Uncategorized

Five students occupying Sussex University against privatisation & cuts and in solidarity with the HE strike have been suspended. Sussex’s Students’ Union has condemned the suspensions and asks everyone to sign this petition in support of the five: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/professor-michael-farthing-vice-chancellor-of-sussex-university-to-immediately-retract-the-suspension-of-five-sussex-students-which-began-on-the-4th-december#

For more information and a statement from the students themselves, please see: http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com

Anyone who thinks the change in 2010 was merely a rise in fees, and that things have settled down and will now carry on much as usual, simply hasn’t been paying attention. (Stefan Collini ‘Sold out’ in London Review of Books, 24/10/13) (more…)

 
If you haven’t already signed the petition in support of our colleagues at the University of Liverpool,  please click here to sign the petition now
 
UCU members at the University of Liverpool need your help. As you may know, the university’s senior management is threatening to dismiss 2,803 staff and rehire them on inferior contracts. 
  (more…)

“I have received over 50 such submissions, from a wide range of staff, predominantly academics but also including some from support staff. They universally express their lack of surprise at the events that have unfolded. They attest to problems of student data quality for internal use over many years and provide many detailed examples of the difficulty of removing students from the record whom they know to have left or who never ever appeared. They generally describe a highly centralised and dictatorial Executive led by the Vice-Chancellor, which was incapable of listening to what was going on in the university, discouraged or ignored criticism and made decisions without consultation. (more…)

The new branch committee was elected at the AGM. For details of who is on the committee and their contact addresses please see the contact us page of the website

Please can we remind colleagues to complete the Stress Survey sent in Jacqui Mitchells last email and return to her as soon as possible?  Thanks to all those who have returned it already but we need to hear from more academic staff.  UEL Management removed stress as an area of concern from their Health and Safety Policy.  We still have a Stress Policy but other than a hyperlink at the end of the Health and Safety Policy there is no connection between stress and health and safety at UEL. Unions at UEL are conducting this joint survey of members in order to consider how best to highlight what unions fear is a growing issue for staff at UEL.

It appears that quite a number of staff are having difficulties in getting into Docklands campus. So its ironic that within the latest negotiations, the UEL managment position is that all staff should be in their office between 9 and 5. It seems that management only wants staff on site when it suits them.

The ballot papers for industrial action have been sent out by the electoral reform society. It is essential that the you vote so that the result of the ballot can be clearly to be representative of the UeL UCU branch as a whole.  If you do not receive your ballot paper by wednesday 18th April then please contact UCU. The ballot paper will be sent to the prefered address that you have set with UCU so it may be your home address or it may be your work address. The closing date for the ballot is noon friday 27th April 2012.

We are seeking a day and time and will discuss possible dates at the Branch meeting.  We are also considering holding it between 5.30 and 7.30 to include a social event afterwards.  The question is when!  UCU knows that many of you have good ideas about what would improve the student experience at UEL . We need to find a way to offer a report from our discussions as soon as possible.

A proposal from management regarding a new Professorial Pay Review Scheme has been circulated to Readers and Professors.  It replaces the previous negotiated agreement withdrawn by management without informing any staff concerned or their union.  Following the HERA meetings and the signing of National Framework Agreement UCU represents those members of the Readers and Professoriate that are also members of UCU.   It is causing much discussion among Readers and Professors. We ask all Readers and Professors to come and update the Branch with their views on this proposal and for the Branch to agree what to do next and how the Branch will support Readers and Professors over this very serious issue.  It is of great concern that the existing scheme was withdrawn without any discussion and what is being proposed is also of great concern on several levels.

UCU is pleased to see that a further two week consultation period has been offered for the Assessment and Feedback Policy. Whilst there is much to welcome in this policy as it does bring together and set some useful guidelines UCU is also aware that many staff would like to comment on some of the changes and wish to express them to UCU rather than to Deans or Field Leaders.  Click to see the ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK POLICY 2012 26 03 12.

Please contact your School Rep with your comments or Jacqui Mitchell if in School of Psychology (yes we do need a volunteer here) and we will collate them into a document for Julie Baldry-Currans.   The deadline for comments, to give us time to collate them, will need to be 24^th April to meet the 25^th April deadline.

Can we remind everyone that the closing date for nominations is fast approaching. There are 15 posts for which we require representatives: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Health & Safety Officer and Equality Officer. In addition nominations are required for a single representative from each of the seven schools making a total of 15 officers. (more…)

Dear fellow UCU members
 
After the incredibly difficult year we have all had we thought it would be VERY useful for UCU members to reflect on this by completing the annual UEL Staff Survey recently sent round by our Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Patrick McGhee . To complete the survey go to <http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/technical/uelsurvey2011> .   (more…)

Rather onimously senior management are reviewing ‘in house’ provision of catering services at UEL. (more…)

Cathy Newman from C4 News debunking Danny Alexander’s claim that the new pensions offer would mean lower and middle earners receiving higher pensions http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-how-generous-is-danny-alexanders-pensions-deal/8516

Following a good return 98% votes in favour of a single branch.  (more…)

Last month, Times Higher Education reported on the prediction by Glynne Stanfield, a partner in the education group at law firm Eversheds, that a private equity firm or provider would buy a UK university in whole or in part “within the next six months”. Click to read the whole article