Statement on the appointment of Simon Fanshawe as next Rector of the University of Edinburgh
The Rector of our University is, in theory, elected by staff and students, and the position should be taken up in that spirit. It is extremely disappointing that there has not been a contested election for the post on this occasion, entailing a missed opportunity for greater staff and student voice in the selection of the appointed candidate. Nonetheless, we hope that the new Rector will take very seriously the duty ‘to ensure that the interests of the University community are considered in the decision making processes’ of the University’s highest governing body, the University Court.
That duty means ensuring that all members of our community, including trans staff and students, are safe from harassment and intimidation in their work and study. Our University has existing policy on Trans Equality, and UCU Edinburgh is committed to inclusion of trans staff and students in our community, as is the policy of UCU nationally. We stand against the dissemination of transphobic views that frame trans people as threats or trans identity as an ‘ideology’, often based on misinformation and misleading accounts of the work of gender scholars. While community members are entitled to hold such beliefs, that does not mean they should be disseminating these beliefs to disparage trans people or encourage hostility and discrimination against them. We know from the experiences of trans staff and students in our community that these beliefs do, in fact, create such a hostile environment.
UCU Edinburgh has been pleased to work closely with Dr Debora Kayembe during her tenure as Rector of the University. Debora has taken her mandate to represent concerns of staff and students very seriously, and we’ve been honoured to have her in our institution. We encourage the new Rector to learn from Debora’s example.
We have also repeatedly raised concerns about the fact that the role of Rector is unpaid, which has serious equalities impacts regarding who can afford to take on such a role. We have also pointed out the contradiction between the ceremonial nature of the role of Rector and the duty they have, noted above. Staff and students need effective ways to participate fully in the governance of our University, as is our right. We need more than ceremonial recognition.
UCU Edinburgh branch committee
16 February 2024