“Is the sector really committed to sustaining anything like a full humanistic and cultural education? Because this is not a luxury in a climate of polarised and historically myopic conflict.” Rowan Williams asks THE question. The government needs to answer it too. Where is the leadership?

Applications for the Postdoctoral Fellowships are open. This fellowship is a three-year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early-career researchers in the humanities or social sciences. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xWduAS

There’s a permanent modern British history post going at Manchester 🎉Come and join a great department and please share with anyone who might be interested. (Don’t let the short deadline put you off). #skystorians 🗃️

“The rise of a highly paid class of managers who do neither teaching nor research right at the time of an emerging financial crisis is testimony to a failure of leadership on their part. The fact that it is they who are exempt from redundancies … is bitterly ironic.”

PRESS RELEASE: UCU Hallam secures major win as Sheffield Hallam University drops plans for subsidiary company. See ucuhallam.org/ezm8 for more info.

With hardly any media coverage one of Britain’s few world-leading sectors is, right now, being decimated. The university funding model does not work and anti-immigrant hysteria has deprived the country of the means by which we met the shortfall: international students.

there's a lot to say about how UK universities have been managed, but one thing that is particularly dumbfounding is how the vice chancellors and managers (etc) have apparently not managed to get *any* politicians on their side. Truly an astounding feat.

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

The vast, vast majority of unis are, like mine, teaching-first institutions. Maybe we stop attacking & start funding them? Could we try that instead?

Two-year early modern English job, at Oriel College and the Oxford English Faculty, starting October. Happy to field any questions! my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

'A less than five-minutes-long Teams call with no opportunity to respond is how staff at the University of Dundee heard that their jobs, the courses that they teach and their livelihoods might be at risk. I ask members to think about that for a moment.' (Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) 1/5

Very good and depressing article, but it misses a key reason why the government must act: since the rise in student numbers and the growth in unis, many regions absolutely depend on their universities. If they go under, the left behind towns will be even more prey to far right demagogy.

There are, in my view, 25 things everyone needs to understand in light of recent events: 1) Those out in our communities last night were not protestors, but organised far right extremists. 2) Their actions align with fascist ideologies. 3) So yes: these are fascist practices on our streets. 🧵

Stipendiary Lecturer in English Language and Literature (1760-present) Magdalen College, Oxford Salary: £33,810 to £37,338 p.a #HigherEd #edusky #English www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRV488/s...

Córdoba mosque (1978) by David Hockney who left us yesterday.

True dat

‼️ EVERYBODY OUT THIS SATURDAY ✊ If we saw you at the UKIP counter-demo or any other time, we need you back. As the far right plan a new wave of pogroms, we must show they're outnumbered and unwelcome. Refugees are welcome here. 📍Tudor Square, S1 📅 Sat 13 June ⏰ 11am #Sheffield #StandUpToRacism

gosh gee whiz no kidding blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

When voluntary redundancy is really compulsory redundancy in all but name. Our demands are simple: NO COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES #SaveSheffieldHallam #UCU #HE @drjogrady.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk @sheffielducu.bsky.social @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social @uonucu.bsky.social @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social

@ucu.org.uk should have challenged this during the last national MAB and other lockouts such as Uni of Sheffield’s. Never too late. Those not undertaking assessment boycott and being asked to do more could down tools and join the boycott. So much for how much this university cares about quality.

UCU Hallam condemns Sheffield Hallam's redundancy handling, warning of serious risks to students. The union raises concerns over significant staff cuts across key groups and failings in how the process has been managed. #SaveSheffieldHallam Read more at: ucuhallam.org/cfzr

Reposting this. A very good piece exept 1 par when it gives in to academic work-bashing. While may be true it is hard to judge what is/isn’t worth pursuing. Knowledge frequently seems pointless, then spurs a breakthrough. E.g. mNRA research by Dr Katalin Karikó newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...

Day 9 of our strike: our fight against reduncies and the move to a subco. continues. Pickets 9-11am, Hallam Square #SaveSheffieldHallam #UCU #HE

WANTED ! Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes School of Education & Social Sciences University of the West of Scotland Location: Paisley. Salary: £51,753 to £56,535 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRT548/l...

WANTED! Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics (Education) Education, Communication & Society King's College London Salary: £45,031 to £52,514 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRT413/l...

Day 8 of our strike action. Redundancy pools were announced yesterday. Awfully, the document was placed on sharepoint before staff affected were informed. Retweet if you think this is outrageous. We’ll continue to strike and picket next week 9-11am. Come to visit us! @ucuhallam.bsky.social

Where my other half’s works pay withheld (not just strike days). I always think when my dad who made tires in a factory went on strike, when he came back he wasn’t expected to make the quota for missed days as well as current day. Someone needs to challenge this legally @goodlawproject.org ?

'This is a full-time (FTE) position, available on a fixed term contract for 24 months with the possibility of extending for another 12 months.'

Sad news: Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis,' dies at 56 www.lemonde.fr/en/obituarie...

If accounts have used image-based abuse to try and silence you, or you know someone else who has faced this – get in touch securely or email us on [email protected]. goodlawproject.org/got-a-tip-off/

I wish I could draw… I’ve an idea for a placard but I cannot get it down… Off picketing. Send me some drier weather pls (currently drizzling)

The consequences of the marketisation of Higher Education: #SaveSheffieldHallam #UCU #HE #StopTheCuts Our dispute is about saving jobs & preserving a quality education for our students ✊️

Day 6 of our strike at SHU against redundancies, moving staff to a subsidiary company, attacks on our pensions and terms and conditions. I’m on leave today but I know my colleagues @ucuhallam.bsky.social are out picketing. Sending strength!

Laura works at my place. I’m so proud of her.

“The cost that the researchers on my team face is the possibility that their parents and siblings will go to prison, that they themselves will be in eternal exile,” she says. “And here’s a university that has only 73 Chinese students, saying we might lose our access to the Chinese student market.”

Yesterday there were about 100 of us, many of us doctors, but no Daleks. Guess where the Daleks would naturally drift towards… those hell-bent on destroying the university or those of us trying to protect it?

UCU Hallam are serious about negotiating over 130 proposed job losses, including redundancies and the systematic erosion of our members' terms & conditions. The university is not serious about working with us or delivering high quality education. #SaveSheffieldHallam #UCU

Today I heard from 2 more young colleagues they’re taking voluntary severance. They are fed up, see no future working at the university. I will miss them. Students will miss them. We’ll be diminished by their loss. Pls join me thanking them for their service because management isn’t even doing this.

Day 4 of our strike. Latest media coverage of the dispute. www.thestar.co.uk/education/sh...

Here's detail from the thread about our dispute: Aug 2025-New City campus buildings open while SHU fails to secure a teaching partner for the London campus. These projects reflect a pattern of ill‑advised building priorities, favouring real estate over staff and students #SaveSheffieldHallam #HE

Was just reading this on the topic of our systematic ruination of one of the things this country actually always used to do well. Very good.

“We are striking over compulsory redundancies, job losses and also the university's proposal to employ staff via a subsidiary company.” #Sheffield #HE www.thestar.co.uk/education/sh...

Our dispute is on BBC neews. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/ UCU Hallam are on strike for 18 days over job losses and plans for a subco. UEB has refused to listen. Savings could come from cutting capital spend and using VSS—protecting teaching, research, and education quality. #SaveSheffieldHallam Financial decision-making and governance at SHU: Thread 🧵

Day 2 of our strike. Picket 9-11, Hallam Square. Come & join us! #SaveSheffieldHallam

Also my place 👇 😢

My place 👇 😞😞😞