The Government is preparing for the biggest attack on Higher Education in a generation. Some analysts are predicting cuts of up to 15% at universities across the country over the next few years. Over £900m has already been slashed from education budgets, and this is the tip of the iceberg compared with what is predicted after the election. This means academic and support staff losing their jobs, poorer quality teaching, and an even greater burden on Graduate Teaching Assistants. It is an attack on education that affects everyone.
These have already started to bite. Universities have begun talking about entire departments being closed. There are more than 200 jobs losses at King's College, London, around 150 at the University of Westminster and as many as 700 at Leeds, 340 at Sheffield Hallam and 300 at Hull. At Wolverhampton and Hertfordshire entire campuses are threatened with closure. But there has also been resistance. Leeds University lecturers have voted to take industrial action by a large majority. At Sussex over a hundred students have occupied in support of their lecturers. At Liverpool management were forced to back down by a staff and student campaign.
At Essex we have not seen major cuts; yet. But if we do it will mean at the very least larger class sizes, longer feedback time and more pressure on remaining teaching staff and GTAs. At the worst it means losing departments. It could also mean students paying more, whether through extortionate rent increases or, in future, higher fees. Vice-Chancellor Colin Riordan said in January that “there are likely to be tough times ahead.” This is not good enough. We need a commitment from our Vice Chancellor that he will not cut staff and departments. When the University is investing millions in new buildings, and appointing highly paid Pro-Vice Chancellors as an extra level of bureaucracy, we need a commitment that education won't be made to suffer.
These cuts have been opposed by Trade Unions, Student Unions, and even the 1994 group of Universities, of which Essex is a member. But we need to turn this into effective action to defend education on the ground. If you agree with us, sign the pledge.
We, the undersigned:
CALL on Colin Riordan to commit to actively opposing cuts in Higher Education, and to refuse to make cuts at Essex.
PLEDGE to take action to oppose any possible cuts at Essex, through campaigns, demonstrations and occupations.
SUPPORT any industrial action taken by staff to defend education and jobs.
WILL DEMONSTRATE following the election with the message to whoever is elected that Essex will not put up with attacks on Higher Education.
Signed:
Mark Bergfeld, SU Campaigns Officer (pc)
Laurence Hall, SU Postgraduate Officer (pc)
Beatrice Blois, SU Charities and Fund-raising Officer (pc)
Zeynep Koc, SU Womens Officer (pc)
