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...
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...
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