 |
 |
Thanks everyone for the responses to my post of the Guardian article. I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical about 6% cuts leading to 'thousands of job losses'. Whilst Canadian universities have not had similar cuts in direct government funding, they did sustain very large losses to endowment funds (upwards of 40%), plus many institutions have received no increased funding to deal with increased costs from inflation over the last few years, and we have not seen similar reports of job losses here. My primary reason for posting the Guardian article is to suggest that those on the CGF list might keep tabs on issues and report any alarming developments (such as large numbers of proposed redundancies on the part of specific universities) to the list. We might then use the collective power of CGF members to contest any such developments. Best wishes to all, Lawrence On 10-02-09 7:31 AM, "Tim Brown" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi all, > > While I agree that it is vitally important that reports of any kind in > the media are as transparent as they can be with regards to their data, > I have to object to the notion that this is simply the "routine > management" of staff. > > For many of us, and I am one who has managed to remain within the > academy for some time on such contracts, the current period that we are > going into is far from "routine", as there has been a noticeable > shrinkage in the posts that are available. So while 'tenured' staff may > be secure, and I hope that they are, there are many 'non-tenured' staff > who face a very different and extremely uncertain future. > > If stories such as those in the Guardian help to highlight this > situation, and perhaps the fact that many Departments have relied on > such staff to both maintain their research trajectories and also to > teach growing numbers of undergraduates, then that is surely no bad thing. > > just a thought > > Tim > > > David C Gibbs wrote: >> Indeed Alan a similar email came from our head of HR the same day >> see below. >> >> >> >> Dear colleagues >> >> >> >> In response to the figure of 300 job losses quoted in todayıs Guardian, >> the University can confirm that this relates almost exclusively to the >> routine management of staff nearing the end of fixed-term contracts over >> the period of 2009-11. >> >> >> >> Previous experience has shown that, in many cases, staff in these >> circumstances were awarded further contracts or redeployed to other >> positions internally. >> >> >> >> For the sake of clarity, the University presently has no plans under >> consideration which would lead to the loss of staff on continuing >> contracts of employment. >> >> >> >> >> >> David Gibbs >> >> >> >> *Professor of Human Geography* >> >> Department of Geography >> >> University of Hull >> >> Hull >> >> HU6 7RX >> >> >> >> Email [log in to unmask] >> >> Tel. 01482 465330 (direct) >> >> Tel. 0784 0869355 (Mobile) >> >> Fax 01482 466340 (Geography) >> >> www.hull.ac.uk/geog/staff/Gibbs.htm >> >> >> >> *Director of the Graduate School* >> >> Tel. 01482 466844 (Graduate School) >> >> Fax 01482 466436 (Graduate School) >> >> www.hull.ac.uk/graduateschool >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* A forum for critical and radical geographers >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Patterson, Alan >> *Sent:* 09 February 2010 13:20 >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Re: Guardian: Thousands to lose jobs as UK universities >> prepare to cope with cuts >> >> >> >> I wonder how accurate the data referred to in the Guardian story really >> is - hereıs our VCıs response: >> >> >> >> Dear all >> >> >> >> Today's Guardian newspaper reported that 340 jobs are to be cut at >> Sheffield Hallam University. The report is not true. >> >> >> >> The report is in fact based on a national Trade Union report. We have >> notified the Trade Unions, as we are required to by law, that 340 >> Associate Lecturers no longer work for us, and have not worked for us >> for at least 18 months. They are therefore being removed from the >> Universityıs books as part of a routine annual exercise. This doesnıt >> mean that they have not been replaced. It simply means that they are no >> longer working for the University. >> >> >> >> I should add that I was very angry to read this report. Reports about >> financial meltdown in the University sector are creating lots of >> uncertainty and anxiety. As Iıve said recently we are currently in a >> fairly strong financial position. However, finances are getting >> increasingly tough, and we are continuing to keep staff costs under >> control. As a consequence we are not yet facing the financial >> difficulties of other universities. >> >> >> >> Professor Philip Jones >> >> Vice-Chancellor >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* A forum for critical and radical geographers >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Lawrence Berg >> *Sent:* 08 February 2010 23:27 >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Guardian: Thousands to lose jobs as UK universities prepare >> to cope with cuts >> >> >> >> Thousands to lose jobs as universities prepare to cope with cuts >> Post-graduates to replace professors >> Staff poised to strike over proposals of cuts >> Jessica Shepherd and Owen Bowcott >> guardian.co.uk, Sunday 7 February 2010 21.33 GMT >> >> >> >> Universities across the country are preparing to axe thousands of >> teaching jobs, close campuses and ditch courses to cope with government >> funding cuts, the Guardian has learned. >> >> Other plans include using post-graduates rather than professors for >> teaching and the delay of major building projects. The proposals have >> already provoked ballots for industrial action at a number of >> universities in the past week raising fears of strike action which could >> severely disrupt lectures and examinations. >> >> The Guardian spoke to vice-chancellors and other senior staff at 25 >> universities, some of whom condemned the funding squeeze as "painful" >> and "insidious". They warned that UK