- We build library collections in both traditional printed and electronic format to support teaching and research; advise students and researchers on their information needs; provide workspace for study with access to library and computer facilities; advise admissions tutors on qualifications;
- organise the induction of students; make learning resources and the learning environment a reality; purchase, set up and maintain software for research, teaching and administration;
- determine the appropriate responses to the ever-changing IT infrastructure; advise research groups on advanced computing techniques; manage and support specialist research facilities; allocate and manage student housing;
- create budgets and monitor expenditure; go out to schools to recruit new students; promote our institutions to international students, generating considerable income for universities;
- provide advice and support for international students on VISA and immigration issues; create prospectuses and other publications; manage quality assurance processes in teaching and learning; negotiate research grants and links with industry;
- advise on and enforce health and safety requirements; service committees and provide advice on legal and regulatory matters; help students find rewarding careers;
- support students and staff with personal problems and disabilities; manage human resources; develop and maintain buildings and grounds; and plan for the higher education of tomorrow.
The Manifesto
ACADEMIC-RELATED STAFF EXIST AS A DISCRETE GROUP WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION:
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We share the same interests as our academic colleagues in uniting to defend higher education against constant threats such as erosion
of quality and deskilling, erosion of our pay, marketisation and privatization which often result in redundancies and reduction of
services including departmental closures
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Our union is strengthened by the membership and actions of its academic-related members who experience many of the same problems,
including of excessive workloads, bullying, high levels of stress, in addition to, but closely related to, the threats referred to
above
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Academic-related staff are committed members of an academic team who make a contribution to higher education that is both different
from and equal to that of our academic colleagues
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Academic-related staff, in line with so many fellow workers in public service, are underpaid and therefore undervalued by our
employers
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The expansion of higher education has often not been matched by an expansion in the recruitment of staff and, consequently, both
academic and academic-related workloads have reached excessive levels
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The implementation and application of human resource policies in our institutions is often inequitable, with the result that
academic-related staff are subjected to procedures and checks which are not imposed on academic colleagues. For example, role
analysis in higher education resulted in disproportionate numbers of academic-related staff being downgraded. Academic-related
staff in many institutions are not even considered when workload models are developed.
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Higher education institutions do not appropriately recognise the contribution or expertise of academic-related staff in the compositions
of their governing bodies
WE DEMAND
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That our employers recognise our expertise and professionalism which we provide in-house by maintaining the links between academic
and academic-related staff in salaries, pensions, grading and career progression within the academic team
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That this contribution to higher education is acknowledged by our employers through higher pay, better opportunities for personal
and career development, improved working conditions, and an appropriate work-life balance
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That higher education institutions re-examine their governing bodies with the intention of providing a fair representation of
academic-related staff amongst their governors
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That, in order to address our excessive workloads, our employers re-examine staffing levels with a view to increasing the
employment of academic-related professionals in HE
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That our employers implement policies equally across all staff categories to ensure fair and equitable treatment for every member
of the academic team
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That our union encourages the membership and active participation of all academic-related staff, develops recruitment campaigns
aimed at those staff members, and ensures that the representation of the academic-related members is maintained and improved at
all levels.
UCU Congress - Resolution on Academic-Related Staff (details here)
UCU Left - Policy Discussion on Academic-Related Staff (details here)
Contribute to the UCU Academic-Related Forum (click here)
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Webmaster: Mark Campbell
Webmaster: Mark Campbell