We have received the following invitation from colleagues working on our new REF Code of Practice. The implications of REF are clearly important for both the institution and individuals. Consultation over previous schemes has been constructive and worthwhile, and we urge you to get involved.
Loughborough University is developing its Research Excellence Framework (REF) Code of Practice (CoP), which all UK Higher Education Institutions participating in the REF are required to produce. The Code of Practice sets out how the University will make robust, transparent and inclusive decisions about its REF submission, including the selection of research outputs.
The development of the Code of Practice provides an important opportunity to share information about Loughborough’s REF submission and to invite feedback from staff on REF decision making processes. A REF Code of Practice consultation period will run from 2 March until 3 April 2026 which provides several opportunities to engage as follows.
Hybrid Briefing Sessions:
Find out more about the REF Code of Practice, ask questions and provide feedback in-person or online at a hybrid briefing session hosted by Prof Karen Coopman (aPVC R&I) & Emma Allaway (REF Manager).
Thursday 5 March, 10:30 – 12:30, James France CC021/Microsoft Teams – Click here to book
Monday 9 March, 13:30 – 15:30, Sir Frank Gibb RT033/Microsoft Teams – Click here to book
Drop-in sessions:
Ask questions and provide feedback directly to the RIO REF Team at an in-person or online at a drop-in session.
Tuesday 24 March, 13:00 – 16:00, Hazlerigg 201.0.25/Microsoft Teams
Wednesday 1 April, 09:00 – 12:00, Hazlerigg 201.0.25/Microsoft Teams
The draft REF Code of Practice document and an online feedback form to capture structured feedback (anonymous) are available on the REF webpages.
We welcome and value your feedback and contributions which will play a key role in shaping this important document ahead of its submission.
If you have any questions about the REF Code of Practice, the consultation process, or REF more broadly, please contact: REF team or Emma Allaway, REF Manager.
Loughborough’s Rights Retention Policy: A Win for Academic Staff
Following consultation with UCU, Loughborough University’s Rights Retention Policy — in place since January 2024 — is now entering its next stage. From 1 April 2026, the policy will automatically apply to all journal articles (and conference papers with an ISSN) authored by Loughborough staff and doctoral researchers. Importantly, this is now an opt-out policy: you are covered by default.
The University has already written to all publishers where Loughborough authors have published over the past four years to notify them of the policy and the April start date.
What does it mean for you? Your Accepted Manuscripts can be deposited in the University Repository and made freely available immediately upon publication, with no publisher embargo. This means your work will automatically meet REF 2029 Open Access requirements — important given that from January 2026 REF requires deposit within three months of publication. Crucially, you retain the right to reuse your own text, images, and diagrams in future work without seeking permission from publishers.
What do you need to do? Continue depositing your Accepted Manuscript via LUPIN as soon as possible after acceptance. Library staff will handle the rest. A Rights Retention statement in your article is no longer required, though it remains good practice to include one.
Can you opt out? Yes — if you want a specific article excluded, contact the Library Open Research Team at repository@lboro.ac.uk before publication.
UCU has long argued that academic staff should retain greater control over their own intellectual work. This policy is a concrete step in that direction, reducing the power publishers hold over research that academics create. We encourage members to take full advantage of it.
REF 2029 Main Panel Chair Recruitment – Now Open
Some colleagues may be interested in applying to serve as REF 2029 Main Panel Chairs. The call for applications is as follows:
“Focusing on improving diversity in REF 2029 and encouraging people from underrepresented groups to apply. Evaluation from REF 2021 provides information on diversity in the exercise. Similarly, disciplinary specific inequalities might inform your approach. Please consider the full range of protected characteristics.
The Main Panel Chairs will hold overall responsibility for the REF 2029 main panels and play a key role in recruiting and developing the REF main panels and sub-panels. They will work and advise on the development and delivery of the exercise with the other main panel chairs, providing advice to the REF team and Steering Group. They will provide visible leadership for the REF panels and undertake an ambassadorial role for REF 2029 in the sector.”
You can find more information on the roles on the REF website. The application deadline is noon on Thursday 26 September 2024.
LUCU News – March 2023
We would like to thank Reps and members for their tremendous support for the action so far: our success is driven by your creativity, time, and energy!
An additional day of action has been called by the HEC for 15th March in order to increase pressure on the employers during the ongoing talks. Upcoming strike dates, pickets and teach-outs as below:
Strike action date
Pickets
Teach-Outs
Wednesday 15 March
No picket
11am-12pm: Organising and Power – Rose Pesotta
Thursday 16 March
Lboro Picket: 8:30 – 10:30 Main Gate
11am -12pm: Memories of anti-racism
Friday 17 March
No picket
2pm-3:30pm: Organising for Power Workshop
Monday 20 March
Lboro Picket: 8:30 – 10:30 Main Gate
11am-12pm: Starting conversations about race and racism
Tuesday 21 March
No picket
Wednesday 22 March
No picket
Teach-Out Details: Please advertise the three of these events that are open to all students and colleagues.
