I want to apologise for the impact this may have, and for any concern or disruption you experience. Please be assured we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of industrial action on you wherever possible.

You can complete this form to notify us of any disruption to your scheduled learning. 

I thought it might be useful to explain why this is happening, what the university is doing to minimise the disruption to your teaching and learning and to highlight the support available should you need it.

Trade Union colleagues are participating in strike action based on the university’s decision not to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Our university, like many across the sector, is facing financial pressures from rising operational costs which means we can’t continue to do things in the same way as we have in the past. Trade Union colleagues have stated that cuts are a choice and that they are avoidable, but this does not recognise the reality of the financial position universities currently face.

The financial position we and most other UK universities face is severe and we have no choice but to change what we are doing and how we do it.

Last year we delivered a deficit and we continue to navigate a difficult financial landscape. 

The plan that UCU has proposed is not workable and would not put us in a financially sustainable position for the future.

We want to ensure we are providing the excellent education and experience you deserve, ensuring we equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed now and in the future. Your feedback tells us there are many things we do brilliantly but there are also things we could improve, and we are determined to address that.

To continue offering a quality teaching experience in the face of financial pressures, we are proposing changes to the way we structure our university, particularly how teaching, research and support services are delivered. I want to reassure you that we are committed to delivering you the best possible education and experience throughout your time with us.

While we remain committed to exploring every alternative, including voluntary redundancies, recruitment freezes and redeployment options, we must retain all options to ensure the university’s long-term sustainability.

Ruling out compulsory redundancies entirely at this stage would be irresponsible and disrespectful to our staff when we are still working through plans to address the long-term financial sustainability of the institution.

Our priority is to minimise the impact on staff through proactive measures, and we are hopeful that we can significantly reduce the likelihood of compulsory redundancies becoming necessary.

We continue to discuss alternative proposals and regularly engage with Trade Unions as part of our joint recognition agreement.

Again, I apologise for any concern and disruption strike activity may cause. We are committed to minimising disruption to our teaching and to research activity.  

If you have any concerns about the impact the strikes are having on you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Support and Wellbeing team.

Chris Hulse
Academic Registrar