn't reasonable to expect us to do anything to solve any of our problems, or even to check whether a new problem might be brewing.

Well now, doesn’t feel like gaslighting at all that individual programs are being made “accountable” for the future earnings of their graduates.
!!!!

What *did* they do all day? Because this feels like a key part of the job, the whole ‘knowing what’s going on’ bit?

New report on The State of Geography in UK Higher Education UK universities are facing a financial crisis, with over 40% of institutions experiencing deficits. Others will likely face similar challenges.

Shout out for the learned societies keeping a beady eye on the state of the disciplines that university senior managers are so swiftly dismantling. Keep an eye on the state of UK university Geography with the help of the @rgs.org 's new report, published this week.

Stefan Collini · Sold Out: The Costs of University Privatisation Future historians will record that, alongside its many other achievements, the coalition government took the decisive...

Stefan Collini in 2013:

"Future historians ... will at least record that, alongside its many other achievements, the coalition government took the decisive steps in helping to turn some first-rate universities into third-rate companies."

#HigherEd
#UKHE

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v3...

Constructive dismissal claims are notoriously difficult to win.

These are when someone resigns their employment, arguing that the situation was so bad at work — that a "fundamental breach of trust and confidence" occurred due to management actions — they had no choice but to resign.

Important detail bsky.app/profile/qmuc...

Really looks to me like amoral lawyers taking advantage of a bad situation and higher academia folding quickly. This can ruin UKHE.

Noooo! Fellow Queens! Sorry to hear this keeps rolling. But thanks for the update, we've edited the page.

I’d like to apologise for my university’s craven actions, failing to defend staff and throwing the rest of the UK university sector under the bus on this issue.

UCL had the resources others do not have to fight this properly in court.

This is on top of their Employment Tribunal loss which showed that QMUL was making promotion decisions 'tainted by sex'.

(both won by staff who defended themselves, against QMUL's fancy lawyers)

Management @qmul.bsky.social lost yet another Employment Tribunal: the judge ruled it constructive unfair dismissal.

Can we please keep senior managers under control *within* QMUL? They keep using uni money for fancy lawyers & be told by judges that they can't actually do the things they do...

Yup. This hurts.

We worked ourselves to the bone during Covid to keep the show on the road.

I ran virtual fieldtrips & recorded endless bite-size lectures, with a 2-year old balanced on my lap while the nursery was closed for 6 months.

Our students were MAGNIFICENTLY patient and gracious 🙏

The students 'win' £14 million because the law firm is pocketing 35%. There were 6500 students in this case, so that's about £2,000 each. Worth it for kicking #UKHE even further in crisis?

Abominable law firm. Frustrating UCL didn't resist as WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ALTERNATIVE COVID TEACHING?

Universities didn't create Covid, didn't choose lockdowns, and didn't set public health policy. By this logic every airline owes you damages for a hurricane.
This is a masterclass in punishing institutions for surviving a crisis. This will accelerate the collapse of UK higher education
#AcademicSky

<laughs in London university stripped bare by UCL's* student fee grabbing>

This could absolutely be an evergreen.

*UCL managers. We know UCL staff don't want this Machiavellian marketisation either, and are facing the overcrowded classes and yet somehow also restructures and redundancies.

These are such inhumane terms. Throw over your life (all the training, all the moves and overwork) within the space of three weeks. Oh, and in those three weeks keep delivering worldclass teaching and research. Just add the existential crisis to the evenings.