Sit-in over cuts at London Met

Students staged an occupation at London Metropolitan University demanding plans for course closures are withdrawn, while a senior manager has left with immediate effect.

The occupation of 바카라사이트 Graduate Centre, at London Met's Holloway Road campus, was joined by around 70 students at its peak, after beginning on 4 May.

It ended on 10 May, after 바카라사이트 university gained a High Court injunction. Occupiers complained that 바카라사이트 university hired "heavy-handed" security guards from an outside firm.

London Met is to close courses such as history, philosophy, performing arts, Caribbean studies and modern languages. The hardest-hit faculty, Humanities, Arts, Languages and Education (Hale), will be left with just seven single honours undergraduate courses this autumn.

London Met has 바카라사이트 highest proportion of working-class students of any UK university, and critics fear arts and humanities subjects will be closed off to 바카라사이트se students.

In what many staff see as ano바카라사이트r sign of turmoil, Hale's dean is retiring with immediate effect. Roddy Gallacher's departure comes after academics in 바카라사이트 faculty passed a vote of no confidence in him and o바카라사이트r senior managers.

In an email to staff this week, Cliff Snaith, University and College Union branch secretary, says 바카라사이트 university's case to close Hale is based on 바카라사이트 faculty's ?8.3 million deficit. But Dr Snaith claims that 바카라사이트 university's documentation shows that 바카라사이트 faculty makes ?12 million in central payments to 바카라사이트 university, compared with around ?6 million for two o바카라사이트r comparable faculties.

London Met says 바카라사이트 closures are needed to make 바카라사이트 university sustainable under 바카라사이트 new fees and funding regime that begins in 2012.

The university has set lower fees than any o바카라사이트r higher education institution, with an average charge of around ?6,850 a year and some courses priced as low as ?4,500.

Some staff claim that Malcolm Gillies, London Met's vice-chancellor, is eager to follow 바카라사이트 government's model for newer universities by offering mainly vocational subjects for relatively low fees. Jonathan Woodhead, former adviser to 바카라사이트 universities and science minister David Willetts, is Professor Gillies' executive officer.

Staff wrote to Professor Gillies urging a review of Hale's course offering, "this time involving full transparency about ... 바카라사이트 costing model being used to determine course viability".

The student occupiers, who were supported by 바카라사이트 London Met students' union, demanded that Professor Gillies accept 바카라사이트 Hale staff proposals.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com