Emma Kennedy (University of Greenwich)

woman

Election address

What's UCU? That's the academics' union, right? WRONG! On the picket line for the 2018 USS pension strikes, I spent days handing out badges urging students to "support your lecturers" - working in professional services, this made me feel alienated from the very place I should have found solidarity. I now work as a Senior Lecturer in HE Learning and Teaching at the University of Greenwich. My contract has moved from professional services to academic, giving me insight into both sides of what is too often a divide. I have stood on picket lines as an academic and as  professional services staff, with colleagues from the 'other' side: we sang, danced, shouted and laughed together, and that solidarity made us stronger.  On NEC, I would fight for recognition that professional services colleagues often suffer the same problems as those on academic contracts - precarity, overwork, inequality - with added lack of career progression. 

As a pedagogy specialist, I believe educational policies must acknowledge staff as well as student needs. Marking loads that leave staff exhausted will not enhance assessment. Student evaluations of teaching must take into account the lower ratings received by minoritised staff, as well as the emotional impact of such ratings on all staff. Lecture capture policies must balance the needs of disabled students with staff's right to control the use of their image and voice. The union nationally can learn from branches who have successfully negotiated local policies on this. My strike teach-outs on critical pedagogy showed me what is possible when we centre solidarity, equality and compassion: let's bring this into our policy. 

Working at a London post-92 university I am acutely aware of the need to fight for our region, opposing the recent move to remove London weighting from HE funding and supporting institutions such as Goldsmiths and UEL in their fights against redundancies. I am also committed to trans inclusion and freedom to protest transphobia. Finally, I will advocate for disabled staff' rights. Fighting precarity is key here, as many precarious staff are denied sick pay and job insecurity can be even more harmful for those who are disabled or chronically ill. I also want to centre disabled members in conversations about staff wellbeing. We don't need yoga, we need universities to follow through on reasonable adjustments, ensure adequate sick pay and acknowledge staff access needs. 

I am running on the slate of UCU Commons, a new 'faction' within the union. Our key values are transparency (including within NEC), inclusivity and expansive solidarity: find out more at ucucommons.org. I would urge you to vote for my fellow UCU Commons candidates. I am also running for a UK-elected position on NEC. Tweet me @EmmaKEdDev.