Author Archives: Alan Smith

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

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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

Face to face activity on campus

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UCU’s position, both nationally and locally, is that all teaching in the coming term should be online (except for very limited cases where this is not feasible), and that all other university work that can be done online should continue online. Keeping the numbers on campus to an absolute minimum is the best way to avoid spreading the virus around the university community and beyond. Our General Meeting on 15th September overwhelmingly agreed on this, see link below to the wording of the motions passed on this issue. We know many of you are worried and stressed about being required to return to campus, and we are hearing many concerns from departmental reps and individual members where school plans for wholly online teaching are being altered, at the behest of senior management, to include some face to face teaching and other events. Since some students will be unable to attend campus to attend these newly-proposed face to face activities, they are by definition non-essential.  Requiring staff to come onto campus is particularly worrying now, given increases in the COVID-19 infection rate both nationally and locally. And we are concerned that requirements to work on campus will fall disproportionally on casualised staff, … continue reading

Letter to senior management about unnecessary face to face teaching and student services during covid-19 pandemic

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Email sent 2.15pm Friday 18 September 2020 on behalf of UCU University of Leeds Branch to the University of Leeds deputy vice-chancellor for student education, copied to the university secretary and to the director of Human Resources. Dear [deputy vice-chancellor] We are writing to you in relation to the increasing pressure which is being experienced by staff to provide face to face teaching on campus over this academic year. Over the summer, staff involved in teaching and student support have worked incredibly hard to produce teaching materials, and design teaching and student support and community building processes that operate online in order to provide student education in safe circumstances. A number of Schools and Faculties had had plans approved to provide student education wholly online in Semester 1, because of their judgment that teaching and student support can not only be effectively provided online but, in many cases, can be better provided online given social distancing rules that will impact how we work face to face. We now understand that those Schools are being required to provide face to face activity where none was previously planned, requiring changes in planning, staff to teach face to face and in many cases … continue reading

Motions passed at general meeting 15 September

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At a general meeting on 15 September 2020 members voted to support the following motions: Emergency motion 1 – On-line teaching: health & safety and jobs This meeting notes: the call by our GS and iSAGE for all teaching to be held online UCU’s five tests pressures on all staff for face-to-face teaching that iSAGE/WHO believe social distancing, test, track and isolate and PPE are central in controlling pandemics a potential second wave of Covid-19 with high R-rates in Yorkshire/Humberside lives, health, safety and jobs should take priority over the financial ‘bottom line’ The University sits on over £70 million of reserves which must be utilised if necessary to meet demands during this period. This meeting requests: Leeds UCU to campaign for and negotiate agreements on: no face-to-face teaching and student support in at least the first semester of 2020/21 and continued into the second semester (to be reviewed in December 2020) other than where there are no other options, e.g. some practical work all on-line teaching to be accessible provision of IT and safe quiet study spaces for all students and staff as required continuing with high levels of support and training for staff in online teaching, and ensuring … continue reading

General meeting will decide branch response to covid-19 increase

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Emergency motions have been submitted to today’s general meeting in light of the increased covid-19 levels nationally and locally. The motions suggest how we should respond as a branch locally, and how the union should respond nationally. The meeting, which is for all members of the UCU University of Leeds branch, is 1pm – 2pm Tuesday 15 September. Meeting link and updated agenda including the emergency motions is in an email sent to all members by branch administrator Alan Smith today. [Edited 11.44 15 September as more than one motion now received]

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