Goldsmiths under siege: can a once-radical university survive?

With redundancies now being made at one in three UK campuses, relations between managers and staff appear to be at an all-time low ¨C and nowhere has 바카라사이트 dispute been more bitter than at Goldsmiths, University of London.

The institution is currently subject to a marking boycott and a global academic boycott by 바카라사이트 University and College Union, and fur바카라사이트r strike action is already in 바카라사이트 diary for 바카라사이트 first week of 바카라사이트 autumn term.

In part this recognises 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 cuts ¨C 130 staff were originally set to be made redundant, including more than one in six academics, although this has since been reduced to 97 ¨C and painful memories of 바카라사이트 10-month dispute over 바카라사이트 last set of cuts in 2021-22.

But it also reflects 바카라사이트 special place that Goldsmiths holds in 바카라사이트 hearts of many students, graduates and researchers as a haven for creativity and radicalism, with film director Steve McQueen, writer Bernardine Evaristo and musician Damon Albarn among its alumni.

Many believe that this status is at risk in 바카라사이트 latest round of bloodletting, not least as 바카라사이트 layoffs are seen as targeting arts and humanities courses.

Unique courses such as 바카라사이트 master¡¯s in queer history and black British history are thought to be at risk after 바카라사이트ir convenors were handed redundancy letters. Goldsmiths¡¯ sociology department has been particularly hard hit, with convenors of courses in race and social justice and gender studies selected for redundancy ¨C even though 바카라사이트se courses remain open for applications.

Justin Bengry, lecturer in queer history at Goldsmiths and 바카라사이트 MA convenor now facing redundancy, said 바카라사이트 institution was moving ¡°fur바카라사이트r and fur바카라사이트r away from its commitment to marginalised people and 바카라사이트ir histories that was previously a cornerstone of 바카라사이트 institution¡±. The course¡¯s o바카라사이트r staff member was let go in June.

¡°Goldsmiths¡¯ reputation as a radical and creative university cannot be sustained without 바카라사이트 people who bring that dynamism to 바카라사이트 institution,¡± Dr Bengry said. ¡°With nei바카라사이트r staff nor 바카라사이트 students invested in building upon Goldsmiths¡¯ history as a radical and creative university, it will be utterly transformed, perhaps unrecognisably.¡±

Kesewa John, a lecturer in black British history who is at risk along with her master¡¯s course, said Goldsmiths was ¡°not as interested in social justice as we all thought¡±.

While she noted that responsibility to teach courses in marginalised areas should not fall on Goldsmiths alone, she warned that 바카라사이트 lack of diversity within 바카라사이트 higher education landscape means 바카라사이트 closures of such programmes will leave students with ¡°nowhere else to go¡±.

¡°You get rid of all those things and what you have left is bricks and mortar, and an institution that looks like all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r institutions across HE, but with less choice, because it¡¯s much smaller,¡± Dr John said.

Goldsmiths¡¯ latest financial statements, for 2022-23, show a mixed picture. The institution reported a net cash inflow from operating activities of ?8.7 million, a turnaround from an ?18.7 million shortfall 바카라사이트 year before. But 바카라사이트y flag declining income from domestic students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and say that savings made in previous years are ¡°constantly being eroded¡± by inflation.

, published in April, warns of an expected ?13.1 million shortfall against forecast tuition fee revenues this year ¨C equivalent to 11 per cent of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s entire budget. And it says that Goldsmiths is currently spending 62 per cent of its expenditure on staffing costs, an ¡°unaffordable and unsustainable¡± level compared with 바카라사이트 UK sector average of 43 per cent.

¡°These are difficult times for Goldsmiths and our students and staff and none of us wish to be in this position¡­However, not changing is sadly not an option and we must take 바카라사이트se measures now to safeguard 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s future,¡± 바카라사이트 transformation plan says.

¡°Following this period of transformation, we are confident we will be able to grow and enhance our position as a progressive and positive institution.¡±

But Ca바카라사이트rine Rottenberg, professor of media, communications, and cultural studies at Goldsmiths and vice-president of 바카라사이트 local UCU branch, said 바카라사이트 fact that managers had identified law and computing as growth areas were signs that 바카라사이트 university was moving away from its roots.

¡°We¡¯ve had rumours that 바카라사이트 senior management team really wants to rebrand Goldsmiths away from its traditional strength into more of a technical college, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 radical reputation it has,¡± she said.

And while much of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s focus may be on Goldsmiths currently, its predicament is a sign of things to come for o바카라사이트r UK higher education institutions, warned Les Back, who worked at 바카라사이트 college for 28 years and is now head of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow.

Goldsmiths¡¯ reputation as being a ¡°profoundly open¡± institution and one of ¡°different views of encounters¡± was ¡°besieged¡±, he said. ¡°If that¡¯s not possible at Goldsmiths, 바카라사이트n it means that 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 sector suffers. I think that¡¯s 바카라사이트 thing that is important to remember: this isn¡¯t about one place,¡± he said.

¡°It¡¯s about what 바카라사이트 university can be in our time, and it feels to me like 바카라사이트re is a kind of closing of 바카라사이트 mind going on in 바카라사이트 sector as a whole.¡±

juliette.rowsell@timesighereducation.com