universities were being pushed >> towards becoming US-style, quasi-privatised institutions. >> >> The cuts are being put in place to cope with the announcement last week >> by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) that £449m >> equivalent to more than a 5% reduction nationally would be stripped >> out of university budgets. >> >> The University and College Union (UCU) believes that more than 15,000 >> posts the majority academic could disappear in the next few years. >> Precise funding figures for each university will be released on 18 March. >> >> The chairman of the Russell Group of elite institutions, Professor >> Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of Leeds University, warned that budgets >> would be further slashed by 6% in each of the next three years. Last >> month he described the cuts as "devastating". >> >> The savings envisaged include: >> >> More than 200 jobs losses at King's College, London, around 150 at the >> University of Westminster and, unions claim, as many as 700 at Leeds, >> 340 at Sheffield Hallam and 300 at Hull. >> >> Entire campus closures at Cumbria and Wolverhampton universities, >> where buildings will be mothballed and students transferred to other sites. >> >> Teesside University scrapping £2m worth of scholarships and bursaries >> that would have helped poorer students. It will also share services with >> a further education college in Darlington. >> >> Postponing plans for a £25m creative arts building at Worcester and >> £12m science block at Hertfordshire. >> >> Under-subscribed arts and humanities courses are being dropped. The >> University of the West of England has already stopped offering French, >> German and Spanish; Surrey has dropped its BA in humanities. >> >> Student/lecturer ratios are expected to rise, with more institutions >> using postgraduates and short term staff filling in for professors made >> redundant. >> >> Ballots for industrial action are due to be held or are pending at the >> University of the Arts, Sussex University, the University of >> Gloucestershire and King's College London. Lecturers at Leeds where >> 750 posts are at risk voted by a large majority to strike this week. >> >> Higher exam pass marks will be required to win a place at university, >> according to the survey of academic principals. The cap on student >> numbers set at 2008 levels is restricting entry just as youth >> unemployment is peaking and intensifying competitive pressure. >> >> Peter Mandelson, the business secretary who is in charge of >> universities, accused the principals of "gross exaggerations" and >> "extreme language", but would not be drawn over whether he would make >> further cuts to higher education. Universities had to do "no more than >> their fair share of belt-tightening," he said. >> >> "We know that universities have a vital contribution to our economic >> growth, so we are not going to undermine them. We are asking for savings >> of less than 5% and we expect universities to make these in a way that >> minimises the impact on teaching and students. I am confident they will." >> >> Mandelson also denied claims by vice-chancellors that he was letting >> arts and humanities courses close and cared only about maths and science >> degrees. >> >> On Monday it was announced that an extra £10m would go to the teaching >> of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to support >> universities "that are shifting the balance of their provision towards >> these subjects". >> >> Mandelson said: "I am an arts graduate myself. We don't dictate to >> universities which courses they put on. They tailor courses to meet >> demand. We want universities to play to their strengths, but we also >> want to keep this country civilised." >> >> The pattern of cutbacks is not uniform, with some universities insisting >> they have been preparing for the downturn. Many have already dropped >> more vulnerable subjects such as music and history, increased fees for >> part-time students and expect to become even more reliant on income from >> higher, overseas student fees. >> >> The vice-chancellor of Southampton, Professor Don Nutbeam, told the >> Guardian: "This [decision by Hefce] is one of a series of insidious cuts >> that have been made to higher education." >> >> Professor Geoffrey Petts, vice-chancellor of Westminster University, >> said: "After a decade of huge successes in higher education we suddenly >> have to rethink." >> >> Tomorrow the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Ucas) is due >> to announce record numbers of applications for places this autumn. It is >> expected that as many as 300,000 applicants will be turned away. >> >> The surge in demand comes as a government-commissioned independent >> review considers whether to raise tuition fees from £3,225 per year to >> up to £7,000. Over three years total cuts will amount to at least £950m. >> >> The policy adopted by the government is in stark contrast to the >> response in the US where President Obama this week proposed a 31% >> increase in education spending for next year in order to combat >> unemployment and develop skills. >> *-- >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> ***************************************************************************** >> ************ >> To view the terms under which this email is distributed, please go to >> http://www.hull.ac.uk/legal/email_disclaimer.html >> ***************************************************************************** >> ************ -- Lawrence D. Berg, D.Phil. Co-Director, The Centre for Social, Spatial & Economic Justice Graduate Coordinator, Human Geography Community, Culture and Global Studies University of British Columbia 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC, Canada, V1V 1V7 Voice: +1 250.807.9392, Fax: +1 250.807.8001 Email: [log in to unmask] WEB: http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/ccgs/faculty/berg.html Editor: ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies http://www.acme-journal.org Co-Leader: BC Disabilities Health Research Network http://www.dhrn.ca