saveuog.com
Defend education. Defend your colleagues. Defend the student experience.
Fight the cuts!
Fight the cuts!
UCU’s petition against compulsory redundancies has attracted hundreds of signatures within days. The signatories include University of Gloucestershire staff, of course, but also University alumni and eminent researchers from around the world. Please take a moment to add your name; every extra signature strengthens our resolve as we stand by our threatened colleagues.
New to the site? Click here for background.
New to the site? Click here for background.
The UCU at the University of Gloucestershire has no confidence in senior management and refuse their proposal for compulsory redundancies; those who have overseen years of misconceived speculative adventure cannot be trusted to make decisions that are in the University's long term interests.
Our University is worth fighting for. We value our students, our standard of teaching, and our developing research culture. To maintain what we do, we must defend the jobs and conditions of everybody who directly contributes to education at the University of Gloucestershire: our students, cleaners, academics, porters, and all our support staff. An injury to one is an injury to all.
Our University is worth fighting for. We value our students, our standard of teaching, and our developing research culture. To maintain what we do, we must defend the jobs and conditions of everybody who directly contributes to education at the University of Gloucestershire: our students, cleaners, academics, porters, and all our support staff. An injury to one is an injury to all.
UoG Student protest, 8th December
Since the NUS and UCU march on the 10th of November, thousands of students have participated in demonstrations, walkouts, and occupations. On November 24th, school students were prominent in the protests, including in Gloucestershire: 200 students walked out from Rednock School in Dursley, and students from Ribston High School, The Crypt, The High School for Girls, and Brockworth Enterprise School staged a sit down in front of, and then picketed, Shire Hall in Gloucester. University of Gloucestershire students are planning a protest on December 8th. November 30th is the second national day of action and a few lecturers are distributing the following message of support on campus:
Free education: we are not content to “have our say”
University students will pay annual fees of up to £9000, thousands of young people will lose their Education Maintenance Allowance, and teaching funding for arts, humanities, and social sciences will be cut entirely. The government says the cuts are an economic necessity, the Universities and College Union and the National Union of Students reply that education is an economic necessity, and thousands of students are fighting back autonomously. We few lecturers are making a small show of solidarity with the autonomous student protests. Why?
We want future generations to have no worse opportunities than those we had ourselves. If government plans are enacted then socio-economic inequities in educational attainment will increase, and higher education will be further subordinated to the interests of the economy. Less affluent students will be discouraged to pursue further education by the cessation of EMA payments and the growing burden of debt. Universities will pursue corporate funding by supporting vocationally-focused courses at the expense of independent intellectual enquiry; for many debt-burdened students, too, the value of a degree will be determined, not by its academic or artistic merit, but by how it increases its graduates’ employability. In less-vocational university departments there will be further redundancies among academic and support staff.
But our society is not short of resources. In 2009, UK businesses spent £15.7 billion on advertising, 840,000 homes sat empty, we threw away £10 billion worth of food, the treasury spent tens of billions supporting British banks, and taxpayers donated £41.5 million to the royal family. Today’s teenagers will work for more hours than any previous generation. The average working week is longer than it was fifty years ago and for most of us there will be no retirement at sixty five. Today’s teenagers, if able to attend university, will work throughout their degrees and then work to repay their loans. They will produce more adverts and sell more food and work to minimise the environmental impact of indefinite economic growth.
Millions of people marched against the invasion of Iraq – an invasion that caused the deaths of 100,000 to 600,000 Iraqis. We are not here to “have our say”; rather, we are here to register our solidarity with a European movement that through direct action aims to make mercantilist education reforms unworkable. Stop the country. Take back the future. We won’t pay for their crisis.
Senior academics, including Nobel Prize winner Harold Kroto, have criticised government education policy in an open letter to The Telegraph.
The president of the NUS, Aaron Porter, has apologised for his 'spineless dithering' and vowed to back the student occupations and protests.
Noam Chomsky has voiced his support for the student occupations
Cut student places not funding, says university chief: Protect research even if second rate colleges have to close, says UCL head.
Welsh v-c plans departure, as Gloucestershire appoints new top man.
The UCU Annual General Meeting was held on July 12th at FCH Campus, TC007, 10 - 12 am.
Sum of universities' fears: cuts of up to a quarter and VAT rise.
A report in The Observer suggests that "our universities are standing on the brink of collapse."
Good news: Prof. Frank Chambers has won his appeal against redundancy. Congratulations to him and to all those who helped to fight his case.
"Deep Sadness:" Confirmation that Lord Carey of Clifton has indeed resigned from the University. Another day, another high profile resignation.
Cable calls for 'realism' over university bosses' pay.
