Please pass on a message of support from me to UCU members at Bournemouth.
I hope it will help strengthen their campaign to fight these unacceptable proposed redundancies. Please thank the branch for its hard work drawing this situation to the attention of local and national media.
I hope that the measured and sensible response to the stupidity of their management will lead to success protecting jobs and maintaining the good reputation of the University.
If the national President can be of any further help to Bournemouth in this campaign, please do not hesitate to ask.
Linda Newman
President, UCU
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Why mess things up?
Cuts and the downward trendAs a one time student from Dorset Institute/Bournemouth Polytechnic/Bournemouth University and now a UCU member at Lambeth College of F.E., I would like to send a message of support to your cause.
I remember my time at Bournemouth with great fondness and enjoyed my three years there very much.What is clear right now are the on-going attacks on quality, be that in education, health or the postal service; sadly, the list goes on and on.
Therefore I urge you to not accept the treatment to which you are being subjected and respond with your own vision of what you want, one which is based upon matters other than purely financial ones.
Remember too that it's not easy to have a meaningful debate solely with a computer. It takes real people working under proper conditions to deliver a first class education. In fact, while the real problems lie somewhere other than the actual teaching side of things, you can be sure it's the good old workers, in this case lecturers, who are made to bear the brunt of any deficiencies elsewhere.
The sea, the climate, the quality of life; I agree, they're wonderful, so along with excellent teaching, why would anyone want to mess the whole thing up?All the best, Joe Bangs.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
The Vice Chancellors 'Ratner' moment
Bournemouth lecturers embarrassed and appalled at vice-chancellor’s ‘Ratner moment’Lecturers in Bournemouth have expressed outrage and distanced themselves from comments made by the University vice-chancellor, Geoffrey Howe, regarding the state of the University.
Describing his comments as a ‘Gerald Ratner moment’, the lecturers have said they do not share his view that the University is on the slide or that is merely proximity to the coast and the climate that attracts students to the town.Referring to the famous gaffe committed by
Gerald Ratner back in 1991, when he admitted selling ‘crap’ in his High Street shops, UCU members are refusing to condone his approach to public relations or badmouth the University themselves.
On 21 September the board of Bournemouth University approved the compulsory redundancy of 50 academic posts. These losses come on top of some 70 posts lost through voluntary severance over the past two years. The vice-chancellor’s comments appear to be a misguided attempt to try and justify the redundancies.Bournemouth UCU Chair Dr Kevin Moloney said:
“This feels like a body blow against us by our own vice-chancellor. It’s a ‘Ratner moment’ hammered into us with Geoffrey Howe’s broken bat. Academics here can take criticism but this is public ridicule. We have open days coming up. If parents and their sons and daughters wave this article at us, what do we say? It’s a kick in the teeth for Bournemouth University coming from the most unexpected source.”
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said:
“UCU is fighting these jobs losses and urging the board to reconsider its decision. Failure to do so will do irreparable damage to the University’s ability to deliver its courses and attract students. However, with a vice-chancellor happy to publicly ridicule his institution and its hardworking staff one has to wonder where the greatest damage to the University may come from.”
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Whats your dream?
Paul Curran outlines his 'dream' for the University in the Bournemouth Echo:
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/latestnews/display.var.1758330.0.dreaming_the_dream.php
Online responses include:
"This just demonstrates just how out of touch Mr Curran actually is. He is almost unaware that he is playing down just how successful the university is- its continually leaping up league tables- up 50 places in some over the last 5 years (well before he arrived!) and has the UK top rated courses in several fields (actually, these groups have been earmarked for some of the largest cuts)He appears to be using the Ratner approach to self promotion!The vast majority of staff at the uni are quite distgusted with not only the horrific reduction of student contact time, but his secrecy and backhanded approach. I can tell you for sure, there is no silent majority in support of his plans.Major question marks are also being raised as to the legality of their approach to the redundancies and "consultancy".From speaking to other academics around the country, no one has ever heard of anything remotely like this, or anything being handled so badly.This said, I would endevour to say that whatever the outcome, BU will continue to offer very high quality courses with some of the best employment prospects for graduates anywhere - one course recently had 100% employement of students within 3 months of graduating."
Another say's:
"Perhaps the problem is that Mr Curran really wants to be thought of as a hero -- the savior of Bournemouth University, but in order to be seen as such, he must first convince everyone that there is something wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with joining the management and saying "you're doing a great job, and lets try to do even better". Perfection does not exist on this side of eternity, all things can be improved, but please Mr Curran, "if it ain't broke, don't *fix* it".
