This branch notes and applauds the policy on Higher Education funding passed at HE conference 2024 (13. Fund Our Universities Properly; 14. A New Start for Higher Education). That motion calls on the service group to inform members about the state of higher education finances, to campaign for adequate funding and more grants, to reaffirm support for public funding and opposition to tuition fees, and to support branches facing job cuts. Our policy envisions and commits us to supporting a Higher Education sector that is accessible to all, publicly funded through progressive taxation and free from the instability of tuition fees and wasteful market competition.
This branch notes the current crisis in HE that is causing the loss of posts through voluntary severance, voluntary redundancies and, in some HE institutions, compulsory redundancies. Staff in HEIs – our members – are being asked to work harder than ever to keep them viable. Some HEIs could go out of business this year.
This branch notes the uncertainty created by over-reliance on international student fees, in themselves exploitative.
This branch also notes the election of a new Westminster Government which opens the possibilities of changes in policy on HE funding.
This branch believes that the funding crisis needs a swift, timely, visible and robust response from our union, in order to save jobs, press the case for increased funding, and serve the needs of members. Such a campaign can also assist with recruitment.
This branch calls upon the HE Service Group Executive to organise an urgent campaign that includes the following elements, among others it deems appropriate:
· Seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister for Higher Education to press the case for changes to HE funding in line with policy and reporting back on this to members;
· Organising a Parliamentary lobby to press the case for changes to HE funding in line with our policy, and to invite other HE unions and NUS to sponsor this but to go ahead with or without their support;
· Approaching Labour Link to seek their support for our campaign for changes to HE funding in line with our policy;
· Developing an open letter to the Westminster Government in line with our policy and seek signatures from members in the first place but also wider;
· Developing a postcard campaign for members to send to MPs urging support for our policies;
· Organising a briefing meeting at Labour Party conference that makes the case for changes to HE funding in line with our policies;
· Working with the Regional HE Committees in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop equivalent campaigns that serve all of our members.
The branch instructs our representatives to propose an amended form of this motion to the SW HE Committee, which will mandate our representatives on the HE SGE to propose and support the above actions.