by Rhys Machold & Sayantan Ghosal

Download this blog post as a PDF here.

As you will have heard in recent communication from our Vice Chancellor Andy Schofield on 23 June, despite on one hand noting that despite delivering “a modest surplus in the current financial year”, our University’s overall “financial environment is becoming increasingly challenging.” He explained that in this environment, the University Court has now approved a budget that will seek to maintain “a small underlying financial surplus” in order to ensure “the long‑term sustainability of the institution.” As he went on, achieving this goal “will require significant further savings across all areas of expenditure and each of our budgetary units”, which will in turn “inevitably” result in “implications for the size of our workforce, affecting both academic and professional services roles.” In other words, welcome to a new period of financial austerity.

We are told this austerity being undertaken not by design but out of material necessity itself resulting from “inevitable” dynamics that are far beyond our University’s control. It also has no clear timeframe or specific targets beyond at least ostensibly ensuring our institution’s viability and by extension the long-term “wellbeing of our colleague and student community”, at least those of us who are not implicated in plans for future redundancies.

This announcement is perhaps on its face, not entirely surprising. After all, we have seen countless other universities announce and begin to enact similar austerity plans across Scotland and the UK in recent years. These have been justified by references to a range of distinct but also overlapping crises, whether falling international student numbers, poor investment decisions, rising costs, etc. etc. Yet, in our case in Glasgow, however, despite our VC’s claim about the impending austerity being “inevitable” consequence of conspiring external factors facing our institution’s viability, it is rather less than clear what these ostensible factors actually are.

Below is an overview of the actual figures we currently have access to, which paint a rather different picture about our current financial environment:

• Reserves: The University holds over £1.3 billion in unrestricted reserves, with £645.7 million in liquid funds — enough to run for more than 200 days without any income at all, well above the sector benchmark of 110–150 days. In addition, the university has a credit facility with banks of £200 million.
• Growing income: Total income has risen continuously for a decade including through the recent dip in international student numbers, with tuition fee income alone rising by nearly £70 million in 2024–25 and research income rising by £18.8 million. The University has recorded an annual operating surplus for over a decade.
• Low staff costs: The University’s staff costs as a proportion of income are among the lowest in the Russell Group — fourth lowest, above only Oxford, Cambridge, and Bristol.
• Cautious borrowing: Existing debt of around £250 million was secured at below 3% interest with repayment deferred until the 2030s at the earliest. Unlike three other major Scottish universities, Glasgow is no danger of breaking its loan covenants (it has £44.4 million cushion in meeting even the most stringent one).

Nevertheless, there are indeed some elements about our financial environment, unrelated to staffing costs, which are cause for concern:

• Capital Spend: Between now and 2040, annual capital spend is planned to be over £100 million+, double the historical average. A sinking fund to meet principal repayments beyond 2040 has been created. But there are no cuts planned in Glasgow’s anticipated capital spend.
• Rising consultancy fees: Between 2019-2026, the University spent over £114 million on consultancy fees (data from FOI request by UCU Goldsmith).

Based on our own rigorous analysis of these publicly-available figures, we have an alternative diagnosis of what our University is facing. Rather than facing an external set of pressures beyond our control that are forcing our leadership to act responsibly, the ailment we face is something altogether different. We call this austerity FOMO. For the uninitiated FOMO is the abbreviation for “fear of missing out”, broadly defined as a worried feeling that one may miss out on exciting events that others are partaking in.

Based on the clear disjuncture between our VC’s austerity vision and the data we have access to about our University’s actually-existing financial position, it is hard to come to any other conclusion. It seems to us that rather than taking an accurate assessment our current financial situation and being encouraged by our relative, some might even say exceptional, strength within our sector within Scotland and the UK, our leadership instead seems to be worried that they might well miss out on the austerity gripping the broader higher education sector at the moment.

