Leicester Socialist Students
Socialist Students at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester have been campaigning against the vice-chancellor’s plans to make cuts in academic staff and increase tuition fees. The vice-chancellor Katie Normington emailed staff to inform them that she “cannot rule out” redundancies in the light of financial difficulties, only two years after the last round of redundancies. She has warned that if voluntary redundancies are not forthcoming then there would be ‘formal’ (i.e. compulsory) redundancies. Her salary is £249,000 in 2022-23 according to DMU’s own annual accounts
Cuts in academic staff could mean fewer courses on offer and/or an increase in workload for the remaining staff.
DMU is claiming that its spending will be greater than its income, and it will have to use cash reserves to balance the books. Socialist Students says ‘open the books, let’s see how much is in the cash reserves and where money is being spent’. University and College Union (UCU) members are claiming that DMU has invested in an expansion of operations in London and Dubai. It is thought that around £10 million was invested. DMU has also invested in Cambodia and Kazakhstan.
The Leicester Mercury quoted one UCU member as saying that the university has turned into an “unrecognisable corporate franchising operation”.
But why should education be run like a commercial business? Britain is the sixth-wealthiest nation in the world. Education should be fully funded and free to students. Education workers, students and the wider working class should decide how universities are run and funded.
DMU Socialist Students will be stepping up the campaign to scrap tuition fees, cancel student debt and replace student loans with living grants. We will also be contacting the UCU and the students union to suggest a joint campaign to defend jobs and against a rise in tuition fees.
