We hope everyone is able take some annual leave and have the chance to rest and recharge. We know that, for many colleagues, this has been another exhausting year, and we want to encourage you to protect your leave wherever possible.

As we head towards the start of semester, here’s where things currently stand.

📅 Branch Meeting – Monday 7 September, 12:00 (Teams)

Our first branch meeting of the 2026–27 academic year will take place on Monday 7 September at 12pm on Teams.

We’ll be providing updates on:

• Academic Career Framework negotiations
• Trade Union Recognition Agreement negotiations
• Policy negotiations
• Workload planning and WAMS
• The Learning Model and other university developments

We’ll also be asking for your views on the branch itself. We’d like to hear your thoughts on our strategy for the coming year, meeting frequency, meeting formats, communications, and anything else you’d like to see from your union.

If there’s something you’d like to add to the agenda, or if you’d like us to raise something with the uni and can’t attend the meeting, please submit it through the General Reporting Form.

👀 Watch This Space…

We’re also planning a number of union events around the start of the semester. We’ll share details as soon as they’re confirmed, so keep an eye on your inboxes and our usual communication channels.

Academic Career Framework

Unfortunately, there has been no meaningful progress on Academic Career Framework negotiations.

We provided detailed feedback on the University’s initial draft in early June. Although further negotiation meetings were scheduled, these have since been cancelled while the University “takes more time” to update the documents.

As always, we’ll keep members informed as soon as there is substantive progress.

Promotions and Pay Progression

Many of you will already be aware that there will be no promotions or pay progression exercise during the 2026–27 academic year.

Members may remember that back in 2025 we questioned whether promotions would realistically return before 2028, based on the Vice-Chancellor’s own strategic plan. At the time, we were told this was not the case.

Unfortunately, events have now caught up with that prediction.

Workload Planning: Another Difficult Start

Workload planning and the WAMS process are now beginning… just as many academic colleagues are on annual leave.

We said during consultation that the University’s timetable was extremely ambitious. The intention had been for workload allocation to be substantially complete before the summer break. Instead, many colleagues are now facing another September where workload planning appears likely to continue into the start of teaching.

We understand that WAMS has only recently become usable at School level, and that many functions remain centrally controlled or locked.

One important point we’d like members to be aware of: your Head of School is likely to have far less discretion over your workload than many people assume. Much of the system is centrally configured, limiting what local managers can actually change.

Please don’t cut your annual leave short to accommodate delayed workload planning. The delays are not of your making.

We’re also keen to hear from Heads of School and Line Managers. We’d welcome hearing how the process is working from your perspective, where the obstacles are, and how the branch can best support you.

Congratulations to Tilia

We’re delighted that our Co-Chair Tilia Lenz has been nominated for the casual vacancy on the UCU National Executive Committee.

This reflects the tremendous amount of work Tilia has done both within our branch and nationally. We wish her the very best in the election.

Following his recent conversation with Tilia, UCU Vice-President (Higher Education) Mark Pendleton also shared some updates from the national union.

Members should now have received the national consultative ballot on this year’s pay offer. This is your opportunity to help shape UCU’s response to another below-inflation pay settlement. Whatever your view, please take a few minutes to cast your vote—high participation helps ensure the Higher Education Committee has a clear picture of members’ priorities when deciding next steps.

Mark also highlighted UCU’s developing Higher Education strategy, which focuses on responding to the sector-wide jobs crisis, alongside new work to strengthen the union’s equalities strategy. We expect more opportunities for branches to engage with both over the coming months.

Teachers’ Pension Scheme Savings

There is finally some genuinely positive news for post-92 universities.

The Government has announced a substantial reduction in employer contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, significantly reducing one of the major financial pressures universities have repeatedly cited.

UCU General Secretary Jo Grady has written to Vice-Chancellors across the sector—including Bournemouth University—calling on institutions to use these savings to benefit staff and students.

That means investing in secure employment, protecting terms and conditions, maintaining access to high-quality pensions, and supporting teaching, research and professional services—not simply absorbing the savings into general budgets.

Jo Grady made the Vice-Chancellor aware of this opportunity. The initial response has been lukewarm and non-committal, but we’ll continue pressing for transparency over how these savings are used and for them to be invested back into the people who make the University work.

Finally…

We know many members are still on leave, while others are preparing for another busy semester.

Wherever you are, we hope you’re able to get some genuine rest before the new academic year begins.

As always, if you need support, have concerns you’d like to raise, or simply want to get involved, we’re here.

We look forward to seeing many of you on 7 September. In the meantime, make good trouble, and illegitimi non carborundum.

In Solidarity,

BU UCU Executive Committee