This is how the newsletter explains why students should support the strike:
Most staff oppose the restructure. Not only does it threaten their livelihoods and their careers, but it is also bad for students. Indeed, they know that, soon, our tuition fees will triple while the quality of all services at UWE has already decreased. This is particularly obvious when it comes to teaching. First, the morale of most employees has collapsed (because of the fear to lose their job, rising tensions between colleagues competing for fewer jobs, management’s disgraceful and disheartening tactics), affecting their performance in the classroom. Second, 80 out UWE’s 300 most senior jobs have already been deleted through voluntary redundancies. Even though degrees are cut (e.g. languages, environmental health), options disappear, class sizes increase and contact time decreases, employees’ workload is increasing.
Even though students are given little information by management or their student union to understand what is going on, many start to get a sense of what the restructure means for them. For example, John, a third year student of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education
says: “Its shit. I'm very disappointed... the best lecturer is leaving. And its not only a disappointment for me but also for my lecturer who just wants to do good for the students and to tell us about the world. He's always been supportive, approachable. He's always been able to say complex things in such simple ways, which has really helped students who need more guidance. I'm devastated that he's going”. ‘Our’ student union is not doing anything to defend the quality of education at UWE. In fact, Colin Offler imposes his personal opinion (he believes that we should not act in solidarity with staff, and he opposes the strike), in violation of his mandate to represent the diversity of students’ perspectives.
Read more at the link above and here soon! And please support our strike!
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