Quick Reminders

• Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 4 September 2025 at 13:00, online. If you have a motion to present, please submit that by 21 August.
• We maintain our Member Guidance for ASOS and how to protect yourself during the restructuring; if there’s anything you’d like adding to it, please let us know.
• If you need to report a general issue regarding the restructuring or issues in the uni, please use our General Reporting Form. If you would like assistance with an individual case, please submit a Casework Pro Forma.
• Our wellbeing survey is still live. Get everyone you know to fill it out!

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Here’s the latest on the restructuring process, VR fallout, and managerial black holes. This update covers developments since the 31 July Sit-Rep.

Management Vacancies Causing Operational Disruption

Despite being repeatedly assured that interim managers would be in place ahead of structural changes, we remain in the dark. A week into the new structure, we still have no officially announced Associate Heads of School, and more than 50% of other leadership roles are vacant.

Members are already reporting problems in carrying out daily activities of university business. If you’ve experienced issues, please report them via the General Reporting Form. We’re collecting evidence for our next report to the Board.

Leadership Appointments Update

Some new appointments have been announced:

• PVC Dean Faculty of Media, Science and Technology: Professor Christos Gatzidis
• Dean of Education and Student Experience: Dr Shelley Thompson
• Dean of Research, Innovation and Enterprise: Professor Einar Thorsen

However, several key roles remain vacant (with no published interims), including:

• PVC Deans for Business and Law and Health, Environment and Medical Sciences
• Dean of Global and Strategic Partnerships
• 6 of 11 Heads of School
• Multiple Associate Dean positions across all faculties, and all Associate Head of School positions

Status of Voluntary Redundancy, 29 July

We have received documentation regarding the number of VR and VS takers, as of 29 July 2025. We will include that in an email to all BU UCU members. In summary:

The university has approved 163 VR/VS exits, estimated to save £10.6m annually in pay costs. This includes both academic and PSS roles, across all faculties and services.

However, the demographic data raises serious concerns:

• 66% of VR acceptances are women, resulting in a 1% drop in the overall proportion of women at BU, and a 5% decrease at the professoriate level.
• 14% of VR acceptances are from disabled staff, compared to 9% of the general staff population.
• 89% of those leaving are over 40, with significant overrepresentation among staff aged 50+.
• 8% of VR acceptances are from minority ethnic backgrounds, compared to 13% of the wider staff population.

The cumulative effect of these trends amounts to a structural equality impact, and one we will be taking up.

Workload Planning and WAMS Failure

WAMS was due to be restored for planning discussions by 4 August. It remains offline.

This delay has produced two scenarios: either nothing is being done, or managers (and in some cases, programme leaders) are unilaterally assigning workloads without any consultation. Both are unacceptable.

Good news: BU UCU has developed a standalone spreadsheet WLP tool that you can use to document and assert your own workload in conversations with managers. We’re beta testing now and will release widely next week.

Interim Managers Downgraded

We’ve received multiple reports of interims stepping down from leadership roles and being downgraded on return to their substantive posts. This contravenes past practice, contract expectations, and the verbal agreements made when stepping up.

If you’ve experienced this, or if your previous leadership grade was maintained, please contact us. Documenting this is essential for collective protection.

Health and Wellbeing Crisis

We’ve made some headway with the Health & Wellbeing Team, who are now pushing for anonymous feedback channels and more transparent communication.

In the meantime, please continue to fill in the wellbeing survey, take your sick leave (record it as “work-related stress” if appropriate), use your annual leave, and make full use of the Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services, as they are entirely independent of the university.

Industrial Action

Our next strike dates are:
22 September – 3 October (Welcome Week + Week 1).

More information will be shared shortly about planned activities and what to expect.

Please continue Action Short of a Strike by:

• Working to contract
• Pushing back on unmanageable deadlines and work volumes
• Refusing and/or stepping down from voluntary responsibilities

Refugee Solidarity: Counter-Protest

BU UCU stands firmly against the far right and in support of refugees. Join peaceful counter-protests:

• Friday 8 August – 5:30pm at Britannia Hotel, Meyrick Road
• Saturday 9 August – 12:00pm at Roundhouse Hotel, Lansdowne

These actions oppose far-right scapegoating and stand in solidarity with asylum seekers.

VR Payment Processing Issues

We queried the high PAYE deductions and inconsistent holiday pay processing in VR leavers’ final payslips. HR has stated they are updating their FAQs and will be issuing new communications to both current and former leavers.

If you’re in either group and haven’t received this, let us know.

Still No Response From Senior Management On:

1. Policy and Governance Failures (Code of Practice for Redundancy) – raised 31 July
2. Dignity and Respect Violations – as outlined in our recent open letter
3. Resolving the Ongoing Trade Dispute

We are still waiting. And we are keeping receipts.

Remember, make good trouble, and illegitimi non carborundum.

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BU UCU Exec Team