UCU: For a serious political campaign to defend HE

Motion

Motion text: Conference notes
1. The HE market crisis continues, with 15,000 jobs lost last year.
2. HESA data shows student numbers fell from 2022 to 2024.
3. Employers are expanding international campus operations while cutting UK jobs.
4. Government response to employer lobbying by raising fees.
5. The developing Research funding crisis triggered by UKRI ‘rebalancing’.
6. The successful campaign by the NUS highlighting the student loan scandal.
7. Employers are cutting provision of degree programmes in subjects such as modern languages, resulting in 'cold spots' across the UK.

Conference believes Government policy on student visas contributes to a hostile environment dissuading students from studying in the UK.
Conference resolves
a. UCU will launch a serious political campaign to make the case for fully-funded higher education and research, with mass participation events, including national and regional demonstrations and parliamentary lobbies.
b. This campaign must also
i. oppose ideas that ‘AI’ replaces the need for HE
ii. consider the work of the Future of Work in Post-16 Education project in the defence of academic and ARPS jobs across the sector and iii defend international students and staff.
iii. Defend equality of access to diverse degrees and disciplines across the UK