In the news this week: 3 July 2015

Universities minister sets out plans for teaching excellence

New universities minister Jo Johnson made his first major speech on Wednesday. In a wide-ranging address he spoke about the government's commitment to producing some sort of teaching excellence framework and suggested that university degree grades could be shaken up. In response UCU said that, despite fewer resources than other major academic nations, our lecturers boast a world-beating reputation. The union added that a new parliament provided the perfect opportunity to look again at the dire problems of the current university funding arrangements.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, told the Guardian that the government should eliminate the endemic casualisation of teaching staff to enhance the professional status of the sector. Speaking to the Telegraph, she said that we needed a system where universities receive stable public funding, staff are properly rewarded and secure in their jobs, and students are not deterred from study by rising levels of debt.

Government refuses to rule out tuition fee hikes

Just 24 hours before Johnson's speech, the government refused to rule out rises in tuition fees or loan repayment rates. The idea of altering the loan repayments had been mooted by former minister David Willetts and he recently told the Times Higher Education that he thought the terms should be changed at the start of each new five-year parliament.

Arguing that the repayment terms pushed so heavily by the government to persuade many people higher education was affordable, fees expert Andrew McGettigan wrote in yesterday's Times Higher Education how any such change would add further uncertainty and worry for graduates. He also suggested that do so should be a difficult moral choice for ministers and could provoke a mis-selling controversy. Like UCU, he concluded now would be a good time to revisit the whole sorry mess.

Budget crucial to further education's survival chances

The future of further education in England could hinge on next week's Budget, senior figures in the sector have warned. UCU head of further education, Andrew Harden, told the Times Educational Supplement that said the importance of the Budget could not be underestimated. He said: 'I think it's obvious that now it's crucial: the very future of further education is at stake.'

Labour this week warned that planned government cuts could signal the end of further education as we know it. The Huffington Post reported how Labour's Chuka Umunna told business secretary Sajid Javid that proper adult skills provision, not just apprenticeships, were needed to boost Britain's productivity.

Umunna's concerns come just a week after professor Alison Wolf warned the Guardian that further education could "vanish into history" because the current funding system was destroying the sector.

UCU delivers petition to Welsh government

On Tuesday UCU presented a petition with over 2,000 signatures opposing funding cuts to the further education sector in Wales to the National Assembly. The petition expressed the frustrations of protestors who fail why the Welsh Government has allocated money from Westminster in a way that will cause great hardship to further education.

UCU Wales policy officer, Lisa Edwards, told the Western Mail that: 'The cuts in funding will severely limit choices available to adults. Opportunities to improve their life chances and those of their families will be removed, which, in terms of tackling poverty and improving the economy of Wales, is counterproductive.'

The strange case of Bolton's league table rise and the vice-chancellor's new title

Private Eye noted the bizarre press release from the University of Bolton that failed to thank any staff for the university's climb up some university league tables. It asked if this was because Damien Markey - sacked by the vice-chancellor for allegedly leaking stories to the press (something both he and the press deny) - was in charge of the institution's highest ranked course.

The magazine also raised an eyebrow at vice-chancellor George Holmes adding the letters DL after his name. This notes that he is one of 89 deputy lieutenants to the Lord Lieutenant of Manchester. Holmes was recently in trouble surrounding letters after his name when it was discovered that he didn't actually have the PhD that was listed on his university website profile.

South and City College Birmingham strike

Yesterday members at South and City College Birmingham were on strike in a row over plans to axe 34 jobs. Following strong support on picket lines at all main entrances to the college's sites, members headed to a rally in Digbeth. UCU has rejected the college's proposals to make more staff redundant Over one in ten of the college's staff (146 employees) have already agreed redundancy packages and will leave at the end of the month.

UCU regional official, Teresa Corr, said: 'South and City College Birmingham has already lost more 13% of its staff and we don't believe it is necessary to axe another 34 jobs. We are talking about potential students with learning difficulties, prisoners and people who need that second chance at education missing out because of these cuts.'

First governors' meeting protests at University of Wolverhampton since the 1970s

Members at the University of Wolverhampton lobbied the institution's governing body for the first time since the 1970s yesterday in protest at plans to axe 19 professors. UCU wants the governors to throw out the vice-chancellor's plans that could see almost a third of the university's 63 research professors lose their jobs.

UCU rep Catherine Lamond said: 'Axing a third of research professors would have a hugely negative impact on the university's reputation and its ability to become a major player in research. We cannot sit by and watch this illegitimate attempt to axe staff go through.'

West Yorkshire: Strike at Bradford College and rally in Leeds city centre

On Wednesday members at Bradford College walked out in a row over job losses, and then joined colleagues from across the region at a lunchtime rally supporting further education in Leeds city centre. Hundreds of campaigners congregated outside Leeds Art Gallery to hear speeches from some of the Bradford strikers, as well as TUC regional secretary Bill Adams and UCU president Liz Lawrence.

Strikes planned for Sheffield College, Barnsley College and Mid Cheshire College on Wednesday were suspended following breakthroughs in talks with the respective institutions.

More protests at Stafford College

There were more protests at Stafford College this week, following last week's walkout. Union members lobbied two emergency governors' meetings on Monday and Wednesday calling for their litany of complaints to be addressed.

UCU regional support official, Rebecca Stewart, said: 'Walkouts, votes of no-confidence, emergency governors' meetings and staff too nervous to put their name to a litany of complaints tell the sorry tale of a college with serious problems. The time has come for Stafford College to address its shortfalls and listen to the complaints from staff. Failure to do will bring the possibility of industrial action ever closer.'