Union passes vote of no confidence in University of Lincoln’s senior management

Following the announcement in April of nearly 300 jobs at risk, a union representing academics has passed a vote of no confidence in the senior leadership at the University of Lincoln.

Dr Owen Clayton, branch chair of the University and College Union has said a ballot on strike action was also being held.

He further stated the union branch is representing all 1,500 academic staff at Lincoln University, regardless of union membership.

The vote of no confidence was a response to “the direction the university is going in, and the decisions that have been made”.

Dr Clayton added: “They are talking about cutting up to 285 jobs… but  they are also talking about changing the nature of the university, saying that certain parts of the university don’t matter anymore and we can get rid of them”

These cuts would fall across a number of areas, including the Lincoln International Business School, the history department, and the Eleanor Glanville Institute.

This institute is an equality, diversity, and inclusion institute that works to inform policies and practices at the university.

However, a spokesperson for the university told The Lincoln Tab there was a “clear vision and plan” amid the financial pressures of higher education facilities across the UK.

The union has now called on the universities board of governors to act, following the ballot. Dr Clayton stated: “We want [them] to do something because the staff don’t have confidence in their leaders anymore.”

He described the relationship with the leadership as “acrimonious” but added that this dispute would end if compulsory redundancies were ruled out. “If they don’t, we could be looking at strike action over the summer, but also at the start of next semester,” he said.

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These strikes could cause difficulty settling in for new and continuing students if they continue at the beginning of the academic year.

A spokesperson at the university told The Lincoln Tab: “As a winner of the Queens Anniversary Prize and one of the few UK universities to hold triple gold status in the national Teaching Excellence Framework, the university has a clear vision and plan to keep delivering for our students and communities amid the financial pressures facing UK universities”

“A recent report from the Office for Students predicts nearly half of universities will return a financial deficit in 2024/25. We expect to achieve a break-even position due to careful management of finances over the past two years.”

“These changes we are making now are key to adapt to the new higher education landscape.”

The university said the board of governors also has “full confidence” in the senior leadership team.