Monday, 15 October 2007
Solidarity from Leeds UCU
A General Meeting of University of Leeds UCU voted nem con today to condemn the threat of compulsory redundancies at Bournemouth University and to send a message of solidarity and support to UCU members at Bournemouth.Ann BlairPresident - University of Leeds UCU
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
BBC reports on our protest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7036214.stm
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Solidarity between UCU members and Students
Outside Poole House on Talbot Campus. 100 students and staff gather together united to shout "No Cuts - No Sackings" and "Save Our Lecturers".
Pete Samways, UCU Southern Region Chair, passed on solidarity greetings from UCU members at other Universities including Southampton Solent, Winchester University, Portsmouth University, Reading and a host of further education colleagues. "Solidarity works! You are not alone" Pete said.
A message of support from Sally Hunt, UCU General Secretary was read out and warmly received and Dr Kevin Maloney (Chair of UCU Bournemouth Branch) congratulated everyone for turning up on despite the grey skies.
Well done to everyone for a sucessful demonstration of unity. The event ended with 50 black balloons floating up over the campus.
Special thanks to our wonderful students - staff were really moved and grateful for your support.
Message from Sally Hunt
Members of Bournemouth UCU, students and other friends. I together with the Higher Education Committee of the union wish to send you my support you struggle against the university’s threats of redundancy.
It is important to demonstrate your anger and opposition to the university’s proposals.Members can be confident that they have the support of all UCU members in this campaign.
Actions like those of the Bournemouth University must be resisted to safeguard not just the jobs of our members but also the continuation of higher education of genuinely high quality that students deserve and which those staff have helped create.We wish you well in your demonstration today (9 October).
Yours in Solidarity
Sally HuntGeneral Secretary
UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for tutors, lecturers, trainers, researchers and academic-related staff working in adult, further and higher education throughout the UK
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Protest to survive!
We are calling on all staff & students to join a protest vigil
3-4pm Tuesday 9th October 2007
Outside Poole House on the Talbot Campus
Placards will be waved, badges worn and a balloon release will take place (release at 4pm). Please make every effort to come and support!
110 members of staff attended their UCU Branch meeting yesterday (Wednesday 3rd October), with many more messages of appologies from members who were teaching. UCU members voted their unanimous agreement to two motions:
1. This branch condemns the compulsory redundancy of 50 academic staff without reservation and demands their withdrawal immediately.
2. This branch empowers its committee to call a vote of no confidence in the UEG’s actions when the time is appropriate; and to ballot on taking industrial action and/or action short of a strike in protest at the redundancies.
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Together we can make a difference!
Q. How do we give people encouragement in difficult times?
A. We bring people together and we speak in unity of our concerns, anger, frustration and fears. As individual members of staff we are isolated and weak. As a group or staff speaking in one voice, as trade unionists, we can make ourselves heard.One person standing on their own is easily overcome or rail roaded but lots of people standing with dignity frightens those who wish to use their authourity in a misguided way.We ask people to stick together because if we stick together we can support each other and lighten the load in even the most darkest of times. That is why all members of staff need to be part of the union.
Solidarity from Bath University UCU
Good luck with the campaign.
Surely with all the money coming in from overseas students, universities must be rolling in cash and not need to reduce the number of staff.
Best wishes
Yvonne Aburrow
University of Bath UCU branch secretary.
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Come to the UCU meeting!
Build the pressure!
At the Branch meeting tomorrow (Wednesday 3rd October), members will be asked to vote on two motions:
1. This branch condemns the compulsory redundancy of 50 academic staff without reservation and demands their withdrawal immediately.
2. This branch empowers its committee to call a vote of no confidence in the UEG’s actions when the time is appropriate; and to ballot on taking industrial action and/or action short of a strike in protest at the redundancies.
Plans will also be discussed for a demonstration to be held on campus calling on all staff and students to stand united in defence of their lecturers and the effect that the proposed sackings would have on the student learning experience. Watch this space!
Monday, 1 October 2007
Thought from Facebook
"I was a student victim of a similar "strategy" at Birmingham University. My department was decimated between the penultimate and final years of my degree and so was the degree course I completed. The students following onto the course were left with teachers who were unwilling and unequipped to teach them and a feeling that they were really just an unwelcome interruption of staff's research. It's terrible that Bournemouth is about to make the same mistakes in triplicate."
