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News Archives

Leicester UCU on Radio Leicester to discuss the staff cuts

Published: 27th January, 2021

Our Communications Officer, David Harvie, was invited to explain the outrage felt by staff over the impending staff cuts. (Available directly on the BBC Sounds website: 01h 06m 45s in https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p093s627)

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Redundancies comment #4 – Bad (Neuroscience, Psychology) Behaviour

Published: 26th January, 2021

It’s taken us a while to get our heads round what the University’s shaping for excellent redundancies plans might mean for NPB (Dept of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour) because, well… let’s see… We’ve had questions regarding (external consultant) DataHE’s projections of student recruitment figures throughout, but didn’t expect to be asking how on earth substantial projected EXPANSION of Neuroscience…

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Strong branch motions against redundancy, lack of confidence in University leadership, and support for staff involved in decolonising the curriculum

Published: 26th January, 2021

The following 3 motions were overwhelmingly supported by members in an extremely well attended Emergency Committee Meeting on 25th January 2021. Motion 1 University of Leicester UCU opposes all compulsory redundancies currently being proposed by the university’s Executive Board.​ This EGM calls upon the university leadership team to give a written guarantee, by 1st February…

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Redundancy Consultation Tool-Kit

Published: 25th January, 2021

On Monday 18th January 2021, University of Leicester’s Executive Board notified 145 employees from across the institution that they may be at risk of redundancy. Collective consultations are taking place across this week (w/b 25th January 2021). In most cases it is likely that these will be followed by a further collective consultation and two…

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Redundancies comment #4 – Computer says “no” (to access to external departmental reviews)

Published: 22nd January, 2021

We’ve so far concentrated on specific research & teaching areas within academic departments being targeted for the chop in the name of the Vice-Chancellor’s “excellence” (and we’ll come back to that). What of the 7 professional services groupings part of the grand transformation? The pre-change “engagement” process (so many terms have to be put into…

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Redundancies comment #3 – Plan for Maths doesn’t add up

Published: 21st January, 2021

Earlier today the Vice-Chancellor did a live Q&A in which there were many questions about the University’s planned redundancies. This one is particularly relevant to the proposals facing School of Mathematics & Actuarial Science. Lots of questions in the chat about redundancies. Here’s one: Staff have been put through very damaging and problematic ‘transformations’ by…

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Redundancies comment #2 – Show us the data

Published: 20th January, 2021

Previously we drew attention to the specific redundancy plans aimed at the University School of Business in CMS & Political Economy specialisms. Thanks to all highlighting the wrongness of these plans. Our comms team will do the same for each affected area. Because none of the plans in other areas make any more sense to…

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Redundancies comment #1 – Welcome back to the start of term

Published: 20th January, 2021

Our leadership team has another perfect moment for you, today emailing hundreds of staff to tell them they, or others in their teams, are at risk of redundancy. The timing is brutal, the process shady. Throughout the pre-change engagement that supposedly informs these decisions, we asked repeatedly for access to the external consultancy reports feeding…

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Leicester UCU in 2

Published: 17th December, 2020

In this week’s update (17 December 2020), Vice Chair, Emma Battell Lowman, wishes all a very merry Christmas, encourages all to complete the LUCU word search, and asks that Professor Canagarajah fulfils her one Christmas wish – supply the consultancy data underpinning the pre-change engagements.

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Leicester UCU in 2

Published: 11th December, 2020

In this week’s update (11 December 2020), Vice Chair, Emma Battell Lowman, updates on the pre-change engagement meetings and external consultancy reviews.

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