Royal Holloway students and staff gathered outside of the Management Department’s new building, on Wednesday 5 October 2011, in order to lobby College Council members before they entered a meeting to discuss College Management’s amended proposals.
Supporters of the Royal Holloway Students’ Union (SURHUL) ‘Why Defend Education?’ campaign turned out in force to have their voices heard. Some, including SURHUL Sabbatical Officers Sarah Honeycombe and Katie Blow, protested wearing togas; others fashioned placards with messages that read, ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’ and ‘education is not for sale.’
Image: Lauren Keen
Many of those present feared that irrevocable decisions would be made that same day. Reassuring students and staff outside the building, the Chairman of the Council, Sir Andrew Burns, made it clear that what was expected at the meeting was a progress report, and not a conclusive decision. He went on to say that, whilst the Consultation period (with a capital C) had come to an end, the consultation period (with a smaller c) should still be ongoing; this process, he said, was about “teasing out” the options.
Council members that took the time to listen to the concerns of those gathered expressed sympathy and understanding. One member of Council, in response to academic staff expressing frustration at the lack of communication between departments and College Management, agreed that departments should “absolutely” be allowed to present to Council.
Another Council member, Iain Ross, was positive about alternatives to the proposals and believed there had been a real shift, saying that, “some very sensible ideas have been put forward and Management are listening.” But students and staff demanded more transparency in the proceedings; many were angered by College Management’s decision to use Facebook to release statements.
Sarah Honeycombe (SURHUL, Vice President Communications and Campaigns) is positive that the protest has been successful. Speaking on behalf of SURHUL she stated, “we were extremely pleased with the turnout to our event yesterday protesting the cuts to our departments. We have high hopes that our concerns have now been recognised by College Council. It is difficult to communicate with a body when the large majority of people who sit on it do not work on campus. The number of people who turned out in the rain and the cold to talk to College Council is a testament to the strength of feeling amongst students regarding these proposals. We spoke, we hope that College Senior Management and College Council were listening.”
During the protest, Paul Layzell and Geoff Ward both agreed that a meeting with the Students’ Union would be a good idea. Whilst there may not yet be solutions to the protesters’ concerns, the ‘Why Defend Education?’ campaign has swiftly obtained a result. The meeting between SURHUL and College Management is yet to be scheduled, but it is hoped that one will soon take place.
College Council has still to come to a final decision regarding Management’s proposals to restructure departments: deliberation will continue. The next College Council meeting will be held on 21 November 2011.
The Students’ Union campaign, ‘Why Defend Education?’, will be running all year.
