News

UCU Executive Committee notes that Professor Tim Blackman has been appointed as new VC. We welcome him back to the OU following his four years as VC of Middlesex University, and congratulate him on his appointment.
 

The election for UCU General Secretary opened on Monday 29th April and closes at noon on Thursday 23rd May 2019.

There are three candidates who have websites at the following addresses and we have provided their Twitter account names.

The UCU branch undertook a survey on workload in the autumn, which was publicised to all staff by HR/People Services. The prompt for this was anecdotal evidence of a severe and ongoing workload problem, and fear this might increase after the recent round of voluntary severance.

Initial findings are now available (view report) and support these concerns, while also confirming and contextualising some of the relevant responses on ‘stress’ reported in the Staff Engagement Survey.

We've had a reply to the joint letter we sent to the Open University's Vice Chancellor: view letter.

The OU UCU Executive Committee would like to express its sorrow and outrage at the recent terror attack in New Zealand. We stand in shock and solidarity with the victims and their families, Muslims in New Zealand, and the global Muslim community, who will be mourning this attack and understandably fearing for their own safety. Such acts of terror follow a pattern including the massacres of Jews in Pittsburgh in 2018 and African Americans in Charleston in 2015. They are designed to sow fear and division and create a climate in which white supremacist ideas can take hold.

UCU and UNISON have submitted a joint letter to the university today about how employers can help to resolve the USS pensions dispute. If employers apply more pressure on the USS management, they can improve the likelihood of a good and fair settlement and avoid the risk of further strike action.

At the Open University all employees are eligible for USS; therefore as a community, we all have a shared interest in the continuing strength and affordability of this pension scheme.

Recently Caroline Holland stepped down as Hon Secretary of the Executive Committee. We are very grateful for her work and commitment to the branch, and she has been co-opted to sit as an Ordinary Member of the Executive Committee.

Following this the branch has a vacancy for a Hon Secretary and for two other roles: Central Academic-Related Officer and Regional/National Academic-Related Officer.

UCU's Vice President, Nita Sanghera, has sent us a video message: https://youtu.be/gZveG7NmtOg

Please post your ballot paper back by Wednesday 20th February 2019.

https://www.ucu.org.uk/he2018

Thank you to Nita from the OU Branch of UCU!

Kevin McNerney recently ran a session in our Adobe Connect room and he wanted us to share the recording. You can listen to the recording of Kevin's talk at this address: https://ou.adobeconnect.com/pzsr2bmsaulx?session=em2breezofqs5rsvcnp6herk

We are very pleased to report that members voted overwhelmingly to accept the new Associate Lecturer contract. Thank you to all our members who voted in the ballot.

UCU press release: ucu.org.uk/article/9855/UCU-secures-better-deal-for-over-4000-Open-University-staff