Thursday 25 November 2010

Occupation Victory!

Statement of dis-occupation – Bristol University Union 25/11/10

 At 4pm today, Thursday the 25th of November, Bristol Students’ Union conceded to our demands. As such, in accordance with our agreement, we have called the occupation to a close.

As our previous statement made clear, we took this form action because we had been consistently denied by the Students’ Union (specifically, President James Ashton-Bell) the space and opportunity to discuss the proposed cuts to higher education and to formulate a collective response/course of action. By Occupying the Union building we were able to take this space and facilitate a peoples’ assembly to formulate an agreement on future demands. These will guide our future actions over the coming weeks. We were also able to pressurise the Union into taking action. This is not only evidenced by their commitment to holding an open forum on the future of higher education on Monday but by their agreement to holding and publicising an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to democratically mandate them to take a position on the cuts/fees increases. Additionally the Union agreed to provide free space to students not affiliated to university societies to organise around these issues – a request that up until the occupation had also been denied.

The proposed cuts to higher education and increased fees will have a detrimental impact both on the learning experience in terms range of courses on offer as well as to the accessibility of higher education to people from lower income backgrounds. Further, by cutting back specifically on arts and social sciences, that is disciplines which may facilitate new perspectives on the social and political dilemmas of our times, these changes limit the capacity of the University as a site of social criticism. For these reasons we feel it is imperative that union come out against the cuts/fees increases. We urge all students to attend the EGM on Wednesday the 1st of December as well as the events listed below, to get involved and to keep fighting for the future of higher education. Solidarity with all those in occupation. Our struggle continues.

Monday the 29th of November at the Epi Bar – Forum on the cuts/fees increases

Tuesday – 30th of December - National Day of Protest against Fees & Cuts

Wednesday  1st December – Extra General Meeting, Students Union

4 comments:

  1. "that is disciplines which may new perspectives on the social and political dilemmas of our times"

    that needs sorting out. Grammar issues I think :)

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  2. The two motions that we are looking to pass are:
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    UBU Stance Against Tuition Fees

    This Union Notes:

    1.That the Coalition Government is proposing measures which will lead to an increase in tuition fees, with the potential to take them up to £9,000 per academic year.

    2.That there has been widespread opposition to the Government’s proposals within the student body, as was demonstrated at the national protests taking place on 10th November 2010 and 24th November 2010.

    3.That the University of Bristol Union has thus far failed to take a public position on this crucial issue.

    This Union Believes:

    1.That these measures will increase the gap between those who can afford Higher Education and those who can’t.

    2.That these measures will contribute to the commodification of education.

    This Union Resolves:

    1.To take an active stance against the rise in tuition fees.

    2.To use its relationship with the University to oppose measures leading to increased tuition fees in any form.

    3.To work with any students and staff wishing to debate or campaign against the introduction of measures leading to an increase in tuition fees.

    4.That the Union must take a lead in actively campaigning against the introduction of an increase in tuition fees and should consider alternative arguments which up to now have been side-lined.

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    UBU Stance Against Education Cuts

    This union notes:

    1. Current government proposals are that universities would face a 40% overall budget cut by 2014 and an 80% cut in the teaching grant.

    2. This would mean that arts, humanities and social sciences will face a 100% cut in public funding.

    3. Those currently in further education also face damaging cuts, for example the removal of the Educational Maintenance Allowance.

    4. There is wide student, staff and public opposition in Bristol to these cuts as demonstrated by the thousands who protested on the 24th of November 2010 and the subsequent student occupation of the Union.

    This union believes:

    1. That these cuts are unnecessary and will have a huge detrimental effect on the learning experience at Bristol, the breadth of courses on offer and the critical capacity of the university as a social space.

    This union resolves:

    1. To take an active stance against these cuts.

    2. To use its relationship with the University to oppose these cuts in any form.

    3. To work with any students and staff wishing to debate or campaign against these cuts.

    4. That the Union must take a lead in actively campaigning against the cuts and should consider alternative arguments which up to now have been side-lined.

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  3. Have all the demands been met? Has the Vice Chancellor taken a stance against the cuts? Are the plans for the spending cuts to be made public?

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  4. The specific demands associated with the occupation have all been met, yes. Action continues in relation to the others!

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