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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'UCL issued an apology to those affected, telling them it was “extremely sorry for the disruption and uncertainty”, and offering to pay £1,000 costs for applications made through UK Visa and Immigration’s “super priority service”.' A metaphor for the more privileged end of the UK university crisis.

Home Office grants extra visas for UCL international students told to defer

Hundreds of students with promised places had been left in limbo after university exceeded its visa allocations

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 6d

exactly. And it's harming people, and wasting so much time and energy of those people it cannot in the slightest be in line with the 'efficiency' drive...

It's why we need urgent structural change to the funding and governance model in Higher Education.

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 2d

Pay at Kent has remained pretty much static for some years now because of the financial problems.
When will UK government realise HE desperately needs support?

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'Staff at some institutions will not get even get the small rise due to them because of a clause in the negotiations that allows for a delay for up to 11 months if a university is facing financial difficulties.' So far, Dundee, Kent, Brunel, Coventry, Swansea.

Five UK universities tell staff they can’t afford pay rises

Negotiations over whether to honour 1.4 per cent increase ongoing at several other institutions amid financial crunch

www.timeshighereducation.com

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 6d

This is a very necessary but depressing list.
More jobs being cut.
Worse for staff and worse for students.
Our working conditions are student learning conditions.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 7d

hm. Haven't had to update our webpage on the cuts in #UKHE for a while. Kinda assumed the consequences of the Clearing cycle would be transpiring by now. Or was every university just already in disaster mode and not much new to report?

UK HE shrinking

a live page of all the redundancies and restructures happening across UK Higher Education. Page is updated regularly.

qmucu.org

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Unite the Union: University of Cambridge Branch @unite0775m.bsky.social · 7d

Members! Check your email inbox for details of our up-coming ballot on pay.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 7d

Workload is the major factor forcing academics to quit their roles, with some of the perceived benefits of working in universities actually adding to the strain, finds a new study. Juliette Rowsell reports https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/benefits-working-academia-can-add-workload-stress

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6d

'more restructuring has been planned...with staff across its humanities courses, including English and politics, as well as staff in its schools of East Asian studies, civil and structural engineering, materials engineering, chemistry, and management courses, facing targeted voluntary severance'.

Sheffield UCU backs strike action over restructuring plans

Union plans to call four weeks of continuous strikes as university reviews staffing across several academic departments

www.timeshighereducation.com

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 6d

Keeping people uncertain about their future is a feature of 21st century HE, not a bug.
Like many institutions we've faced years of restructure - faculties were out, divisions were in. Divisions were out, schools were in.
And now we're 'merging' with another institution.
It's exhausting.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Prof. Liz Oakley-Brown @earlymodlancs.bsky.social · 6d

My UKHEI colleagues continue to deliver exceptional commitment to their students while trying to navigate unacceptable working conditions caused by government dictats and ineffectual SMTs

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

vpcampbell.bsky.social @vpcampbell.bsky.social · 6d

Apart from it being an issue at the absolute bottom of the public's concerns, I just don't understand why the government is just kicking HE to bits.

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 6d

We also lost Anthropology, Art History, Health and Social Care, Journalism, and Music and Audio Technology.
share.google/m4ok7NapY31u...

University confirms six courses to be axed

The University of Kent has confirmed which courses are set to be “phased out”, after protests from students and staff over the plans.

share.google

UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 6d

At Kent we almost lost all our Modern Languages and Linguistics, we've lost Religious Studies and Philosophy.
There has been and continues to be an attack on the Humanities in the UK.

Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social · 6d

Modern Languages; Music; and History, Archaeology & Religion remain in scope.

Compulsory redundancy is a red line.

It is time to vote in the consultative ballot on industrial action NOW - the deadline is tomorrow.

Almost 200 Cardiff University staff left in limbo as they face losing jobs

Cardiff University confirmed it cannot rule out compulsory redundancies as it also apologised to students for problems with a new timetabling system as the academic year begins

www.walesonline.co.uk

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Brunel UCU #nocompulsoryredundancies @brunelucu.bsky.social · 7d

Hello all on bsky 👋

As with so many of our @ucu.org.uk sister branches, here @brunelucu.bsky.social we are again this year fighting compulsory redundancies.

Please circulate and sign: Stop compulsory redundancies at Brunel University of London 👇

speakout.web.ucu.org.uk/stop-brunel-...

