Sussex Not For Sale!'s Demands to Senior Management

Core Demands

These demands were formulated by the campaign as their opposition to the imposed changes as a whole. The second section, additional demands, lists demands that the campaign made in attempting to realise these initial demands.

  1. There has been no risk-assessment of the management's current strategic plan. We believe that any strategic plan for the University must be properly risk-assessed before implementation, taking into account all possible impacts on the academic and financial well being of the University.
  2. The process and formulation of these proposals has been exclusive and anti-democratic. We demand an open and critical debate on the University's future.
  3. We demand that management impose no cuts or changes in the composition of this University's governing bodies.
  4. We demand that no meeting of Council should be held before Senate.
  5. We reject the current proposal for school restructuring. This would be a massively costly exercise and before we undergo a restructure again we must review the last restructuring of 2003. The decision must be taken on a sound academic and financial basis in a democratic way, always recognising the importance of departmental autonomy.
  6. We stand for academic freedom, unhampered by the government's agenda and that of the Research Councils. We reject the imposition of research themes. Research cooperation already exists at Sussex and arises organically out of the research process.
  7. All changes that affect staff must be agreed with staff and the recognised trade unions. We support the ATs in their fight for fair treatment and demand an immediate review of their grading. We oppose the introduction of Key Performance Indicators and performance related pay for academics and support workers and demand development opportunities for all levels of Sussex staff.
  8. The language of the market must be discontinued in reference to academia at Sussex, in recognition of education's transformative and liberating role in society.

Additional Demands

  • Demand released on the 1st of May:
    We demand that the VCEG release the restructuring plan that will be put to next month’s extraordinary senate by the 9th May, to give adequate time for all staff to assess it.