This threat is very real. The University of Glasgow is already laying-off people on open-ended contracts: 52 Associate Tutors at the School of Education are to be made redundant at the start of the semester, 35 of whom are on open-ended contracts.

It is imperative to challenge and contest the SMG narrative that staff cuts are inevitable because of declining PGT numbers. An alternative would be to minimize the decline in PGT revenue (and not just numbers) and focus on generating additional sources of revenue (commercial activities, industry collaboration, increased research income, new modules and teaching initiatives) by working with (and not against) faculty or adopting an ad hoc slash and burn approach to cutting costs devoid of any strategic thinking and consideration.

That the SMG are focusing on staff cuts is a management and political choice (i.e. Austerity FOMO). Other approaches can and should be explored in consultation with the staff and relevant unions.

Of course, exploiting political crises is nothing new. Nearly two decades ago Naomi Klein alerted us to this dynamic in her powerful book The Shock Doctrine, which traced the origins of what she called the rise of “disaster capitalism”. While fear is, no doubt, at work in austerity FOMO is clearly borne out of a fear on missing out the potential transformative force of disaster capitalism that Klein chronicles. Austerity FOMO is thus different from the general shock doctrine in at least one respect : it is not merely an attempt to exploit an external disaster that has already happened; rather it is an attempt to fabricate a crisis which does not yet exist, at least not in the form it is being presented.

It is for this reason that UCU Glasgow is calling on our membership to find ways to raise awareness about how austerity FOMO is being mobilized as the basis of a major assault on all of us as a choice rather than economic necessity. Only by drawing attention to the fictitious basis of this new wave of austerity that can we begin to develop a strong response to it. So we encourage you to get the word out! Speak to your colleagues and let it be known: we are being deceived into a crisis which is entirely made up and entirely avoidable! Facts matter and in this instance they are clearly on our side!

Mariel Goulart, Marion Hersh and Sarah Currier (all Glasgow) UCU Delegates

Introduction and conference atmosphere

The 15th Annual STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Conference took place on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th May 2026 at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel in Clydebank, Glasgow. The atmosphere was great – welcoming, energetic and genuinely supportive.

A standout moment was the panel session on Sunday morning featuring one of Scotland’s first trans MSPs. The panel included Oceana Maud (Equality Network / Scottish Trans), Zarith (Care 4 Calais) and Tammy Hymas (Policy Lead, TransActual). Hearing them speak about trans rights, asylum solidarity and grassroots organising was inspiring and a powerful reminder of why LGBT+ visibility in politics and trade unions matters. We also appreciated the workshops on ACE / ARO awareness and A People’s History of LGBT+ Liberation. A motion on Decriminalising sex work was remitted and all the other motions were carried.

Motions UCU was directly involved in

Our two motions on Trans Rights – Countering the Threats and Organising Against Reform and the Far Right in many ways encapsulated the two main themes of the conferences and both were composited (combined) with other motions.  The Advancing Trans and Non-Binary Rights Composite  reaffirms full support for trans and non‑binary workers. It notes that the Supreme Court ruling on “sex” has not changed legal protection for gender reassignment. It warns that employers might force trans workers to use disabled toilets instead of facilities matching their lived gender. The motion calls on the STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Committee to produce guidance on trans rights for members and to encourage affiliates to join demonstrations and events supporting trans rights.  Sarah spoke about our experiences organising locally in support of trans members.

The Tackling the Far Right composite condemns the rise of Reform UK and far right groups who weaponise anti‑trans and anti‑LGBT+ hate. It states that transphobia is part of the same harmful far right narratives attacking all minorities. The motion calls on the STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Committee to develop training for union reps and create resources on the far right origins of anti‑trans hate.  Marion spoke about the even greater threat from Reform getting into political power than their detestable violent attacks and the need to be active in countering them.

We also seconded a motion on Pride and Prejudice from the FBU which we had amended.  Marion spoke on the importance of Pride remaining political and non-commercialised.  Mariel spoke very movingly about the situation in Brazil to a motion from Usdaw on International Solidarity.

