College Chairs and Presidents have voiced concerns about the current management of York’s collegiate system and issued three demands for the University.
In a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor, 11 College Presidents and Chairs expressed their frustration with the current system.
College Committees, largely made up of student volunteers, play a vital part in organising Welcome Week (formally Freshers’ Week) as well as offering several year-round craft, music and sport events for students.
The letter is set to be posted on several of the colleges’ Instagram accounts and was also signed by Students’ Union Affairs Officer Lewis Parrey.
The College Chairs and Presidents said they feel as if: “their strategic importance to the University is being devalued.”
This letter comes in the midst of recent cost-cutting measures launched by the University, such as the staff voluntary severance scheme of full-time staff posts.
Three College Managers from Alcuin, James and Langwith Colleges have left due to the voluntary severance scheme, with no immediate public plans to replace them.
Their roles have been subsumed to the Derwent, Vanbrugh and Goodricke’s College Managers respectively.
Several independent College receptions have closed causing Presidents and Chairs to express a concern for the “significant workload increases and wellbeing [issues]” for students, alongside their degrees and other commitments.
The letter cited the cause of this problem as: ”owing to the University’s financial decisions, combined with ever-decreasing support and comms [communication] from key University decision-makers.”
York Vision interviewed Interim Deputy Director for Student Life and Wellbeing Martin Crosby in September, who said: “we are looking at…changes and how we can put more support in place for the committees so the time they spend can be less on some of the administration and more on student leadership.
“We’ve felt for a long time that there is probably some work we’d like to do to make their work be recognised and rewarded more so than it is.
“We’re conscious that this time of year it’s really busy and it’s very difficult for them so I hope that they’re feeling recognised on an individual, local level by their college teams.”
The College Chairs and Presidents are seeking several courses of action from the University.
They want a statement from the University to demonstrate that it: “still considers its Colleges to be a priority.”
This includes a statement on how the University will continue to support the existing College infrastructure, staffing and student volunteers going forward.
Their second demand is for “a commitment to better communication” between: “key decision-makers and College Committees, including the reinstatement of a regular meeting (at least once per semester) between College Chairs and Presidents and members of the University’s leadership team.”
Their third demand is for “consultation with colleges on future changes” on changes that will involve them, ideally prior to any decision being implemented.
Several of the College Presidents have come forward with personal statements.
Alcuin College President Simon Edwards said: “whilst we were amongst the first to suffer the University’s change in direction, this has, increasingly, rolled out to other Colleges, making the fight universal across the University, and relevant to all students, not just Alcuin’s.
“We are fed up of being thrown curveballs by the University’s decision-makers, and expected to just deal with them with minimal support.”
President of Alcuin College
Goodricke College President Atharva Inamdar said: “open dialogue with the University and Accommodation Services is essential to address these issues. I am hopeful for positive changes that will benefit both our colleges and students.”
The Chairs and Presidents are intending to meet with the Vice Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery on 2nd December to discuss this further and a few are set to speak as guests on URY (University of York Radio) this afternoon.
The College Chairs and President emphasised that they are still “demonstrably proud” of York’s collegiate system and have embraced the opportunity to give something back to the community.
Nominations for the 2024-2025 College Committee opened 4th November [Week 6] and will close Friday 15 November [Week 7].
York Vision has approached the University for further comment.