A report of some actions that have taken place at Sussex University since October 2004. Please note that this is **not** an official communique from any particular society, and is partial in scope. In addition to what is outlined below, many other actions, meetings, etc, on other issues have taken place on a number of different issues and for a range of different causes.
Background
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The University of Sussex is in debt and is cutting back on academic and support services. Some first year students have even been asked to mark their own work – remarkable value for money at around £1000 a year just in tuition fees. At the same time, it is involved in a costly regeneration program consisting of large new accomodation blocks (widely supported), large new car parks (widely opposed by many students) and spending vast ammount of money on corporate rebranding whilst closing cafes and cutting back on staff.
Actions
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The year started off with actions against the 'East Slope' Car Park. This encroaced on green-belt land is is seen as part of a wider project to bring a football stadium to Falmer. A rave took place on the site of the construction; construction materials were redistributed and construction stopped for the day. Bags of mud from the construction site were deposited outside the Vice Chancellors office. Further meetings and debates took place which resulted in the University argreeing to the formation of a 'council' or group of students' who could consult with the management. This seemed to take the bite out of student anger, but the practical results in terms of decision making have yet to be seen. Widely collected student petitions are in the process of being 'considered' by Sussex Council.
At the same time as concerns were being raised by students, staff began to organise against increasing work loads and low levels of pay. They recently held a rally in the Library Square and handed a series of demands to the Vice Chancellor. At around the same time, the Autonomous Students society squatted a cafe that had been closed due to job cuts and started serving vegan, cost-price (donation only) food twice a week for a couple of weeks. This resulted in some confrontation with security but ultimitely led to the University re-opening the cafe (the Bolthole in the Library); I am unsure if this is simply a case of moving staff from one cafe to the next.
In addition to this action to control our space, presentations and stalls at the job centre have been disrupted, asked difficult questions or simply removed. On one occasion 'Careers in Africa' left a presentation soon after some difficult questions were asked. African students who turned up for the presentation were widely supportive of this intervention by a company dealing on behalf of Esso and Coca Cola amongst others. On another occasion, students removed a Securicor stall from a 'Job Day' because they are owned by corporate-dogooders Group 4.
More recently, students, staff and Student Union officers attended a meeting called by Autonomous Students to form a 'student-staff action committee'. This meeting attended by about 50 (mostly students) decided on a series of demands that encompass some of the wider issues outlined above including the lack of democracy on campus and the centralisation if power in a very few hands, the continuing failure of the Vice Chancellor and the need for there to be no redundancies expect for his.
*** As a first action there will a protest-party outside Bramber House at 1pm onwards on Weds 16th March. It remains to be seen if any of the dissenting voices will be listened to ***.
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The University of Sussex is in debt and is cutting back on academic and support services. Some first year students have even been asked to mark their own work – remarkable value for money at around £1000 a year just in tuition fees. At the same time, it is involved in a costly regeneration program consisting of large new accomodation blocks (widely supported), large new car parks (widely opposed by many students) and spending vast ammount of money on corporate rebranding whilst closing cafes and cutting back on staff.
Actions
-------
The year started off with actions against the 'East Slope' Car Park. This encroaced on green-belt land is is seen as part of a wider project to bring a football stadium to Falmer. A rave took place on the site of the construction; construction materials were redistributed and construction stopped for the day. Bags of mud from the construction site were deposited outside the Vice Chancellors office. Further meetings and debates took place which resulted in the University argreeing to the formation of a 'council' or group of students' who could consult with the management. This seemed to take the bite out of student anger, but the practical results in terms of decision making have yet to be seen. Widely collected student petitions are in the process of being 'considered' by Sussex Council.
At the same time as concerns were being raised by students, staff began to organise against increasing work loads and low levels of pay. They recently held a rally in the Library Square and handed a series of demands to the Vice Chancellor. At around the same time, the Autonomous Students society squatted a cafe that had been closed due to job cuts and started serving vegan, cost-price (donation only) food twice a week for a couple of weeks. This resulted in some confrontation with security but ultimitely led to the University re-opening the cafe (the Bolthole in the Library); I am unsure if this is simply a case of moving staff from one cafe to the next.
In addition to this action to control our space, presentations and stalls at the job centre have been disrupted, asked difficult questions or simply removed. On one occasion 'Careers in Africa' left a presentation soon after some difficult questions were asked. African students who turned up for the presentation were widely supportive of this intervention by a company dealing on behalf of Esso and Coca Cola amongst others. On another occasion, students removed a Securicor stall from a 'Job Day' because they are owned by corporate-dogooders Group 4.
More recently, students, staff and Student Union officers attended a meeting called by Autonomous Students to form a 'student-staff action committee'. This meeting attended by about 50 (mostly students) decided on a series of demands that encompass some of the wider issues outlined above including the lack of democracy on campus and the centralisation if power in a very few hands, the continuing failure of the Vice Chancellor and the need for there to be no redundancies expect for his.
*** As a first action there will a protest-party outside Bramber House at 1pm onwards on Weds 16th March. It remains to be seen if any of the dissenting voices will be listened to ***.
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