Author Archives: Alan Smith

Covid-19: motions passed at emergency general meeting 1 October

Posted on by

Members of the branch agreed the following motions at the emergency general meeting 1 October 2020. Motion 1 Leeds University UCU instructs the Leeds University UCU branch committee to register a dispute with Leeds University management if they insist on proceeding with coercion of staff into face to face activity, which is widely acknowledged to be unsafe. This branch considers this to be in breach of the university policy on Dignity and Mutual Respect. Motion 2 This union recognises: Good practice on Health and Safety in numerous areas by University management. Continuing difficulties and deficiencies in other areas, which must be resolved urgently in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.  This union notes:  The refusal of managers in LUBS to disclose the findings of test surveys carried out on ventilation systems in School premises – including teaching rooms – to UCU Safety Reps.  The lack of a clear undertaking from senior University managers, in response to requests at the “Working Together” (“Town Hall”) meeting on 29 September, 2020, to ensure that such reports would be shared with UCU Safety Reps across the University.  The duty placed upon employers by HSE Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations (1977) and relevant Code of … continue reading

Email to the vice-chancellor about covid-19 response

Posted on by

The UCU branch committee emailed the University of Leeds vice chancellor on Tuesday 29 September 2020 in response to the message from the university “Arrangements in the new academic year – a message from the Vice-Chancellor” (opens in new tab) received Friday 25 September 2020. Dear Vice-Chancellor, On behalf of Leeds UCU, I’d like to welcome your statement to staff.  We are absolutely in agreement with you that the most important priority is to protect the health and safety of the entire University community. And we are very glad that you are encouraging more use of online teaching during the COVID period. The university approach until now has been that schools must provide some face to face teaching, including those schools who had planned for fully online, and it’s good to see concerns about safety now overriding the hybrid model.  However, we would encourage you to go a step further, and insist that the only activities that should take place on campus are those which are impossible to do any other way (eg some practical sessions).  Tutorials, seminars and other small group teaching, supervisions, careers appointments and so on can be done very effectively online (and indeed have been done online since … continue reading

Committee calls emergency general meeting for all members

Posted on by

In light of the continuing concerns about the health and safety during the pandemic, the committee has called an emergency general meeting Thursday 1st October, 1-2 pm. The meeting will also include a report from our representatives to the UCU special Higher Education sector conference about how universities nationally are responding to the pandemic, including the outcome of the motion we submitted from Leeds. Please put the date in your calendar now! We’ll send details of how to join the meeting by email nearer the time.

continue reading

University improves position on face to face teaching

Posted on by

Message to members on behalf of the branch committee, Friday 25 September 2020 Following our email to the deputy vice chancellor on 18th September, and the dismissive response that we initially received, we note that communication has now come from the vice-chancellor stating that thinking around face to face teaching at University of Leeds is ‘evolving’ and that: “Where it is safe, practicable, and pedagogically advantageous or necessary, teaching should be delivered face-to-face, rather than online. However, in instances where those criteria cannot be met, we would recommend that you move your teaching online.”  Our position is that all teaching should be online unless it is absolutely necessary to do it face to face, and we are pleased to see the university moving towards that position. The health and safety of staff and students ought to be at the heart of planning. There are still some uncertainties about the statement: in particular, the statement that small classes are expected to remain face to face is vague and needs further clarification. And we are increasingly worried about the public health implications of large numbers of people on campus and in residence at the university. We understand that a significant number of students … continue reading

Senior management’s dismissive response to concerns about unnecessary face to face teaching and services

Posted on by

The UCU committee wrote to the deputy vice-chancellor for student education on 18 September expressing the serious concerns of UCU members about the pressure, in some cases last-minute, from the university executive group to plan in more face to face teaching than staff in schools felt was necessary in the circumstances. The letter asked that the requirements on Schools to provide face to face teaching and student support be lifted, and that the University adopt a policy of all teaching and student support being provided online over Semester 1 at least, unless there is no alternative. We understand that a clarification we received from the HR team is intended as a response to our letter. It emphasises that management’s approach has been consistent that teaching will be “Hybrid: Large groups online; small groups & practicals [face to face] where safe and practicable” (23 April). The response notes the university executive group ‘affirmation’ in August that the “offer is hybrid, [the] guarantee is online.” And continues: The implementation of this University-wide approach has been determined within each FacultyThis confirms the University position and that it has been consistent throughout.The communications are on-going and an open house Q&A about delivery planning is … continue reading