Strike action: commitment from the Vice-Chancellor

Dear students,

Last week was a very difficult week for all of you and I am writing to reassure you that the University’s priority and commitment remains to ensure that all students will have opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes attached to your programmes and modules of study.

The bad weather hit just as the second week of the strike ended. The red weather warning from the met office, issued on the Thursday morning, meant we had to close the University. I took that decision as I wanted to be sure that all students and staff could get home safely on the Thursday and remain safely at home on the Friday as the red weather warning persisted overnight. I apologise for all the inconvenience I know this caused.

We are now working collaboratively across the University to ensure that measures are put in place to support any missed learning. Our priority and commitment is to ensure that you have opportunities to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes attached to your programme and modules of study. This could include lectures being rescheduled, delivered by another academic colleague or through either a new or previously recorded lecture. Students can read our student question and answers surrounding strike action on the student intranet

I would also like to reassure you that I remain committed to continuing talks between UCU and UUK to resolve the pensions dispute. I was very encouraged to see both sides agreeing to further talks under the auspices of the conciliation service ACAS. Again, we will continue to work hard to ensure that the impact of the strike, and now the adverse weather, on our students is minimised.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Colin Riordan

Vice-Chancellor