Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

Hi all new BSky people! When I first arrived it was the thing to do intro posts to find followers & reassure them not a bot! I'm a widening participation professional working in UK #HigherEd v interested in education policy + I'm an active trade unionist with @ucu.org.uk and #Leeds Trades Council.

A Palestinian student who has a fully funded place at University College Dublin said he has been left “heartbroken” after his visa was refused by Ireland’s justice minister and is urging the government to reconsider its decision. Seher Asaf reports #visas #Gaza #edusky https://ow.ly/eFQs51008EV

The Inquiry’s overarching judgement is that fragmented responsibility, ignored warnings, poor data and inadequate planning created conditions in which Covid could spread “like wildfire”. Social care’s neglect was longstanding. During the pandemic, its consequences became catastrophic.

An amazing and brave article from #BethDobbin (a British Olympian) for BBC Sport. She not only shares her devastating story of how #severeME has decimated her life, but also draws attention to the plight of the entire #MEcommunity

We’re not surprised, are you? www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Join striking staff, and students from across Scotland on Monday 19th October at the from of the Tower Building from 10am. This is the first day for new Principal Angela Scott, and we are calling all members, colleagues, students and supporters to show their support and say “No more job cuts!”.

Free speech laws turn out to be pretty important. Hats off to Sally Rooney for sticking to her guns on this.

Solidarity with all striking public sector workers the Republic of Ireland. Huge walkout!

Teaching cancelled at universities.

Yeah anyone with an energy-related disability can let you know, if we don’t let our disabilities stop us, we can completely ruin our ability to function at all, sometimes permanently.

Thank you to Hannah who visited our picket line this morning and then went home to recreate it in Lego! We can see plenty of pink UCU @ucu.org.uk hats outside our Tower Building. The famous Bob the dog and Sarah. And the magical frog spirit of solidarity. Can you spot yourself?!

The most fun thing ever to randomly see

Love this. Please understand, even if these events aren’t for you, they are for a community suffering from social isolation, and you could help.

".. a 15 year old boy who had his hand blown off after picking up a police stun grenade.. 4,000 out of the 5,000 arrested are under the age of 18.. right now.. pictures being broadcast around the world of police firing tear gas at French children" #GMB

Please appreciate this somewhat dubious artist's impression of the engineer Thomé de Gamond, while diving to prospect the geology of a proposed cross-Channel tunnel, being attacked by eels. (Image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ai... )

Well done to our inspirational colleagues at @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social for holding strong on their first week of strike! So much solidarity is with you across the whole sector ❤️

Edinburgh University staff @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social begin five-week strike over £140m cuts #SaveHE #StopTheCuts www.heraldscotland.com/news/2658302...

The truth is, you can belittle maskers, shrug off disabled people, and call us all crazy a million times, but you’re going to have to live in the world you’re building with these choices, and outcomes don’t care that your views are popular right now. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/mor...

Here's today's column on the astonishing, ongoing mistreatment of people with #ME/CFS. Please spread it far and wide: the only thing which can break the media's wall of indifference is seeing an article about the issue go viral. Thank you. 1/2 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Day 2 of 25 of our strike action. Students, colleagues, members come and join us on the picket line as e fight for the future of the University of Dundee. Who’s University. Our University.

Worrying scenes in the Channel today, for all interested in asylum policy and maritime tactics. A small boat from Normandy spent more than 30 hours at sea. Those on board now on their 2nd rescue vessel as Border Force forced to play cat and mouse with far-right activists who have their own boat.

No surrender until the University of Dundee rule out making colleagues compulsory redundant. Donate to our campaign as we seek crowdfund support for a Judicial Review of the governance decisions that led the University Court to approve staff and programme cuts www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/judicial-r...

The RNLI has said the abuse of volunteers in Portsmouth has forced it to close the lifeboat station there and stop operating since September 10. Nearby stations have been providing cover to the area instead. One of the UK's largest coastal cities without a lifeboat because of the far-right.

Successive governments and senior management behaving like education is a business have run HE into the ground and now they want to prevent workers defending what little they have left: for shame. Solidarity with Brighton Uni staff & unions.

This is completely unhinged decision by senior managers at the University of Brighton but says everything about the collapse of our sector. I hope everyone at #TUC26 steps up and turns out at 1.15 today

UCU members at Brighton University face the threat of derecognition. We have called an emergency rally tomorrow at 1:15pm. It would be amazing to see as many #TUC26 delegates as possible in attendance. 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 0JY

Am very saddened by this news. Many years ago Megan loaned us some ultrasonic equipment to help solve an experimental problem we were struggling with. We shared some snowy UCU rallies. To transition at the peak of an academic career is very a brave thing. A unique person lost from the University.

NEW: Our analysis found that from 2020 to 2025, the rate of deaths involving ectopic pregnancies nearly doubled compared with the previous six-year period. The uptick was steeper in states with abortion bans.

Zohran Mamdani released 170K documents revealing that post-9/11 asbestos levels remained dangerous for months, despite officials saying the air was safe. As we saw at the start of COVID, officials still treat essential workers as expendable. This is a long-overdue step in the right direction.

Supporters of the University of Dundee, join us at 12:30 at Bonar Hall, Nethergate.

Join the rally to rule out compulsory redundancies at the University of Dundee. Tuesday 8th September 12:30pm Bonar Hall, Nethergate, Dundee. The cuts are not justified and will harm to the city and region. All welcome!

Defending higher education jobs: www.democratic-left.scot/post/what-fu... / @ucuscotland.bsky.social @ducuuo.bsky.social @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ducu.bsky.social @vickyblake.bsky.social @ucuglasgow.bsky.social @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social @ucustandrews.bsky.social @ucuaberdeen.bsky.social

YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

Many more people in universities will lose their jobs if nothing changes in the way HE is (under) funded. Even more prospective students will not be able to go to university, especially here in the Norheast. @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social @markfergusonmp.bsky.social @chionwurah.bsky.social

If you’re at #Tolpuddle pop along to our #UCU stall where we are playing Workload Bingo, talking about issues that matter to members, and how we can work and organise across sectors + unions. Bags, caps, beanies & lanyards in return for suggested donations to the fighting fund tinyurl.com/UCUfund

OOOOO. Exeter's got Nous in as well... Of course... (@exeterucu.bsky.social, have you FOIed how much they're paid?) Can we PLEASE put an end to the involvement of these consultancies? They have done nothing but vandalism.

I've not been here much recently but popping back to ask if anyone can spare a donation for or share a friend's crowdfunder for urgently needed medical care complicated by #EhlersDanlos. She's been housebound for months & really struggling to access care she needs www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/9lxXdpEl

Enjoying the opening session of #NEONsymposium2026 with the upbeat chairing of NEON’s director Martin Webster. NEON doesn’t seem to be on Bluesky / #EduSky, but perhaps others attending are? (Think NEON focus more on LinkedIn etc now)

🚨DR UK's Statement on the EHRC's New Code of Practice "We are appalled at implications that an adequate workaround is trans people using Disabled toilets instead. We will not be used as a loophole in the wider erosion of trans rights." Full statement👇 www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/disabil...