I’m writing to inform you, with great sadness, that Jonathan Dean has passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly at home on May 24th. Jonathan, Associate Professor of Politics, was a UCU department rep and a valued colleague to those who worked alongside him in The School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and knew him through UCU.  

Jonathan was the POLIS UCU Rep for 10 years, almost as long as he’d been employed in Leeds. He famously wrote long emails to the whole school about how joining a union generally, and in our case UCU specifically, was essential to challenge the ‘neoliberal university’ and the erosion of HE. With his characteristic wit and conciliatory manner he would detail in these emails what was at stake, gently but firmly cajoling people to take up collective action in all of our interests, as he was passionate about social justice.

We will leave the comments below open in case you want to add your own memory of or tribute to Jonathan. You can find more tributes here Jonathan Dean – An Appreciation | Centre for Contemporary Political Theory (leeds.ac.uk), the main obituary written by colleagues here Dr Jonathan Dean | Secretariat (leeds.ac.uk) and a website that has been created to share memorial events by his family here Celebrating Jonathan Dean (google.com). Jonathan’s partner has suggested that if anyone wants to make donations to charitable causes in his name, they can do so to Leeds UCU itself. Jonathan was a regular member of our picket line so we suggest donations go to UCU Leeds LA29 (Hardship Fund), Unity Trust Bank, Account Number: 20391511, Sort Code: 60-83-01. He will be very much missed by all of us.

Aisha Walker, UCU Leeds Branch President.