News and updates

Marking boycott called off as agreement reached

June 6, 2022
Members of the University Executive Board and the University of Nottingham UCU Branch have reached an agreement on issues surrounding USS pensions, staff pay, pay gaps, casualisation, and staff workload. This means that the UCU National Office has been asked to authorise the ending of the current marking and assessment boycott at the University with immediate effect.

USS pension: personal information sessions – your questions answered

April 26, 2022
The university is arranging one-to-one information sessions for members of the USS pension scheme to answer any questions they may have on the series of changes that have been made to the scheme with effect from 1 April 2022.

USS Pension – JNC decision on reforms to conclude the 2020 valuation

February 23, 2022
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has voted to implement the Universities UK (UUK) package of reforms to conclude the 2020 valuation of the pension scheme.

USS pension scheme: personal information sessions

November 26, 2021
The university is arranging another day of one-to-one information sessions for members of the USS pension scheme to answer any questions they may have on the series of changes to the scheme that have been approved by the USS Trustee.

USS pension – scheme member consultation

November 16, 2021
Colleagues are reminded that the USS pension is currently consulting all scheme members on the proposed changes to the scheme.

USS pension – response to UCU industrial action ballot

November 8, 2021
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West has today written on behalf of UEB to the University’s branch of the University and College Union (UCU).

USS pension reforms – staff information resources

October 13, 2021
A series of resources have been published to help USS pension scheme members understand the changes that have been approved by the USS Trustee to avoid significant increases in contribution rates for members and employers.

USS Pension – Russell Group videos

October 6, 2021
The Russell Group is publishing a series of short videos to help members of the USS pension scheme understand the series of changes to the scheme that have been approved by the USS Trustee.

USS pension: personal information sessions – your questions answered

October 4, 2021
The university is arranging one-to-one information sessions for members of the USS pension scheme to answer any questions they may have on the series of changes to the scheme that have been approved by the USS Trustee.

USS Trustee accepts employer plans for scheme reforms

September 8, 2021
The USS Trustee board has agreed to take forward the Joint Negotiating Committee’s (JNC) recommendations for concluding the 2020 USS valuation, saving pension scheme members and universities from steep contribution increases from 1 October 2021.

USS Pension: Employers’ proposal to progress to consultation

September 1, 2021
The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has decided to progress the employers’ proposal for changes to the USS pension scheme to consultation with scheme members and representative bodies.

USS Pension Scheme: updated statement of principles

July 5, 2021
The Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities has today published an updated statement of principles for the USS pension scheme agreed by all members of the Group.

USS update – employers back changes to the pension scheme

June 15, 2021
Universities UK (UUK) has confirmed that employers representing 95% of USS membership have responded to the recent consultation on its alternative proposals to ensure a valuable, affordable, inclusive and sustainable scheme for staff for the long term.

USS 2020 Valuation – latest update

May 28, 2021
The university has submitted its response to the Universities UK (UUK) consultation with university employers on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which seeks views on UUK’s alternative set of proposals to ensure a valuable, affordable, inclusive, and sustainable scheme for their staff for the long term.

USS 2020 Valuation: Consultation response and staff survey results

May 24, 2021
The university has submitted its response to the Universities UK (UUK) consultation with university employers on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which seeks views on UUK’s alternative set of proposals to ensure a valuable, affordable, inclusive, and sustainable scheme for their staff for the long term.

USS 2020 Valuation: Staff Survey

April 21, 2021
Universities UK (UUK) has launched a consultation with university employers on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), seeking views on ways of ensuring a valuable, affordable, inclusive, and sustainable scheme for their staff for the long term.

UUK calls for review of USS valuation

March 11th, 2021
Following the recent publication by the USS Trustee of potential future contribution rates, Universities UK (UUK) has written to USS Trustee Chair Kate Barker, calling for a review of the basis for the estimates which suggested that contributions should significantly increase to maintain pension benefits at their current levels.

USS 2020 Valuation – Trustee proposals for future contribution rates

March 3rd, 2021
The Trustee for the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension has today published a range of contribution rates  to maintain the current level of pension benefits for members whilst meeting the challenges of the 2020 Valuation of the scheme.

USS Pension: Joint Expert Panel – Second Report

December 16th, 2019
The second report of the Joint Expert Panel (JEP) was published on Friday 13 December. Established by Universities UK (UUK) and the University & College Union (UCU), the Panel consists of pensions and academic experts asked to make recommendations on the principles that could underpin the future joint approach of UUK and UCU to the valuation of the USS fund.

USS Pensions Update

June 20th, 2019
The University has indicated it would support a plan by the trustees of the USS pension to maintain the current defined benefits scheme, avoid far higher automatic increases for both members and employers scheduled for October, and allow time for the Joint Expert Panel to secure its long-term sustainability and restore confidence in its governance.

USS pension — March 2019 valuation — consultation response

March 20th, 2019
Following the March 2019 valuation of the USS pension, the University has responded to the latest employer consultation by Universities UK. The response confirms that the University would accept an increase in employer contributions, as well as contingent contributions if necessary, to resolve the latest valuation.

USS Pension: Joint Expert Panel — Phase 2

February 6th, 2019
The Joint Expert Panel convened by UCU and UUK to resolve the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) 2017 valuation dispute has published a call for submissions to the second phase of its work.

USS update

26 November 2018
The USS Trustees have issued the following update to institutions and members: View the update.

As previously indicated, USS has now confirmed it will run a new valuation of the scheme’s funding position — as at 31 March 2018 — to account for the latest market data, forecasted investment returns and life expectancy.

USS Pensions — University supports JEP recommendations

29 October 2018
The University has responded to the UUK employer consultation to confirm it supports the Joint Expert Panel recommendations on the USS 2017 valuation, and would accept an increase in employer contributions from 18% to 20.1% of salary.

USS Pensions – UUK Employer Consultation

25 September 2018
Universities UK and the University & College Union have both welcomed the Joint Expert Panel report (JEP) published on 13 September 2018.

USS pensions – Joint Expert Panel report published

13 September 2018
A report is published today at http://www.ussjep.org.uk/ by the Joint Expert Panel (JEP), which was established to examine the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

USS pensions — consultation

29 August 2018
UPDATE: USS has extended the closing date and time of its consultation to 5pm on Monday 5 November. Further to its communications with scheme members in July, the USS pension scheme opened a 60-day consultation on Monday 3 September.

USS pensions – joint review panel chair

21 May 2018
Universities UK and the University and College Union have announced the appointment of Joanne Segars OBE as the independent Chair for the Joint Expert Panel (JEP) which will examine the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

USS pensions — a potential way forward

25 March 2018
The Vice-Chancellor has published a new blog confirming that the University supports a proposal published on Friday evening which could resolve the current USS pensions dispute.

USS Pension and Industrial Action

1 March 2018
The Vice-Chancellor has written a new staff blog, welcoming news that UCU and UUK are to continue talks on pension reform – mediated by ACAS – next week.

USS pensions update

29 January 2018
USS members across the sector will be consulted in March on a proposal to move future pension benefits to a defined contribution scheme from 1 April 2019