The University of Portsmouth (UoP) branch of the UCU (University and College Union) has voted for a motion calling for ‘University management to work in concert with the unions to strengthen its democratic accountability within the University to the broader community of staff and students.’
The motion began by citing the May 2024 vote of no confidence in Vice-Chancellor of UoP Graham Galbraith, passed by a majority of 94%. That there was no formal response to it from management triggered a discussion amongst members about improving UoP’s general accountability and transparency.
The motion is critical of the top-down management that has often led to questionable decision-making and high levels of staff dissatisfaction, not only at UoP but across the sector. Suggested measures to be discussed include closer academic oversight of senior management, protocols for responding to votes of no confidence, increased union representation at UEB (the University Executive Board), and increased provisions for elected staff representatives/observers on senior university committees.
It is customary and traditional in many countries and institutions elsewhere for university employees to have some democratic say over who leads them and which policies are implemented. In a country where citizens elect their legislators, it follows that workplaces should be democratic too. Moreover, given that UoP has made various public commitments to promoting ‘equality, citizenship and civic engagement’ in wider society, it could set a good example by operating these principles itself.
The motion concluded that democratisation is essential to healing the UoP community after a damaging round of redundancies by increasing participation in decision-making beyond the formalities of consultation.
Image ‘University of Portsmouth’ by N Chadwick reused under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence.
