**LONG THREAD**

Didn’t feel it was my place to comment on #UCUstrike as an undergrad, but seeing students complain about strikes, I can’t keep it in. Gutted I’m abroad & can’t help, so I’m supporting digitally! Ultimately, universities are businesses. It’s sad hearing students

say we’re no longer students, rather customers giving into higher management. So here’s my *long* thread on why you shouldn’t go to lessons & join @BirminghamUCU picket lines:

1) postgrads deserve more. For at least 1/3 of my degree, I’m taught by postgrads.

All good, until circumstances led to postgrads leading, providing & teaching multiple modules (I’m sure this can’t be right?). I remember one of my postgrad tutors continuously apologising for not being able to provide resources (printed textbook) bc they couldn’t afford printing

(as they’re students). Ofc, ultimately, we didn’t care about handouts, but why postgrads are being made to lead & provide for us on this scale, when they’re not helped financially? Our money pays for petrol for our VC’s chauffeur-driven car ok, yet can’t afford staff printing?

I can confidently say it’s also been these postgrads who’ve impacted my learning the most, literally taught me a language from scratch, stayed with me after 7pm helping me pastorally after a panic attack, set up ‘office hours’ for assessments, literally convened modules.

Currently abroad, it’s been them that’s taken the time to email me and check in, when I don’t have a personal tutor. Why aren’t they treated properly?

They. Are. More. Than. Teaching. Assistants.

2) job insecurity. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress this brings. We always joke how ‘all the good tutors go’, but it’s true. If unis are so hung up about research, why not allow career progression and chance for young tutors/early career teaching fellows to acc research,

instead of temp positions/rolling contracts with overloading workloads? We’re literally losing the best teachers AND fresh and upcoming researchers.

3) Workload and fair pay. I think back to all the extra film nights put on. All the hours of chats and tea when I’m stressed. The extra 1:1 help with assessments/job applications outside of working day. The outstanding help I’ve had with YA.

The phone calls with tutors at 8pm listening to my growing concerns. The emails during vacations. Why aren’t they paid fairly for this? For being decent human beings. It’s clear it’s not a 9-5 job. E.g. We didn’t even know in Y1 that the YA team were actually our lecturers -

how does everyone have (multiple) admin positions alongside their teaching AND research?

I can’t help feeling like a burden asking for extra help (academically or pastorally), when I know they’re literally being burdened and not paid fairly for it.

4) Non-academic staff. No university can run without its non-academic staff. I’ve enjoyed working with these people so much last year, even being offered a job in Y4 after all the volunteering I’ve done to help alleviate workload (!),

so have seen first hand the struggle they’ve put up with and again, the extra hours they’ve had to work, just to get multiple projects finished. These are the people that keep buildings functioning, look after our beloved library,

improve student experience so unis have something to promote etc. Instead of VC swanning off round the world, I wish he’d see the amazing work our staff do right on his doorstep. It’s not always about research, league tables and fancy buildings ya know! :)

Finally, it is clear our money isn’t going to teaching. With disproportionate funding, I’ve already seen (from abroad!) some departments get smaller this year due to job instability. These degrees have so much potential, why are we not investing in greater teaching,

allowing more lecturers to do research & share passion, when we give so much money? Most importantly, have bigger teams to even out teaching and workload so we don’t rely on postgrads to take over. Or allocating the right pay for the hours these staff work in first place.

Ultimately, If staff invest so much time & money into us, why isn’t uni investing in them?

That’s why I’m supporting evry1 who goes above & beyond to give best degree they can- from librarians to senior lecturers. I’m proud of the languages on strike & wish I could be there!