70% of courses cut- London Metropolitan University Occupied
wearelondonmet | 04.05.2011 22:38 | Education | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements | Cambridge
The Graduate Centre of Holloway Road Campus is currently occupied by students in protest against Vice- Chancellor Malcolm Gillies’ decision to axe 70% of courses- including Performing Arts, Philosophy and History. Gillies’ decision came as a shock a couple of weeks ago.
A demonstration has been called by the National Union of Teachers and the University College Union in support of the occupation, which will take place at 12.30pm, tomorrow (Thursday 5th May) outside the occupation in the Tower Building , Holloway Road.
None of the university teaching staff was consulted about the cuts. A majority of the excellent, dedicated tutors are under imminent threat of losing their jobs. Students already enrolled on the courses face an uncertain future. There have been rumours about transfers to other universities with which WE DO NOT AGREE. This statement is our call for help to save our university, our future and our dreams: to keep London Metropolitan University open to everyone, regardless of their social class, wealth and chosen subject of study. The purpose of this occupation is to present the Vice-Chancellor with our demands:
THE DEMANDS:
1) Meeting with Vice- Chancellor
2) Transparent process and direct communication
3) University management goes back to HEFCE to renegotiate repayment terms
4) Vice- Chancellor to accept proposals put forward by staff in HALE
5) University retracts decision of cuts of ALL courses
6) Students on existing courses which are being deleted, WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED.
7) Free access IN and OUT of the Occupation
8) No student is victimized following action taken to occupy the space.
There is no other university which offers such a wide range of courses as London Metropolitan. We do not want to be transferred. We are proud to be London Met. Help us save our university and our future.
Claire Locke : Student Union President Elect
Agnes Panasiuk, Daniel Sado: Performing Arts students
Contact: Claire Locke
Mobile: 07957 540012
London Met Student Union President
Email:
wearelondonmet@gmail.com
Website: www.wearelondonmet.wordpress.com
None of the university teaching staff was consulted about the cuts. A majority of the excellent, dedicated tutors are under imminent threat of losing their jobs. Students already enrolled on the courses face an uncertain future. There have been rumours about transfers to other universities with which WE DO NOT AGREE. This statement is our call for help to save our university, our future and our dreams: to keep London Metropolitan University open to everyone, regardless of their social class, wealth and chosen subject of study. The purpose of this occupation is to present the Vice-Chancellor with our demands:
THE DEMANDS:
1) Meeting with Vice- Chancellor
2) Transparent process and direct communication
3) University management goes back to HEFCE to renegotiate repayment terms
4) Vice- Chancellor to accept proposals put forward by staff in HALE
5) University retracts decision of cuts of ALL courses
6) Students on existing courses which are being deleted, WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED.
7) Free access IN and OUT of the Occupation
8) No student is victimized following action taken to occupy the space.
There is no other university which offers such a wide range of courses as London Metropolitan. We do not want to be transferred. We are proud to be London Met. Help us save our university and our future.
Claire Locke : Student Union President Elect
Agnes Panasiuk, Daniel Sado: Performing Arts students
Contact: Claire Locke
Mobile: 07957 540012
London Met Student Union President
Email:
wearelondonmet@gmail.com Website: www.wearelondonmet.wordpress.com
wearelondonmet
e-mail:
wearelondonmet@gmail.com
Homepage:
wearelondonmet@gmail.com
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Education v Capitalism
04.05.2011 23:58
This looks like 'Asset Stripping' to me... they are reshaping the university to a achieve greater profitability. Soon there will be very few local students because they will not be able to afford to attend. They are effectively being privatised it seems to me.
This is going to really test the mettle of these students, I really hope they achieve some sort of success and are able to better themselves in a world that appears to have abandoned all that was once considered worthwhile for shallow, fleeting material gain.
Klamber
solidarity
05.05.2011 11:40
Francesca
Solidarity From Palestine
05.05.2011 13:59
Dean
Solidarity!
06.05.2011 09:59
This has to be the worst budget slashing I've heard of so far anywhere!
Hear hear to all of the above comments, and yes, don't let them turn our education system into a clone of the U.S. model, where only the rich and affleunt middle classes can afford to go to college, and where the textbooks and toilets have sponsors' messages all over them, and where some schools and colleges actually have advertisng on their roof, so that anyone passing overhead in a cheap commercial flight (don't get me started on that...), can look down and see exactly who this institution has sold its soul to.
We do not want this system in the UK...
EVER!!
Educated and angry.