Joint statement from Â鶹´«Ã½ of Sussex & UCU Sussex Executive Committee on Doctoral Tutor terms and conditions
Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications
Last updated: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
The Â鶹´«Ã½ of Sussex and the Â鶹´«Ã½ of Sussex branch of the Â鶹´«Ã½ and College Union (UCU) are pleased to announce the 2024 Collective Agreement on Doctoral Tutor Terms and Conditions, agreeing improved terms and conditions for all Doctoral Tutors at the Â鶹´«Ã½.
The sector-leading changes to Doctoral Tutor contracts reflect the Â鶹´«Ã½’s commitment to invest in staff and demonstrate the ongoing partnership work between the Â鶹´«Ã½ and the Sussex UCU branch. Together we have taken a further step to progress the Â鶹´«Ã½’s journey to become an employer of choice.
This agreement recognises the important role that Doctoral Tutors play in undergraduate teaching at Sussex, and ensures a sustainable teaching model for the future.
Taking effect in the coming 2024-25 academic year (with the exception of the increase to Grade 6 for Doctoral Tutors previously on Grade 5, which was implemented in the current 2023-24 academic year), the agreement will make a material difference to the working conditions of Doctoral Tutors across the Â鶹´«Ã½. They will now receive an increased sick pay entitlement, 10 hours of paid training per year, and a new tariff system to calculate workloads that better reflects time spent on different activities, providing a fairer and more consistent system for calculating workload.
The agreement is the culmination of many years of campaigning and negotiation, emerging from strong foundations built by the Â鶹´«Ã½ and the Sussex UCU branch during the 16-week negotiations.
We will continue to work together in a spirit of positive collaboration to ensure that Sussex achieves its aim to provide the best possible working environment for staff.