ANGRY students have occupied the London College of Communication (LCC) this week, against a wave of redundancies and course closures.
The occupation, which began at the main building in Elephant and Castle on Monday, was broken up on Wednesday, but students then occupied the Rector’s Office in the West End on Thursday.
Many students that News Line spoke to on Thursday at Elephant and Castle were angered by the cuts and supported the occupation.
Emma Edwards, a third-year PR student, told News Line: ‘I’m a course rep and we just want to know what is going on.
‘We’re not getting any answers from the head of college.
‘I’ve got a meeting at 5.30 today with the head of college.’
She continued: ‘As things stand, we have one lecturer in public relations for 140 students and we have no information about when, or if, we’re getting any more.
‘There is another occupation going on today in the Rector’s Office near Bond Street.
‘They’ve turned off the air conditioning to try and flush people out! Police have been called as well.’
She added: ‘They had security guards lined up at the front doors during the occupation here, so no students could get in or out, and they’re threatening students involved with suspension.
‘I believe one third year student has already been suspended and an alumni student who is head of the campaign has been banned from the building completely.’
Emma said that ‘183 staff have been sacked already’.
Ryan Anderson, another third-year student in PR, said that ‘in the old School of Creative Enterprise (now known as the Media Faculty), they’ve cut 16 of the 19 courses available’.
He also said that students were being left in the dark.
‘They didn’t even inform students of the staff redundancies,’ he said.
Emma interjected: ‘I’ve just received a text that two students have been escorted off the premises at Davies Street.’
‘It’s astounding,’ said Ryan, ‘as it’s a peaceful protest about what’s going on.’
Emma added: ‘We had a meeting with the head of college, Sandra Kemp, and she insisted on a police escort after the meeting, even though no threats were made to her.
‘Everyone just wanted answers.’
‘We pay £3,225 fees a year,’ Ryan said and Emma added: ‘The PR course which only has one teacher actually makes a profit from the fees the college receives.
‘Our head of college has been here since January and in this time she’s had 12 personal assistants,’ Emma also said, reiterating: ‘We just want teachers.
‘We have one teacher for 140 students. Leeds Met have 14 PR professionals on their staff.’
‘And Westminster have five,’ said Ryan, who also added: ‘I’d like to say we haven’t had any personal tutors at all since we came back this year.’
‘It’s just a massive lack of resources,’ Emma said.
Ursula Hutchinson, a third-year BA student in Creative Advertising Strategy, said: ‘Some of the courses in our department are threatened with closure but we’re willing to stand up against it and that’s why we’re opposing the redundancies and we have set up a group that meets every day.
‘There was a big meeting and an occupation was organised and yesterday they got kicked out and there’s bouncers on patrol in the university.
‘They’ve been staying in the main lecture theatre overnight, but they couldn’t stay in there last night apparently.
‘It’s not the uni, because the uni has a good reputation. It’s just the managers who seem not to be cooperating or listening to us.
‘We’re in our third year and it’s our department being affected.
‘We’re doing our dissertations and certain dissertation lectures have been affected because of redundancies.
‘They’ve gone to Davies Street outside the Rector’s Office to continue the struggle.’
Other LCC students were also concerned about the future of education.
Iris Sehinasi, a first-year student in PR and Events Management, said: ‘I’m very sad. It’s negative to hear about cuts taking place.
‘I think education has to be a priority and I’m definitely opposed to the cuts.
‘It’s a shame because the teachers and lecturers we have are so good.
‘We don’t want them to go.’
Photography student Zoe Hunn said that ‘I’m appalled by the plan to increase tuition fees.’
She said: ‘You cannot leave a generation £40,000-plus in debt. That’s not going to help the economy.’
Michael Baumann, another photography student, added: ‘Education has to stay independent and it doesn’t make sense to merge the rules of commerce with education.
‘It’s the base of a culture. It’s short-sighted and narrow-minded to turn it into a business.’
Since the occupation started, the students at LCC have had messages of support from students in Germany and Austria.
‘We have occupied our university in Vienna for 20 days and it has already spread through Austria,’ wrote one student.
Occupations are also spreading through Germany.
‘A lot of universities have been occupied,’ wrote a German student.
Students at LCC fighting the cuts announced: ‘We are the Oppose London College of Communication Course Redundancies Group, and independent student movement opposing the planned course closures and staff redundancies at the London College of Communication.
‘Courses in Creative Enterprise and the Printing Schools and some staff members have been earmarked for redundancy,’ they warned.
‘This restructuring will mean that a number of courses in the Printing and Creative Enterprise schools will be closed.
‘This includes the popular BA Marketing and Advertising and MA Marketing Communications degrees.
‘From the Creative Enterprise school, only courses in PR and Creative Advertising Strategy will survive the restructuring plans.
‘These measures involve not only high staff redundancy numbers, but also the devaluation of the degrees of thousands of current students and alumni.’