Next steps

UCU has a vital role in defending LGBTQ+ members against discrimination, harassment and far right hostility. Through collective bargaining, legal advice, rep training and active campaigning, we need to make sure that trans, non‑binary and all LGBTQ+ members are safe and supported at work. This conference showed again that a strong union presence, including UCU’s voice, is essential to turning policy into real protection for our members.  Our rights have advanced, but there continue to be threats which we need to overcome.  The current threats are the Supreme Court Judgement and EHRC guidelines and we need to be active in challenging them and ensuring our workplaces remain welcoming and provide appropriate facilities to trans, non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming members.

Like many other delegations we took a photo with the Transpride banner (above) and hope to invite them to a branch meeting.  We would encourage other LGBTQ+ members to attend the conference next year.

If you are a UCU Glasgow member & you want to join the LGBT+ Subcommittee and/or the EHRC Working Group please email: ucug@glasgow.ac.uk

UCUG Finance working group blog #1 May 2026

Safe but too safe: excessive prudence as a form of institutional self-harm?

The first in a planned series of blogs about university finances at Glasgow

We all know that Higher Education in Scotland and in the UK as a whole is in crisis, but this crisis is not evenly spread across the sector. The University of Glasgow’s Senior Management assure us that Glasgow’s finances are not under threat…yet, but we are seeing budgets verging on austerity. We are working in an environment of ever-increasing workload, not least because an effective recruitment freeze means departing colleagues are never replaced. Management renege on promised pay spine restructuring using the sector’s difficulties to justify successive below-inflation pay rises. Meanwhile, PhD studentships and personal research allowances are slashed and buildings and services are allowed to crumble around us taking their toll on morale and productivity. Fixed term contracts are not renewed, a “hidden” redundancy?  GTA budgets have been slashed. What impact will these cuts have on Glasgow’s ability to raise research funding? How will individual subject areas and the University maintain their global rankings?

UCUG set out to understand the University finances, with expert advice, to discover whether you should be worried – you may be surprised by what we learned.

University finances as for any large organisation are complex and opaque to those who are unfamiliar with them. There are many accounting games that can be played and some staggeringly large numbers involved when the value of the physical assets (buildings & land) and endowments (money given for some specific purpose) are considered. However, the current financial health of the University is dependent on the balance between its income (largely from teaching, grants for research and from government) set against its expenditure (staff salaries, infrastructure maintenance, new buildings & interest on borrowing). Over time an institution can build up reserves when income exceeds expenditure (called a surplus) or eat into its reserves when in deficit. The “available funds” are a university’s equivalent of cash in the bank – money that they can use to cover unexpected dips in income. A yearly surplus and a comfortable reserve are indicators of sound financial health, but excessive surpluses and reserves mean that the income is not being put to good use by hiring enough staff to teach the students and carry out the research that are the University’s missions.

Glasgow riding high in stormy waters?

The situation at Dundee, as well as recent press coverage of Edinburgh and Strathclyde, feeds a narrative that the HE crisis is existential for Scotland’s universities old and new. However, the University of Glasgow is in a very strong financial position with turnover of over a billion pounds last year, has increased annual income continuously for the last 10 years (including the last two when international student numbers declined), and reported £1.3 billion in unrestricted reserves in 2024-25.

Glasgow’s annual report 2024/25, p. 30 notes that: “Available funds (cash and cash equivalents and investments) increased by £7.5m to £645.7m (2023-24 £638.2m).” These are liquid “reserves” that can be utilised to meet demand for payments. Since the university also has access to revolving credit facilities providing up to a further £200m, it is well-positioned against shocks. If the University’s income dried up overnight, these funds would allow it to run for over 200 days (“liquidity days”) before dipping into its overdraft. At present, most universities aim to have 110-150 of “days” of liquidity and only when this falls below 60 is it likely to cause issues.

