Loughborough UCU

Tag: Open Meeting

  • Open Meeting with Jeevun Sandher, MP for Loughborough

    When: May 9th, 1-2pm.
    Where: U005 (Brockington Extension) & Online via MS Teams.

    Loughborough UCU will be hosting an open meeting with the MP for Loughborough, Shepshed, and the Villages, Dr. Jeevun Sandher, on May 9th from 1-2pm in U005 (Brockington Extension).

    The event will focus on “The Future of Higher Education Policy in the UK”. Dr. Sandher will speak for a few minutes on the topic, before we then open up the discussion to questions from the audience.

    Prior to his election to Parliament last year, Dr. Sandher previously worked as an economist researching inequality and poverty at King’s College London, and he has also served as a UCU trade union rep.

    As this is an open meeting, please do forward this invitation along to any colleagues you think may be interested in attending.

    Note that while online attendance will be possible, we would encourage in-person attendance where possible – and there should also be time to ask questions to Dr. Sandher informally before and after the event.   

    Please click here to download an appointment for your calendar or, if joining online, use this link to join the meeting via Teams: Join online

  • Open Meeting with Jeevun Sandher, MP for Loughborough

    When: May 9th, 1-2pm
    Where: U005 (Brockington Extension) & Online via MS Teams

    Loughborough UCU will be hosting an open meeting with the MP for Loughborough, Shepshed, and the Villages, Dr. Jeevun Sandher, on May 9th from 1-2pm in U005 (Brockington Extension).

    The event will focus on “The Future of Higher Education Policy in the UK”. Dr. Sandher will speak for a few minutes on the topic, before we then open up the discussion to questions from the audience.

    Prior to his election to Parliament last year, Dr. Sandher previously worked as an economist researching inequality and poverty at King’s College London, and he has also served as a UCU trade union rep.

    As this is an open meeting, please do forward this invitation along to any colleagues you think may be interested in attending.

    Note that while online attendance will be possible, we would encourage in-person attendance where possible – and there should also be time to ask questions to Dr. Sandher informally before and after the event.

    Please click here to download an appointment for your calendar or, if joining online, use this link to join the meeting via Teams.

  • Spread the resistance to the job losses in Higher Education

    The Grassroots Counter-Playbook: How to Fight the Employers’ Offensive

    Thursday 20th March at 12:30pm on Zoom.

    With 1000 jobs losses a month and unprecedented crisis in higher education in the UK, a growing number of branches are resisting.

    Newcastle, Brunel and Dundee Universities are taking industrial action. Other branches such as Durham, Sheffield, Cardiff have balloted for industrial action.

    The employers have a playbook to push through the cuts, we need a counter-playbook.

    Come to the meeting to hear how you can support branches taking industrial action and the lessons of moving into action.

    They cannot win on their own, we need to get the crisis of our universities onto the government’s agenda.

    Link to join the Zoom meeting: https://newcastleuniversity.zoom.us/j/81485600063

    Meeting ID: 814 8560 0063
    Passcode: 322405

    Please also sign the open letter, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTY20tsLYA7JVe6X354VD_e8oS4FGHmm6DEyBBPYj8i6aOO7S5_vyzqpxle8nWYaShxT0NMQ3yU5vfw/pub

  • Spread the resistance to the job losses in Higher Education

    The Grassroots Counter-Playbook: How to Fight the Employers’ Offensive

    Thursday 20th March at 12:30pm on Zoom.

    With 1000 jobs losses a month and unprecedented crisis in higher education in the UK, a growing number of branches are resisting.

    Newcastle, Brunel and Dundee Universities are taking industrial action. Other branches such as Durham, Sheffield, Cardiff have balloted for industrial action.

    The employers have a playbook to push through the cuts, we need a counter-playbook.

    Come to the meeting to hear how you can support branches taking industrial action and the lessons of moving into action.

    They cannot win on their own, we need to get the crisis of our universities onto the government’s agenda.

    Link to join the Zoom meeting: https://newcastleuniversity.zoom.us/j/81485600063

    Meeting ID: 814 8560 0063
    Passcode: 322405

    Please also sign the open letter, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTY20tsLYA7JVe6X354VD_e8oS4FGHmm6DEyBBPYj8i6aOO7S5_vyzqpxle8nWYaShxT0NMQ3yU5vfw/pub

  • Alice Hawkins: A Sister for Freedom

    Alice Hawkins: A Sister for Freedom

    PUBLIC MEETING – ALICE HAWKINS
    ‘A Sister for Freedom’ & Fighting for Women’s Rights

    Speakers include:
    Peter Barratt, Great-Grandson of Alice Hawkins discussing Alice and his Forthcoming book – “A sister for freedom”

    Chaired by: Barbara Plant, GMB National President

    Monday 10th March 2025, 7pm – 9pm

    Leicester Secular Hall
    75 Humberstone Gate,
    Leicester. LE1 1WB

    Reserve your seat today!

