Unions pass no confidence vote in university bosses

Union members at the University of Nottingham have passed a motion of no confidence in the vice-chancellor and other senior leaders after a "complete breakdown of trust".

The University and College Union (UCU), Unison and Unite said the vote by its members followed "years of shocking financial decisions and governance failures".

In a statement, the unions referenced job cuts and the purchase of Castle Meadow Campus as contributing factors to the vote.

A University of Nottingham spokesperson described the move as "really disappointing".

In addition to vice-chancellor Prof Jane Norman, who took up the role on 1 January 2025, union members passed a motion of no confidence in the entire university executive board and Sir Keith O'Nions, chair of the university council.

The unions are now calling for new leadership "committed to transparency, accountability and genuine engagement with staff".

However, because it was an internal vote by union members, it will not procedurally force anyone to step down from their role.

The university had previously suspended music and language courses and planned hundreds of job cuts to deal with "significant financial challenges".

The unions said these changes had directly undermined research and teaching, which was "a very real danger to the university's reputation as a global and Russell Group institution".

Andreas Bieler, vice president of the UCU's University of Nottingham branch, said: "On its own, the vote of no confidence won't avert these drastic changes.

"But I think it will add further pressure on management through a focus on the reputation of the university."

He added that the UCU would open a formal ballot on industrial action on Monday.

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said it had been meeting and talking to trade unions regularly about ongoing restructuring taking place.

They added: "The unions are right that we face major challenges in higher education and that funding has not kept pace with inflation.

"However, these pressures have not emerged in the past few months - they are the result of decisions made and circumstances that have evolved over many years.

"This is exactly why we are making some really hard decisions now in order to ensure the long-term sustainability and world-class reputation of this excellent university.

"The University of Nottingham has a global reputation built on 150 years of excellence and we are determined to ensure that it continues to be one of the best universities in the world for many decades to come."

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