Bath routinely sacks many of its research staff at the end of their ‘fixed term’ and employs many more on zero hours contracts. The strike on 31st October is not only about pay – it is also about improving job security for researchers and other staff. UCU is appealing to research staff to join the strike this Thursday to put pressure on employers to stop treating them as disposable tools’. More …
Senate has rejected calls for a review of the decision to close Bath’s PGCE programme from 2014. This was despite opposition from Academic Assembly, a petition from hundreds of staff and students at Bath, supported by hundreds of others in local schools and Departments of Education across the country. UCU briefed all members of Senate on the arguments against closure, and some members were clearly unhappy with the decision and the way in which it was reached. The decision means that a record of outstanding teacher training that dates back almost to the opening of the University will come to an end just before the University celebrates its 50th birthday.