A familiar story from the University of Cumbria. Another Vice-Chancellor resigns amid massive debts and proposed job cuts.
Question: Has the University's Chancellor, the Honourable Lord Carey of Clifton (renowned defender of Lesbian and Gay rights), resigned? Any news will be gratefully received.
University of Gloucestershire on 'at risk' list. Yet more good news about our financial woes...How did management let the University down so badly?
The University of Gloucestershire has sold its London campus for £9.7 million. Will we see any of this money to purchase much needed books, journals and to support teaching and learning...?
Employers' 'unacceptable' stance may lead to strike.
College heads' pay rockets by 56% in eight years.
Fake 'For Sale' sign at University of Gloucestershire. Some "angry pranksters" have a, thoroughly deserved, laugh at management's expense.
The justly celebrated 'Think, Say, Do' campaign is found to be, staggeringly, 'not sustainable.'
April Fools story? The University's Executive Director of External Relations explains the closing of two campuses as being part of a plan to "generate new ideas for new markets and help support growth in income".
Vice-chancellors' pay an embarrassment for universities.
A 'source of ridicule' for those of us working in Higher Education as a small group of individuals line their own capacious pockets.
Another THES article reporting Patricia Broadfoot's resignation.
Chaos reigns: Gloucestershire v-c resigns amid conflicting views on financial health, the THES reports. More news is that yet another member of Council, the Chairman of Finance no less, has resigned. For 'personal' reasons, naturally.
It was fun while it lasted: a pretty staggering indictment of the inexorable rise in Vice-Chancellors' salaries. Is the end in sight for wildly inflated management salaries?
Cheltenham Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood raises the issue of the University's 'financial crisis' in a Commons debate on March 16th 2010. And not much happens...
"Stop calling us the basket case down the road": Vice Chancellor Patricia Broadfoot, Commander of the British Empire, announces her retirement with characteristic dignity in The Gloucestershire Echo.
The UCU is proud to announce that Dr Will Large has won his appeal against Compulsory Redundancy. Obviously the last few months have been very stressful but his decision to fight the University's decision has been entirely vindicated. Will has worked extremely hard in accumulating data and preparing his defence and he has been ably supported by UCU Branch Secretary Andrew Misura. A rare success in amidst all the recent gloom. Congratulations.
A not entirely accurate story in the Echo that includes fascinating quotes by the Director of External Communications and the SU President. 'Deplorable' is the word of the day.
Do academic job losses have to be the first resort?
Professor Jonathan Wolff writes: 'Of course, universities (have) the right to reconsider their strategic priorities and decide where and how to invest their resources. But unless they keep in mind that their most important resources, by far, are the human ones, they may eventually find themselves with little of anything else of value.'
Paul Drake talks to the Gloucestershire Echo about funding cuts at UOG. It would be very interesting if he turned his rapier commentary to discussing the University's financial mis-management prior to budget cuts.
Since the NUS and UCU march on the 10th of November, thousands of students have participated in demonstrations, walkouts, and occupations. On November 24th, school students were prominent in the protests, including in Gloucestershire: 200 students walked out from Rednock School in Dursley, and students from Ribston High School, The Crypt, The High School for Girls, and Brockworth Enterprise School staged a sit down in front of, and then picketed, Shire Hall in Gloucester. University of Gloucestershire students are planning a protest on December 8th. November 30th is the second national day of action and a few lecturers are distributing the following message of support on campus:
Free education: we are not content to “have our say”
University students will pay annual fees of up to £9000, thousands of young people will lose their Education Maintenance Allowance, and teaching funding for arts, humanities, and social sciences will be cut entirely. The government says the cuts are an economic necessity, the Universities and College Union and the National Union of Students reply that education is an economic necessity, and thousands of students are fighting back autonomously. We few lecturers are making a small show of solidarity with the autonomous student protests. Why?
We want future generations to have no worse opportunities than those we had ourselves. If government plans are enacted then socio-economic inequities in educational attainment will increase, and higher education will be further subordinated to the interests of the economy. Less affluent students will be discouraged to pursue further education by the cessation of EMA payments and the growing burden of debt. Universities will pursue corporate funding by supporting vocationally-focused courses at the expense of independent intellectual enquiry; for many debt-burdened students, too, the value of a degree will be determined, not by its academic or artistic merit, but by how it increases its graduates’ employability. In less-vocational university departments there will be further redundancies among academic and support staff.
