How would the proposed cuts affect you? Post accounts and views on the proposals in the comments below.
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Stop the Cuts – Defend Sussex
Because our university is for education not profit.
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Hi, whereforcare.co.uk is the childcare ratings and reviews website- why not encourage those who use the childcare facilities to write reviews to aid in evidence basing the quality of the childcare provision on offer?
Heya, I am leaving this comment on behalf of myself as a student at the university and my mother as a member of the cleaning staff at the university.
I shall start off with my comments, as a first year computing and AI student I am deeply concerned about the staff cuts in the school of informatics, it became apparent during our ‘briefing’ that the number of teaching staff that are being planned to be made redundant are 13, which is a third of the teaching staff. I have some serious doubts that the level of teaching can remain the same or even close to the levels that it currently has with this massive number of staff cuts.
Now on behalf of my mother, she has been a cleaner at the university for 13 years now and has always done her job to the best of her abilities, often being praised by academic staff members for the high standard of her work, and this goes to count for the other cleaning staff members as well, the vast majority of which have been with the university for over 10 years. Now they have been told that their jobs are being taken over by a third party contract cleaning service, with this move any benefits they had with the university are being dropped, they will receive no severance pay as the job is being passed onto another company. As they will no longer be with the university there is no job security, they will receive no sick pay or help if anything where to happen to them as the contract cleaning company does not grant this to their workers and they can be moved to any other company in Brighton to do cleaning and have been told if they are kept cleaning at the university they may lose hours as the company already has a number of cleaners at the university. This is a completely unacceptable way to treat staff members that have worked loyally at the university for many years and I am sure that you will agree.
I think this point has to be taken into consideration as the cleaners do a vital job at the university and without them the uni would not be a pleasant place to work or study for any of us and we must fight to make sure these members of staff are represented and protected as well as the academic staff
Hi Sean
Can you send me your contact details – i think it would be worthwhile setting up a campaign to defend the cleaners under the umbrella of stop the cuts campaign? It is disgusting what management is doing.
My email is thembil@gmail.com.
Stealth cuts have already affected me (and many other Associate Tutors).
I found out a couple of days ago that my AT teaching hours are being cut to ZERO and it is unlikely that I will get any teaching until next October, at the earliest. (I’m not holding my breath…) Goodbye teaching experience and goodbye £250+ per month (used to pay for luxuries like tuition fees, food, train tickets and the odd academic book).
Luckily for management, AT job cuts do not count as redundancies – they’ve had the foresight to make sure that ATs are all on zero-hour/casual contracts.
As a fairly recent graduate of Sussex’s history department I find the prospoect of cuts to teaching and research staff both worrying and counter-productive. A university’s capital is largely its staff: everything else, buildings etc. are just places for the university to be. Getting rid of staff from departments like History, English and American studies- three departments rated in the top 15 in the country for research in last year’s RAE seems totally absurd to me.
Furthermore, as a prospective post-graduate student who had been considering Sussex as a possible destination I hugely concerned by rumours of ‘restructuring’ the sylabus, resulting in the loss of early modern history. How can I choose to study at a department where my tutors are under threat of redundancy, and my research area under threat of liquidation by central management in order to fund a bussiness school. A depressing situation that has certainly raised considerable doubts in my mind over joining what has been up until now an excellent department.
Hi Stewart – I totally understand your thinking. It would be great if you could send a letter/email explaining your concerns and the effect the proposals have had on your decision to study (or not) at Sussex to Matthew Cragoe (the new head of school) and cc it to Michael Farthing and Clive Webb. They need to know that the changes to research focus are having a real and immediate impact on whether students want to come to the University or not. The changes in the history department have been premised on a perceived lack of student demand for Early Modern History so we need people to be vocal in their support.
please cc all complaints to management to welfare@ussu.sussex.ac.uk as this means that the union can collate how many complaints the management receive on account of their mismanagement.
thanks
Nice to heare from your movement. Welcomme in the international Student Movement. We are all pleaced that there are occoupations in GB. We wish you enough force to fight back the cuts. There is a international force against us, to oppress movements from the basis of the society. Only if we stand together we can win this struggle.
So our best wishes, our force and all what you can need here from the students movement from switzerland.
greetings from the Bay Area, California!
earlier this year, in Berekley, as im sure you know, they had a big occupation that received the support of 1000s of students. a very good group exists there called Student Worker Action Team (SWAT).
there was a less publicized occupation shortly thereafter at the more working class campus of San Francisco State University, that was smaller than the Berkeley one, but certainly altered the mood of the campus profoundly.
up the coast in the state of Washington, a group called Democracy Insurgent has done good work linking students and workers, which is something more of us in California could learn from.
there are many many more pockets of campus resistance across the US that i am not aware of.
The tactic of occupation has received a lot attention in the media, AND caused much controversy within our movement. is it democratic? should occupation be put to a vote in a large public meeting? is occupation a tactic or a strategy? what role do demands play? questions like these have arisen and been addressed differently by occupations in LA, Santa Cruz, Davis, San Fransisco, and Berkeley.
we have had General Assemblies at a number of campuses, but the biggest was on October 24th, and was attended by 800 students, teachers and workers. There, it was decided to build for a Strike and Day of Action on March 4th.
we hope this date is taken up by people across California, and that coordination on the national and international level can develop.
