www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Closing vital programmes is not the answer to resolving the issues faced by Universities- senior management need to work with students and staff to find long term solutions.

Horrific, stupid news from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social — they are closing their music department. Apparently they all found out suddently in a meeting yesterday. It is one of the best music departments in the country — solidarity with my colleagues and their students www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I was once on a validation panel for a partnership degree with a uni in Malaysia. The documentation promised that staff / students in Malaysia would have the same rights & protections as in the UK. I asked how this was possible in a country where same sex relationships were illegal. Tumbleweed.

This sounds LOVELY!

Paging @teamlabouruk.bsky.social

ASOS which is "work in the same way you’ve done for years" is not irresponsible. It's protecting our members until a fair & equitable hybrid policy is agreed. UCU SMT then deducting 100% of daily pay from staff taking ASOS & undermining its own policy? Now that’s irresponsible.

Eff off, Nigel.

Monday morning ballot posting for @ucu.org.uk ballot. If you’re an eligible UCU member please post your ballot. Union democracy can’t function without members indicting what they want.

As @cathamclarke.bsky.social said to me the other week; it’s clear there’s a NEED for history - just look around you. But there’s a disconnect between that and the realisation that there’s a need to train historians.

Really really basic public health.

I would genuinely ask how are they going to know? I had HEIF funding about ten years ago for public engagement activity that fed into a project that has since made money for my own company and informed commercial work by several other people. 1/2

I work in a drama school. We do loads of really great knowledge exchange which makes a massive difference. Almost none of it contributes to ‘economic growth‘ in narrow Research England terms. We can’t even meet the HEIF threshold now. What do we do with this? UURRRGGGHHH

We tried to place this story - very expensive polling, the first of its kind, strong quantitative data about what trans people feel about Britain: bluntly there is no better way to tell the story - with the BBC but it said it was "too weak". But it will pick up any old piece of transhating garbage.

That's also a magnificent (I think) cape perfect for ballot posting. Sometimes, heroes do wear capes. #SaveHE #StopTheCuts #WeAreTheUniversity

How can museums stand in solidarity with their local transgender communities? “I think the biggest thing is opening their doors to us,” said trans activist Arlo West. “When museums stand up and say, ‘We support trans people,’ it sends a powerful message.” www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

It's little things like this that keep you going at work, sometimes*. *now, always and forever

📣 UWS HAS RULED OUT COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES After 8 days of strike action from EIS, and a further 12 days planned from Monday which UCU were due to join, management has today announced that CR has been taken off the table 🎉

This year one of the great joys of my work has been contributing to the advisory board for a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. And last week the exhibition officially opened!

#Hextag #MedievalSky #EarlyModernists

It cannot be made clearer. If you continue to support the Harry Potter franchise in any way, you are directly funding the removal of trans people's human rights in the UK.

Excellent letter from the Bishop of Birmingham to Robert Jenrick. At a time when so many other voices have been silent, the bishops have been admirably outspoken against attempts to stir up division. The churches do a lot of community cohesion work & do not want to see this trashed for party gain.

(Late) lunchtime public service. I don't go to the ponds very often but the Kenwood Ladies Pond is a wonderful, inclusive and joyful space which currently welcomes all women. It should remain that way.

Sex Matters are trying to force the ponds to operate on a trans-exclusive basis, despite users of the ponds having voted against such an approach.

Solidarity with former colleagues and pals at @sheffielducu.bsky.social They're an exceptional branch and if anyone can make a difference to what's happening at Sheffield, they can.

This sounds great.

UNISON members who support LGBTIQ+ people may want to actively oppose their union on this one.

Sheffield's Archaeology Dept really was world-leading and they were promised that this could continue after it was closed and dispersed. Now, their important Zooarch Lab collection is being trashed. It's an appalling indictment of University Management who don't care about research.

Strike starts TODAY!!! Branch members will be picketing from 8 to 11 today, tomorrow, and Wednesday at UP's west, south, and north entrance and Jubilee's main entrance on Derby road. Come show your support! #StopTheCuts #SaveHE

Hey Siri, explain what a University is, for Peter here, because he doesn't seem to have a clue.

We're drowning in wake-up calls, with not even an inflatable ring's worth of action for anyone (looking at you @teamlabouruk.bsky.social)

"If you want to understand what England will look like with a Reform government, just come to our town. Racists and thugs are acting with impunity, intimidating local residents and people of colour, who are living in fear." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It's welcome week and I'm on strike (again) over the University of Edinburgh's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. UoE has no deficit, but cuts of £90 million are already underway, damaging teaching, research, and the future of education at our university.

Covid segment on R4 about rise in cases. Clinician guest speaking in a slightly weary sensible way, Evan Davis making himself sound like an ignorant idiot. Good. 😬

Big up and a high five to @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social for providing a proper laugh this morning, in amongst the rest of a pretty grim feed. Historians are the best.

Clearly, Women‘s voices and engagement in democracy don’t matter. The Hampstead Women’s Pond user group has repeatedly upheld that Trans Women are welcome to swim in the Hampstead Women’s Pond. What matters instead of democratic process is having the money for expensive lawyers to litigate.

TWO MORE SIGNATURES and we'll have 450 - every voice counts, you don't have to be an academic or involved with universities in any way <3

Hello Im Ekhlas mother of 3children I lost my home and shop because the war and now we are living in extremely harsh conditions My 7month old baby girl needs milk diapers and care My children need you , you are our only hope Please dont let us down please donate and share 🔗 gofund.me/2d632a06

"We didn't come here to listen to a load of stuff about famine and colonialism and genocide and being forced into exile, we came to hear some Irish folk songs!"

400 signatures and counting!!!

Looking forward to this. 🥰

An excellent no nonsense statement from the Women's Institute.

Please help. Please sign. I work on a part-time degree for mature students to study for a BA in English Literature & Community Engagement. Its direct access and designed for those who didn't or couldn't go to Uni at 18. Bristol plan to close it. We want to save it. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

I am one of the 14 authors who chose to leave the Polari Prize, and I find myself frustrated and saddened at the way this entire story has been represented. 1/

Why was there a Kindertransport? Because we wouldn't let their parents come with them. Five years into the Nazi persecution, we wouldn't let their parents come with them. And we insisted every child had someone to meet their "costs". And we only agreed on condition most would "re-emigrate".

Once again, the prestigious universities have pillaged the market, to their own destruction as a brand and the detriment to the students they are recruiting but can't teach properly. All the while laying financial waste to the post-1992s that can. When is government going to step in and fix this?

The kids are alright

I imagine these will be in pretty much perfect condition, and definitely in better nick than when you've read them a few times. At half price, they're an absolutely beautiful bargain too. Highly recommend Rob Hindle, Nancy Gaffield and Matthew Clegg but the others will be ace too.

There is a real disconnect between media outlets putting together live coverage of A-level results and celebrating those going to university whilst also ignoring the decimation of the higher education sector and the impact that, over time, this will have on the experience of most of these students.

The circle is squared by those students going into larger classes with fewer options