University round-up: Redundancies, Student Publication Association awards, and Cops off Campus

Nine in ten post-92 universities cut jobs

A quarter of modern universities in the UK are facing job cuts, according to a recent University College Union (UCU) survey reported by Times Higher Education.

86% of the 43 branches participating in the survey reported that they have faced actual or threatened job losses in the past 12 months. Only five reported that they have not.

The most common reason for job cuts was falling UK and international student numbers and restructures, or the financial stability of the institution.

Arts and humanities degrees were the worst affected but cuts were reported across all disciplines, including STEM and teacher and health education.

The Student wins Best Publication at The National Student Publication Association awards

The National Student Publication Association (SPA) Conference and Awards was held last weekend (April 12-14) in Bristol.

The University of Edinburgh’s student newspaper The Student won Best Publication, with King’s College London’s Roar News winning Best Overall Digital Media.

For a second year in a row, The Mancunion won Best Website, and received Highly Commended for Best Design (Newspaper).

Current Head of Music Photography, Ailish O’Leary Austin received Highly Commended Student Photographer.

This was the first time the conference has been held in the south-west.

The University of Bolton proposes name change

The University of Bolton has officially launched a formal consultation to change its name to the University of Greater Manchester.

The plans have been received with a mixed reaction from the public and civil leaders.

Bolton’s Vice Chancellor said to The Bolton News that “the new title will more accurately portray what the University has become in recent years.” He said the change could help raise the university’s profile, particularly as Manchester as a city has greater international recognition than Bolton.

The University of Manchester said: “We are responding to the formal consultation regarding the proposed name change and will be registering our concerns. We believe the proposed name change will be very misleading and confusing.”

‘Cops off Campus’ motion at The University of Sheffield fails

The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union Council has voted against a policy to ban police officers from University grounds in non-emergency circumstances.

It failed with 20 votes against and 19 votes in favour.

The motion would have banned police from being on campus, uniformed or plain clothed. Police-related advertising would also have been banned.

The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union passed a similar motion in October 2022.

University of Bristol Pro-Palestine building occupation ends after four weeks

The student group Bristol Occupy for Palestine has ended a four-week occupation, leaving University of Bristol executive offices.

The group’s aim was to prevent access to the offices of university management in “protest of university complicity in the genocide in Gaza.” They demand the University cut ties with companies who have links to Israel, end the requirement of the “Check-In” app as it designed by an Israeli company, and ensure free speech on campus.

During the four weeks, the occupiers have exchanged email correspondences with the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Evelyn Walsh. They have also met with Professor Philip Taylor, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, in person.

The University said that no disciplinary action would be taken against the occupiers.

In a statement to Epigram, they also said “Open discussion and debate are an important part of university life and the Vice-Chancellor had offered several times to meet with this group to discuss their specific points in person once they ended their protest. A meeting has been arranged for next week [week commencing 8^th April].”