Communications with students

Message from the Vice-Chancellor - 19 March

There is no hiding from the fact that the last four weeks of strikes have been an extremely challenging time for everyone at our university. Your strength of feeling is clear from the emails that many of you have sent me about the industrial action and the impact on your studies. I have also received many emails from students who care passionately about why Union members have been striking.

While the current strikes are now over, the core issue at the heart of this dispute remains unresolved and the Union has indicated that further strike action could take place in the summer term.

I want to assure you that this is the last thing that anyone wants and we will do everything in our power to protect your education and to help bring about a lasting settlement.

The difficulty is in finding a solution that satisfies negotiators, Union (UCU) members, the pension scheme’s trustees and the Pensions Regulator. Recently I was asked to join the talks undertaken through the Advice, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (otherwise known as Acas) as it was felt I might have been able to help bring the two sides closer together. Clearly, since that deal was rejected there is more work to be done; however, I remain optimistic. The two sides are now in talks about a return to negotiations, although I will not be a part of this next round of discussions.

Some of you have raised the issue of compensation in light of the classes that did not take place. I want to acknowledge your concerns and to let you know that we are actively considering all of the issues that have been raised by our students.

However, my main reason for writing today is to make sure you’re fully aware that our focus across the University is on making sure that you are offered every possible support for the rest of your academic year.

In the more immediate term, your academic school will be in touch with you about plans for exams and assessments. Please do look out for their messages and get in touch with them directly if you have any questions. I am also hosting an open forum for students at 10am on Friday (23 March) - click here to register.

As we return to normal campus life this week, I have been reflecting on the many differences that exist in our community. At times of strain, sometimes those differences can start to feel like division. But I believe our differences are what make us such a rich, vibrant university. They are what make us Sussex.

As I have said before, I am proud of how members of our community have shown such respect for those differences and kindness towards one another over the past few weeks, under testing conditions.

Over the coming weeks, I will be putting all my efforts into working with others to ensure that our students experience as little impact to their studies as possible.

Best wishes,

Adam Tickell
Vice-Chancellor

Message from the Vice-Chancellor – 26 February

As UCU’s national industrial action over proposed USS pension changes enters its second week, I want to update you on what I have been doing to try to resolve this issue. You may have heard and read a number of voices in the last week calling for further talks to find a meaningful way forward. As I said last week, I fully support this approach and believe that we need a shared solution to this shared problem.

As university leaders, I and my fellow Vice-Chancellors have a responsibility to do more than just call for action. We need to take constructive, positive steps to make action happen and use our collective voices wisely. Which is why, last Friday, I met a number of Vice-Chancellors at Universities UK’s offices to discuss a return to meaningful negotiations. I am very pleased that, following our meeting, UUK’s offer of further talks was accepted by UCU and that the parties will be back around the table tomorrow (Tuesday 27 February). This is a positive step in what is a challenging situation and I welcome these negotiations.

However it is vital for everyone who is being hurt by this – our students who want to study as normal, and our staff, whether or not they are taking action - that all parties approach these national talks prepared to engage seriously and meaningfully. Everyone accepts that the deficit in the pension scheme must be tackled and tomorrow’s talks are an opportunity for UUK and UCU to work together to try to find an affordable, mutually acceptable solution. In particular, UUK are open to hearing alternative UCU proposals that address the significant challenges the scheme is facing, even if this means compromise from both sides.

On the eve of these new talks, I ask that our campus community continues to act respectfully towards each other. It has been no surprise to me to see the professional and dignified way in which the vast majority of you have acted over the last week. It is a great source of pride to me as Vice-Chancellor and a welcome reminder of what a great university we have here at Sussex. It is this spirit of mutual respect and openness that will give these talks the best chance of the successful outcome we all desperately want. That is something I’m sure we can all agree upon.

Adam Tickell Vice-Chancellor

Message from the Vice-Chancellor - 22 February

I have received dozens of messages over the past few weeks from students, staff, parents and others about the industrial action over proposed changes to the USS pension scheme. I want to address the points made in those messages directly and to answer as best I can the questions you have asked. In doing so, I remind you that, while the strike will be felt locally, this is a national dispute and the University of Sussex cannot alone deliver a resolution.

