OfS fine against Uni of Sussex

[BeenToButtonMoon]

Are people talking about it at your universities? Hardly a peep at mine (UK, mid-rank). I was appalled at the response of the Sussex VC - no admission of the many obvious failures at the time. I was expecting to hear some discussion about it at work today. But silence. I had hoped things were shifting but surely this shows that people are still too afraid to speak? What's your experience?

Our university seems to be a fairly sensible mid ground space so far. I am not expecting this to be acknowledged by SLT and would doubt anyone will discuss it.

I am GC and despite my sense of where our institution sits on these issues, I am still careful in expressing views.

I gather there's some dismay amongst EDI colleagues as they feel it makes their job harder in expecting a balance to be struck - it was easier when they could stick to the line "Don't be meanies to trans people".

Absolute crickets at mine (RG). Hopefully the ever expanding senior team will be doing something for their salaries and revising any insane policies we have lying around. Thankfully we were never in Stonewall and my faculty isn’t particularly captured (with one or two exceptions)

I've not heard any conversations at my famously woke university. But it's a jolly good outcome. And I cannot believe the whining of Sussex's current VC. She is presiding over a university where a senior, respected Professor was terrorised and bullied into resignation.

I can't believe the VC is still banging on about protecting minorities. It's such DARVO - they bullied KS but they seem to genuinely believe that a) KS was harmful to 'vulnerable' students and b) the university were playing the role of protector here. It's nuts. I really hope they do go to judicial review and get taken to the cleaners.

As women make up only about 15 - 20% of the UK professoriate, I rather think Professor Stock is in a significant minority group.

I haven't been into my department since the fine was levied so I don't know what conversations are happening. But my UCU branch has very clearly spelled out their position:
Durham UCU: ""The OfS has.. shown itself to be “arbitrary, overly controlling and unnecessarily combative”... failing to deliver value for money and is not focusing on the urgent problem of the financial sustainability of the sector." If it ain't aiding transphobes or fighting unions, they're just not bothered." — Bluesky

Sussex still taking this well I see. I’m finding the argument that other places also had the same policy extremely childish (“but mum, everyone else was doing it!”). The wider coverage and any convos I’ve seen about this at my place do seem to almost universally miss the point that the only harassment that happened here was done to gender critical academics aided by policies like the one highlighted by the OfS. Most of the sector I think still believe KS and other gender critical academics were saying something over the line/transphobic, it’s just that now universities have been told to let the nasty women say these things because of free speech. It’s so frustrating.

EDI but only some people are worthy of equality and inclusion? Yeah, they need their jobs making harder ie fit for purpose.

Agreed @ErrolTheDragon

At a meeting to talk about restructuring (following an announcement about VS just the week before) our VP assured us that the University would check its policies because of the Sussex ruling. (£££)

Ended the meeting by saying that we could rest assured that at a recent get together, University heads made sure to extend their warmth and support to the Sussex VC. 😲

Not sure they get it but the fine has made them think (about the costs if not the actual issues).😲