But our society is not short of resources. In 2009, UK businesses spent £15.7 billion on advertising, 840,000 homes sat empty, we threw away £10 billion worth of food, the treasury spent tens of billions supporting British banks, and taxpayers donated £41.5 million to the royal family. Today’s teenagers will work for more hours than any previous generation. The average working week is longer than it was fifty years ago and for most of us there will be no retirement at sixty five. Today’s teenagers, if able to attend university, will work throughout their degrees and then work to repay their loans. They will produce more adverts and sell more food and work to minimise the environmental impact of indefinite economic growth.
Millions of people marched against the invasion of Iraq – an invasion that caused the deaths of 100,000 to 600,000 Iraqis. We are not here to “have our say”; rather, we are here to register our solidarity with a European movement that through direct action aims to make mercantilist education reforms unworkable. Stop the country. Take back the future. We won’t pay for their crisis.
Senior academics, including Nobel Prize winner Harold Kroto, have criticised government education policy in an open letter to The Telegraph.
The president of the NUS, Aaron Porter, has apologised for his 'spineless dithering' and vowed to back the student occupations and protests.
Noam Chomsky has voiced his support for the student occupations
Cut student places not funding, says university chief: Protect research even if second rate colleges have to close, says UCL head.
Welsh v-c plans departure, as Gloucestershire appoints new top man.
The UCU Annual General Meeting was held on July 12th at FCH Campus, TC007, 10 - 12 am.
Sum of universities' fears: cuts of up to a quarter and VAT rise.
A report in The Observer suggests that "our universities are standing on the brink of collapse."
Good news: Prof. Frank Chambers has won his appeal against redundancy. Congratulations to him and to all those who helped to fight his case.
"Deep Sadness:" Confirmation that Lord Carey of Clifton has indeed resigned from the University. Another day, another high profile resignation.
Cable calls for 'realism' over university bosses' pay.
A familiar story from the University of Cumbria. Another Vice-Chancellor resigns amid massive debts and proposed job cuts.
Question: Has the University's Chancellor, the Honourable Lord Carey of Clifton (renowned defender of Lesbian and Gay rights), resigned? Any news will be gratefully received.
University of Gloucestershire on 'at risk' list. Yet more good news about our financial woes...How did management let the University down so badly?
The University of Gloucestershire has sold its London campus for £9.7 million. Will we see any of this money to purchase much needed books, journals and to support teaching and learning...?
Employers' 'unacceptable' stance may lead to strike.
College heads' pay rockets by 56% in eight years.
Fake 'For Sale' sign at University of Gloucestershire. Some "angry pranksters" have a, thoroughly deserved, laugh at management's expense.
The justly celebrated 'Think, Say, Do' campaign is found to be, staggeringly, 'not sustainable.'
April Fools story? The University's Executive Director of External Relations explains the closing of two campuses as being part of a plan to "generate new ideas for new markets and help support growth in income".
Vice-chancellors' pay an embarrassment for universities.
A 'source of ridicule' for those of us working in Higher Education as a small group of individuals line their own capacious pockets.
Another THES article reporting Patricia Broadfoot's resignation.
Chaos reigns: Gloucestershire v-c resigns amid conflicting views on financial health, the THES reports. More news is that yet another member of Council, the Chairman of Finance no less, has resigned. For 'personal' reasons, naturally.
It was fun while it lasted: a pretty staggering indictment of the inexorable rise in Vice-Chancellors' salaries. Is the end in sight for wildly inflated management salaries?
Cheltenham Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood raises the issue of the University's 'financial crisis' in a Commons debate on March 16th 2010. And not much happens...
"Stop calling us the basket case down the road": Vice Chancellor Patricia Broadfoot, Commander of the British Empire, announces her retirement with characteristic dignity in The Gloucestershire Echo.
The UCU is proud to announce that Dr Will Large has won his appeal against Compulsory Redundancy. Obviously the last few months have been very stressful but his decision to fight the University's decision has been entirely vindicated. Will has worked extremely hard in accumulating data and preparing his defence and he has been ably supported by UCU Branch Secretary Andrew Misura. A rare success in amidst all the recent gloom. Congratulations.
A not entirely accurate story in the Echo that includes fascinating quotes by the Director of External Communications and the SU President. 'Deplorable' is the word of the day.
Do academic job losses have to be the first resort?
Professor Jonathan Wolff writes: 'Of course, universities (have) the right to reconsider their strategic priorities and decide where and how to invest their resources. But unless they keep in mind that their most important resources, by far, are the human ones, they may eventually find themselves with little of anything else of value.'
Paul Drake talks to the Gloucestershire Echo about funding cuts at UOG. It would be very interesting if he turned his rapier commentary to discussing the University's financial mis-management prior to budget cuts.
The Times Higher investigate the financial fitness of UK universities. However, UOG accounts were 'not available' for the accountants to assess.
