Today (8 November) the Vice-Chancellor David Maguire wrote to all staff. You can read the email in full below:
Dear colleague,
My first full week as Vice-Chancellor at Sussex has certainly been full on. I’ve observed a community that really feels quite strongly about a number of issues and cares deeply about this place. One of my goals is to try to turn this energy and passion into building a better future for Sussex.
Sussex has much to celebrate and be justly proud of. I want to recognise particularly the efforts you are all making to deliver in-person teaching this term. The return of students and staff to our campus has transformed the experiences of so many and we should not underestimate or downplay the impact this is having. Thank you.
We are – and must remain – a university that acts in the best interests of its students. To do otherwise could damage our future. We can be proud of many aspects our record, exemplified by our recent Sunday Times award for University of the Year for Student Retention. There is always more to do but we should be confident in our ability to do so.
It’s fitting that the start of my tenure coincided with COP26, as we will soon be publishing our second annual sustainability report, and the first since our Sustainable Sussex strategy was published in the summer.
What we have achieved in the few months since has been remarkable. Activities will ramp up in the next 12 months and I encourage you all to play your part as we aim to become one of the most sustainable universities in the world. Last week I was pleased to welcome to campus a former student, the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado-Quesada, who came straight from speaking at COP26. He spoke in glowing terms of his time at Sussex and the impact it had on him.
Given this bright start to the term, after a difficult couple of years, it is of course disappointing that Sussex is one of the universities where some UCU members have voted in favour of industrial action over pay and pensions. We have not yet been told when this might happen or what form it could take. We recognise the right to strike and acknowledge the pension challenge, but I’m sure there is widespread agreement that any further disruption to our students’ education will be highly regrettable.
It is evident that some staff and students don’t believe that the university leadership aligns with their beliefs and aspirations (although it is my sense that there is much more in common than some might think). Over the next few months the leadership team will be doing a lot of listening and reflecting on how we can come together as a community and build mutual respect and trust. If you see any of us out and about please feel you have permission to let us know how we can improve together.
Our community is founded on common values of dignity and respect. While all members of the university should feel a sense of belonging and support, it is particularly important that we extend our goodwill to minority staff and students and those who may feel vulnerable. Since I have been associated with the University I have observed that we can do more to look out for several groups including some of our trans and non-binary staff and students. Being kind and thoughtful to everyone should not be too much to ask.
As a university we have a legal and moral need to stand up for the principles of freedom of speech within the law. Without academic freedom and freedom of speech we will be nothing as a university. Over the past few weeks, the University has been propelled into the national media spotlight. From my vantage point I see this as fundamentally an argument about freedom of speech and not gender critical and transgender rights (although some have tried to hijack the debate for their own ends). I believe we should focus on making our university safe for ideas, not ideas safe for universities (to paraphrase Clark Kerr, former President of the University of California).
I’ll talk more about my priorities – and answer your questions – at my first open session later this week. We will have a longer event later in the term but I wanted to start as I mean to go on, encouraging constructive dialogue and engagement right across the University, including in areas of contest.
Finally, please consider observing the two-minute silence at 11am on Remembrance Day this Thursday. You can do this wherever you are working, or you can join a service in the Meeting House.
Have a good week.
David