1. Black History Month 2025 & Racial Inequality at UoB
- As the University of Bristol launches its Black History Month series of events in 2025 it is timely to reflect on key actions identified by UCU Bristol in its recently finalised report focused on advancing racial equality at the institution. The report draws on findings from a discussion forum and a survey undertaken earlier in 2025.
- Recommendations to advance racial equality at UoB put forward by survey and forum participants included:
- Mandatory anti-racist training for all staff, but especially line managers.
- Stronger sanctions for perpetrators of racist incidents.
- More analysis of data focusing on ethnic differences in staff experiences.
- Closing the ethnicity pay and awarding gap.
- Recruitment of more diverse staff, especially at more senior levels.
- Better communication about initiatives and actions undertaken to strengthen racial equality.
- Raising awareness of HR and senior managers and holding them to account.
The full report with findings, recommendations and actions can be found here.
2. CALD – Redundancies were unnecessary after all
Members will recall that colleagues in the Centre of Academic Language and Development entered into a dispute with the university over plans to make tens of colleagues compulsorily redundant in anticipation of a drop in student numbers: 250 students was the number on which the restructure proposals rested (there were 340 IFP students last year).
Many colleagues took voluntary redundancy at the end of the summer, reducing the teaching staff in CALD by 22%. In fact, the are now more International Foundation Students than there were last year: close to 350, which amounts to at least £1.3 million in unanticipated fee income. That’s £300K more than the staffing savings made through the restructure, which branch negotiators consistently maintained was unnecessary in both its scope and the speed with which it was being implemented.
Bristol UCU Branch Officers are working with local reps and members to address the spikes in workload which this increase in students and reduction in frontline staff is causing.
3. Solidarity with Jewish staff and students
Bristol UCU Branch Officers stand in solidarity with Jewish members and the wider Jewish community in the wake of last week’s horrific attack in Manchester. We highlight UCU General Secretary Jo Grady’s message.
4. PSTP – Professional Services Transformation Programme
The PSTP has been going on for some time but is starting to become more visible and have more direct impact on UCU members. The Branch Officer team would appreciate some insight from PS members into how this is playing out and affecting you.
Please send an email to this inbox (ucu-newsflash@bristol.ac.uk) with your thoughts.
5. General Meeting Wednesday 15 October 1pm – online
We have our first General Meeting of the academic year next Wednesday, 15 October at 1pm on Teams. John McTague sent out an email with motions to be discussed and voted on a couple of days ago.
Here is the agenda again:
Apologies & Minutes of the Last Meeting
Co-presidents’ update
National industrial action ballot: We are the University Motion on Combatting the Rise of the Far Right
Motion on Unite UCU solidarityAny other business
Date of Next Meeting: Weds 21st January 2026 13:00 – 13:50