Talking to Students
UCU strongly advises the UEG management not to consider or attempt to use disciplinary measures to try and 'silence' legitimate concerns, protests or information about the effect of implementing the proposed sacking of 50 members of academic staff.
If there is even a hint, incident or comment made that this might happen, be in no doubt - UCU will respond in the strongest manner possible. We therefore request and urge all managers, including the Vice Chancellor, to be very careful in discussing this matter with staff.
Our UCU position is quite clear - our members do not lobby or incite students aginst the University management. We do however provide information about a situation which may affect the learning of students.
We are advise our UCU members to use the following statement. This one for example fits the Media School.
‘The university wants 8 redundancies amongst lecturers and senior lecturers who teach in this academic area and on programmes such as the one you are on. I am an academic who is in this at risk category and I may be made redundant before the unit ends. I say this because my departure could disrupt your learning and the university says that it wants to reduce that disruption to your progress. For more information talk to the Head of School or the Deputy Dean for Education’.
What is the real financial situation?
These are questions that we have put to the UEG and we need answers!
1. Exactly when did you know that the Strategic Plan was going to be adrift by some £2.2m? Surely you would have had an idea as to projected revenues and costs over the last financial year. It does seem to have been somewhat knee-jerk reaction.
2. It would be good to clarify where the additional costs have come from. Yes, we understand that pay costs have increased but what is the additional amount spent on salaries to recruit all these new senior posts? Plus how much extra has been spent expanding and enhancing the VC staff and office? We have seen a lot of visible "profile raising" expenditure such as advertising at Bournemouth Station and the Airport and new signage. How much has this cost? Please can you be transparent as to all these expenditures .
3. Turning to the accounts, you say that we are one of the "lowest valued Estates in the sector". But we understand that we are fortunate to own a great number of our buildings (the exception being Cranbourne House secured on a less than favourable lease which costs the University more as time goes on). We compare very well with other new universities with the amount of buildings we own outright.Why are you going to borrow £30m at current interest rates when there are far more creative and advantageous routes of raising finance such as Securitisation and Sale and Lease Back arrangements? The latter for example would generate a healthy injection of capital which can be used to invest in our research and teaching programmes with no interest payments and the rent levels paid could be agreed and controlled so as to meet the University's 10 year plan. The Estate is taking the lion's share of the capital - shouldn't we be investing in our teaching, learning and research programmes rather than buildings? The University is not a property company but a learning and research centre. What is the focus - building our property portfolio or focussing on education and research? Why not follow the pattern of many companies and institutions and lease premises to generate capital to invest in its our own area of expertise?So why do we seek to buy buildings rather than lease them - the latter employing far less capital cost? What does Rupert Sebag Montefiore advise? We seem to be embarking on a very conservative Estates' funding strategy which is capital intensive and will be costly in terms of interest payments and at odds with your more audacious plans.We note there are no mortgage and loan capital repayments in the financing - so how exactly will you finance the mortgage? Is the "revolving credit facility over an unspecific 3-5 years" followed by the fixed repayment loan over a further 25 or is it 30 years? Or is it effectively a Hire Purchase agreement similar to Cranbourne House with an increasing ratio of payments? Can you be more transparent on the interest amounts in the expenditure statement? What exactly is this funding?
4. We note that whilst there is much strategy and support to double the research income per member of staff, how exactly and with what precise initiatives do you intend to employ to generate enterprise income to increase by fourfold per staff member? Is there more detailed support behind this? We note that the Corporate plan requires significant more development to support this fourfold increase in enterprise income and we suggest that the Staff CV/profile is enhanced to capture staff skills beyond just research activities. Recognising staff's consulting abilities, their teaching and learning prowess and their professional expertise would be a useful positive step.
5. We hear that you are intending to move away from professionally-led MA courses and for them to be research focussed. Why are you jeopardising an important income stream as we have still yet to build our research reputation? We note that there has been non-existent marketing support for MA courses since Marketing was centralised. This has certainly exacerbated generating valuable income for certain schools particularly the Media School, shouldering some third of the expected job losses.Are you trying to move too fast with your plans potentially damaging valuable future revenues in your desire for your vision?
Isn't it better to adopt a more prudent course of action where the professionally-led reputation can be enhanced by your desire to improve our research standing?