    Those with confirmed seats will be admitted.

    Sponsored by GMB Leicestershire General. Supported by Leicester & District Trades Union Council

    Poster for event with same text as this article.

  • At What Cost? The Impact of the Voluntary Exit and Hours Reduction Scheme

    Across the University, there has been a substantial uptake of the Voluntary Exit and Hours Reduction offerings as part of the wider Cost Reduction Scheme. The University has now ‘saved’ in the region of £4m by encouraging people to leave or to reduce their contracts. Following the success of this scheme, Loughborough UCU are concerned about the impact on those left behind. 

    We are hosting an open meeting on Friday, February 28 from 2:00 PM to 2:50 PM on Teams to discuss the impact on workload for remaining Loughborough staff and doctoral researchers. All Loughborough staff and DRs are invited, whether you are a UCU member or not. 

    Are you an academic whose teaching has increased? Are you a DR who has taken on more research or marking without additional compensation? Is your Professional Services team now trying to cover the same amount of work with fewer staff? We want to hear from you!

    Come and share your thoughts and experiences, hear from other people about what is happening in their areas, and discuss how people are managing increases in workload across the University. Please feel free to invite others in your area to attend as we are keen to include as wide a view as possible.

    You can download an invite for your calendar here, or use this link to join the meeting.

  • At What Cost? The Impact of the Voluntary Exit and Hours Reduction Scheme

    At What Cost? The Impact of the Voluntary Exit and Hours Reduction Scheme

    Across the University, there has been a substantial uptake of the Voluntary Exit and Hours Reduction offerings as part of the wider Cost Reduction Scheme. The University has now ‘saved’ in the region of £4m by encouraging people to leave or to reduce their contracts. Following the success of this scheme, Loughborough UCU are concerned about the impact on those left behind.

    We are hosting an open meeting on Friday, February 28 from 2:00 PM to 2:50 PM on Teams to discuss the impact on workload for remaining Loughborough staff and doctoral researchers. All Loughborough staff and DRs are invited, whether you are a UCU member or not.

    Are you an academic whose teaching has increased? Are you a DR who has taken on more research or marking without additional compensation? Is your Professional Services team now trying to cover the same amount of work with fewer staff? We want to hear from you!

    Come and share your thoughts and experiences, hear from other people about what is happening in their areas, and discuss how people are managing increases in workload across the University. Please feel free to invite others in your area to attend as we are keen to include as wide a view as possible.

    You can download an invite for your calendar here, or use this link to join the meeting.

  • Hear from Standing Together: The largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement for peace in Israel

    Hear from Standing Together: The largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement for peace in Israel

    The Loughborough UCU branch will be hosting a meeting with two speakers from Standing Together, a social movement of Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel pursuing peace, equality, and social and climate justice. The meeting will entail a presentation on the broad aims and work of Standing Together, as well as the group’s response to the ongoing war, raging since October 7th, and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

    We will be joined on Teams by:

    Sally Abed is an elected city council representative of Haifa and a national leader at Standing Together, the Jewish-Arab grassroots movement that mobilizes people around issues of peace, equality and social justice. In recent years, she has become a prominent progressive Palestinian voice in Israel. Sally is a recurring guest on the Promised Podcast and the Co-host of the new podcast Groundwork – a mini series about Palestinians and Jews refusing to accept the status quo and working together for change.

    Itamar Avneri is a social and peace activist and a community organizer. He is an elected city council representative of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and one of the founding members of Standing Together. He is also a prominent voice in the LGBT community, a member of the Israeli Climate Forum, and a Ph.D. student in History of Science at Bar-Ilan University.

    After a 20-minute talk from the speakers, we will have 30 minutes for questions and discussion.

    The Standing Together meeting will take place on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 8th May from 1pm-2pm.

    All Lboro staff welcome!

    If you need the link to join please email ucu@lboro.ac.uk

  • Open meeting on Loughborough in Saudi Arabia

    Open meeting on Loughborough in Saudi Arabia

    An open meeting for any staff who wish to share information, thoughts or feelings about the plans to open a teaching facility in Saudi Arabia and the implications for this given the country’s enforced lack of academic freedom and freedom of speech, oppression of women and the LGBT community, and other human rights concerns.

    All Lboro staff welcome!

    If you need the link to join please email ucu@lboro.ac.uk