The “Organising and Power” teach-out will be held online. Ruth Kinna will give a talk about Rose Pesotta (1896–1965), anarchist, feminist and labour organizer in the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union: Teams link
The “Memories of anti-racism” teach-out is hybrid. Emily Keightley will introduce the Migrant Memory and Postcolonial Imagination exhibition at: Charnwood Arts (27 Rectory Pl, Loughborough LE11 1UW) and will talk about histories and memories of anti-racist protest and experiences of racism in Loughborough and East London. All are welcome to attend in person or via Teams link.
The “Organising for Power Workshop” will be held online. Alexandre Christoyannopoulos will lead the workshop introducing methods from the Organizing for Power training that some members attended last year, with time for discussion about how they could work within Loughborough UCU. This workshop is for LUCU members only, and you can attend via Teams link.
The “Starting conversations about race and racism” teach-out is hybrid. Denise Coles and Amanda Harrington will talk about how to start conversations about race and racism, with fellow workers and students, in meetings, corridors, formally and in informal exchanges. All are welcome to attend in person at: The Council Chambers, Loughborough Students Union, or via Zoom Link.
ASOS: We would also like to remind members that ASOS is ongoing.
GTVO
It is vital that the union returns a Yes vote to further action to give our negotiators the necessary mandate and leverage to succeed in discussions with UUK and UCEA. Your ballot must be received by 31 March, and the last safe posting date is 28 March. If you have not received a ballot, please contact UCU directly: replacement ballot request form.
Campaign Resources
Thanks to Saul Albert and Anthony Kevins we have some inspiring videos that showcase student support for our action. Please support UCU Rising by circulating these videos via your social media. We are very grateful to Saul and Anthony for creating these valuable resources. To see the videos on our various platforms please click the links: YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.
Local Strike Fund
We would like to acknowledge grateful receipt of a £100 donation from Leicester Workers Support Group, which will allow us to make another donation to the UCU Fighting Fund, directly benefitting our members in the coming months.
Local Negotiations
EDI: We are pleased to report that there will be direct union involvement on the new University EDI Operations Committee, led by the new PVC-EDI Charlotte Croffie. This recognises union members as a key stakeholder constituency, and our participation in the work of the committee will enable us to inform the direction and implementation of EDI initiatives. As this is not a space for negotiation, the three campus trade unions will rotate sending a delegate to serve for one year. There will be regular meetings with Unite and Unison to consolidate the unions’ perspective.
LUCU is currently in the process of expanding our representation on LUCU committee by seeking multiple equality officers. Our aim is to maximise our engagement with relevant university EDI projects and working groups and to prioritise aspects of EDI in line with national campaigns. We have expressions of interest from two members to stand for the following officer roles: Disability; Women & LGBTQ+. We are keen to hear from other members who may wish to join committee and lead on BAME. We would like to assure members that we recognise the importance of an intersectional approach to EDI, and we envision our EDI officers and other committee members working together to ensure our approach to EDI is aligned with best practice.
REF: LUCU will also continue to have a voice on the REF Code of Practice Working Group, which is chaired by the PVC for Research and Innovation. The group works to ensure the fair and transparent identification of staff and selection of outputs for REF. We ask that members feedback any issues of concern about the REF process in their schools so that they can be raised either at a working group meeting or ARSNC.
Professor Dan Parsons, PVC – Research and Innovation, attended ARSNC to discuss items we had put forward for discussion following concerns raised by our members about the internal review of REF outputs at school level, as well as grant capture and EDI. It was agreed that schools should ensure they approach the review with parity and transparency in mind; the process should be developmental in focus, and internal scores will not be used as a measure of performance during PDRs. The University also recognises the inherent biases in the grant process in terms of applicants with protected characteristics, and the PCV was keen to ensure that the University aims to mitigate as much as possible these external factors when, for example, considering applications for university fellowships and promotion.
Restructures: We have been in consultations with management about restructures in IT Services, the Research and Innovation Office, and the School of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering. We can report that no redundancies are planned, and where individual members have requested it, a caseworker has been assigned for support.
WAMS and Workload: Members have raised concerns about the timing of workload allocation, which, in some schools, has come too late for efficient planning of teaching and research. Steve Harris, Change Portfolio Manager & Process Improvement Lead, has agreed to review WAMS to explore how workload allocation can be managed in a timelier manner.