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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

'In the most notable case, the University of Nottingham’s University and College Union (UCU) branch has declared strike action of 67 days, expected to last for the majority of the autumn term, as the institution looks to cut 600 full-time equivalent jobs.'

timeshighereducation.com

UK universities face autumn of chaos as ‘prolonged’ strikes planned

Unprecedentedly long strikes at Nottingham, Edinburgh and Dundee could be the shape of things to come, observers say

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Again Higher Education in the UK permanently under threat. In the south and south east we're fighting: Brighton UCU being threatened with de-recognition, Sussex UCU fighting against yet more redundancies, Essex UCU were on strike to prevent redundancies, we've done the same. NOWHERE IS SAFE

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Sending solidarity and support to @brightonucu.bsky.social and glad to see you here on Bluesky!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Brighton UCU @brightonucu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Information about the derecognition we are facing here.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

History Today @historytoday.com · 17/09/2026

Congratulations to the nominees in the 2026 @WolfsonHistory Prize. You can find reading related to four of the shortlisted titles in the History Today archive. #WolfsonHistoryPrize 1/5

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Anna Girling @annagirling.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The Centre of African Studies is the only academic institute in Scotland of its kind - with its own budget, space, and leadership - and has produced, and brought to Edinburgh, generations of scholars. The proposal to close ('restructure') it diminishes the university, and Edinburgh, as a whole.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

'The strike action, planned for 22 September, marks the first time staff have organised to walk out in The Lancet’s 200-year history. The Lancet Group, now owned by the Elsevier publishing conglomerate, comprises 29 monthly specialty titles, in addition to the flagship weekly medical journal'.

timeshighereducation.com

Staff at prestigious medical journal set to strike over pay

For the first time in The Lancet’s 200-year history, union members plan to strike over “unacceptable” pay offer

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dr Jo Edge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @hagenilda.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Hi, #UCU. UCU's Anti-casualisation committee are running an Equality & Anticas webinar on 23rd September, at 12.30pm and 5pm. Come and hear from chair Ben Pope, and speakers Suzi Toole, Andy Ward and Kevin Daws. Links to register and more info in linked post. Please share and pass to contacts!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Kate Bevan @katebevan.com · 17/09/2026

I bang on about this: it is worryingly hard to get a job in your 50s, never mind your 60s, and a lot of it is pure ageism. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a job I enjoy in my 60s: I doubt I'd get another job if I lost it.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

'Staff at the University of Essex are set to strike next week over cuts to 400 full-time jobs. The union, Unison, said admissions advisors, IT technicians, admin workers and other professional services staff would walk out on Monday over the proposals.'

bbc.co.uk

Essex University staff to strike over plans to cut 400 jobs

Staff will walk out over a plan to cut 400 jobs, which the university says will protect its future

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dr Eleanor Shaw @eleanorshaw.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fancy coming to work with me at the British Library? Part time for 18 months, collecting oral histories about covid and thinking about covid commemoration. www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/jobs/job/228...

nationalmuseums.org.uk

Jobs - National Museum Directors' Council Website

Association of directors and chief executives of the UK's national museums, galleries, libraries and archives.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dr Beckie Rutherford (she/her) @beckierutherford.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"Including disabled people in the story of Britain, which is what the book grandly tries to do, is about showing that disabled people are always there and that disability isn’t some kind of modern trend." Extremely timely reflections from @profdavidturner.bsky.social's new book project ...

substack.com

David Turner: “Disabled people have always been part of history"

The historian on his landmark new book ‘Disability: A History of Resistance’

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

RPN Playbook: 'Nottingham has “suspended entry” to most of its modern language degrees; the University of Leicester has confirmed the closure of its modern language departments; and the University of Aberdeen has phased out single honours language degrees, including, unbelievably, Gaelic.'

hepi.ac.uk

Language GCSEs in English schools: a postcode lottery? - HEPI

Reversing the “death spiral” in language learning: New report highlights severely unequal participation in language GCSEs. A new Policy Note from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), Language...

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Great news for our colleagues in schools. Now can the government do HE and FE, please?

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

We are taking 25 days of strike action starting on Monday. We want the University of Executive Group rule out compulsory redundancies. To our students - this is a last resort to retain jobs that are essential for your education during your degree at the University of Dundee. Support the strike!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Andrew McRae @mcraeandrew.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

‘Even prestigious Russell Group institutions like Exeter are not safe: it has recently announced hundreds of job cuts that fall disproportionately on the humanities, with English set to lose 25 percent of its staff.’ Isabel Armstrong excellent on the value of English tribunemag.co.uk/2026/08/savi...

tribunemag.co.uk

Saving English

The government’s drive for ‘vocational’ education is accelerating the death of the humanities, at a time when the study of literature is more vital than ever.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Some colleagues received 5 minutes notice for their online at risk meeting and had not yet received their letter informing them they were at risk. Executive staff did not bother to turn up to the meeting. This is the true face of executive leadership at the University of Dundee.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Disappointed Optimist @disappoptimism.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Periodic reminder that academia was one of the top things that most other nations tried to imitate from UK & largest reason many visas are taken for Uk.

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Now please ALL university workers go and enjoy your weekend. Keep hydrated, and take your Annual Leave!

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Well fellow Kent people, we're now officially LASE. Hello @ucugreenwich.bsky.social does this make us siblings now? Let's all hope it's the beginning of something brilliant!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Dr Cinzia Yates 🇮🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @manxinwales.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

They have zero concept of Professional Services either... all the accountants, HR, cleaners, food service, porters, admin assistants just dumped into a struggling economy with minimal jobs...

