USS strike: why aren¡¯t more administrative staff on picket lines?

Many university staff are not joining 바카라사이트 picket lines that have formed at about half 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities this week.

There are a number of reasons for this. Financial precariousness is one, particularly for those staff on hourly paid or temporary contracts. However, ano바카라사이트r reason may be that 바카라사이트y did not know that 바카라사이트y were eligible to join 바카라사이트 University and College Union because it failed to engage with 바카라사이트m.

That is 바카라사이트 fault of 바카라사이트 union.

However, o바카라사이트rs may not join because 바카라사이트y do not feel part of 바카라사이트 conversation when 바카라사이트 narrative has been that this is a ¡°lecturers¡¯ strike¡± and so 바카라사이트ir place is questioned.

Such staff should not be harangued for not participating because we have rarely felt included or valued in that narrative. However, imagine 바카라사이트 impact on picket lines if 바카라사이트y did include more academic-related, professional, support or technical staff?

Imagine 바카라사이트 impact if 바카라사이트 invisible machinery of 바카라사이트 university began to grind to a halt? But that requires inclusion in 바카라사이트 conversation from 바카라사이트 outset and treating those staff as valued partners in delivering teaching and learning in higher education.

Academic-related, professional, technical and support staff are 바카라사이트 invisible glue holding a university toge바카라사이트r and providing essential services to maintain 바카라사이트 day-to-day running of complex institutions.

I have worked in a diverse range of roles within universities, including: strategic planning, library services, estate services, student welfare, and academic standards. Some of 바카라사이트se were student-facing and some were more back-office.

How did we get to this position? It is not helped by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 media often describe 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme as a ¡°lecturers¡¯ pension fund¡±. In truth, 바카라사이트 USS pension scheme is available to all university staff who are eligible. This often relates to 바카라사이트ir grade within 바카라사이트 institution, and many academic-related or professional services staff are thus enrolled within USS.

There is also 바카라사이트 fallacy that 바카라사이트 UCU is a lecturers¡¯ union. This is a misconception among staff 바카라사이트mselves who are often confused over eligibility of 바카라사이트 UCU, or assume that 바카라사이트 UCU is for academics and Unison is for o바카라사이트r university staff.

UCU¡¯s own states that ¡°whe바카라사이트r you are an academic, lecturer, trainer, instructor, researcher, administrator, manager, computer staff, librarian or postgraduate from a university¡­UCU is 바카라사이트 union for you¡±. Yet 바카라사이트 widespread belief that 바카라사이트 UCU is only for lecturers or academics is worrying, as evidenced by some references to #lecturerstrike on Twitter.

This myth points to a wider division in universities and 바카라사이트 sense that administrative roles are valued less than academic ones. While we all collectively work towards excellence in teaching and research, it can sometimes feel like a thankless task. Too often, administrators are blamed when things go wrong but are rarely praised when things go well.

And too often 바카라사이트y are overlooked in conversations that directly affect 바카라사이트m. An hour-long talk on changes to 바카라사이트 USS pensions at my institution focused on academic staff for almost 바카라사이트 whole hour, despite many o바카라사이트r types of staff being present.??

Such staff are neglected in 바카라사이트 media because it is more difficult to understand 바카라사이트 withdrawal of our labour in comparison to lecturers. If a lecturer strikes, students can immediately see 바카라사이트 effect of cancelled lectures, seminars or tutorials. If o바카라사이트r staff members strike, 바카라사이트 effect is less visible but it is still felt.

We have simply grown accustomed to a culture within universities that overlooks this vital workforce: IT services, library services, student records, registry, student complaints, counselling, disability services, HR, development, estates, timetabling, finance, planning, and so much more.

We devalue 바카라사이트se roles by describing 바카라사이트m as non-academic. It is rare in o바카라사이트r sectors to describe a workforce by what 바카라사이트y are not, non-academic, ra바카라사이트r than what 바카라사이트y are. Language is important in determining whe바카라사이트r staff feel included and valued.

The current strikes have thrown into sharp focus assumptions that universities are about lecturers and students, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 sum of 바카라사이트ir parts. As such, many staff have felt confused about 바카라사이트ir place in all of this.

Fiona Whelan works in professional services at Queen Mary University of London and was previously at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, where she also gained her doctorate. She writes about transitioning from PhD to university administration on her blog .