This motion was passed at a GUCU Branch meeting on 23/07/2024
This branch notes that:
- PGRs students are severely impacted by the Transformation Programme, notably by the potential loss of supervisory provision and are a fundamental part of this branch.
- The College did not send specific information to postgraduate research students (PGRs) regarding the Transformation Programme, its likely impact on their studies, and the potential loss of supervisors until the 5th of July despite repeated request made for months by members of this branch.
- The protection plan for students that was sent on 22 April 2024 (although it covers January 2024 – 2026), does not mention PGRs . The only document published by the University referring to PGRs was the Statement of Commitments for PGR students sent on 5 July.
This branch believes that:
- The Transformation Programme has been communicated to PGRs in an opaque manner, ignoring their specific circumstances, and despite repeated demands made by PGRs representatives of this branch since the beginning of the TP.
- The failure to communicate in a clear, accurate and timely manner might constitute a breach of the CMAs guidance.
- The Statement of Commitments for PGRs promises to ‘re-engage primary supervisors’, without giving any information of what this would entail, and without having had any discussion with this branch or with supervisors provisionally selected for redundancy about this.
- The Statement of Commitments for PGR states that no member of staff should teach more than eight students as a main or co-supervisor, irrespective of the student’s mode of study (full-time or part-time), which in certain departments seems impossible if SMT plans for making 97 people redundant go ahead as this is already not the case.
This branch resolves
- To use up to £1,000 to allow PGRs to obtain legal letter from Leigh Day solicitors on these possible irregularities in order to understand the grounds for legal action.