Tuesday 6 December 2011

Clarification of "£150,000 of student funding withheld...for a room?"

We would like to clarify that Ms Coleman's initial statement was, to paraphrase, "if the meeting does not take place in that meeting room, then it would not take place." We sought clarification by asking whether it could be rescheduled or relocated, to which she replied no. She clarified "If the meeting does not go ahead today then we will not allocate the funds." Ms Coleman has confirmed that these were indeed her words, and it was based on the understanding that without the room the annual fund would not be allocated, and the implicit blackmail, that we allowed this meeting sole use of the room, our silent study space.

Ms Coleman has since attempted to clarify her words to us, at approximately 16:25 and states that she intended to mean that the funds could not be allocated today, not that they would not be allocated this year. The latter is what we understood from her earlier statement, given that we were told that a rescheduling of the meeting would not take place.

£150,000 of student funding withheld...for a room?

£150,000 of student funding withheld… for a room?

The occupation had previously said to management that the ‘Principal’s Meeting Room’ was available for use if booked in advance. It should be noted that this agreement was made before the management decided that in place of negotiating and debating with students over the future of the college it was simply easier to seek legal action to evict us from our own campus.

This morning, we were forwarded an email from the Students Union’ (as management have refused to even email us anymore). This email informed us that management require the use of the room for a discussion of Royal Holloway Alumni, the AAG, to discuss the Annual Fund and its allocation. This was ostensibly because they were unable to use the previously booked room in Huntersdale, but comes at a convenient time when management are looking to disregard our arguments by tarnishing our conduct.

We replied that they would be able to use the meeting room, but that students would be in the room studying whilst the meeting took place. This is due to a lack of study space on campus, our need to secure the occupation, and that there are numerous other meeting rooms available on campus for them to move to.

Management entered the occupation approximately two hours before the meeting was scheduled to start, and refused to negotiate with us. They have demanded to use the room, and stated that if anyone remained in the room, then the meeting would not be relocated or rescheduled, but instead, management said that the annual fund would simply not be allocated. We obviously will grant the meetings full access to the room, with no students inside, given management’s outrageous demand.

We vehemently condemn their decision to make an ultimatum, which could impact so many students significantly, over so petty an issue as which particular room they hold a meeting in. In the 09-10 academic year, the Annual Fund allocated £150,000 in bursaries, scholarships, and other student support. That management were prepared to forsake the allocation of these vital funds is disgraceful, and reveals their real priorities: that they would rather win a trivial victory over the use of a room, than facilitate aiding students who wish to study at this university, supposedly their core objective.

Occupy RHUL

Good Morning!

Hello Everyone!

Just to let you know that you are more than welcome to pass by the management corridor at any point to ask us questions or get updates. We really are very friendly people!

We are having a General Assembly at 12 today, so please come by and voice your opinion on the matters raised.

We've also got a board up with all of the responses and statements from one party to the other, so you can understand the process and sequence. We're more than happy to explain anything, or listen to your opinion.

Looking forward to seeing you all!