Dear Students, Alumni, Industry Partners, Local Businesses, Professional / Statutory / Regulatory Bodies, and all who support education,

We reach out to you at a critical time. Brunel University is facing drastic cuts, with senior management proposing redundancies that are likely to impact approximately 20% or 1:5 of both academic and professional services roles. There has been no meaningful consultation with the unions in this process. These cuts are based on a hidden rationale and questionable data, threatening our mission and our commitment to being a public institution for all.

Brunel is an anchor for our local community, providing a full range of disciplines and accessible education for local students. Reducing our workforce threatens the quality and accessibility of the education we offer, placing undue strain on remaining staff and diminishing the university’s ability to serve students and the wider community. Cuts at this scale will lead to larger class sizes, fewer resources, and limited student support. Industry partners will see reduced research capacity, and local businesses will lose the economic and cultural contributions Brunel brings to the area.

These redundancies are being forced while senior management salaries remain untouched. As of the 2022-23 financial year, the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor are paid between £200,000-£250,000. Yet, it is our dedicated teaching and support staff who are being asked to do more with less, compromising the university’s ability to maintain high standards.

We ask you to stand with us as part of #BrunelFightsBack to protect our students, staff, and community. Together, we can advocate for a path that values the quality of education, innovation, and service to the public good that Brunel embodies.

By signing your support for #BrunelFightsBack, you support:

• Quality education for students: Preserving the resources, mentorship, and academic rigour our students deserve.

• A strong legacy for alumni: Ensuring Brunel continues to be an institution that graduates are proud to represent.

• Innovation and industry partnerships: Protecting the research and collaborative work that drive societal progress.

• Our local community’s future: Sustaining Brunel’s essential role as an economic and cultural pillar.

Please join us in calling for a reconsideration of these harmful redundancies and for a sustainable future for Brunel University. Thank you for your support.

Brunel Staff represented by Brunel Universities and Colleges Union

[See list of signatories here]