Yesterday in the media we saw £millions leeching out of UK universities to management consultants. Today it is student agents delivering international students to the highest bidding universities.
This is where marketization and commercialization leads.
www.theguardian.com/education/ng...
I for one am shocked that the same guy who tried to waste union resources on a plausibly legalistic but doomed hail mary in the courts then also wasted union resources defending against his vexatious allegation of rule breaches after he lost an election.
I’ll probably have more to say about this, but am going to spend some time reading this very interesting judgement first. Fascinating stuff:
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The Certificiation Officer has now ruled on the complaint against UCU bought by @ewanmg.bsky.social and @vickyblake.bsky.social. A summary of the decision can be found by following this link: www.ucu.org.uk/media/15693/...
GIVEAWAY OF GOOD STUFF!!!! We’re trying to add 100 premium @hyperfixedpod.bsky.social subscribers by the end of April. If we manage to do it, 5 of you will get free hyperfixed swag! I mean look at this stuff! Hyperfixedpod.com/join
Today, Plaid Cymru launched our Senedd election campaign to offer new leadership for 🏴
Leadership which offers hope, new ambition and ideas - and always fights for our communities ✊
Join Plaid Cymru today to help us change Wales for the better 💚
🔗 partyof.wales/join
It’s worth saying that most my “faction” - the Campaign for UCU Democracy - is a essentially a WhatsApp group.
I have decided to be a lot more shameless about promoting my work because what good is being ashamed of my work? I am very proud of it! Please check out @hyperfixedpod — documentary audio journalism where I solve problems for listeners who write in. Here are some of my fav eps!
Title image reads "UCU HEC Election Results"
UCU NEC election results were published a few weeks ago. Some people have asked what this means for the factional make-up of the Higher Education Committee (HEC), so I've put together this short blog breaking down the results.
open.substack.com/pub/dyfrigjo...
UCU Commons newsletter #12 just landed! Election results, ARPS & Anticas conference reports, Women’s TUC, opposing the Iran war, Equality Research conference, @alanlester.bsky.social on defamatory attacks & Adam Tickell punching down on tuition fees #UCU #UKHE
ucucommons.org/ucu-commons-...
The #UCU election results are quite good overall. We could use more good people running.
The turnout, unsurprisingly was worse than the baseline though I’m gonna have to dig out all the numbers again.
However having @markpe as chair of HEC is a relief for me.
Delighted to announce I have been elected UCU Vice President from the FE sector. I am honoured by all those who voted for me and endlessly thankful to everyone who supported my campaign. I pledge to listen to members and fight for our sector with fierce energy and integrity. Let's do this 💪
If you're a USS member of @ucu.org.uk , then you've probably heard some talk of Conditional Indexation. It'll likely be on the agenda at this year's HE Sector Conference, and I've written a very basic primer for anyone that's interested.
open.substack.com/pub/dyfrigjo...
What else is there to say but: these people were warned and warned and warned again about this, going back well over ten years and further, and their constant response was: absolutely fuck you, you are all idiots and we are the smart, Sensible people whom understand what the public like and want.
I've voted in #ucu elections, have you? Last chance to post your ballot!
If you'd like a better UCU (the one we have is sometimes pretty dreadful), please vote for @markpendleton.bsky.social @suzitoole.bsky.social and the list here: ucucommons.org/who-else-sho...
It’s not all elections at #ucu.
This afternoon I’m joining the induction for the new Congress Business Committee, the elected body that determines how our annual congress runs. This year it will be in Harrogate at the end of May.
Congress is our peak democratic body, but how democratic is it?
For the Monday morning folk: I’ll be skeeting my answers to the #ucu VP hustings each day this week.
Intro comments out yesterday and now the first member-submitted question (and my shortest answer at 42 seconds):
“What political parties, if any, are you a member of?”
I went along to the Certification Office today, so you didn’t have to.
A brief update on McGaughey and Blake vs UCU
dyfrigjones.substack.com/p/brief-repo...
And thank god that HE is devolved in Wales. Zia Yusuf has threatened to de-fund Bangor University, but he’ll need to win this year’s Senedd election first. The people of Wales know better than to hand power to such tyrants. Vote Plaid Cymru in May to keep Reform out.
There will be the inevitable screams of “free speech!”, of course, but they are, as always, bogus. Reform have plenty of platforms to spread their bile. None of us have to invite them into our homes, our workplaces, our socieites and associations, our spaces.
Official statement from Bangor University Debating and Political Society, rejecting Reform UK’s demand that they be allowed to address the society.
I’m really proud of Bangor University students today. Very much in the spirit of Penrhyndeudraeth lad Bertrand Russell, when he said that “nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from an association between us”, when invited to debate Oswald Mosley.
Excellent as always from @markpendleton.bsky.social
I just posted my ballot voting for @markpendleton.bsky.social @suzitoole.bsky.social and the entire @ucucommons.org slate!
“ I want to live in Dubai” said nobody ever
📅 24 February marks 4 years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Four years of resistance. Four years of solidarity.
But the fight for justice isn’t over. 🧵⬇️
I had a friend who was on a year abroad at the University of Reunion in 1997/98. I scanned a photo and sent it to him over email, and it crashed the entire university’s server.
I really did intend to read all the election addresses, but then decided not to bother and used the @ucucommons.org cheat sheet (below) instead. Apologies to my fellow candidates, and good luck!
A huge turnout of staff, students and community members against the proposed closure of the Uni of Essex campus in Southend.
Thanks to @ucuessex.bsky.social for the invitation to speak about what’s happening at Sheffield - your fight is our fight! And solidarity for your picket lines next week!
