Response to UCU Industrial Action

February 2022

As the subject association for art history in the UK, the Association for Art History regards academics and students in the Higher Education sector as our core community. Therefore, we voice our solidarity and strong support for the UCU strike action that is and will be occurring at up to 68 UK universities this month, following their leaderships’ continued refusal to withdraw pension cuts or address falling pay and worsening working conditions within art history (and other) departments.

We are acutely aware of the impact the new pension actuarial valuations would have on members’ retirement benefits and what the changes mean for future art historians and students of art history. An erosion of benefits not only puts members’ future financial security at risk, it also discourages those who would consider an academic career teaching art history.

The disruption this month highlights the UK’s troubling descent into a market-based approach to higher education and occurs within a context of dwindling appreciation and support for the arts and humanities from the present government. This has led to students paying high fees for a university education without a simultaneous investment in full-time, permanent contracts for staff, and to the reduction of art history and other humanities departments.

As with previous strike action, most recently in December of 2021, we stand in solidarity with our members. We recognise their dedication to their students and urge a swift resolution to the current deadlock to avoid any further and significant disruption to students’ academic careers.