Why We Support Dyfrig Jones for VP

Dear subscribers,

As you might know, UCU Commons are backing Dyfrig Jones (he/him) for UCU’s next Vice-President. Dyfrig is Senior Lecturer in Film and Media at Bangor University, where he also served as President of the UCU branch between 2019 and 2024. To find out more about Dyfrig, check out his website. In this mailout, you can hear from Dyfrig himself about why he welcomes our support, as well as some endorsements for him from UCU Commons members.

Thanks for reading UCU Commons Updates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

You’ll find more information about all UCU Commons candidates on our website. We have also written an explainer of the role of NEC and the elected officers, how the voting system works, and why it is so important to vote in these elections. Please keep reading and sharing it!

There will also be official VP and Honorary Treasurer hustings today, 5th February, from 4:30-6pm. You can register here to attend. If you can’t make it today, the hustings will be recorded and available to watch later.

In solidarity,

UCU Commons

*

Dyfrig Jones for VP:

Dyfrig has endorsed all UCU Commons candidates for election. Here is what he has to say about us as a grouping:

“Since being elected to NEC back in May 2023 I have worked closely with
UCU Commons, and wanted to say a huge thank you for the endorsement
in the election. I am not a member of Commons, but I do support the
work that you do within the union, and feel that I am particularly closely
aligned with you on a number of issues.
UCU Commons lives its values when it comes to casualisation, giving
prominence to the voices of casualised members in internal debates, and
pushing to ensure that anti-casualisation work is at the top of UCU's
agenda.
Commons also deserves huge credit for its work on student numbers
distribution in Higher Education, and the need to fundamentally reform
how HE is funded. Pushing back against the destruction of the sector has
to be UCU's main HE priority over the next few months and years, and
we must be able to articulate an alternative future for the sector.
Commons' work has been vital in shaping that alternative vision.
Finally, I think that members of UCU Commons clearly understand that
our union's internal politics are fundamentally broken, and that we need
to take significant steps to detoxify our democratic culture.
Thank you again for your support, and I hope that we will get a chance to
work together for the benefit of the sector, and our union.”

UCU Commons member endorsements for Dyfrig:

“Dyfrig is serious about procedural and actual fairness in our democratic process. He cares passionately about making UCU a union for all its members, where every member has fair input into our decisions”

- Bijan Parsia (he/they), University of Manchester

“I’ve been honoured to work with Dyfrig at our branch and on NEC. During an awful restructure in 2020, as branch President Dyfrig worked to prevent the need for a dispute with zero compulsory redundancies in the end. He is pragmatic, effective, committed, and the VP that UCU needs”

-Vivek Thuppil (he/him), Bangor University

“Dyfrig always advocates for practical, realistic action to support members on the ground, not just the loudest ideological voices in the room”

- Caroline Proctor (she/her), University of Warwick

“He has a sound head, a good heart, and he wants to mobilise the union in practical and realistic ways. He is clear-eyed about the crisis the sector is in. He is absolutely the right choice for VP”

- Dave Hitchcock (he/him), Canterbury Christ Church University

“I have been consistently impressed by Dyfrig's focus, vision and determination on NEC/HEC. He understands that casualisation is responsible for many of the sector's problems, and is always prepared to listen to casualised and other marginalised members”

- Matilda Fitzmaurice (she/her), Lancaster University

“I am personally endorsing Dyfrig Jones as VP because he consistently acknowledges the need to enact meaningful changes that benefit UCU members, through the maximum participation of UCU members”

- Lisa Rull (she/her), University of Nottingham.

Thanks for reading UCU Commons Updates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.