Grim Down South: Managing (in) London South Bank University

While education budgets are cut and university leaders have 'visions' for keeping competitive, Raoul Paled reports from Britain's 'worst performing' university, London South Bank, on staff's muted response to savage budgetary pruning

Unlike nearby Westminster University and Kings College London, (and the not-so-far-away University of Sussex), here at London South Bank University (LSBU) we have yet to experience strikes or occupations in response to government cuts. Nevertheless there have been some rumblings of activity.

Things began last September when we had our first ever cross union meeting involving members of UCU, Unison and the GMB. This was in response to restructuring that had occurred in one department. Posts had been created, changed or dropped without agreed procedures being followed. The meeting was fairly well attended (80-90 people) and there was a clear sense of urgency, mixed with excitement at the bare physical fact of a group assembly which transcended  the usual job divisions. The meeting ended with a unanimous vote to write a letter to the vice-chancellor demanding that agreed procedures be adhered to. The letter would also stress that 'The Joint Union Meeting agrees that in the current climate it is necessary for all trade unionists to co-operate and organise together.'

 Image: LSBU. One wonders what the platform at the top is for

Although the writing of a letter is perhaps the least radical act imaginable (and trade unionism is trade unionism) this outcome did not seem entirely unpromising. The collective articulation of an intention to maintain unity between previously fragmented groups of employees seemed like it could be the first stage in a dynamic that had the potential to go further. It was also encouraging that, a few weeks after our second meeting, students in a college over the road (London College of Communication) occupied a lecture theatre in protest at course cuts.

However impetus for contestation around these original examples of restructuring at LSBU then seemed to die down for a period. There were no joint union meetings for several months. Various inconclusive exchanges took place between the VC and union reps, whilst everyone else's participation was reduced to reading emails describing these exchanges.

This may have been because more drastic changes loomed on the horizon. The original restructuring, whilst undertaken with a certain economic backdrop in mind, was in the main precipitated by the arrival of a new vice-chancellor with a ‘vision'. LSBU is currently the 'worst university in the country' according to some league tables so this vision, unsurprisingly, was partly about improving LSBU's status and making it more competitive.¹ To this end the VC had conducted a series of ‘roadshow' sessions in different buildings and campuses outlining the way forward. As well as ‘putting students first' (a fairly unobjectionable aim) some time was spent on an extended metaphor concerning a rose bush. This organism, it was explained, needs to be ‘fertilised', but it is also necessary to ‘prune out weak shoots', ‘prune out dead wood' and ‘prune out strong shoots growing in the wrong direction' (my personal favourite!)

Image: That rose bush in full

Whilst, despite its devastating subtlety, few members of staff could have been under any illusions about the intended implications of this metaphor, it has now become apparent that, if latest government targets are to be met, there will be little in the way of fertilising whilst the pruning component will feature heavily. A sympathetic management insider has recently suggested that there will be between 5-15 percent cross department budget cuts and that administrative jobs will be amongst the first to go. The VC has also announced a wage freeze. Although a national pay agreement of 0.5 percent was accepted across the HE sector in 2009, LSBU has decided to go it alone by refusing to award even this, with the VC now considering withdrawing from national bargaining altogether.² Additionally, there are plans to introduce 'performance related pay' in the academic year 2010/11.

These developments have generated a certain amount of counter activity on campus. The VC had recently resurrected his road show - announcing new dates and encouraging staff to come along with questions (originally there were attempts to vet questions beforehand but this strategy seems to have been abandoned) - so the roadshow was a logical place to focus energies. The joint union group began by announcing a boycott of the roadshow. The VC then responded by cancelling two separate appearances, allegedly on grounds of sickness. However when this sequence of events was publicised as cause and effect he responded by announcing new dates. Members of the joint union group then retaliated by lobbying these roadshows - distributing leaflets outside, again encouraging a boycott. This was followed by a lobby outside of the board of governors' meeting which, encouragingly, was also attended by a number of students.

Whether these minor confrontations will develop into anything more substantial is difficult to tell. There are no signs currently of any large scale student-led actions such as those which took place recently at Sussex. This might be because management at Sussex have gone further in detailing the nature and extent of cuts to be made (115 job losses officially) It probably also has much to do with differences between the two institutions. Sussex is a mid-range, relatively middle-class, to some degree ‘academic' university with a history of radicalism - whereas LSBU, like London Met, is more like a low aspirational ‘job centre plus'.³ Students are more likely to be from working-class backgrounds and have come to study mainly vocational subjects, often on a part-time basis. It would require a great deal for significant numbers of students here to take action, although the consequences might be far reaching if they did.

Footnotes

1 See 'The Complete University Guide: University League Table 2010', http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=8726

2 See: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=410290

3 And is certainly regarded as such by the VC e.g. - "LSBU is never going to build a reputation for abstract academic work" - LSBU VC - Sept 2009.