This scale of reserves, credit and endowment mean the university could withstand severe income losses over multiple years before it came anywhere close to Dundee’s situation.

Glasgow’s income from overseas students increased markedly in 2024/25, when others saw severe downturns. An additional 1500 international students registered last year driving the overall increase in income recorded for 2024-25: tuition fees increased by £69.8 million as part of a total increase income of £93.2 million with increased in research income (£19.2 million) being the other significant component.

Although the annual report suggests that 2024-25 PGT numbers were lower, it also notes that income met or exceeded budget forecasts. Both PGT numbers and income are in a volatile state and downward trend, but the degree of this decline matters. An overly negative assessment of the downside (as happened for the last two years in a row) leads to aggressive cuts and damaging savings targets.

Staff costs as a proportion of income show UoG is several %age points below the sector average (HESA DT031 Table 1, Academic years 2015/16 to 2024/25). This ratio was the fourth lowest of all Russell Group universities above only Cambridge, Oxford and Bristol (and noting that the first two of these have such high income their staff cost ratios are consistently low compared to other RGs).

Prudent borrowing at low interest rates is another feature of Glasgow’s current financial position. In the past the University borrowed roughly £250m at interest rates below 3% with capital repayment deferred until the end of the next decade at the earliest (2024-25 financial statement). This is the kind of mortgage deal that you would kill for.

The dangers of excessive prudence: Money in the bank is money not working for the institution

Large chunks of the University’s income depend on its reputation.

• The Research Excellence Grant from SFC (£53.6m in 2025-26 https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/university-final-funding-allocations-2025-26/) depends on performance in REF combined with research power, which quantifies the number of staff and PhD students engaged in research.
• Overseas fee income depends on particular metrics of the University’s reputation such as the QS World University Rankings. Being in the top 50 or top 100 has a dramatic impact on how keen overseas Governments and Scholarship funders are to send students to Glasgow.

The University is also a registered charity and whether it can justify its reserves level with its charitable purpose is a theme we expect to cover in a later blog.

Spending too little on staff and their environment hurts morale & productivity as well as delivering a less good student experience. We wouldn’t argue for more shiny new buildings but research & teaching staff time spent dealing with water (and worse) damage from leaking drains & roofs, with collapsing ceilings, and shivering in winter and boiling in summer due to failed heating or air conditioning is not time spent writing 4 star outputs or delivering an excellent student experience.

QS rankings depend on the opinions of others who know us. Will PGT numbers and income be negatively affected by current austerity measures? How will cuts to personal research allowances and recruitment freezes impact on the University’s ability to increase research income? Do your invited seminar speakers remember their visit to the University with envy or because they had to trek from building to building to meet colleagues in the same School before walking across campus in the rain to a randomly allocated lecture room with half functioning projectors and a disgusting toilet next door?

Questions you should ask in staff meetings

What specific savings target is my College/School/Service being asked to make this year and next year?

Are you as Head of School/College/Service satisfied with the assumptions underlying the need to make this level of savings?

We’ve had a strong start to the academic year with our first general meeting and a welcome lunch for those of you who’ve recently joined UCU Glasgow! As we head into balloting for industrial action (opening October 20th), it’s as important as ever to build our organising power. Over the next two weeks, we are inviting members to get involved in getting the vote out, to organise against the far right, and to meet one another at our LGBTQ+ social – all are welcome! Contact ucug@glasgow.ac.uk for more information.

