Education First
For the latest developments go to our blog here. Or, discuss this issue further on our online discussion forum here.
Education First is Leeds University Union’s campaign to ensure that spending cuts do not damage your education.
In order to deal with the government’s announcement of major spending cuts to universities from next year, the University of Leeds has announced an ‘economies exercise’ to save £35 million from 2011.
We are concerned about the potential impact this might have on students at Leeds and are doing everything we can to ensure we defend your education from the effects of cuts.
We have already had assurances from the University that students will not be negatively affected by the cuts and we will continue to work to represent your concerns and ensure they stick to this commitment
Contact your representatives, on the Student Executive, to tell them your thoughts.
LATEST NEWS (updated 24 March)
Wed 24 Mar 2010
Click here to listen and see photos from our day of action
Mon 15 Mar 2010
As talks breakdown, students are urged to attend University unless they hear their classes are cancelled.
What else have we been doing to defend your education?
Over the past months your student representatives have been working hard to represent you. Here are some of the things we have been doing recently:
• Read the LUU Education Officer Mike Gladstone’s comment piece in Leeds Student from 29 January here.
• 1 Feb - LUU Education Officer attends student services review day where plans were announced for a more consistent approach to student support services in schools. All students can soon expect 9am-5pm reception point in their school.
• 1 Feb – LUU student representatives meet with University Human Resources Manager to discuss what will happen if lecturers take strike action. We strongly encourage the University to find a resolution with UCU that avoids industrial action.
• 2 Feb – Education Officer emails all course reps to let them know the initial proposals on the economies exercise for their school and asking them to seek further information from their own schools.
• 3 Feb – LUU student representatives attend University Senate (see above).
• 4 Feb – LUU student representatives meet with University Vice-Chancellor, declaring disappointment that ACAS talks did not prove successful and asking for steps to be taken to prevent disruption to the education of students if lecturers take industrial action.
• 9 Feb – LUU student representatives holds meeting with campus Trade Unions UCU, Unite & Unison. Agree to hold joint campaign against cuts to higher education.
• 12 Feb – LUU Education Officer Mike Gladstone speak to the NUS Director of Campaigns & Strategy to urge more action from NUS against cuts to HE.
• 12 Feb – LUU student representatives meet with Professor Stephen Scott, Pro Vice-Chancellor. We urged him to ensure students are given accurate information about any affected lectures or seminars as a result of staff strikes.
• 13 Feb – LUU Communications & Internal Affairs Officer Jak Codd appears on BBC News, watch it here.
Next Steps
Over the coming weeks, we will continue to work for you and defend your education. Here are some of the things we will be doing.
Our plans include allocating each of your representatives on the Student Executive to one or two faculties, ensuring students in all schools are being given accurate information and are being properly consulted on any changes as the plans are developed.
We will also be meeting with course and hall reps, societies, sports teams and liberation groups and students around campus to gather your views, give you the latest information and find out your concerns.
On Tuesday 2 March, the University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Arthur, will answer your questions at LUU. Come to the Conference Hall, second floor of LUU, from 5.30pm, the Vice-Chancellor will answer your questions from 6pm.
We are carrying out a day of action on Friday 12 March – join us to campaign against funding cuts to universities - more information here.
We will be going to University Senate on 10th March and meeting regularly with the campus trade unions and University management. We will make it clear to all parties that cuts should not affect students and we will oppose anything that impacts negatively on students.
Other views
The Union is committed to providing unbiased information about the economies exercise. As a democratic organisation we are keen to outline all aspects of this debate. We listen to all points of view and represent your thoughts and concerns. You are encouraged to find further information and let us know your views here.
• You can find out more information from the University about the economies exercise including open letters from Professor Vivien Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and answers to frequently asked questions from students by clicking here.
• Information from the UCU, the trade union for lecturers, can be found on their Facebook group here or their blog here.
• Save Higher Education Facebook group – started by a student at Leeds can be seen here.
• Leeds University Against Cuts Facebook group is here.
Our January 2010 email campaign
We recently encouraged students to contact their lecturers to ask them to vote ‘no’ in a trade union ballot on strike action. We did this because students were concerned that strike action would affect their education.
The University had not proposed specific areas which would face cuts at the time that the strike ballot opened. LUU believed that pre-emptive strike action would damage students’ degrees, as in the past strikes have led to disruption to lecturers and seminars, exams not being marked, and graduations for final year students being threatened.
The emails that students sent to their lecturers had a massive impact, and their voices were heard right across campus. They reached the desks of hundreds of lecturers, dozens of trade union members and even reached the Vice-Chancellor. The campaign was a success, giving hundreds of students a clear way of articulating their concerns and raising awareness of the issues at hand.
The bigger picture
These cuts are being made within a context of a large scale debate about the future of funding in higher education. You can find out more about the Union’s campaign for World Class Funding for Universities here.
Keep in touch
Follow the Union’s cuts blog to keep up to date with new developments and our campaign activity. You can also sign up for Education First updates on the right hand side of this page. We would love to hear from you.
Key dates in our campaign so far:
• October 2009: University announce the need to find £35 million of savings.
• LUU responds immediately by expressing concern and asking for further information.
• LUU demands that the University maintains its commitment to providing an exceptional student experience with inspirational learning and teaching; that students are consulted on proposed changes caused by the £35 million saving; and that students are kept up to date by the University and given the chance to comment directly.
• 11 November 2009: LUU hosts a Q&A session with students and Professors John Fisher (Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and Vivien Jones (Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching). Listen to the podcast here.
• 20 November 2009: LUU given assurance by the University that students will not be negatively affected by the cuts. Professor Vivien Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor, publishes open letter to students. Read the letter here.
• After further pressure from LUU, the University publishes information on the Union website, Student Portal and on a new website for students.
• 23 December 2009: LUU meets trade unions and publish a joint statement agreed by Leeds University Union (LUU) & UCU, UNISON and UNITE Leeds branches. Read the statement here.
• 11 January 2010: Leeds UCU ballot for strike action opens. LUU and students urge lecturers not to strike, arguing that the University has not yet published proposals and strikes would harm students’ degrees.
• 3 February: UCU ballot closes. First proposals on spending cuts to be published by the University.
Other Issues
Student-staff Ratios
We have questioned the University a number of times on how they expect to maintain a high quality learning experience for students when student: staff ratios seem certain to increase.
The University has said that there is no clear link between student-staff ratios and student satisfaction as measured by the National Student Survey. You can see our blog post discussing the issue here.
However, they have also said that this is not an excuse for increasing class sizes and they will be taking steps to keep these low. We have received assurances that those academic staff not currently engaged in teaching students will be expected to do so more.
Unnecessary spending
We have sent a series of questions from students to the university asking how they plan to cut unnecessary spending and what steps are being taking to reduce non-staff costs. You can see the answers here.
Consultation
We have been promised that the students and their representatives in the Student Union will remain in consultation as decisions are taken on where exactly the savings of £35 million will be achieved, and what changes, if any, this will mean for students. We will ensure students are given opportunities to be properly consulted in their schools.
What else can you do?
1. Get in touch with the Exec! We welcome your comments and we will continue to represent your concerns to the University. Find our contact details here.
2. Email your head of school via the University pages here, ask them to give you more information on what the economies exercise means for your school.
3. Email further questions or concerns to the University at studentquestions@leeds.ac.uk.
4. Check LUU’s blog for the latest developments.