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Resistance in Swansea University

Matt Reinhart | 27.02.2004 16:54 | Education | Globalisation | Social Struggles

Students and staff at Swansea University are resisting a proposal by the Vice Chancellor to close down 5 departments at the university, introduce variable top-up fees and cut local bursaries and grants. Amongst other direct action, a protest has been called for the 10th of march when the university senate meeting will take place where the decisions will be made. If these proposals go ahead, this will represent the corporate takeover of our higher education system, further polarising the gap between rich and poor students, creating a two tier education system, part of the broader neo-liberal agenda.

The departments to be closed down include chemistry, philosophy, development studies, sociology and anthropology. The Vice Chancellor claims that these departments are "in decline" and that in order to "invest in excellence" need to be closed down so that funding can be concentrated on research. His "consultation process" with departments and staff involved leaking the announcements to the evening news. Nice way to find out you're going to be losing your job, and that your degree is going to be worthless...

Colwyn Williams, a Philosophy lecturer at the uni says ""what's completely missing from the Vice Chancellor's analysis is the responsibility the university has to the local community. Poorer Students can't afford to go to England if Swansea fails to provide the customary range of subjects. some of them will be forced to take choices they don't want; others will just give up."

What’s happening in Swansea could easily happen to any university in the country. We need to resist now, as this represents a direct result of corporate globalisation, and it's come to town...

Matt Reinhart
- e-mail: 154479@swan.ac.uk
- Homepage: http://byronjah@hotmail.com

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Kick On!!

27.02.2004 19:54

The Vice chancellor is an absolute clownshoe. He'll be out of a job or eating his words come September if we can all work together to beat these idiotic, profit-motivated proposals.

No Cuts, No Closures, No Fees! We'll be protesting on March 10th at the University, everyone who can make it should come along.

Cheers!

Jonny


Solidarity

27.02.2004 21:40

I read that a few weeks ago 500 people marched in Swansea against these cuts. I read a nice quote in the Socialist Worker from a student
"Today we are banging on the Vice Chancellors door hoping he can hear. If he doesn't listen next time we will kick down the door and throw him out of his office!"

Adam J


Help needed

11.03.2004 21:19

I think it's great that you're protesting against this, I'd like to try and bring a motion to my union's student council meeting supporting you in this, but I'd like some more information on it first (I've never written a motion before so I want as much info as possible to support it, hopefully then it might get through). If anyone has any useful links, statements about what's going on etc that would be fantastic. Hopefully Bristol can then officially support you guys.

Frances Hudson


Contact

04.04.2004 16:04

I'd love to help you, but i can't get hold of you. can you email me? that way we can discuss...

Matt
mail e-mail: byronjah@hotmail.com