Archive

UCU Commons newsletter #10 (election special), 18 February 2026

Dear subscribers, This week, we have an extra, election-specific mailout.  The ballot will close at 17:00 on Monday 2nd March. We recommend that Thursday 26th February is the last safe posting date, unless you are adding a first class stamp. Members who have not received their ballot paper can

UCU Commons newsletter #9, 11 February 2026

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what's happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter. In today's issue:

UCU Commons newsletter #8, 28 January 2026

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what's happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter.  In today's issue:

UCU Commons newsletter #7, 14 January 2026

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what's happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter. In today's issue:

Rule Change to Equality Standing Committee Nomination Process

With the help and advice of UCU staff, UCU Commons members have proposed a rule change for the equality standing committee nomination process. The goal of this is to make the process of nominating to these advisory committees easier and less administratively burdensome for members, branches and branch administrators, as

UCU Commons newsletter #6, 17 December 2025

Dear subscriber  Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what's happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter.  In today's issue:

Branch Delegates Meeting Report, 4th December

Key takeaways * UCU needs a proper strategy for Higher Education * Branch delegates report that the ballot was ill-timed, and that job security is the current priority for members * Branch delegates call for intense and focused campaigning efforts * HEC will revisit the Secretary of State dispute at its next meeting in

UCU Commons newsletter #5, 3 December 2025

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what's happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter. In today's issue:

Industrial Action Ballot Result Statement

UCU Commons members are disappointed in the outcome of the ballot; a failed ballot is not a result that any of us wanted. However, we know that many members have lost faith in our union’s elected committees to make strategic and tactical choices that they can rally behind. We

UCU Commons newsletter #4, 19 November 2025

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what’s happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter. In today’s issue: What UCU

Report from NEC, Friday 7th November 2025

Key Takeaways * Congress 2026 will be hybrid * NEC have moved to support the restoration of Trade Union Education * NEC have voted for a campaign in support of Laura Murphy and Academic Freedom Full Report Pension Discussion The committee meeting opened with a report of concerns discussed at the Retired Members

UCU Commons newsletter #3, 5 November 2025

Dear subscriber Welcome to the UCU Commons newsletter, a curated set of links and information about what’s happening in UCU Commons, our union, and our sectors more generally. As always, we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other matter. In today’s issue: What UCU

Report from HEC, Friday 10th October 2025

Key takeaways –  Two excellent discussion papers addressing sectoral concerns presented rare opportunities for HEC to engage with what to do about the HE crisis beyond industrial action. These covered union victories in Australian higher education and joining up lobbying efforts in the UK. –  The committee voted to remit discussion of

Report from UCU/EI Academic Freedom Conference

By Tilly Fitzmaurice On 15th October 2025, UCU co-hosted its first-ever conference on academic freedom at the National Education Union’s Hamilton House in London. UCU’s co-host was Education International, a global membership organisation for education unions that represents more than 33 million education professionals around the world. The

Cutting Corners: a message to the next Vice Chancellor at Goldsmiths

By Dr. Jo Edge On 1 October 2025, a short announcement was put on Goldsmiths’ website to say that Vice Chancellor Frances Corner was stepping down with immediate effect. This came off the back of an announcement a fortnight earlier, which stated that Corner’s tenure as VC would not

Setting The Agenda for Change in Higher Education: Lessons from Australia

A discussion paper by Mark Pendleton (UK-elected HE) Preface UCU Commons has long argued for more deliberation and discussion in our union, rather than simple polarised debate. In that spirit, this year we’ll be increasing our submission to UCU’s structures of papers that seek to open up discussion,

Asking questions and claiming “Democracy” in UCU

By Mark Pendleton On 1 September, our Higher Education Committee (HEC) met to decide how to respond to the latest offer from our employers on a UK-wide uplift on pay and negotiations on pay-related conditions (what we used to call the Four Fights). While there was a pretty clear result

NEW: Where is the government in the UK HE jobs crisis?

A third blog post from Matt Barnard, our candidate for the UK-wide casual vacancy

UCU Commons Report from Special HEC - 1st September 2025

By UCU Commons HEC members Note: the explicit permission of the chair of HEC was sought, and granted, before publishing this report. Headlines: * HEC voted by 20-19 in favour of calling a UK-wide statutory industrial action ballot on pay * In a farcical vote, UCU Left members voted for a ballot

Imposters: a new blog post by Matt Barnard

On the threat of anti-trans ideology to the pursuit of academic enquiry