Monday, 1 October 2007
The University failed to consult
Dear Prof Curran
We can all agree that the Strategic Plan is the result of decisions which are likely to produce substantial changes in work organisation within the University, i.e. decisions which have resulted in a substantial number of proposed redundancies.
What you did in fact do was to communicate the staffing implications of the Strategic Plan to some of the UCU reps AFTER the decisions had been made and AFTER the Strategic Plan had been produced. There is a fundamental difference between communication and consultation:
"Communication is concerned with the interchange of information and ideas. Consultation goes beyond this and involves managers actively seeking and then taking account of the views of employees before making a decision."
Management's failure to consult BEFORE these decisions were taken means that the decision making process has failed to benefit from input from trade union employee representatives and of course many of our members are affected by these decisions (i.e. they are facing dismissal as compulsorily redundant as a result of these decisions).
Had you consulted UCU BEFORE making these decisions, we would have pointed out (as I did in yesterdays' meeting with you), that since it is a demonstrable fact that the University's principal source of income is (and will continue to be for the foreseeable future) from the provision of taught programmes, the proposal to dismiss 50 staff who are central to the delivery of these programmes is irrational and likely to damage the University and threaten the employment security of those who remain at the University.
We would also have pointed out, inter alia, that the 'clients' who constitute the overwhelming majority of the University's business (i.e students) are becoming increasingly sensitive to the issue of staff-student contact time and are now asking how much contact time they will receive when they consider which universities to study at. Do not be surprised if this variable starts to appear in the league tables which you say are so important. Clearly the University has an ongoing business need for academics who can provide high quality teaching.
Many of our members are also deeply concerned by what they see as a threat to the quality and academic standards of the University's degrees as a result of your 'changes' and they say that they are not reassured by glib Management claims to the contrary. They fear what they see as the inevitable dumbing-down of degree programmes as assessments are reduced and time-saving takes priority over quality and standards. They say they see a danger that this University will develop a reputation for shoddy and inadequately delivered courses that will do immense damage to student recruitment (the University's core business) and graduate employment.
At yesterdays' town hall meeting Talbot Campus you witnessed for yourself the widespread opposition to your proposal among the 250 staff there and I gather that there was also considerable opposition at the Landsdowne meeting. Even those staff who are not at immediate risk of dismissal are opposed to your proposal because they recognise the damage that it will do to the University and to their long term job security.
We urge you to reconsider your proposal and I repeat my offer to work with Management on a partnership basis to find reasonable and realistic alternatives to compulsory redundancies which help our University to develop in a positive way.
Dr David Heathcote, UCU Vice Chair & H&S Rep.
Friday, 28 September 2007
Bournemouth Echo
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/display.var.1720544.0.staff_betrayed_over_uni_slashing_50_jobs.phpStaff ‘betrayed’ over uni slashing 50 jobs
STAFF feel "angry and betrayed" at the news that Bournemouth University is to cut 50 academic jobs.The lecturers' union has called for a slowdown in the modernisation plans - thought many students seem unaware of the controversy.
The university wants to move from specialising in teaching and vocational work to research.advertisementIt is cutting the jobs so it has money to recruit 30 professors and senior lecturers.
Dr Kevin Moloney, head of the University and College Union, said: "People feel angry and betrayed. They are going about this in the wrong way. Most staff are generally supportive of the change - but not at the expense of students."The teaching will suffer at the expense of students who pay more than £3,000 to come here. We need a moderate, gradual approach. It's just too fast. It's brutal."
New students questioned by the Daily Echo did not know about the plans - but all valued the university's reputation for vocational teaching.
"University is already not vocational enough for the media and business industry"
Andrew MaxwellDora Baracskai, 22, from Hungary, said she had specifically chosen the university for its vocational strength so she could study an HND in food and hospitality.
Andrew Maxwell, 22, a recent journalism graduate and now editor of Kudos magazine, said: "Bournemouth is very well respected and gives you a lot of experience. I don't think it's the direction they want to be going."
The university said no staff would be expected to reapply for their jobs, although some staff may wish to apply for one of the new posts."We anticipate this is a one-off exercise, not to be repeated." said a spokesman.
Visitors to the website have been commenting on the story.
Peter from Parkstone said: "What the vice-chancellor doesn't think about as he wields his axe is that the 80 redundancies are actually 80 individuals who have families and mortgages and who now face a bleak winter without a job."
BBM of Bournemouth added: "Has the university management given thought to the question of who teaches units formerly taught by lecturers who will be sacked?"
