Ellen Owens

Ellen Owens for South HE

Equality and justice have been at the forefront of my working life. Since 2016 in my role as a disability adviser at the University of Reading I have worked to ensure students get the support and teaching adjustments they are entitled to.   

I am an experienced organiser within my local union branch, Reading UCU. I have served on the branch committee in roles including as equality officer, treasurer and currently serve as branch secretary. In these roles, I have been involved in leading the scrutiny of the university’s finances; organising against redundancies and opposing increased casualisation; reviewing disciplinary policies and weighing in on health and safety-related matters.   

I have also been actively involved in UCU’s national democratic structures, and serve on UCU’s committee for Academic-Related Professional Staff. ARPS staff, like others, face challenges in working conditions including accommodation issues such as hot-desking, air quality, room temperature; lack of career pathway and promotion routes; grade-drift within roles; gender pay gap; workload.   

As a delegate to Congress, I have contributed to our democratic debates, and have voted consistently in favour of effective industrial action, action on climate change and equalities issues.  

Across the sector we are seeing employers arguing that reduced student recruitment numbers are causing ongoing financial deficits and making the case for widespread restructuring. These restructures include redundancies, which even if termed ‘voluntary’ will naturally impact workload of remaining staff. Staff and students are bearing the brunt of poorly conceptualised and badly executed management decisions. We need a UCU campaign to challenge marketisation of education and campaign for government funding for a sustainable education sector for all, one where institutions are not closing down departments and modules to save money at the cost of student choice and education.  

As branch delegate to the UCU Southern Regional Committee and regularly participating in the UCU Solidarity Movement grassroots activists network, I believe that we need to work collectively and in solidarity with other branches. 

I am a member of UCU Left and believe in a member-led union where members actively participate in decision making and where members’ wishes will be enacted. Members need this confidence in the union.  

In my spare time I volunteer to visit people in immigration detention, which in UK is indefinite detention without a time limit. This volunteering has included regular individual visits, participating in drop-in workshops and more recently mentoring new volunteers.  

I am proud of UCU’s policies in support of Palestine and locally have also supported the student Palestine encampment at the University of Reading as well as being involved in arranging branch events on Palestine. 

Please vote for Rhiannon Lockley as Vice President, for Deepa Govindarajan Driver as Treasurer and for UCULeft candidates.