Welcome to the UCU BU website. We are the representative voice for academic and support staff at Bournemouth University. On this site you will find information about who we are, what we do, and how to join. You can also find out who is on the executive committee, who your departmental rep is, and how to contact us.
Bournemouth University is a place of learning and a living part of the future of this region. It is home to internationally-recognised experts who have published research in a number of different fields, from media production to medical science to mechanical engineering.
Every year, we train the teachers in your schools, the nurses and midwives in your hospitals, the scientists running your blood tests, the engineers, the lawmakers, the journalists, the analysts, the creative media professionals, the writers, and so many others. We help students develop valuable skills, to think creatively and critically, to stretch their minds and imaginations. We support students who go on to protect your environment, care for your families, and give back to this community in a hundred ways.
We care about our students, our research, and our contributions to the region and the community (and about keeping our jobs!), and we are determined to keep our care visible. We don’t take strike action lightly, but we are determined to defend our jobs, our job security, and our vision for the university as an equitable space where knowledge and experience are valued and supported. Staff experience is student experience.
For more about our June 2025 strike action, see here, and for more about us, check out our social media:
https://www.tiktok.com/@bournemouthucu
https://www.instagram.com/bournemouthucu/
https://bsky.app/profile/bournemouthucu.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/@bournemouthucu

Latest News
Upcoming Staff “Engagement” Survey: Fundamentally Flawed, but Fixable
This week, an external company commissioned by the University Executive Team (UET) held a series of “focus groups” to inform the design of a forthcoming staff “engagement” survey (what we’ve previously understood as staff satisfaction surveys). Trade union representatives were invited to participate in one of these sessions. We are sharing this update to be…
Workload Planning Framework March 2026: Summary
Bournemouth University has now implemented a new Workload Planning Framework for 2026–27. This framework was not agreed with UCU, and it was not negotiated through collective bargaining. We engaged in feedback during the proposal stage, but the final model was authored, published, and implemented by the University Executive Team (UET) without appropriate consultation, negotiation, or agreement…
Branch Meeting Update – 11 March 2026
BU UCU members met on 11 March for our latest full branch meeting. The meeting focused on solidarity with colleagues at Northumbria, defending the Teachers’ Pension Scheme across the sector, and updates on Bournemouth University’s forthcoming Workload Planning Framework. Solidarity with Northumbria UCU Members supported a motion backing colleagues at Northumbria University, who are currently…