Endorsement: David Harvie, University of Leicester

Endorsement from Dr David Harvie, University of Leicester

Universities in the UK—like every other part of the education sector—are in crisis. They have lost their way and their purpose. Vice-chancellors are beholden to metrics, financial and otherwise. They have shown themselves incapable of responding to the challenges that we should and must address as a society: mass extinction, inequality, nationalism and xenophobia. In the face of VCs’ abrogation of responsibility, our union should and must step up to these challenges: UCU must develop a positive vision of how tertiary education can serve society in the 21st century. In my opinion, Jo Grady is the candidate best able—in fact, the only candidate able—to facilitate UCU becoming a union that can address these challenges and develop this necessary vision.