No confidence votes underway at the University of Surrey

Staff and students are taking part in votes of no confidence in leaders of the University of Surrey following a proposal to cut jobs.

Staff unions including the University and College Union, Unite and Unison organised an all-staff vote of no confidence in the university’s vice-chancellor Max Lu and the executive board, closing on 17 May at noon.  

It comes after Lu warned staff in February that the university must make up a shortfall of at least £15 million a year for the next few years. A voluntary redundancy scheme was set up, which has now closed. The UCU says compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out, although the unions have asked for any compulsory redundancies to be held until July 2020.