[Marxism] GLASGOW UNIVERSITY CAMPUS CLOSURE – PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

[Rowan Wilson <rowanwilsonwork@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

GLASGOW  UNIVERSITY CAMPUS CLOSURE – PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
 
On February 14th Glasgow University Court voted to close down the University's 
Crichton Campus (UGCC) 80 miles away in Dumfries. UGCC is Southwest Scotland's 
only provider of HE courses in the Humanities, Arts, Environmental 
Sustainability and Community Learning.  The decision if implemented would not 
only deny vital educational opportunities for an already deprived and 
marginalised area but also put 40+ members of staff at risk of compulsory 
redundancy.
 
A friend asked me to forward the message below:
 
 
Dear All,
 
I am writing to request support. On Wednesday 17th January at 6pm, the 
Principal of Glasgow University (GU) announced that he would be closing down 
the GU part of the Crichton Campus in Dumfries in South West Scotland.
 
Because the situation is somewhat complicated, I should fill in some background 
information.
 
The Crichton Campus is based in Dumfries. It opened less than ten years ago, to 
provide Higher Education opportunities for a region which, until then, had no 
Higher Education institution. This caused demographic, cultural, economic and 
social problems for the area as large numbers of young people left the area for 
HE not to return. Also because of lack of provision, Dumfries and Galloway had 
a far lower than thge national average of uptake of Higher education.
 
The Crichton Campus is made up predominantly of three institutions, each of 
which has its main organisational centre outwith the area. The three 
institutions are Bell College, who provide nurse training (whose centre is in 
Hamilton); Paisley University who provide predominantly computing and 
management courses and Glasgow University who provide predominantly Arts and 
Humanities courses and post-grad provision. There was a prior agreement by the 
institutions to avoid replication, so each institution concentrates on 
particular sections of the curriculum.
 
The campus lacks most of the basic elements required. There are few sports 
facilities (bar green fields), no students union, no refectory so there is 
nowhere for staff and students to have a hot meal. However it does have 
committed staff and students, who provide in these less than ideal 
circumstances, by all current accepted measures, educational experiences of 
very high quality.
 
On Wednesday 16th January at 6pm the Principal of the University of Glasgow 
(based in Glasgow), announced that he was closing Glasgow University's part of 
the Crichton Campus. A decision ratified by University Court on 14th February.
What this means for staff and students is still fairly vague, but it is not 
good: redundancies for staff, truncated academic careers for students, and lack 
of educational opportunities for future students in the region, and the ending 
of a significant cultural resource for the region as a whole.
 
Because of the complicated structure of the Campus, with many institutional 
partners, the land being owned by the council and an incredibly labyrinthine 
funding arrangement from the Scottish Funding Council, everyone responsible has 
the possibility to blame someone else for closing the campus down. The UG 
Principal, Sir Muir Russell is blaming the Funding Council, the Funding Council 
is blaming the Principal; the Scottish Executive also bear some responsibility 
for under-resourcing, as do the local council for not providing basic 
infrastructure on the site.
 
There is no economic argument for closing the Crichton. Glasgow University is 
in surplus, the Arts Faculty to which the campus belongs is in surplus, and the 
monies which are planned to be redistributed up from the impoverished Dumfries 
site to the relatively well-off Glasgow Campus if UGCC closes are earmarked not 
for student services, but as the Principal indicated at a public meeting in 
March 2007 in Dumfries, for hiring a couple of 'star' academic researchers.
 
Students and staff are not taking the threatened closure lying down. UCU the 
biggest union on campus has already met and there was unanimity to oppose the 
closure (there are also 3 members of the IWW who are work there and are active 
in the campaign). There have been a number of demonstrations in Dumfries, up on 
the main campus in Glasgow and outside the SFC and Scottish parliament in 
Edinburgh. The next protests are planned for GLASGOW UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS (IN 
GLASGOW nearest tube Hillhead) WEDNESDAY APRIL 18th at 1pm. Meet at Flagpole 
behind the quads.
 
Crichton protestors will be joining the DUMFRIES MAYDAY MARCH - SATURDAY APRIL 
28th, 12 Noon, BURNS STATUE, DUMFRIES TOWN CENTRE.
 
Crichton campaigners would welcome your participation and advice.
 
Please attend if possible and/or write to following, asking them to reverse the 
decision with regards to funding for the University of Glasgow Crichton Campus:
 
Sir Muir Russell,
The Principal
University of Glasgow
Glasgow
G12
 
principal@xxxxxxxxx
 
 
Roger McClure
Chief Executive
Scottish Funding Council
Donaldson House
97 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HD
 
rmcclure@xxxxxxxxx
 
Further information about the campaigns are available from 
http://www.geocities.com/glasgow_at_crichton/ (General Campaign Website) 
http://www.cucsa.org.uk/ (Students Representative Council and campaign website) 
http://www.gla.ac.uk/Staff/GAUT/Crichton/index.html (UCU Union campaign 
website) http://iwwscotland.wordpress.com/crichton-struggle/ (IWW campaign 
website)
 
More details from glasgow_at_crichton@xxxxxxxxxxx


      ___________________________________________________________ 
Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up for
your free account today 
http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=44106/*http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/mail/winter07.html
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism