On Tuesday 9th June Socialist Party members joined UCU members and supporters at BCU to oppose the recent redundancy consultations affecting staff in Architecture and the Built Environment, Black Studies, and Biomedical Engineering.
Staff, students and supporters spoke about the importance of defending courses, jobs and educational opportunities from cuts. BCU's senior management has stated that these proposals are driven by financial pressures and a lack of demand.
However, concerns were raised that no Equality Impact Assessment was carried out before decisions affecting Black Studies were proposed, despite the potential impact on both staff and students. Speakers also highlighted the lack of response to the collective grievance relating to discrimination concerns surrounding the course's closure.
The message from today's protest was clear: BCU is more than its senior management and that the university belongs to its staff, students and the wider community it serves. No redundancy is necessary. The wealth exists to fund high quality free education for all!