Protests planned for governors' meeting at University of Wolverhampton

The lobby will start at 4.30pm outside the university's main entrance on Wulfruna Street. The governors' meeting is due to start at 5pm. It is the first time staff have lobbied the university's board of governors since the 1970s.

The union wants the governors to throw out the vice-chancellor's plans that could see almost a third of the university's 63 research professors lose their jobs. The departments affected by the plans include computing, engineering, built environment and law.

UCU says it has no alternative but to appeal directly to the governors after meetings with the vice-chancellor and the director of human resources failed to secure and changes to the university's plan to sack staff.

UCU feels the redundancy process is an illegitimate attempt to target individuals that is being rushed through without significant scrutiny. The vice-chancellor presented his restructure plans at a meeting of professors on 21 May. If the governors rubberstamp his proposals the staff will be gone in just over four weeks.

Local UCU representative Catherine Lamond said: 'Professors bring in millions of pounds to the university, as well as being involved in international research projects and teaching. We fear that axing almost a third of research professors will have a hugely negative impact on the university's reputation and its ability to become a major player in a number of key research areas.

'The vice-chancellor has refused to listen properly to our concerns or consider alternative proposals. We cannot sit by and watch this illegitimate attempt to axe staff go through. We have no option but to appeal to the university's board of governors - something the union hasn't had to do since the 70s.'