Tag: higher-education
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Sussex UCU response to the UUK consultation on the USS valuation
The following was prepared with input from across campus, and submitted as a paper for Council meeting 257, 7 May 2021. The Council meeting was a single issue meeting to prepare the University of Sussex institutional response to the UUK consultation on the USS 2020 valuation. Council papers should be available on the Council page…
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Size and Shape survey
The University has grown fond of surveying staff and faculty. Unfortunately, they are not as fond of sharing the results. Typically, we only get to see fragments of the data and summaries of the results. The University does not feel compelled to meet the standards of reporting survey results that are common in academic journals,…
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Initial views on the USS 2020 valuation and the UUK consultation
Sussex and IDS UCU Pensions Working Group is seeking input on initial views outlined here. Following your input we will prepare a more detailed response to share with Sussex and IDS institutions before the deadline of 24 May for the Employer’s response to the UUK consultation. Please check your inbox for emails with the subject…
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A critique of the Size and Shape project
The University of Sussex has justified the timing and scope of the Size and Shape project under the heading ‘Why Size and Shape is important, Read about what we need to do and, therefore, why this work matters.’ In response to this document, we contend that the Size and Shape project is poorly thought out,…
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Open letter to UUK concerning lack of transparency at Sussex over USS
Updated on 9 February Read the reply from Alistair Jarvis, CEO of UUK to Sussex UCU Exec and Reps. In particular we draw attention to: We [UUK] will do all we can to ensure it is clear when he [the Sussex VC] is representing the collective position of employers [as opposed to the University of…
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A run through the Sussex financial statements 2020
The Sussex University Financial Statements 2019-2020 are now available. This blog post points to some highlights. Financial statements [1] are made up of the narrative on strategy and governance, the auditor’s report, and then the actual statements of: (i) Income and expenditure including executive remuneration, p29 (ii) Balance sheet, p30 (iii) Cash flow and changes…
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Why are UEG and Council refusing to share the Sussex response to the UUK USS 2020 consultation?
Unlike other university leaders, the Chair of Council and UEG continue to refuse to share Sussex’s response to the recent UUK consultation on the USS 2020 valuation. This valuation is critical in determining the future of the scheme, since it proposes increases to contribution rates from the current level of 30.7% to between 40.8% and…
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15 reasons why face-to-face teaching should not be compulsory in a pandemic
The position of Sussex UCU, as confirmed by vote in our EGM of 28 September, is that face-to-face (in-person) teaching, like all on-campus work during the pandemic, should be voluntary, and not compulsory, and should not carry the threat of disciplinary actions and dismissal. Sussex UCU supports the UCU national position that universities should take…
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Why Inviting Police onto Campus is Not Reassuring
On Thursday 5 November University of Sussex Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell wrote to all staff announcing a heightened police presence on campus. Having explained that last Saturday saw “a very heavy Police presence on campus” because of “incidents involving Sussex students’”, the Vice Chancellor confirmed that the police have now been invited to patrol campus.…
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Sussex UCU branch view on the proposed USS 2020 valuation
Prepared for the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the University of Sussex by the Sussex UCU Pensions working group, in response to the USS 2020 valuation discussion document published September 2020. All Sussex UCU members and wider groups of staff were consulted throughout the preparation of this view. Employers have been asked to respond by…
Sussex UCU, Brighton, UK 