Universities accused of pressuring staff to work on campus

Universities in the United Kingdom have come under fire for pressuring staff to work on campus to create a “vibrant” atmosphere, with one saying it was important students were deterred from seeking tuition fee refunds, writes Rachel Hall for The Guardian.

Employees working in administrative roles at both Staffordshire and Birmingham universities told the Guardian that they had been threatened with disciplinary action if they did not come on to campus.

An email from Staffordshire University’s vice-chancellor, Liz Barnes, sent on 27 September, said that staff working from home would have a “deleterious effect” on the university. She wrote: “Unlike the ‘national lockdown’ earlier in the year, we do not have the same protections against students seeking financial redress if their experience is reduced … This means, that if we do not provide the full campus experience to students, albeit in a different way, then students potentially could seek refunds from us. I do not need to highlight the significant impact that such a situation would pose to our income.”
Full report on The Guardian site