The following motion was carried at the branch extraordinary general meeting 25 February 2025 so is agreed collective policy (unless a more recent motion has superseded it). The text here is subject to approval of the minutes of that meeting and the approved minutes will be the correct version.

The 2024/25 postgraduate intake has fallen over 40%. Coupled with a decline in applicants’ conversion, this represents an unprecedented, major crisis of student recruitment. The University has lost its dominant position in all major. In the Business School alone, the conversion rate of last recruitment went down from 15% to 9%.

A steep increase in tuition fees have put the University of Leeds in a disadvantaged position. Centralisation of professional services has gradually removed the agency away from academics and currently prevents us from effectively promoting our programmes at a time when the University’s key competitors demonstrate greater flexibility and take swift, decisive measures.

The branch is worried about these developments and their potential impact on the University’s financial sustainability, academic and professional services staff.

This branch resolves to request from management three measures to take immediate action to improve international student intake for the next academic year.

First, we request to introduce conditional offers for international students as many other Russell Group Universities did and benefited from.

Second, we request to significantly extend the University’s scholarship provision to make Leeds more attractive for international students. The branch believes that scholarships are the most effective immediate measure that, if adopted promptly, could materially improve international students’ conversion to this recruitment cycle.

Third, we request to reconsider a heavily centralised approach to student recruitment and ensure active engagement of faculties with ad hoc faculty-based marketing professionals leading and assisting academic programmes leads in the design, management and implementation of recruitment activities.

Initial motion proposed by Vera Trappmann and Alex Seehaus. Moved by Vera Trappmann, seconded by Alex Seehaus. The motion was amended as proposed by Valeria Tolis, moved by Valeria Tolis, seconded by Jenny Rivas Perez. The motion above is as amended. The motion (as amended) was carried.

This page was last updated on 25 February 2025