The following motion was passed at a quorate branch meeting on 10th March 2025.
—
Essex UCU Branch Motion
Opposing the Latest Version of the New Academic Calendar
Proposed by: Essex UCU Committee
This Branch Notes:
- We have had productive meetings and negotiations with the Senior Management Team (SMT) about the new academic calendar. The branch welcomed the agreement reached on 23.09.2024, in which SMT agreed to several red lines for any future changes to the academic calendar.
- Members are not opposed to change in principle. However, numerous members and non-members across departments, sections and schools have raised serious concerns about the revised version of the proposed academic calendar.
- Moreover, the latest version has not been widely shared with staff and the full report has not been shared with the campus unions. This has seriously limited transparency and input from the Essex community.
- No serious evidence has been provided to support the claims that the changes will help improve retainment and retention, reduce attainment gaps, and increase student recruitment. A structured literature review evidencing these claims was promised but never delivered, and in recent meetings with the campus unions SMT has stated that the changes will themselves be a kind of ‘research project’.
- There has been insufficient effort to ensure the proposal is workable across all departments, with particular implementation issues (such as for January start courses) deferred until after the proposals are approved.
- No costing has been conducted for the implementation of this calendar. SMT has dismissed concerns by claiming it is a ‘resource neutral’ project, ignoring the significant burdens such major changes would place on staff time, at a moment when the university is both shrinking and facing a financial crisis.
- Finally, a new Vice-Chancellor is about to take office, and several major leadership positions at the university are changing. Implementing a radical change to the academic calendar before new leadership is in place is very ill-advised.
Based on these serious concerns, this Branch Resolves:
- To oppose the latest version of the new academic calendar, and to call for the project to be postponed, until our concerns have been adequately addressed.
- To call on Senators to vote against the latest new academic calendar proposal.
- To insist that any future changes to the academic calendar be developed collaboratively, drawing on the university’s research, teaching, and administrative expertise. This process should include comparative analysis with other universities; an assessment of the resources involved; a clear, coherent, and evidenced justification; adherence to principles previously agreed with SMT; and thorough resolution of implementation concerns.
- To communicate our position widely to the university community.