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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 1d

Is this just going to be a bi-annual ritual until we're all too exhausted to keep putting up a fight against the harmful stupidity?

Not too tired yet, though, government. Miss us with this bigotry.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP @bellribeiroaddy.bsky.social · 2d

Ministers appear to be considering further welfare cuts that could deprive hundreds of thousands of disabled people of the support they rely on.

They should remember how their last attempt to balance the books in this way went.

Labour faces another mass rebellion over reforms to universal credit

Welfare secretary Pat McFadden plans further reforms to the benefits system, expected to include abolishing the work capability assessment.

www.bigissue.com

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 1d

ICYMI 💡 Our report on 'cold spots' in UK higher education was talked about on BBC Radio 4 Front Row last night by @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social , with @benlukeart.bsky.social and Islam Issa, Professor of Public Humanities at @@mybcu.bsky.social

Tune in at 30:00 🔊 https://bbc.in/46F96uF

Front Row - Kathryn Bigelow and Kiran Desai - BBC Sounds

Film director Kathryn Bigelow and Booker-nominee author Kiran Desai

bbc.in

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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · Aug 9

The month before they're also going to be reducing operating costs in education.

I'm not fully sure what Senior Management thinks universities are meant to do, but then I don't have their MBA training and access to expensive consultants, so...

www.qmul.ac.uk/governance-a...

screenshot of the Annual Schedule of Council Business 2025–26
with the meeting of Thursday 9 October. For the 'strategic items', the financial model is highlighted with its focus on 'reducing operating costs in education'.

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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · Aug 9

Yup. I'm already not looking forward to 2026, after Council meets on 'cost recovery in research', based on the Senior Executive Team's proposals... www.qmul.ac.uk/governance-a...

screenshot from a planned agenda for Council of QMUL for 27 November 2025 with for strategic items: 1) deep dive on student employability and 'financial model: cost recovery in research'

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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · 3d

Now, if Council could point out that the straightforward way to reduce operating costs in education without removing education altogether is to cut all the transactional fees to consultancies, rankers, and ever more digital app bloat, that would be great.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 14d

Nice. That's saving these universities a lot of money, because those rankers ask for a lot of money. Plus all the man hours devoted to providing the data they want.

That money and time can be spent more effectively elsewhere.

Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 14d

Withdrawals from the THE rankings:

Utrecht University, 2023
dub.uu.nl/en/news/utre...

Universität Zürich, 2024
www.news.uzh.ch/de/articles/...

Sorbonne Université, 2025
www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/news/sorb...

Any additions?

#HigherEd

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 1d

@imperialucu.bsky.social hello! Best of luck with your strike with your two sister unions!

Brilliant to see you here! A bunch of us ucu social media managers are in a group chat to help amplify each others' actions & work. If you'd like to join, send us a DM and we can send the joining link.

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 1d

UCU, Unite, and Unison out together! Frustrating that it has to come to this, but buoying that all staff is sticking together in the fight for the soul of hte university.

Sending much solidarity to all three there @imperialucu.bsky.social!

uculondonoffice.bsky.social @uculondonoffice.bsky.social · 1d

Solidarity @imperialucu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

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Dinah Roe @preraphsrule.bsky.social · 5d

"Mischaracterised by university leaders as financial ‘saving’, austerity is in truth vandalism."

Rob Hawkes @robbhawkes.bsky.social · 5d

As more of my valued colleagues face the threat of redundancy, here’s a quick reminder that it takes years and years of public investment to train an academic. Cutting someone with this wealth of experience loose isn’t “saving” anything. It is a massive waste of our collective resources.

UK Universities in Crisis? Time to Transform Higher Ed Finance

by Rob Hawkes and Scott Ferguson Universities in the UK are in crisis. Job cuts in the sector are reaching ‘cataclysmic’ levels, with an estimated 10,000 already lost and many more at risk. Just da…

moneyontheleft.org

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 2d

There seem to be academics and other staff who are still not fully acknowledging what is happening:

There is a catastrophic collapse for UK HE coming.

Every uni is doubling down on death spiral strategies (selling reputation for short term solvency).

Prepare accordingly.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'Whatever the cause, deregulated competition has created a tragedy of the commons, whereby individual universities pursue short-term gains while the sector as a whole bears the cost when international confidence is shaken.'

The UCL admissions chaos will damage UK HE’s global reputation

Future crises can be averted if government and universities share data and plans in a more timely and transparent fashion, says Doug Sprecht

www.timeshighereducation.com

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 1d

So many Australian colleagues put through a year of worries and uncertainty. All because Nous Consultancy only thrives on a scarcity narrative?

Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.

Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · 3d

New analysis by The Australia Institute finds the Australian National University has a $90 million surplus, not a $142 million deficit!

The ANU’s hidden $90m budget surplus

New analysis by The Australia Institute reveals there is no financial crisis at the Australian National University.

australiainstitute.org.au

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Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · 3d

These revelations comes in the wake of the VC's recent resignation...

