Some really (and qualifiedly) good news from Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social : No redundancies next year, no downgrading of professional services staff. And all without the need for disruptive industrial action, which nobody at all wants. nation.cymru/news/cardiff...

We are deeply concerned for the health of Qesser Zuhrah, who has been on hunger strike for 46 days. We join those calling on the government to act now, and address the serious concerns raised by lawyers acting for the prisoners.

We welcome the return of Erasmus. But how welcoming is the UK for international students? Rising costs, visa restrictions and growing uncertainty are driving international students away. Time to make the UK a genuinely welcoming place to study again. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4...

Oh hey it finally made the media, only a week after the letter was actually sent. FWIW despite being legally obliged to share with all staff, he so far hasn't. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/birming...

Our final newsletter of 2025: BDM report, UCU Congress timing survey, news from UCU, UK HE and Australian HE! See you all in 2026!

Edition 6 of our newsletter has dropped! Including BDM report, news from UCU, the UK HE sector and the Australian HE sector feat @markpendleton.bsky.social ! We're taking a break for the holidays but we will be back with our first newsletter of 2026 on 14th January. ucucommons.org/ucu-commons-...

As things wind down for the holidays, @sheffielducu.bsky.social members are facing a threat of 100% pay deductions from January, thanks to our Scrooge-like management. We’ve now set up a fundraiser to bolster our local solidarity fund. If you can spare some change, please do! gofund.me/ac2b3adcb

👇

"Solent University faces strike action after staff forced out of pension scheme"

“15,000 university jobs are up for the chop. This is a national crisis in higher education and it is being allowed to happen.” Jo Grady on BBC politics live today.

Please feel free to share! We want to understand how to better support autistic and or ADHD undergraduate students at UK universities. The entire study team is neurodivergent (as you can imagine we had some excellent meetings!)

And it'll be neurodivergent people next, as I've been saying forever. Leopards, faces.

Part of the issue is that I commute so far, which I grant is partly a personal choice. But it has been influenced by both the troubles in academia coupled to job scarcity, as well as not wanting to risk my own healthcare by switching GPs. Not something many cis people have to consider. 2/2

One of the things that I am most relieved about with this being the first week after lectures is that I don't have to worry about travelling down for a few weeks. There was always an edge - a worry - about using facilities out in public or just general transphobia. This year has magnified it. 1/2

Trans scholars have to stick together 🏳️‍⚧️

Vital piece on how the OfS Sussex fine and the Supreme Court ruling have created an even more hostile environment for trans people in UK universities. As Chris Parkes says: if the expected EHRC guidance is adopted, "people are going to get hurt". 1/2

Pleased to be interviewed for this much needed piece on the rising transphobia in higher education. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/trans-s... (Archive link: archive.is/oYqXS)

#UCU members: some of you might remember there was a Branch Delegate Meeting on 4th Dec (or you might have attended it!). Quick round up from us @ucucommons.org on what was reported by branches is here: ucucommons.org/branch-deleg...

Our BDM report is now available on our website. If you're a newsletter subscriber you'll get it in your inbox on Wednesday morning. #UCU Not a subscriber? Subscribe here: ucucommons.org

It is shocking that a government inquiry was needed to confirm that universities should prioritise … checks notes … teaching and research A similar inquiry is needed in the UK

Congrats to the NTEU for this vindication of their campaigning on governance failures in Australia’s university sector. Lots for us in @ucu.org.uk to learn about convincing people and governments of the damage caused by the long term attacks on the primary teaching and research functions of unis.

A Senate inquiry in Australia has found that corporatised universities have 'betrayed' students and staff. Good stuff. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

This is exceptionally welcome news! Well done to all at the branch for all the incredible hard work in securing something worth voting on.

🤡 these managers. Yeet!

📣Join the States of Precarity team for the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report. 📅 Wednesday 14 January 🎦 Online 👉 Sign up to attend: https://bit.ly/4rvQgP2 Check out the report before the launch: https://bit.ly/44HTUvg

‘No one seems to care’: scholars decry plight of British Library Historian Peter Mandler said it was “a sorry state when a major piece of public infrastructure like this is hit so badly and no one in authority even seems to notice, much less care”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

As a regular reader, I am out on the picket line again today, supporting staff at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social who are JUST asking for decent pay

Our statement on yesterday’s #UKHE ballot result is now on our website. #UCU ucucommons.org/industrial-b...

Our fifth newsletter has landed, including a link to our statement on the recent #UKHE national ballot. Featuring also @markpendleton.bsky.social on conditional indexation, and @vthuppil.bsky.social on international student levies. #UCU ucucommons.org/ucu-commons-...

Don’t make me tap the graph. #Streeting #Overdiagnosed

Russell Group universities at the funding table.

Good. Keep it up @pcsunion.bsky.social!

Brilliant statement. I think it hits just the right note. We are letting our members down at the exact moment they have never needed us more. #UCU #UKHE

I’m not a member of UCU Commons, but I agree wholeheartedly with what is said in this blog. Will try and put some of my own thoughts down on paper over the next few days.

As I argued at the time, HEC should not have called a formal ballot when it did. Our @ucucommons.org statement on this predictable (and predicted) failure is out now. It is well past time for UCU’s elected reps to get serious about confronting the crises in UKHE: ucucommons.org/industrial-b...

Our statement on yesterday’s #UKHE ballot result is now on our website. #UCU ucucommons.org/industrial-b...

Our fifth newsletter has landed, including a link to our statement on the recent #UKHE national ballot. Featuring also @markpendleton.bsky.social on conditional indexation, and @vthuppil.bsky.social on international student levies. #UCU ucucommons.org/ucu-commons-...

Very glad not to be on Substack any more! And having both the website and the newsletter in Ghost will make life so much easier.

So excited about this. We worked hard to get off Substack (fash!) and have everything in one place. Hats off to our excellent techy members. If you were already subscribed to our Substack, you will be automatically ported over to Ghost, so nothing should change. But let us know if any issues.

If you were subscribed to our Substack, your subscription should have been neatly ported over (but do ping us if there any issues). If you're not subscribed to our newsletter yet, why not do so now? Just hit the Subscribe button on our home page. ucucommons.org

Exciting news! We have transitioned off Substack and Wordpress and onto Ghost for both our website and newsletter. We're delighted to be on an open platform for our newsletter, which comes out every other Wednesday. You can check out our shiny new site via the same URL: ucucommons.org

We have a shiny new handle! 😍

We have a shiny new handle! 😍

Into week 2 of our strike action @sheffielducu.bsky.social as we fight for no compulsory redundancies and a pause to the programme of unjustified reviews and restructure. Donations from branches/orgs/individuals very welcome as we financially support members to stay out: tinyurl.com/yxrz3p5d

This is @ucucommons.bsky.social

Who did you spend yesterday evening with, Rob?

This newsletter is really helpful for keeping up on all things UCU. 🎉🎉🎉 (Not sure why I find it more digestible than the Friday emails from UCU, but I do 🤷🏼‍♀️ go figure!)

Day 3 Sheffield Uni UCU strike against threat of extensive redundancies. 400 academic staff gone. Nearly 100 more now confirmed. They want another £10m staff saving this year, despite being in a strong position financially. #SheffieldUCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...

Our latest fortnightly newsletter is out! We're so proud of these. Please give us a read, a share and a subscribe!

New on our Substack: newsletter #4, which includes a link to our report of #UCU NEC on 7 November. Also feat. @matthewbarnard.phd @drgillhistory.bsky.social @hagenilda.bsky.social @matildaf.bsky.social @bparsia.bsky.social @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social ucucommons.substack.com/p/ucu-common...