Solidarity from SUP (and all other bay area campus activists im sure)!
Just want to say as a Brighton resident and sometime user of the Uni library I’m proud of you for fighting back.
The reputation of sussex is build on more than just the academic services. Its about the things you don’t think about but are there when you need them.. like security. They are getting cut from 16 to 10 and provide 24 hour coverage 365 days a year.
Security is not just about ’security’, who else is there in the middle of the night and at weekends?? They deal with security, welfare, first aid, fires and health and safety issues. Often the first faces you see when arrive in freshers week and the last when you graduate…
Agency worker would not know the site or location of rooms..so if called to emergency would take longer to get there, putting lives at risk. It has taken years to reduce crime on campus, it wont take years for it to increase.
This entity should be shut down due to the Providing of material support to terrorists. University of “Informatics” abusing current I.T. by Radiological dispersal devices, exporting acts terrorism from the UK {as a soverign nation}. Be damned sue those Providing material support to terrorists at this entity will be held accountable. Not limited to Boden/ Layzell/ Farthing.
hclombs@gmail.com.
Those attending this University subject to scrutiny by UK Defense. So no one is getting away with Business/ Internet/ Telecomm fraud.
I think that the ‘stop the cuts’ “campaign” is an aggressive and violent movement and perhaps people should consider that the cuts may be unavoidable and may actually be essential for the survival of the University.
Students and staff are bullied into following and anyone who will stand pro cuts risks being intimidated and silenced by psuedo acivists and intellecual wannabe’s. Have it your way and not only will there be fewer staff and closed departments, but an empty skeleton and desolate buildings of what used to be a top ten institution of great recent acievements.
Micheal Farthing and his team are employed to instigate progress, can you do better? If so put down your beer, let the joint go unsmoked and get serious about your degrees so you can ascend one day to the position of vice-chancellor and do a better job.
I’m not saying dont speak out, but there is a correct way to do it, though your traditional methods make you look cool and its a thrill, I think sober discussions and intelligent suggestions and support for our leaders is a more effective way.
Would you sacrifice some to save many??
P.s why has no one highlighted the weak effort of our elected student officers? They are active for a couple of weeks but after that they dissapear into the fabric of their desk chairs. I being an average student do not hear of see them or am affected by anything they do…so where are these officers?? Good wages, no acievements..can they make our uni an outstanding place of learning, development and experience??
I for one am appalled.
I attended the open day today and loved everything about the University. Now I feel slightly sick, incredibly dissapointed and will be looking elsewhere for a higher education establishment.
Not only is this due to the evident spending cuts, but also the way in which they have been protested against. Yes, it is a matter which should be spoken against, but occupation and riot police? No thank you.
I do not wish to be drawn in to this matter, and it would appear that indifference is inferred as insolence to some activists, causing trouble for some students who do not wish to become involved in such methods.
This has just thoroughly disappointed me, and quite frankly I expect better from adults. Both those imposing cuts and those violently protesting against them. I’m not naiive enough to believe everything the media writes, but you can’t really argue against a Youtube video of students being arrested.
A little ditty about the cuts:
Happy sailing
Captain SKA
NOT BEING FUNNY BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO OCCUPY THE COLLEGE, DONT SCREAM ABOUT YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS IF THEY TURN THE HEATING OFF..
Get yourselves some picket signs.
Justice and not Just-us.
Front Window Alert:
“What is the insurance deductible on your front windows?”
Protest Parades …. Where people gather on the streets in large groups are passé.
Your group will be infiltrated by the police/military establishment.
Earlier this year, YouTube hosted a special event day.
Life In A Day
http://www.youtube.com/user/lifeinaday
You need to change it to “Protest In A Day”.
Choose a day ….
Have people upload content showing acts of disobedience on that particular date.
An uploaded video or comment detailing what you “Witnessed” during the specific day …. Not an admission of guilt, but rather a “report” of what you saw happening.
A video of somebody J-Walking during rush hour and slowing down traffic, as an example.
A video of a broken window.
And, all on a specific date but at a time of day which each individual person chooses.
An act of civil disobedience by “Stealth”.
An uploaded video or comment detailing what you “Witnessed” during the specific day …. Not an admission of guilt, but rather a “report” of what you saw happening.
Calm
well done solidarity from greece
Hi Guys,
3 things:
1
I graduated in 08 and I don’t get it; how bleak is the situation today? How much does it cost for a home student to do an art degree? a science degree? Has the teaching quality really decreased? Can we really say that it was that good before?
2
And … this is quite important too; what do you propose as a solution to this fine mess?
3
Generally speaking, can’t technology help, with virtual classrooms and lectures to support a remaining ‘live’ set of lectures and classrooms where the virtually dispensed teaching can be further discussed?
Never give up; even if I did disagree with you (which i can’t do as I don’t know enough) I would still defend and honour your right and will to express yourselves; but please, may I beg that you do try to be constructive, realistic, and honest.