UCU: Stop Office for Students Attacks on Post-16 Education

Motion

Motion text: Congress notes
§ Rishi Sunak's announcement on 29 May that if the Conservatives win the next election they will give the Office for Students (OfS) power to close so-called 'rip-off' degrees
§ FE colleges providing vocational degree programmes and post-92 HE institutions would likely be at greatest risk of being targeted by the OfS, with serious equalities implications for staff and students
§ Labour has not offered any assurances in response to UCU's call to abolish the OfS (on grounds of 'authoritarian' free speech guidance and complicity in Prevent
Congress believes:
§ that we cannot delay acting on this announcement, and that we cannot be certain that Labour will either win the general election or abolish the OfS.
Congress resolves:
§ to publicly state that UCU does not recognise the legitimacy of the Office for Students as a decision-making body, and to boycott its research, guidance, and advice.

Proposing body: Composite (The Open University; University of Warwick; University of Sussex; Oldham College; University of Exeter; University of East Anglia; Swansea University; University of Wales Trinity Saint David; LSE; Luminate Education Group; University of the Wes