And here are a few more ways to get involved:

• President
• Organising Officer
• Communications Rep
• College of Arts & Humanities Rep

• College of MVLS Rep
• College of Science and Engineering Rep
• University Services Rep
• GTA Rep
• PGR Rep

The University and College Union Glasgow (UCUG) stands in solidarity with Serbian students, academics and the wider movement protesting government corruption and Aleksander Vučić’s presidency. We are gravely concerned at the violent suppression of demonstrators which obstructs their democratic right to protest.
Student-led protests initially emerged in response to the collapse of the Novi Sad railway canopy which killed 16 people. Protests have spread across the country as people demand government transparency, accountability and full implementation of the rule of law.
Protestors have been met with insults and intimidation. Journalists have been subject to threats of physical violence for covering the movement. A smear campaign directed at the University of Belgrade’s rector escalated into a full-scale campaign by pro-regime figures calling for his arrest. These attacks against citizens exercising fundamental democratic rights are designed to silence critical voices and undermine academic autonomy.
The alleged use of an illegal sonic weapon at a demonstration on March 15 was intended to incite fear and undermine the right to assembly as well as presenting a risk to life with the panic it caused.
We echo the call made by Serbian academics and students for Serbian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the events of the protest and to hold accountable those responsible for any use of unlawful means against demonstrators. We urge the international academic community to share this call and affirm our commitment to the right to protest.

More info here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13734/UCU-UK-elections-2024-25

A list of candidates is available here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13734/UCU-UK-elections-2024-25

The UCU Glasgow inbox has received various election communication from candidates, all of which are copied below. Please note that these are NOT ENDORSEMENTS, just a collation of materials we have received. UCU Glasgow does not endorse candidates in internal elections.

If you are a candidate and would like for your materials to be displayed here, please email ucug@glasgow.ac.uk.

Vice President (Higher Education) – Rhiannon Lockley

Rhiannon for UCU VP (Higher Education) Vote Rhiannon Lockley (she/her) for UCU Vice President (Higher Education): ballots are live 27th January till 3rd March 2025 rhiannonforucuvp.wordpress.com

Trustee – Mike Barton

The UCU elections for the Vice President, Honorary Treasurer, Trustees and the National Executive Committee have opened and members are now receiving ballot papers.

I am standing for election for the position of trustee, and I would appreciate it if you would circulate my election material to all of your members for their consideration: https://bit.ly/MikeBarton4UCUTrustee.

This is in line with UCU’s policy to encourage the circulation of information about all candidates standing in elections.

In addition to circulating my election material, I would very much welcome the endorsement by your branch or region of my candidacy if you feel you are able to do so.

In solidarity,

Mike Barton

mikejbarton@gmail.com

UCU Scotland President – Grant Buttars

https://grantbuttarsucu.wordpress.com/2024/12/04/election-address-2025/ 

I am standing for the role of UCU Scotland President.  At present, I am UCU Scotland Vice President and this is my third term on UCU Scotland Executive, having also served 2 terms as an ordinary-elected member. I also chair UCU Scotland Education Committee.

I am also separately elected to NEC, sitting on HEC and Education Committee, and previously on ROCC. I also sit on Academic Related Professional Staff (ARPS) Committee.  I have worked as an archivist at the University of Edinburgh since 2001. Between 2018 and 2023, I was Branch President at Edinburgh, where I have also served as Communications Officer and as an Ordinary Committee member.  I am currently branch ARPS rep.  I bring knowledge and expertise of all levels of union work to the role of President.

It is incumbent on anybody holding elected office within the union to represent members and to hold power to account on behalf of members.  The power we hold as elected representatives is loaned to us by our members and is exercised on their behalf. If we see the union not functioning as it should, we must not be silent.

Anybody in elected office has the responsibility, when acting in that capacity, to represent the policy of the union and not engage in activity contrary to such policy.  That is not to say we are merely empty vessels with no opinions of our own and that dissent should be avoided.  I am an unapologetic socialist and these are my guiding principles. In appropriate fora I will argue and advocate from that position.  However, when representing our union as Scotland President, I will always put democratically agreed union policy first.

In the current crisis, with challenges around cuts and redundancies affecting every branch directly or indirectly, it is more important than ever that we fight back together, building solidarity with our fellow campus unions and our students.   Our strength comes from our numbers as a collective.  Atomised fights only benefit the bosses.

