Middle-of-August greetings to all members, and to those who are interested in UCU activity at the University of Southampton.
I am going to try to blog relatively frequently about what the union is doing in university: the executive committee is busy year-round, but it is not always obvious to members what we do, and how, when, and why we do it.
First, many thanks to everyone who responded to my recent email. Your responses helped me immensely in my first meeting with Sir Christopher. The VC was generous with his time, and the conversation felt productive. I was able to articulate your deep concern about the misuse/abuse of the appraisal process, student evaluation, spiralling workload, and the effects on the community of the pressures of external metrification. We agreed that we should identify areas in which we could make some progress: these were the issues that were at the top of my list.
We are exerting increasing pressure for a meaningful review of the appraisal process: the annual review (according to our negotiated agreement) is a year overdue, and it is also urgent. The Level 7 appraisal round begins again in only a few months. We are still keen to hear your stories if you feel your appraisal was conducted unfairly, or in breach of the agreement: some advice on what to do is here.
Branch executive members and our branch administrator Amanda have also been very busy with a number of consultations across the university. There is no easy way to gloss this activity: we are currently facing restructures and potential redundancies in a handful of areas, and we fully expect that we will be asked to represent members in further exercises in the coming year.
There is no doubt that the entire HE sector is in turmoil, and it is neither wise nor possible to pretend that Southampton will escape the effects of a shrinking market. The Regional Office and Executive Committee will do our utmost to ensure that measures taken will be proportionate, fair, and in the best interests of the university as a whole. We will not settle for what is doable, but will work to get the best outcome we can – we will always do our best to support our members.
As the new academic year gets into swing, activities increase: branch executive members will be involved in policy reviews, health and safety consultation, individual casework, and – very importantly – an imminent review of the Statutes and Ordinances, initiated by senior management. We cannot stress how important this review will be, as the Statutes and Ordinances form the basis for our terms and conditions of employment. The more members we can enlist to take part in working groups – especially those with legal or drafting expertise – the better we will be able to protect our terms and conditions, and our academic freedom.
The branch executive will be having a strategy planning day on 12 September. If you are interested in getting more involved in union work, you are welcome to attend for some or all of the day: please get in touch with Amanda on ucu@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 2364. Further details will be circulated in another email.
Prof Laurie Stras
SUCU Branch President
