London Met University North Campus Occupation

Last night some students from the London Metropolitan University occupied part of the university's North Campus in protest against the government cuts to Higher Education. They believe the suggested massive hike in fees and cuts to teaching budgets will irreparably damage student education in general and their university in particular.

A rally in support of the occupation was called for today at 12.30 pm, and this evening there's a free lecture in the university's Tower Building in Holloway road.

This is the complete list of demands that the London Met student occupiers have presented to university management:

'We, an autonomous, democratically organised, united group of students from London Metropolitan University stand against the Government Cuts in Education Funding and subsequent rise in Higher Education tuition fees. We call on the support of all the students, lecturers and staff at London Met.

We are all one family and must stand together. We have created a safe space where there will be no discriminatory or offensive behaviour, and all students are welcome to freely come and go as they please.

1. We demand that whilst our occupation of any part of London Metropolitan University is ongoing, that the security and management allow full freedom of movement and access to all facilities within the University, to all students, whether actively involved in the occupation or not.

2. We demand that no disciplinary action, victimisation or intimidation is directed at students involved in the Occupation or staff who openly support it.

3. We demand that the Vice Chancellor, the Board Of Governors, Executive Body and Senior Management of the University explicitly condemn the Government spending cuts in education and increase in tuition fees to higher education. This condemnation should be in the form of both verbal and written statements released to the national
media, and sent directly to the Prime Minister and the Department for Business and Skills and Innovation.

4. We demand that the Vice Chancellor, the Board Of Governors, Executive Body and Senior Management of the University gives the Students Union functional autonomy, which was promised during the last academic year if significant student participation in SU elections took place, which it did. We recognise that this autonomy is in due process of being implemented, but we will not accept the use of this fact as a tool of manipulation to restrict the SU and thus the student voice.

5. We demand that the Learning Development Unit, Writing Centre and Distant Learning Support (HALE) are maintained with no job losses.

6. We demand that speakers chosen by us, are allowed access to the occupied area to provide free education to all students within the university.

7. We demand that the Vice Chancellor, the Board Of Governors, Executive Body and Senior Management of the University explicitly support all student protests across the country. This support should be way of both verbal, and written statements released to the national media, and sent directly to the Prime Minister and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

8. We demand that the University opens its books to the students and staff of the University.

9. We demand that all staff, including the directly employed, agency and contract staff employed by the University, are employed as a minimum on the London Living Wage.

10. We demand that any future changes and restructuring of courses and staffing is conducted in an open and transparent process.

11. We demand that the current occupied space be completely respected by both Management, and Security as under control of those students in occupation, and that their decisions regarding access to this space be respected. This area stretches from the staircase infront of room TMG-45, including that room, the full corridor running all the way to the fire exit on Holloway Road and any rooms leading from it, also the ground floor area including and adjacent to TRG-28 ( This area including ABG-14, TRG-33, and all the rooms that lead off from these areas including the Cashiers office and the Finance Offices: Rooms ABG-01, ABG-03, ABG-04, ABG-05, ABG-06, ABG-07, ABG-08, ABG-09, ABG-13, ABG-17, ABG-18, ABG-19, ABG-20, ABG-21, ABG-22, ABG-23) This is the area that has already been recognised as occupied by the London Metropolitan University security team.

This list is not exhaustive.'

Further details are available on their blog: http://wearelondonmet.wordpress.com

Occupation banner

Occupied area

blackboard

The occupation facebook page is at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001888688573&v=wall

Occupation Hotline: 07775531897