"Even if they expect the remaining lecturers to share the workload, that'll surely cut into the research-time, thus defeating the original argument we want to do more research'."
Press Release 28th September 2007
Bournemouth Academics continue protest
Over 370 members of staff today attended mass meetings with the University of Bournemouth Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Curran, at which he presented the University strategic plan. The overwhelming tone of the meetings was hostile to his plans to make 50 teaching and research staff redundant, and replace them with 30 others.Chair of Bournemouth UCU branch
Dr Kevin Moloney said:"Many, many staff back the overall aims of the plan but don’t believe that it is being implemented in the best way for students or themselves – or for the university’s longer term reputation. Who is going to teach the thousands of students arriving from next week?"
The branch has established a Facebook and blog presence and is receiving many messages of support from students, other University branches, and academics around the country. There are plans for further wide ranging actions to bring the plight of those threatened with the sack to public notice.
NOTES
1. UCU represents 290 academic and academicrelated staff at Bournemouth University.
Today's meetings with the Vice Chancellor
9.00am VC meets staff at the Roundhouse, Bournemouth
About 120 people turned up and the reception that the Vice Chancellor received was one of hostility (unsuprisingly) and anger at the way the process was being handled.
UCU activists were told by one manager that the Union was 'acting childishly' by producing protest posters, and Vice Chancellor also 'advised' UCU activists to be 'cautious' when talking to students about the situation!
UCU has also formally asked for the 'consultation' period to be extended from 19th October. How the University expects lay UCU volunteers (who have a teaching load) to conduct four proper responses to the four different sets of criteria in 15 working days is just not workable.
11.00am Talbot Campus
250 staff attended this meeting and the majority comments were highly hostile to how the corporate plan is being implemented.
Staff noted the complete lack of staff involvement in it at school level, and the wrongness of 50 redundancies from people who could convert to quality researchers.
The Vice Chancellor left the meeting in no doubt that staff were furious at his handling of the process. The vast majority at this meeting clearly had 'no confidence' in the UEG management.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Plaster the University with posters!
UCU Colleagues have been busy putting together posters featuring the now infamous 'axeman' in front of the Bournmouth University logo - watch out for the full set which includes:
"The Axeman cometh"
"Email the Axeman pcurran@bournemouth.ac.uk"
"STOP HIM! Join UCU online"
"Stop the waste - Stop the Cuts"
"Higher fees - 50 job cuts! Stop Paul Curran wrecking your university"
"The mouse that roars - join UCU on-line".
Support from Southampton
To UCU Bournemouth
Sending support from up the road in Southampton University. We share your shock and concern about the scale of these redundancies.
We have a local executive meeting next week so please get in touch if there is anything else we can do to support you.Catherine Pope
on behalf of Southampton UCU
Vice Chancellor to meet staff
News just in: Paul Curran is to hold 2 open meetings for all staff on Friday 28th September at 9am at the Roundhouse and 11am at Talbot Campus.We urge all staff to attend.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Students set up face book - use it!
There is now a student face book that has been set up - use this site as well!
http://bournemouth.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6876760828&ref=share
New campaigning blogspot launched
Vice Chancellor Paul Curran states "It saddens me to tell you that we now need to implement a compulsory redundancy programme".
The fightback starts today!
UCU has today launched a internet blogspot to report on the day to day campaign by UCU members to resist the sacking of 50 academic staff at Bournemouth University.
Please bookmark this site, circulate and advertise it to all colleagues and friends. We will be posting up information, news and views all the time so come back and visit us soon.
Email from Paul Curran to All Staff:
Dear Colleague,
Just over a year ago our Board approved our Corporate Plan. It defines the BU we want to be by 2012 and describes how we will survive, compete and thrive in an increasingly competitive world.
At its heart are two simple ideas.
First, that we recruit students regardless of background and provide them with an excellent higher education that prepares them to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Second, that this higher education is provided by academic staff who are fully engaged with their disciplines and so bring their enthusiasm and contemporary knowledge to the student experience.
During the last academic year (2006/07) we implemented several changes (for example, we recruited academic staff, commenced the Releasing Potential programme, revised our academic career structure, rolled out our Virtual Learning Environment, strengthened our marketing and launched the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education) as we developed our Strategic Plan to 2012.
