Students at the London College of
Communication occupied the main lecture hall as part of a campaign to oppose planned cutbacks.The action started on Monday night and continued untill Wednesday afternoon.
The decision to occupy was taken after a meeting on 9th
of November where management refused to compromise on a “restructuring” plan
that will involve course closers and staff redundancies, which have already amounted to over 150.
Boma Hart, Press Officer for the group
Oppose LCC Redundancies, or Oppose,
said on Monday: “The occupiers will not leave the premises until the senior management
team acknowledges the growing student discontent and agrees to negotiate.” The occupation ended after security guards, acting under orders from management, sealed the building refusing entry or exit to all.
So far eight courses have been closed down
and nearly 50 staff members still face redundancy. “Non-commercial” ventures such as
BA Marketing and Advertising and the MA Marketing Communications degrees will
be closed.
This will also include all courses from the
Creative Enterprise School
aside from those in public relations and creative advertising strategies.
Remaining schools now fall under a “traffic
light” system where 95% of courses are under threat of closer if they do not
improve efficiency.
Such moves come in the wake of renewed
attacks on education across Europe. Throughout
the year students in Austria
have staged demonstrations against the privatisation of universities.
Nearly forty thousand marched through Vienna last month under
the slogan “Money for education not for the banks and big
business”.
Oppose have issued a ten-point list of demands that include compensation
for students on affected courses, the retention of all courses that remain
profitable, and a review of management competency.
LCC security refused to allow Socialist
Appeal to speak to occupying students. Les Carriage, associate dean of the
Faculty of Art and Design, said: “I cannot allow you to speak to anyone in
there. If they want to speak to you they can do so off university grounds but
they will not be allowed back in. It is my role to facilitate an end to this
occupation.”
Although the students have ended this occupation, the campaign continues.