A trade union must be an exemplary employer and nurture within itself the same values and principles we demand of employers, government and others.  The ongoing disputes between UCU and its staff cast a very dark shadow upon all of us.  UCU staff are workers just like us and I reiterate my solidarity with them.  These disputes must be resolved satisfactorily without delay and likewise the one with Black Members Standing Committee with which they are entwined.  A union cannot properly fight for equality for its members with this issue unresolved.

UCU Scotland Secretary – Carlo Morelli 

https://uculeft.org/carlo-morelli-2/ 

Dundee University is at the centre of the storm over the funding of higher education
in Scotland. We have just successfully balloted for industrial action to save hundreds
of jobs due to a projected £30m deficit. As a member of the University at Dundee
and current Honorary Secretary for UCU Scotland I understand the need to ensure
branches fight redundancies and cuts but also ensure UCU Scotland gives its full
backing to branches resisting cuts.

Save Higher Education

Half of UK universities are cutting jobs. This includes many in Scotland. The
existence of the sector is under threat. Marketisation in Scotland is driven by
managements who share the group think of forcing debt via maintenance loans for
home students and exploiting international and rUK students’ tuition fees.
Simultaneously, the racist ‘hostile environment’ consciously used racism to
undermine the University sector.
Attempts to leave branches to fight these cuts institution by institution weakens us.
We need a UK-wide and Scottish-wide campaign to save HE, against job cuts and
end the racist environment. Unity is our strength. Unity can build a campaign to drive
the market out of education.
As Honorary Secretary for UCU Scotland I made the case for a lobby of the Scottish
Government and encouraging branches to ballot for industrial action when facing job
cuts.

Stand Up To Racism

Trump, Farage and the rise of fascism in Europe means we must place anti-racism
central to our union and workplaces. Racism is designed to scapegoat minorities and
divert attention from where the problems in our society originate. No immigrant is
illegal, and universities should stop policing immigration through draconian
monitoring and reporting on students and staff. I have been a supporter of the Sheku
Bayoh campaign since the start and stand up for students facing racism Blind
student facing deportation says university reneged on support | University of Dundee – The Guardian

USS and pensions

I was a USS negotiator during the 2018-19 strike. Five years of strike action shows
we can win. I am currently leading the campaign in the USS Advisory Cttee to
ensure cohabiting relationships are recognised for automatic survivor pensions. As
an NEC member I will continue to focus attention on threats to the Scottish TPS and
USS. I support our union’s policy on decarbonising and decolonising our pension
schemes.

Equality

Equality continues to be under attack. I am committed to ensuring equality remains
central to UCU Scotland. I will always support members standing up for trans-rights,
facing threats of internal complaints or employment tribunals.
I am a strong ally of my transrights and all LGBT+ siblings. I don’t believe we are
stuck as human beings by our DNA and hold strongly to the analysis of the social
model arising out of the disability movement, that it is society that creates structures
for disadvantage and oppression not our biology.

Palestine and Academic Boycott

I welcome the ceasefire in Gaza, hope it holds but fear for the lives of Palestinians
and others in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. Israel is an apartheid state and
universities in Scotland are legally complicit in genocide in Gaza, via their
investments and engagement with Israeli Universities. The IHRA definition facilitates
the clamp down on student protest and pro-Palestinian voices. It hinders rather than
supports the campaign against antisemitism due to its false conflation of antizionism
with antisemitism. UCU Scotland should continue its work on identifying with and
solidarity with Higher Education in Palestine. We can all play our part by individually
refusing to the Academic Boycott of Israeli Universities.

Trade union service

• Chair of USS Advisory Committee: past USS negotiator on USS JNC.
• UCU Scotland Honorary Secretary NEC member: previously UCU Scotland
• President & UK-wide elected member for 6 years.
• Member of Dundee UCU Committee for over 20 years & past president
• Delegate to UCU Congress, STUC and TUC
• Member of UCU Left and Stand Up To Racism
• Senior Lecturer in Economics, Dundee University