The impact on our community

It is very clear to me that almost everyone in the University is both dismayed and frustrated by this situation. The University community has worked collegially and effectively together during the past 18 months and I am deeply concerned that this collegiality is under strain.

I have not met a single person who relishes the prospect of strikes and I sympathise with the hugely difficult decisions that all staff are having to make regarding this dispute. Whether striking or not, they deserve our support and respect. They certainly have mine.

Equally, students are quite understandably worried about the financial and academic impact that this will have on them. It is impossible to predict how disruptive the strikes will be: I can promise that we are doing everything possible to minimise their impact on students’ education.

Returning to negotiations

One consistent theme in the messages I have received has been a call for me to use my voice as Vice-Chancellor to support a return to negotiations between Universities UK and UCU. Some are confused why I have not already done so. Even though this is a national dispute and the University of Sussex is not directly involved in negotiations, I have heard, and understand, the request.

In many ways, I agree. I believe that the best solutions to shared problems always come from talking and listening. I’m sure that many people would agree that industrial action, while an important and valued part of our liberal democracy, does not provide the best environment for compromise and mutual agreement. I believe that students do not deserve to bear the brunt of this dispute.

If there was an affordable proposal on the table that satisfied USS and the Pensions Regulator, I would be in full support of a return to formal discussions. I would like nothing more than for that to be the case. However, despite lengthy discussions over the past year – employer and employee representatives met 35 times – no such proposal has emerged.

The UCU position remains for employers to contribute an additional £500 million per year into this pension scheme alone. For Sussex, this would mean we would have to find an extra £5.5 million a year to pay into the scheme. There are a small handful of institutions that could absorb that cost without serious financial consequences. Sadly, Sussex is not one of them.

If we had to find an additional £5.5 million for staff pensions, we would have to cut £5.5 million out of our budget, which inevitably means reduced spending on our infrastructure, regrettably job losses and a negative impact on students’ education. This is not a threat or managerial posturing, it is the unfortunate reality of the magnitude of the shared problem we all face. For me to publicly take a position that I know could put the financial future of the University in jeopardy would be negligent of my duties as Vice-Chancellor and, quite frankly, dishonest. I’m also not sure that Sussex staff, who are in the scheme, have the appetite to pay a collective £2.7 million extra per year and with no guarantee that this amount would not rise again. This is what the UCU proposal would have required staff to do.

Missed tuition

The biggest concern among our students is quite understandably the teaching and learning they may miss out on by this action going ahead. Whilst any disruption to our students’ education is unacceptable, the industrial action called by UCU is designed to do just this. We will do everything possible to minimise this and also to ensure that no-one’s degree is adversely impacted by it. This is likely to be a fast-moving situation, so we will be frequently updating the information on the student pages of the University website and through the Sussex Mobile app – under the tile ‘Union action info’.

University staff wearing orange-coloured ‘Ask Me’ badges will be visible and available on campus on all days and in all locations, to help, advise and guide students. On this note, it is important to know that many classes will be going ahead, so students should come to campus as normal. We have also committed to amending assessments and exams to ensure that students are only tested on what they have studied.

Many of you have asked about financial compensation if the disruption is considerable. Until we know the scale or the duration of the disruption, and its impact, it is very difficult for me to talk with any certainty about what actions we might take in the future but I can promise that we will always act in good faith and honour our commitments.

Finally, I am extremely proud of the close-knit community we have built here at Sussex and I know that everyone will be as keen as I am to treat each other kindly over the coming weeks and to recognise the many different points of view that people will have.

Adam Tickell
Vice-Chancellor

Email to all students - 19 February

Important information about your classes and assessment

This email contains important information about your classes and assessment during the upcoming period of trade union industrial action.

Please read this carefully; if you need more information, you can find it on the University’s web pages or go to the Sussex Mobile app and click on the tile called ‘Union Action Info’.

