The UCU branch at the University of Sussex reports:
"Sussex UCU regrets the proposal from the university management to end large parts of continuing education and community engagement activity in the Centre for Community Engagement.
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The management’s proposal will deprive local adult students, especially older and second chance learners, of opportunities not otherwise available to them and does not reflect the university management’s often-stated commitments to community engagement, widening participation and learning opportunities outside traditional hours and locations.
Continuing education and community engagement have a long and illustrious history at Sussex. Recently CCE has produced novelists, archaeologists, supported community volunteering, put on public events, engaged with efforts to promote sign language in support of deaf communities, and engaged with teachers and young people through Creative Partnerships schemes. It has also provided full-time and visiting students with access to disciplines such as archaeology that are not otherwise covered by mainstream departments.
CCE has led the way at Sussex in terms of widening participation amongst non school leavers, such as: ethnic and minority groups, refugees, disabled people, people from socially deprived areas and deaf communities. This has been achieved during the last 18 years by a range of European funding which continues to the present.
The decision to close all non-ISS courses and the running down of the Centre in recent years puts dedicated and innovative staff at risk of redundancy, that could be avoided, and at a time of rising unemployment. The management’s proposals appear to have the unintended consequence of forcing the cessation of activities which are not loss making, because all non ISS staff are proposed for redundancy.
Sussex UCU will be fully engaged in consultations to protect staff and students and we urge the university to explore financial opportunities such as those mentioned above for supporting CCE, its staff and its valuable and distinctive educational and community provisions. Enquiries to Kate Edwards at ucusussex@sussex.ac.uk "
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