#AcademicSky #HigherEd #UKHE
@nteunion.bsky.social

Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · 21d

ANU VC Resigns

"I very much want to see the ANU thrive into the future and for it to continue to be a remarkable place and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

#AcademicSky #HigherEd

ANU vice-chancellor resigns after months of controversy

Genevieve Bell has bowed to intense pressure and resigned from her position as Australian National University vice-chancellor.

www.abc.net.au

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Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · 3d

New analysis by The Australia Institute finds the Australian National University has a $90 million surplus, not a $142 million deficit!

The ANU’s hidden $90m budget surplus

New analysis by The Australia Institute reveals there is no financial crisis at the Australian National University.

australiainstitute.org.au

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UCU @ QUB @ucuatqub.bsky.social · 3d

🎶 there’s power in a union 🎶

NTEU ACT @nteuact.bsky.social · 6d

What @nteunion.bsky.social members have achieved at #ANU has been remarkable - the power of working together collectively.

One year on from a plan to sack hundreds of staff, it is instead the former VC who has resigned and jobs have been saved. ✊

Join NTEU at www.nteu.au/join.

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Lincoln Branch of UCU @uculincolnbranch.bsky.social · 3d

Your next read

Rob Hawkes @robbhawkes.bsky.social · 5d

As more of my valued colleagues face the threat of redundancy, here’s a quick reminder that it takes years and years of public investment to train an academic. Cutting someone with this wealth of experience loose isn’t “saving” anything. It is a massive waste of our collective resources.

UK Universities in Crisis? Time to Transform Higher Ed Finance

by Rob Hawkes and Scott Ferguson Universities in the UK are in crisis. Job cuts in the sector are reaching ‘cataclysmic’ levels, with an estimated 10,000 already lost and many more at risk. Just da…

moneyontheleft.org

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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 2d

Our members have voted to support industrial action to fight against job cuts passed today!

In the ballot our 72% of members were in favour of strike action, and 90% in favour of action short of strike. Turnout was 58%.

Thank you to all members, reps and officials for helping us get the vote out.

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Rob Hawkes @robbhawkes.bsky.social · 5d

As more of my valued colleagues face the threat of redundancy, here’s a quick reminder that it takes years and years of public investment to train an academic. Cutting someone with this wealth of experience loose isn’t “saving” anything. It is a massive waste of our collective resources.

UK Universities in Crisis? Time to Transform Higher Ed Finance

by Rob Hawkes and Scott Ferguson Universities in the UK are in crisis. Job cuts in the sector are reaching ‘cataclysmic’ levels, with an estimated 10,000 already lost and many more at risk. Just da…

moneyontheleft.org

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 3d

Your Sunday read on #UKHE:

Mischaracterised by university leaders as financial ‘saving’, austerity is in truth vandalism. It ravages decades of training, accrued and accredited knowledge, and publicly funded research. It abandons generations of students as the campuses and scholarly communities we invite them to join become, in multiple senses, impoverished. The fact that the asphyxiation of British higher education does not instantly count as a national scandal underlines the extent to which the austerity mindset continues to constrain our political imagination: even when the collapse of higher education is perceived as a problem, policymakers, academics, and the communities they serve are left with little recourse. One can only despair at the lack of viable alternatives.

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NTEU ACT @nteuact.bsky.social · 7d

We've always said the financial case for job cuts at #ANU was flimsy and welcome the announcement of a rapid and independent stocktake.
@nteunion.bsky.social

'Cooking the books': national think tank questions ANU finances

'They should make clear how they use such donations.'

www.canberratimes.com.au

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 3d

It's always 'inevitable' and 'the only option' until workers join forces. Truly inspiring to see how @nteunion.bsky.social has stood firm against the vandalism inflicted on the Australian National University and stopped the worst from happening.

#TheresPowerInAUnion indeed!

NTEU ACT @nteuact.bsky.social · 6d

What @nteunion.bsky.social members have achieved at #ANU has been remarkable - the power of working together collectively.

One year on from a plan to sack hundreds of staff, it is instead the former VC who has resigned and jobs have been saved. ✊

Join NTEU at www.nteu.au/join.

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NTEU ACT @nteuact.bsky.social · 6d

What @nteunion.bsky.social members have achieved at #ANU has been remarkable - the power of working together collectively.

One year on from a plan to sack hundreds of staff, it is instead the former VC who has resigned and jobs have been saved. ✊

Join NTEU at www.nteu.au/join.

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Dalhousie Faculty Association @dalfaculty.bsky.social · 5d

DFA members Julia M. Wright and Spring Farrell comment on surviving the condensed fall term. dalgazette.com/news/dal-pro... #KeepDalStrong

Dal professors worry about a condensed fall semester

With the fall semester shortened due to the faculty lockout, professors at Dalhousie University are restructuring their courses to fit a condensed schedule.

dalgazette.com

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UCU UWS @ucu-uws.bsky.social · 6d

UWS BALLOT SUCCESS!!! ✊✊✊

78/84% YES for industrial action/ASOS with a 62% turnout 🔥

UWS members - we have a meeting scheduled for Monday 12.30PM to discuss what this means and next steps. Please check your emails for the link and join!

@ucuscotland.bsky.social @ucuscotpresident.bsky.social

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 6d

Indeed! It was more office-decoration purposes... But no need to go and raid the local newsagent then.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 6d

Vital coverage of #UKHE in the @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/3f49...

(Is this in today’s physical copy, @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social?)

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