Apologies for the curious silence from us at Defend over the last seven days. This week has been hectic for students and staff alike, who have been stuck in meetings at all hours of the day. Some great successes have been achieved by the campaign, and awareness among students has risen exponentially. We have had more ups and downs than a grasshopper on a trampoline. So without further ado, here is your week in brief:
MONDAY - The campaign continues to receive a significant boost in coverage after an article in the London Student. In the evening, students hold an open meeting to discuss the campaign, share ideas and prepare for Tuesday's consultation meeting with the Dean. Our petition tops 1000 signatures.
TUESDAY - Early in the afternoon, more than 200 students gather in the Chemistry building for the much-anticipated open consultation meeting. After another shocking whitewash from the Dean, brilliant questioning from the floor leaves him flustered and looking very nervous. However, he digs in his heels and flatly refuses to extend the consultation period. Students leave the meeting incredibly angry, cross the road to the UCL Union Annual General Meeting and promptly vote in an anti-cuts motion with the biggest majority in over a decade.
WEDNESDAY - Further embarassment for the Dean: at a meeting of the Academic Board attended by anti-cuts student campaigners Michael Chessum and Craig Griffiths, Provost Malcolm Grant overrules the Dean with "executive action", extending the consultation period for the Modern Languages Review by two weeks. H.R. Woudhuysen gets a sizeable portion of green ham, and egg on his face.
THURSDAY - Students begin to formulate alternative proposals to the Dean's documents, in parallel with the staff plans already being prepared. A meeting is held to allow all students to put forward and debate ideas.
FRIDAY - Banners are prepared for next Wednesday's rally in the quad, students participate in photoshoots and campaign work.
The campaign is set to become big news by next week, and students and staff need all the help and support they can get. Where will you be? How can you get involved? To find out, join the Facebook groups HERE and HERE.
Write-ups of meetings to follow...
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