Dr Marion Hersh (Glasgow University)

Election address

Senior lecturer, Engineering, University of Glasgow

UCU Scotland Equality Officer 2018-19

UCU Scotland 2007-2011, 2013-2015, 2017-19

Glasgow Committee 1990-2023

UCU Climate and Ecological Emergency Committee 2022-23

USS negotiator/alternate 2011-2012, 2013-24

NEC 2007-9, 2010-17, 2018-2025

UCULeft

UCU Scotland needs a green officer, as combating climate crisis is one of the main challenges facing us and this is a developed issue. I proposed the motion leading to the green officer post. If elected, I'd revive the green network and use it to support branches working to improve their institutions' sustainability policies and practices linked to a campaign for Scottish Government to force universities to be more sustainable; and branches promoting integrating green issues into teaching. I'm an active campaigner - involved in planning and participating in Glasgow COP26 actions, student Fridays for the Future demos, Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group and motions to my branch and UCU and UCU Scotland Congresses. I have research in the area - published book on Mathematical Modelling and Sustainable Development.

I've experience as a UCU Scotland Officer (Equality) and an elected member on the Executive.

I'm passionately committed to (higher) education and its potential to transform individuals and society. My vision is a free, publicly-funded and accessible system with reasonable workloads, secure jobs for everyone, no casualisation, all subjects valued equally and no discrimination and disadvantage of women, Black, Disabled, LGBT+ or other minorities.

I'm a Jewish disabled LGBT+ member who campaigns actively for Palestinian rights, including through Jews for Justice for Palestinians. I strongly support academic freedom in teaching and research and oppose its misuse to undermine the rights of trans people and Palestinians.

I promote collective approaches to equality and anti-casualisation and try to generalise individual cases to campaigns for policy changes in my institution and throughout HE. I attend the STUC disabled and LGBT+ workers' conferences and for many years was on the LGBT+ workers' committee. I actively campaign against racism and for the rights of migrants and refugees.

As a USS negotiator I strongly defended full restoration and recovery of our cut benefits and was instrumental in drawing on member action to give the recent victory. My work has resulted in the ethical/sustainability section of the USS negotiators' report and I'm involved in lobbying USS for an ethical investment policy and divestment from fossil fuels and military links, particularly with Israel.

I support increased democracy and member involvement in UCU. UCU Scotland needs to be at the forefront of campaign with students and others unions to win the Four Fights - pay, equal pay, casualisation and workloads - and for human rights, international solidarity, green jobs and to defend education for all and against war, global warming Trident, austerity and cuts.