Author: L Scott Blankenship

Email sent to members on Monday 22nd June 2026.

As part of our campaign to defend jobs and working conditions at the University of Nottingham, we will be sending regular emails, authored by different UCU members, examining key elements of management’s restructuring plans. Today we discuss the enormous toll that management’s restructuring plans and simple incompetence have taken on staff. Feel free to share this post with non-UCU members in your area.

I’ve been employed in my role here for less than a year. So far Nottingham have accidently sacked me, put me at risk of redundancy, and potentially lost my personal data to cybercriminals. 

Just over a year ago I was about to graduate with my PhD and start what I thought was my dream job. I felt so lucky to have quickly secured a permanent academic post at a Russell Group University and was excited for the year ahead. 

Since then, the University of Nottingham have accidently sacked me, put me at risk of redundancy, and potentially lost my personal data to cybercriminals.

Back in September 2025, during the first week of teaching, I received an email telling me that my account was going to be closed that evening, as I was leaving the University. This email arrived shortly before 3pm in the afternoon, just I was heading into a medical appointment. I had no idea what this was about, and as a new member of staff, was somewhat panicked that there may have been an issue with my contract. 

It was not until the next day, when I managed to get hold of HR on the phone, that I learned there had been a mistake in the system, and I had incorrectly been processed as a leaver. I was told that they ‘thought’ they could reverse this, and without it affecting my tax, as ‘fortunately’ we had just entered a new pay cycle. To be fair, at this point the University did confirm with me almost immediately that the leavers process had been reversed, and I was back on my account later that day. However, it was not until several months later that it was confirmed that my tax had not been impacted, and as a new member of staff, the whole ordeal had quite an impact on me. 

Then, on the 12^th May of this year, I received an email placing my role at risk of redundancy. I’m still not sure what the pool I have been placed in actually looks like, as the numbers on my letter and the University documents do not match. As with many others placed at risk, this has had a significant impact on my self-worth, sense of security and stability, and my initial sense of pride at working for the University of Nottingham has rapidly waned. It has been incredibly difficult to continue to function, turn up to work, and provide the kind of experience, support and presence of mind that I want to give my students. 

Most recently, on the 10^th June, I received an email from the University letting me know that my data had potentially been accessed by cybercriminals the previous day. I am currently enrolled at the University as a student, as well as a staff member, which is why my data was included in the breach. The email informed us that cybercriminals had potentially accessed our contact information, University details, financial information, and personal information. For me, this includes private medical information. The advice provided was to change our passwords and monitor our accounts for suspicious activity. When I attempted to call IT Services to change my passwords (which students cannot do independently) it was not possible to get through. 

This data breach has been even more worrying for me due to security risks in my personal life, with my address needing to be kept confidential. 

Last year I thought I’d secured my dream job, but so far it has felt like one crisis after another. Looking forward to the coming year, I feel more dread than optimism.  

An indebted thank you to, and solidarity with, colleagues from across the University who are currently participating in industrial action at great personal cost. And to those who are not currently out on strike, a reminder to say no to and to continue to resist requests that undermine the action of colleagues who have withdrawn their labour to save our University! 

      On behalf of the Branch Committee

Email sent to members on Friday 19th June 2026.

Dear members

We had a first dispute resolution meeting with Jane yesterday (18 June 2026).  Disappointingly, Management appeared not to be concerned about students graduating correctly in a timely manner, let alone the effect of the large scale redundancies to the university’s reputation,  the shortened research time,  increased stress and workload, the closures of so many courses (some that speak to the soul of humankind) .  They still appear to be firmly wedded to FN2, despite opposition from so many quarters in UoN. Management has received UCU’s Future Nottingham counterproposal  (see below).  This report, developed by a cross section of UCU members,  demonstrates that there is a credible alternative to compulsory redundancies and course closures. Management has acknowledged that there were aspects of this report that they found interesting and are looking at more closely.  Therefore, we will be meeting them again next week. We hope they will reflect on our discussions and develop something more concrete.  

Do take a look at this, the first part of UCU’s Future Nottingham counterproposal.   https://uonucu.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FN2-counterproposal-part-1.pdf

In particular, the report:

• • Identifies more than £40 million of recurring annual savings and income opportunities, exceeding the savings currently being sought through redundancies.
  • Shows how substantial savings can be achieved through attrition, workforce planning, consultancy reductions, procurement efficiencies and tighter control of discretionary spending.
  • Proposes measures to protect and grow income through recruitment, retention, degree apprenticeships, CPD and other high-margin educational activity.
  • Challenges the University’s assumptions around surplus targets, strategic spending and capital investment, arguing that alternative choices are available.
  • Sets out a more federated model of governance, returning greater decision-making power to Schools and local units.

This is not simply a critique of management’s plans. It is a detailed and financially credible alternative vision for the University, that could end this death spiral. 

Dear members, securing change will require continued collective pressure.  Thank you for standing together through our industrial action. As we move into the next phase of the dispute, it remains vital that we maintain that solidarity and continue to hold the line. This support is vital for our continued discussions with management.

In solidarity,

Email sent to members on 18th June 2026.

Dear UCU members,

   There are two forthcoming events related to our current dispute I would like to draw your attention to. First, everybody is invited to attend a breakfast with Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East tomorrow, Friday 19th June at 9am in the Pavilion Café at Lakeside Arts Centre. This gives you the opportunity to raising your concerns directly with an MP, who is sympathetic to our struggle.

   Second, next Wednesday, 24 June from 2 to 4 p.m. we will be holding our second annual lecture in honour of the life of our former President and all-round fighter, Agnes Flues. This year the lecture will be given by another former Branch President, and expert on industrial relations in the education sector, Howard Stevenson. Howard’s talk is entitled “How We Win”.

   The lecture will be hybrid, with in-person attendance in B21 in the School of Physics, and online via Zoom. In either case, book tickets here. The event is an opportunity to remember Agnes’s contribution to our movement and honour her memory by renewing our commitment to the current struggle.

   Finally, with our first dispute resolution meeting with management coming up this afternoon, it remains important to hold the line and continue the MAB in relation to the moderation of module marks as well as derived marks, which may be rejected by students.

Best,