Daily Archives: December 9, 2010

(SPAIS: School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies)

Dear Derek,

As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor knows from his meeting with staff from this
faculty last week, a large number of us in Arts and FSSL share many of the
concerns of the students who now occupy the Senate Room. This widespread
current of thought holds that the government proposals, based on the
tendentious Browne Report, significantly undermine the idea of the public
good university to which we are committed. Not surprisingly, we are
particularly disturbed by the proposed removal of the teaching block grant
for humanities and social science subjects. To have these areas of study
and thought dictated by a free market based on student/parent consumer
choice is both educationally inappropriate and culturally retrograde.  

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Dear Vice Chancellor and Registrar,

We the undersigned call upon you and the University Senior Management Team to meet with and respond to the demands of students occupying Senate House and their supporters as laid out in their Statement of Occupation. In particular, we strongly support their demand for an open occupied space in which free debate can take place between all academics and staff on the future of higher education.  

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The National Federation of Geography Students of Argentina supports unconditionally the occupation of university buildings and other means of strike led by students and scholars of the University of Bristol against education cuts and privatization of the Conservative-led coalition in power. As an organization that has the fight for free and public education for all as a core objective, we send you our warmest greetings of solidarity in these times of struggle. We know that the political environment is not helping you, due to the broadly apathetic attitude of today’s British society, but it is delightful to see from the South that you have stroke the political scenery with a strength that surprised everyone, and to see that there is already evidence of steps forward in the lobbying of politicians who will decide on tuition fees this Thursday and later as well.  

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To the Registrar

Dear Mr Pretty,

We are writing to you to explain that a large number of us in the School
for Policy Studies share many of the concerns of the students occupying
the Senate Room. We are concerned about the proposals to make cuts to the
higher education budget, the scrapping of the Educational Maintenance
Allowance, and the increase in university tuition fees of up to £9,000.
We are particularly disturbed by the significant undermining of the idea
of the university as a public good and the proposed removal of the
teaching block grant for humanities and social science subjects. To have
these areas of study and thought dictated by a free market is
educationally inappropriate.  

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Dear Mr. Pretty,

We the undersigned call upon the University Senior Management Team,
including VC Eric Thomas, to meet with and respond to the demands of
students occupying Senate House and their supporters as laid out in
their Statement of Occupation, in particular the issue of an open
occupied space.

It is our understanding that the occupation of students in Senate House
spread to a sit in at the Wills Memorial Building. In response to this
increase in action, the School of Geographical Sciences was shut Tuesday
afternoon prior to its scheduled close. We see this spread of
disruptive action around the University as a direct result of the
University’s reticence to dialogue with the student occupiers in an open
and deliberative way, and one amenable to the values befitting an
educational institution and community espousing democratic
accountability, debate, and mutual respect.  

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Dear Derek

We, academic staff in Philosophy, have seen the letter from Professor
Gregor McLennan and others in SPAIS to you concerning the occupation. We
endorse its sentiments. Whilst there will inevitably be disagreement about
the current government proposals, we cannot but admire the willingness of
our students to take a stand in defence of higher education and the values
of the university. We therefore urge you to respond positively to these
students, to refrain from any heavy handed or punitive action, and to
permit free entry to and exit from the occupied space. Many of these
students are unusually intelligent, hard-working and committed young
people and, if the University engages in dialogue with them, the episode
has the potential to reinforce the institution as a site of debate and
learning to the benefit of all concerned.  

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