I am delighted to be able to inform you that last Friday, 21st September, our Strategic Plan was approved unanimously by our Board. Its 54 pages will be available on the staff portal for you to read from later today. The Strategic Plan has been built upon Schools’ and Professional Services’ Plans and includes investments that we simply must make at University level (for example, in the Estate, in the Library and in our Information and Communications Technology) and at School level (for example, in the student experience) if we are to realise the vision embodied in our Corporate Plan.
The Board approval involved endorsement of an ambitious £50M student-focused capital investment programme but recognised that our costs have been and are currently rising faster than our income.
Perhaps not surprisingly, therefore, our Board also supported a point made in a recent VC Message where I noted that as well as investing we need to ‘disinvest in areas that are not strategically aligned, realise efficiency savings by changing the way we do things, control our expenditure ever more tightly and of course, earn more income’.
Consequently, I would like to focus on two components of the Strategic Plan. The first is a reduction and change in our academic posts and the second is year-on-year efficiency savings in our professional and support activities.
To keep on an even keel financially we need to reduce ongoing academic salary costs by at least £2.2M a year. This requires the loss of around 50 academic posts (of which approximately 30 have already been achieved through the Voluntary Severance Scheme offered this summer).
The change in academic staffing is designed to redress further the balance between ‘teachers’ and externally–facing ‘academics’ by removing approximately 30 more academic posts and recruiting to up to 30 new academic posts.
Those appointed to the new posts will demonstrate the academic profile and record of achievement necessary to deliver the challenging goals we have set ourselves in education, research and enterprise. It saddens me to tell you, therefore, that we now need to implement a compulsory redundancy programme.
Following intensive discussions, I have agreed that proposals to declare approximately 50 academic posts redundant will be issued by close on Wednesday 26th September by the Deans of BS, DEC, HSC and MS and this will form a basis for consultation with the academic staff who are likely to be affected, UCU and Unison.
The consultation is scheduled to take place over the next four weeks and will cover designation of the academic staff pools, criteria for selection and the selection process (including the proposed timescale).
During the consultation process Deans will seek volunteers for redundancy from within the affected pools, in line with the University’s Code of Practice – Redundancy. At the end of the consultation period Deans will submit final proposals to UEG for consideration and decision.
My UEG colleagues and I will meet with UCU and Unison representatives later this afternoon to brief them on the Strategic Plan and its implications for staff. We will also be discussing how information and guidance will be provided to affected staff through meetings, an online ‘Questions and Answers’ facility from Human Resources, professional outplacement assistance and of course, future VC Messages.As I indicated in an earlier VC Message, I have avoided considering compulsory redundancy until it remained the last barrier to our achieving the vision to which we aspire.
Naturally, I wanted to communicate with you at the first opportunity even before all of the details are finalised. I remain acutely aware of how unsettling this period of change is, particularly for academic staff in the four designated Schools.
UEG members are working very closely with Deans to ensure that the student experience remains positive and to minimise the impact that academic staff reductions and changes might have in their Schools.
We remain committed to rolling out a range of Releasing Potential and other initiatives that will enable us to move to the unit as a measure of educational workload, rationalise our vast array of units and programmes and minimise our well-known inefficiencies with the effect of both reducing the total ‘teaching load’ and enhancing the student experience.
The second crucial component of the Strategic Plan involves efficiency savings in our non-academic activities. We are committed to an annual efficiency saving of at least 2% in administrative staff costs and through the autumn we will be conducting a thorough review of our administrative processes in order to achieve this. Because we currently have several unfilled professional and support staff vacancies and a higher staff turnover in these posts, we are hopeful that in most cases the savings can be achieved through natural wastage and redeployment.You undoubtedly have questions about the path we will now be taking to that high-quality BU foreseen in our vision.
I have therefore arranged to hold two Town Hall meetings on Friday 28th September – at the Lansdowne from 9.00 to 10.00 in the Beaulieu Suite of the Roundhouse Hotel and at the Talbot Campus from 11.00 to 12.00 in the Barnes lecture theatre.
Additionally, over the coming weeks, members of UEG will join Deans and Heads to discuss the implementation of our Strategic Plan in meetings with staff in Schools and Professional Services. The current position for BU is favourable. Our applications per place are increasing for the first time this decade, students are flocking to our Open Days, our overall position in the league tables is strengthening, more staff than ever before are engaging creatively with their disciplines and we are clearly an institution on an upward trajectory.
I personally regret the staffing reductions and changes but they are essential if we are to achieve our vision for Bournemouth University.
Best wishes Paul
