UCU Left - Lancaster University UCU - Defend Adult Education

The UCU Left is a national organisation of University and College Union activists. It is committed to ensuring that the new union has a democratic structure through which members can determine policy, and elected officers and professional officials can be held accountable. It seeks to defend educational equality, and to oppose the consequences of neo-liberal marketisation. It is opposed to all forms of racism, sexism, oppression and imperialism.

Support Lancaster University UCU

Lancaster University attack adult education provision and jobs

Stop education cuts and job losses at Lancaster University

Lancaster University’s Vice Chancellor has announced a "reduction in activities" for the Department of Continuing Education (DCE). This will mean a drastic cutback in adult education provision in the North West and leave thousands of part-time students unable to complete their studies.

It is also an explicit threat to the jobs of the forty staff in DCE as staff are already being encouraged to look for other employment. Some 200 are part-time tutors.

A review of DCE activities is taking place but the remit and power of the review group is unclear. By his actions, the Vice-chancellor has pre-empted the outcome of this review.

Leafleting and petition signing on campus produced over 200 signatures and extensive coverage in local press and radio.

On April 30, over 100 students and staff attended a public meeting on campus where students read out personal statements about the importance Adult Education has for them.

Lancaster UCU are demanding:

A withdrawal of the threat of compulsory redundancies;

Proper, detailed consultation with campus unions;

A disclosure to DCE staff and campus trade unions of the full rationale for this decision;

Staff in DCE to be as fully involved as possible in any review of their Department;

Pending the results of any review, DCE to be given a 2 year breathing space to allow students to finish their courses and for staff to find other funding sources.

Show your support

Sign the petition at: www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/lancaster-uni-department-of-continuing-education.html.

Send messages of support to ucu@lancaster.ac.uk, Rory Daly, UCU Secretary, C/o Department of Continuing Education, Lancaster University, LANCASTER LA1 4YW.