Angus Davison3d ago

*BREAKING* The University of Nottingham has decided to lead the way in being the first 🥇 Russell group university to NOT do modern languages. Music is also gone! 🗡️ Apparently, neither are necessary for a world "top 100" university, and anyway continuing to teach these without a 40% margin is not compatible with charitable status.

Instead, after "regularizing" the staff force, the university will take a laser focus to a narrow range of STEM subjects *ENDS*
#UoN #Russell @ucu #ucu

Angus DavisonNov 6

University of Nottingham appears to have given up on the Arts. All off the degree courses listed in the images have been suspended, effective 10th November.

The university says we "will suspend a *small* number of degree courses as part of the Future Nottingham two (FN2)"

If you are in the Faculty of Arts at Nottingham I doubt that this feels like "small", "devastating" more like, and most likely you are facing redundancy at some point in the future. #UCU #UoN

Angus DavisonSep 23
This does not reflect well on University of Nottingham, especially given the financial situation we are in, current voluntary redundancies and possible compulsory redundancies: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/university-nottingham-spent-over-80m-10506355 #UoN #Nottingham. #HigherEducation #universities #UCU
Uni spent £80m on controversial campus - but it's not what was first promised

Unions partially blame the campus' huge budget for hundreds of job losses

Nottinghamshire Live
Angus DavisonSep 10
Comment needed from friendly "malacologist" (me!) on the speed of snails in relation to the Ukraine-Russia war. I would have been wary of doing this interview if I was not already familiar with Tim Harford and BBC Radio 4 "More or Less" programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002j5tq (~24 minutes in). #UoN #snails #BBC #moreorless
More or Less - Are Afghan nationals more likely to be convicted of sexual offences? - BBC Sounds

National debt, Afghan crime, menopause retirement and literal snail pace.

BBC
Angus DavisonSep 3
"Nobody admits how much things actually cost, nobody admits who’s paying for what, research is kept alive on the toil and goodwill of underpaid academics, foreign students who represent a huge export market and an incredible success story for the sector are treated as if they are somehow on the fiddle, and that’s before you even start to consider the matter we generally look at first: what this means for graduate debt."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/07/tuition-fees-rising-broken-university-england-wales #theguardian #UCU #UoN #Universities #StudentFees
Tuition fees are rising again and nobody is happy – it’s time to actually fix our broken university sector

The figures simply don’t add up for higher education in England and Wales. Yet delusional politicians from all parties seem intent on avoiding the issue, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

The Guardian
Angus DavisonSep 2
Today feeling like Santa 🎅 when he receives mail at the North Pole 🛷.
Letter addressed to "Polymita Tree Snail Department, Nottingham University" found its way to me, one of two people in the "Dept of Tree Snails" at Nottingham. It is signed by a "Robert J. Smith" 🕷️🕸️ 🐈, no really 😸. Could it could it could could it be The Robert J. Smith?!
#TheCure #Polymita #Snails #Lovecats #Lovesnails #UoN
Angus DavisonAug 20
Is this a joke? "Welcome to the new Academic Year" on the 20th August! And also a lovely reminder of how many committees I sit on 😉 #lifeofpi #UoN
Show threadAngus DavisonAug 15
Day 5 (of 5) as acting Head of School. It's all over, nothing to do all week 😃, gimme a pay rise and I'll happily do it all over again*.
To celebrate HoS took a few hours off and went to the allotment 🪏🍅🥒🫜. (*only if no actions needed)
#lifeofpi #UoN
Angus DavisonAug 5
Somehow turned my Cuban adventures back in March into "breaking news", snail-bombing the whole of the BBC and beyond 🤔😄. Highlight was probably the ITN News at 10 feature that ended with prolonged footage of two snails mating, which is not something I ever imagined could happen in real life on a primetime news programme. Did they know what they were broadcasting? At least it was after 9 pm watershed. #snails #bbc #polymita #UoN #conservation
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyrv8ndzzjo
Angus DavisonJul 25
University life is full of meetings .... yet my university does not offer a single course or training how to to manage or chair meetings??? I have asked multiple times but found nothing. 🤯 #UoN #University