In response to concerns raised by UCU regarding the working conditions of hourly paid teaching staff and postgraduates with teaching responsibilities, the University has set up a Teaching Delivery Governance Group, with the following objectives:

1. in consultation with relevant parties, to create policies which are fit for purpose to deliver teaching in a flexible manner across the institution;

2. to review how both teaching and scholarship are approached in our academic career pathways;

3. to review progression between grades 5 to 7 on the academic career pathways;

4. to review the engagement status for PGR students in relation to any form of paid work they undertake;

5. to outline plans for training and support in relation to Teaching activities for staff on a-typical contracts and PGR students;

6. to implement agreed proposals in a consistent manner across all Schools and relevant Professional Services’ departments.

The group met for the first time on the 19th June, with our two UCU representatives, Rowan Campbell and Renata Medeiros. Some recommendations from the group have already been made and include a revision of all current fractional and framework contracts to ensure that they accurately reflect the hours worked. Meetings on the three specific working groups regarding 1) terms of engagement of hourly paid teaching staff, 2) academic career pathways and career progression and 3) postgraduate students, are now happening across the university. If you have any evidence of bad practice in any of these areas or any other aspects you would like to discuss that might be relevant to this work, please get in touch with us.