The three unions representing staff at the university have written to Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching):

Dear Bernie

We will be advising prospective students who visit next Thursday’s Open Day to ask a number of questions at all the universities they are visiting before deciding which to apply to.

We thought you might want to see the kinds of questions we will be suggesting prospective students ask here and elsewhere, so that you have a chance to brief staff on how to respond to these.

• How much of my teaching will be delivered by staff employed on zero hours and temporary contracts ?
• What is the staff-student ratio at the university?
• Does the University pay the Living Wage to all staff it employs, including staff on casual contracts?
• If I take a job working at the University while I am a student will I be paid the Living Wage ?
• Are the guides who show me around the university paid a Living Wage?
• What is the ratio of the Vice Chancellor’s annual salary to the pay of the lowest paid members of staff?
• What will this university do if proposed cuts to Disabled Student Allowance are implemented in 2015 ?
• Does this university want to see tuition fees rise above their current level of £9000 a year?
• Does this university believe that student loans should be sold to a private company?
• What would this university do if its students had the terms and conditions of their loans changed for the worse AFTER they had started the degree programme?

on behalf of UCU, UNISON, Unite

Update:  UCU national have used our letter to produce a national leaflet for use at Open Days across the country