Striking University of Nottingham staff demand cuts U-turn

Staff expressed fears that proposed cuts at the University of Nottingham would change the institution “beyond recognition” as they protested outside the vice-chancellor’s office ahead of prolonged strike action.

The Russell Group university is looking to shed more than 600 roles – with 2,700 staff at risk – as part of a “transformation plan” that its leaders have said is necessary to prevent it “running out of money”.

Up to 42 courses are also set to be axed as part of the move, which comes after 350 roles were cut last year.

Hundreds of staff and students took to picket lines on 22 May before marching towards the university’s main administrative hub to hold a rally.

Lopa Leach, the University and College Union (UCU) branch secretary, told the crowd: “We’re here so the university can understand what a university is.”

Jane Norman, Nottingham’s vice-chancellor, has argued that “doing nothing is not an option”, given the pressure the university faces from declining international recruitment and rising costs.

Courses affected are suffering from declining student demand in areas such as modern foreign languages and music, she added.

But the university has also been criticised for cutting its leading physics and chemistry departments, in a move critics say risks hampering the government’s industrial strategy ambitions.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady told the rally that “this last week has been a new low for university management in higher education”, and said that 2,700 staff members receiving redundancy notices was a “moral stain on the university”.

“What Nottingham is seeking to do here is transform this university beyond recognition. Beyond anything we would recognise as anything we would value,” she said.

The crowd booed and shouted chants of “shame” as they marched to Nottingham’s historic Trent building and past the vice-chancellor’s office. Many carried homemade signs that demanded “no more cuts”, and declarations of “we are not disposable”. Others read: “RIP my job: 2022-2026.”

Staff have started a marking and assessment boycott that is expected to disrupt students’ graduations, and will also begin two months of strike action from 1 June. 

Grady told Times Higher Education: “What Nottingham is seeking to do is create devastation in pursuit of a bigger surplus. This isn’t an institution that’s cash-strapped, and they’re asking students, the city and staff to pay the price.”

She continued: “What is going to be left for this region? The amount of courses they’re wanting to cut is bad for UK higher education…we don’t want a marking boycott, we don’t want the university’s reputation to be damaged. But we also cannot allow a transformation of this kind.”

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said: “While we respect our employees’ right to take industrial action, the fact this is being done to create maximum disruption for our students at an already stressful time is really disappointing.

“While many of our students will be unaffected by this action, we understand this will cause concern and want to reassure them we have clear procedures and support in place to minimise any disruption.

“The proposals outlined in the draft business case are subject to meaningful consultation with the unions. Nothing will be finalised or implemented until a final Business Case is approved by Council in the autumn.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com