Stop compulsory redundancies at Brunel University of London

Brunel University of London management have expressed their intention to move forward with plans for further compulsory redundancies in 2025-26. This comes after a year of decimation in 2024-25, when ...

speakout.web.ucu.org.uk

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 6d

10,000 redundancies so far.

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 6d

ICYMI on Tuesday, here's my *new* and *free* short-form summary of what's gone wrong in our universities. This is something of a last word really, because unless the Budget and White Paper do something really radical, the fate of much HE is already sealed.
politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...

Where now for Britain’s Universities?

UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 12d

It's only 3.30pm, but if you're looking forward to Welcome Week next week, or you've had it this week, you're probably quite tired by now!
Don't work over your contract hours on a Friday or over the weekend.
You are entitled (and need) to rest.

UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 26d

It's 5.15pm on Friday.
Stop working. Go home. Put your feet up or do whatever you need to relax.
This has been an incredibly grueling week for a lot of us.
Your job doesn't own you and unions fought for better working conditions.
You are entitled to rest and a private life!

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 12d

Scrolling through my BlueSky feed right now is depressing - it seems like every UCU branch across all of UK Higher Education is in dispute with their employers.
Our government NEED to give us some hope.
@labouruk.bsky.social it's your conference next week - PLEASE support Higher Education!

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 12d

Early reminder - our first UCU members' meeting of the new academic year is on Wednesday 8th October at 1pm.
If you'd like to propose a motion then it needs to be submitted by noon on Monday 29th September with amendments allowed up until Friday 3rd October at noon. All the details in the email.

a poster with a fist and the words not me us on it

Alt: a poster with a fist and the words not me us on it

media.tenor.com

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 12d

Snap! Our first meeting of the academic year is at the same time on the same day.

#Solidarity!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 13d

'If you plunge into the subject tables you will find more that may surprise you. The only people that really care about individual placings are university senior managers and marketing teams.'

Understanding the 2026 league tables

We look for surprises, but it is the fine detail that holds the key to getting the best out of university league tables

wonkhe.com

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Elise Cutts @elisecutts.bsky.social · 14d

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin ✨ figured out what stars are made of ✨ when she was just 25. 🔭🧪

Her PhD thesis basically established the Harvard astro department — at a time when Harvard didn't officially allow woman students.

I wrote this little profile to mark the 100th anniversary of her thesis:

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 13d

We know the beginning of term is imminent because there's a flood of emails telling us all we have to hold more meetings!
Some will undoubtedly be useful.
Many could be an email.
Managerialism Vs. Academia - An uneasy partnership.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 13d

I particularly enjoyed the internal newsletter proclaiming our hugely improved ranking for Drama…a subject we closed in one fell swoop a few years ago.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 13d

'If you plunge into the subject tables you will find more that may surprise you. The only people that really care about individual placings are university senior managers and marketing teams.'

Understanding the 2026 league tables

We look for surprises, but it is the fine detail that holds the key to getting the best out of university league tables

wonkhe.com

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Flora Renz @florarenz.bsky.social · 14d

My wheelchair rugby team is fundraising for repairs if anyone feels inclined to chuck a few quid our way to buy new tires fundraising.spond.com/AYQMbcfXMW

Support Flora and Canterbury Hellfire Wheelchair

We are the only Wheelchair Rugby Squad team in Kent. We need your help to repair our chairs

fundraising.spond.com

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 15d

UK Universities desperately need support from our government.
Education should be free for everyone.
Education is not a business.
Education is key for a strong economy.
Education is important for everyone's life and well-being.
#Solidarity with @uonucu.bsky.social

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · 15d

Another fantastic days of pickets across the university! We will continue tomorrow with a final day of pickets from 8-11:30 and then make our way to the Trent building for a rally in support of our fight against compulsory redundancies. We'll see you there!

#StopTheCuts #SaveHE

A photograph of a person kneeling to pet a dog in front of two strike posters.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dr Heidi Colthup @heidi-colthup.bsky.social · 15d

This is just one of the many things wrong with UK Higher Education. We expect people to build careers on short term contracts of one - three years when so much of the job (like the REF) actually demands we develop projects over a longer period.

Annalisa Nicholson @apuddleofmuddle.bsky.social · 15d

Another day, another email with a REF task. I’ve been at my institution barely a year and already lost so many hours to this bleak stuff. I know everyone hates it but it’s even more exhausting when you’re fixed-term ECR and doing it for an institution that’ll turf you out as soon as contract ends

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