By now, you should be aware the University of Sussex is one of 61 institutions that will be impacted by industrial action, which has been called by the University and College Union (UCU). This means that some of your lecturers and other university staff will be choosing not to work on certain days over the coming four weeks.

I know that many of you are concerned that the industrial action will impact your studies and assessments and I am very sorry that you are facing this situation. This is a national dispute and the industrial action is beyond the University’s control.

However, we are doing everything we can to minimise the disruption to our students and I want to reassure you of a few points:

Assessments and examinations will be amended so that you will not be assessed on content that is not delivered because of the industrial action. You will not be disadvantaged as a consequence of the industrial action.
The University is open as usual during the period of industrial action. All core services, such as the Library and cafes, will be operating as normal. Teaching staff who are working on strike days will be taking their classes as normal.
Please regularly check Study Direct to see if your lecturer has given advance notice that your class will not be taking place on strike days (dates are listed at the end of this email). However, please note that striking staff are not legally required to give notice, so your class may still appear in Study Direct as going ahead. You should come to campus with a view to attending your classes as per normal.
When you come to campus, there may be some level of disruption, so you should be prepared to undertake self-directed study – either by yourself or with other students.
There are multiple learning spaces on campus for you to go to. These include the Library as well as additional spaces which have been set up in the Students’ Union building (Falmer House) and the ACCA cafe.
Trains and buses to and from the campus will still be running as per normal. However, please note that buses will be stopping at the A27 bus stop on the edge of campus so they do not get caught up in any traffic which may result from the strike action.

Once you are on campus, you will see some University staff wearing orange-coloured ‘Ask Me’ badges. These staff will be located across campus and will be able to provide you with help, so do feel free to ask them questions.

The Library and Meeting House have been set up as ‘Ask Me’ centres, where staff will be able to answer your questions. In addition, the Student Life Centre will be running as normal.

It’s important that you know the University is committed to maintaining respect, safety and good relations between students and staff throughout, and beyond, the industrial action.

Lastly, I wanted to remind you of the dates of the industrial action:

Week one - Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)
Week two - Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)
Week three - Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)
Week four - Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)

Once again, if you want any more information on why this industrial action is taking place or want answers to key questions about your classes or assessment/examinations, please visit the University student web pages.

If there are any further developments on this situation, I will write to you again.

Best wishes,

Adam Tickell

Vice-Chancellor

Email to all students - 5 February

You may have read in the media about upcoming strike action at the University. I am writing to provide you with details on this and to outline some of the steps we are taking to minimise disruption to your classes and activities.

The higher education trade union, University and College Union (UCU), has notified Sussex and 60 other universities of its intention to carry out industrial action in a national dispute over the future of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The USS is one of a range of pension schemes available to University staff.

The strike action is expected to take place over 14 days, starting from Thursday 22 February. The dates for industrial action are:

Week one - Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)
Week two - Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)
Week three - Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)
Week four - Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)

The University recognises the rights of staff to take lawful industrial action and I personally respect the reasons why individuals may wish to strike. However, our priority must continue to be our students and ensuring that you receive the highest quality of education, with the minimal amount of disruption to your studies.

As the striking staff do not need to let the University know in advance if they will be working, we must plan for significant participation in the industrial action so that we can put in place arrangements to keep core services running.

I want to reassure you the University will remain open throughout this period and that we will be working hard to keep classes and activities running, as close to normal as possible. The University is also talking to the bus and train companies to try to ensure there are minimal changes to travel services to the campus.

During the period of industrial action, please continue to attend your classes as normal. If there are any changes, staff will be on hand to notify students. We will also be putting information onto the student web pages and on the Sussex Mobile app – look out for the ‘Union action info’ tile.

If you want to find out more about the Union action and how the University is working to minimise any disruption, you can find a list of commonly asked questions on the student web pages.

I want to reiterate how deeply the University regrets any action that may cause disruption to your studies.

We will be in touch again if there is any additional information to share with you.

Best wishes