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

We are losing vital capability in our world leading humanities research base www.ft.com/content/fbde...

Cutbacks in universities are also affecting humanities research, where the UK is world-leading, which contributes in a broad way to building a thoughtful and prosperous society. Historians can guide us on why our policymaking is the way it is, so we can try to learn from the past. Philosophers are thinking about responsible use of Al in multiple contexts, including the creation and preservation of artworks. Academics feed into the development of video games such as the globally successful Hellblade, which had a reader in Scandinavian history as its historical adviser to provide an accurate account of Viking society and beliefs.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I’ll be force feeding my piece down your throats bit by bit for the next few days. This is about why loss of research capability in universities isn’t just a linear bit of market forces but a messy process of universities sometimes doing panicky short term cuts

You might think these research cutbacks in universities are the exercise of market forces, with the strongest departments surviving. But it is more complicated than that because of the complex cross-subsidies within higher education. Financial instability is largely driven by the drop in high-paying international students and the erosion in the value of tuition fees by
inflation over the past decade. Caught up in the crossfire of this instability and through no fault of their own, some of the top-ranked humanities research departments are closing, while our analysis shows the number of early-career academics in the humanities has fallen by 20 per cent over the past decade.

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

This is often overlooked by many. People forget that universities do not work in isolation - the ridiculous Ivory Tower idea. We are part of the community. Uni staff live in the communities around them, we send out kids to local schools, we shop locally, we are your friends and neighbours.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 17/07/2026

The closure of the University of Essex Southend campus will devastate a community. As Pam Cox, MP for Colchester, told Parliament, the loss is already being felt by residents, staff and students. The government must step in before more communities lose their universities.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 18/06/2026

A damning 97%. That's how many University of Lincoln staff who voted have lost confidence in senior management, after the university cut a third of its workforce and refused to rule out more compulsory redundancies. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1454...

ucu.org.uk

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

This just proves I’m not university management material but if I were sacking half a department and imposing a new curriculum on every single course I might have mentioned it to the external examiners as potential quality issues.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Darren Dahly @statsepi.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Happy Pretending-that-university-rankings-are-a-useful-reflection-of-the-social-value-we-all-create-and-not-the-industry-damaging-neoliberal-attack-on-higher-education-they-really-are Day to all who celebrate it.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Michael Abberton 🇺🇦🇸🇩 @michaelabberton.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Off to that LonDon again for the first UCU National Exec of the new year. Any questions or concerns then drop me a line. Current choonz- Pearl Jam

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Job cuts fuel staff discontent at Lincoln and Northumbria, reports Tom Williams #highered #jobcuts #academicsky www.timeshighereducation.com/news/j…

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

'Union members at the University of Lincoln have declared “no confidence” in their senior leadership team while further strikes have been threatened at Northumbria University as concerns mount over job cuts in the English sector.' 1/3

timeshighereducation.com

Job cuts fuel staff discontent at Lincoln and Northumbria

UCU declares ‘no confidence’ in Lincoln management while redundancy plans prompt fresh dispute in north-east

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Goldsmiths UCU @goldsmithsucu.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Picket schedule for Friday 19th! Come along!

Picket schedule flyer for Friday 19 June. Events include an 11am–12pm Zoom branch meeting, a 2–5pm community day on the picket, talks at the Richard Hoggart Building from Deptford People’s Heritage Museum (2:30pm) and Red Ribbon Living Well (3pm), and a 5pm teach-in on political prisoners in the SU Lounge hosted by Goldsmiths for Palestine.

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Prof. Liz Oakley-Brown @earlymodlancs.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

A heartfelt solidarity shout-out to all UKHEI colleagues facing redundancy while ensuring: - their students assessments are marked with all due professional care and attention - the highly-pressured timescales for final exam boards are met I see you

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Northumbria UCU Branch @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

UCU - Staff at Northumbria University to be balloted for strike action in job cuts row www.ucu.org.uk/article/14548

ucu.org.uk

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Sending solidarity to ucunorthumbria.bsky.social who are facing job cuts. So many colleagues across the UK are going through this, yet the government and the media seem to take very little notice. University workers are exhausted.

ucunorthumbria.bsky.social

Northumbria UCU Branch (@ucunorthumbria.bsky.social)

Shy Bairns Get Nowt!

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 06/06/2026

This is a success story of Creative Europe, but now, we are missing out on this vital funding. This is why we, and the cultural and creative sectors are calling for the UK to join Creative Europe. @forumukeu.bsky.social

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Here at Kent we've moved to a three teaching term - each one 10 weeks with 2x assessment weeks. We needed to rewrite existing modules and create new ones too. It's been a monumental amount of work and everyone has been phenomenal! But we're all tired now.

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

It's depressing to see more Uni branches back on strike to save jobs, but it's even more depressing to lose your job - one that you've worked years for, studied for, probably moved across the country or the world for. #SaveOurUniversities

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

My day job is at a rural branch of a public library, and we have a Pride display. Yesterday I was at the desk when a man came in. Fifties, maybe, or sixties. Plaid shirt, mesh trucker cap, suspenders. He went up to the display and just stood there for a long moment. Then he came up to the desk. 🧵 1/

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Reposted by UCU University of Kent branch

Bloomsbury Education @bloomsburyed.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Calling all English and Drama teachers!📢 Bloomsbury have released the third instalment of the (Incomplete) Lit in Colour Play List to increase students’ access to plays by writers of colour. Dive in and explore today: bit.ly/4tMp6Un @methuendrama.bsky.social

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