'Like London Met, Gloucestershire and Cumbria, universities known to be in financial difficulties, said their accounts would not be approved by their boards until later in the year.
As of July 2009, Cumbria's trading deficit was £8.4 million; Gloucestershire's topped £6 million.
Gloucestershire is also servicing loans of about £36 million on a net income of some £65 million.'
University of Gloucestershire funding settlement is cut.
University of Gloucestershire ignores offer of help says Lib Dem MP for Cheltenham, Martin Horwood.
Salaries soar for heads of British universities.
More than 80 university heads, generally known as vice-chancellors, now earn more than the prime minister.
The University of Cumbria axes 58 courses and reduces its number of campuses from 5 to 3.
Over 200 staff and students at the University of Westminster have stormed the Board of Governors meeting and are currently occupying the Vice Chancellor's office.
UOG students have launched a website in support of the campaign. Pay the site a visit - there is plenty of useful information about what you can do to help.
SaveUoG Movement Against Cuts at University of Gloucestershire on the National Convention Against Fees & Cuts home page.
Students threaten MPs over tuition fees.
Students miss out on places at UOG, reports the Gloucestershire Echo.
The Gloucestershire Echo publishes a further report on the demonstration at Oxstalls Campus.
Thanks to everyone who attended the demonstration at Oxstalls Campus. Here is the Gloucestershire Echo's report.
Students re-vamp Facebook group supported by the UCU. Join the Facebook groupto keep up-to-date on campaign action.
University of Gloucestershire to merge faculties.
The University Management respondsto the protest at the Park Campus on Thursday 25th January.
The UCU protest is a news story on ITV's 'The West Country Tonight'.
The UCU staged a successful protestoutside Fullwood Lodge, Park Campus, today to coincide with the QAA visit. Staff and students gathered - with much needed tea - handing out leaflets, displaying placards and some wearing UCU t-shirts. A lively discussion ensued between members and the University's Executive Communications officer Paul Drake. The local TV and radio press joined us to enage with the many crucial questions surrounding the University's perilous financial situation and the continued threat of compulsory redundancies.
The President of the Students' Union to give students a vote. Leigh Moore gives a response to the current crisis.
The University of Gloucestershire Support Our Lecturers Facebook groupnow has more than a thousand members!
How Interesting. The University is cutting jobs to save cash but they still find the funds to advertise in Bristol Airport.
Students are circulating a petition around all campuses this week urging the SU to support UCU's fight against compulsory redundancies. It's great to hear that support is growing.
For older posts and updates please go to our news archive.
Students threaten MPs over tuition fees.
Students miss out on places at UOG, reports the Gloucestershire Echo.
The Gloucestershire Echo publishes a further report on the demonstration at Oxstalls Campus.
Thanks to everyone who attended the demonstration at Oxstalls Campus. Here is the Gloucestershire Echo's report.
Students re-vamp Facebook group supported by the UCU. Join the Facebook groupto keep up-to-date on campaign action.
University of Gloucestershire to merge faculties.
The University Management respondsto the protest at the Park Campus on Thursday 25th January.
The UCU protest is a news story on ITV's 'The West Country Tonight'.
The UCU staged a successful protestoutside Fullwood Lodge, Park Campus, today to coincide with the QAA visit. Staff and students gathered - with much needed tea - handing out leaflets, displaying placards and some wearing UCU t-shirts. A lively discussion ensued between members and the University's Executive Communications officer Paul Drake. The local TV and radio press joined us to enage with the many crucial questions surrounding the University's perilous financial situation and the continued threat of compulsory redundancies.
The President of the Students' Union to give students a vote. Leigh Moore gives a response to the current crisis.
The University of Gloucestershire Support Our Lecturers Facebook groupnow has more than a thousand members!
How Interesting. The University is cutting jobs to save cash but they still find the funds to advertise in Bristol Airport.
Students are circulating a petition around all campuses this week urging the SU to support UCU's fight against compulsory redundancies. It's great to hear that support is growing.
For older posts and updates please go to our news archive.
Latest news (last updated Monday 29th November)
This UCU website is an effort to publicise the staff and student response to management strategy. We welcome news contributions from every sector of the university community. We call for the immediate cessation of redundancy procedures, for considered long-term planning, and for a change in management culture. And we request your active support.
Above: undergraduates, Penny, Liz and Jenny, protest alongside staff against compulsory redundancies on 21st January 2010.
Oppose compulsory redundancies
The University affirms that as a member of staff you have freedom within the law to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions. Such action does not place you in jeopardy of losing your job or any less favourable treatment than anyone else.