Student voice

Within recent meetings with the Representative of the student body, Colin McKean, the issues of communication were frequently brought to attention. As a result of these meetings Colin suggested that a good next step towards getting our voice heard would be to write a formal letter to the executives of the art school outlining our fears with the aim being to get a positive response and maybe some answers to our questions.

The two main points that we felt were most important was the transparency of the executive board as well as the accountability of all senior management within the art school. Here is the finished letter sent today before the meeting of the executives tomorrow which will hopefully bring to attention the need for there presence within the student body.

"I am writing on behalf of the student body, to inform the executive group of a number of concerns that have been raised by students over recent weeks and to request that these concerns are addressed. While these concerns have principally been raised by students of the School of Fine Art, they are by no means limited to students from that school, and echo concerns that were raised within the School of Design last year, regarding the decision to cease recruitment to the Ceramic Design pathway.

It has become apparent to students, since the start of term one that owing to a number of predominantly external factors, GSA is currently facing a very significant financial challenge. Students are becoming aware that greater demands are being placed on the school’s resources than ever before and are concerned about how this will impact their educational experience over the coming years.

Over the past months, staff have received two emails outlining the situation, and been invited to a meeting at which they were told the steps that were being taken by the institution to minimise the impact of the current financial situation. Following the last meeting of the Board of Governers, I requested that a similar meeting be held between the directorate and the student body, in order to inform students of the situation, and to answer any questions that they might have about it. This request was declined on the grounds that a meeting between the directorate and student body would undermine the heads of school. I then requested that the Director at least send an email to all students, similar to those addressed to staff, in order to inform them of the situation facing the school. While the Director agreed privately to do this at the time, I have been disappointed that no such email has since emerged.

Over the intervening period, there has been a growing feeling amongst the student body that the quality of the education the school will be able to provide over the coming years is significantly under threat, and that the institution has made no attempt to engage with, or address the concerns that students have raised about this.

Students are genuinely, and justifiably alarmed at a number of recent developments at the institution. They have returned from the summer vacation, or arrived to study here for the first time, to find that technicians have been redeployed in other departments, or are no longer employed by the school, workshops are closed, the school’s buildings are in a worsening state of disrepair and morale amongst the teaching staff is very low.

The concerns raised by students have all been significantly exacerbated by the general lack of information about the current financial situation, and the unwillingness the school has demonstrated to engage the student body over these issues.

I was pleased at the start of term that the Head of Fine Art agreed to meet with student representatives from Fine Art Photography to discuss a specific concern they had about their department. While there was never any possibility of revisiting the decisions that had been reached, students appreciated the opportunity presented to discuss the situation, and left the meeting satisfied that the action taken by the school was justified, if undesirable.

As the term has progressed, I have reported further concerns to the Head of Fine Art, relating to facilities used by students of the Sculpture and Environmental Art Departments and MFA. During a conversation between myself, the head of Fine Art and the UG Programme Leader I suggested that the head might take an opportunity to engage more broadly with the students of the Fine Art Department, to describe and explain the financial situation that has been adversely affecting their studies this year.

I was disappointed that this suggestion was rejected on the grounds that the head of Fine Art was reluctant to engage the student body in a situation that might invite questions regarding the central financing of the school.

I cite this example simply because it illustrates the central issue that this letter seeks to address: with whom can students raise concerns they have about decisions taken at a management, executive or directorate level within GSA?

There is a perception amongst the student body that decisions made by GSA’s most senior management are taken without due consideration for those currently studying at the school, and that the school’s executive and directorate do not operate with sufficient transparency or accountability to the student body, the school’s most significant stakeholders. Students are concerned that long-term strategic imperatives are considered at the expense of those who are currently invested in the institution, and are worried that an excessive institutional emphasis on long-term objectives is compromising the current student experience.

You will be aware that most recently the concerns of students have manifested themselves in a spontaneous protest on Open Day, and the publication of Mammogram magazine, which has asked questions about the way in which GSA operates. What these activities illustrate, is an increased awareness of, and desire to engage with the politics of education amongst the student body. At a time when resources are under threat, students are becoming more aware of how they value their education. When they know that greater external demands are being placed on the fees they have invested in the institution, they will become more demanding and critical of the way in which their fees are used by the institution internally. It is vital at this time that the student body can have faith that their money is being used wisely by GSA, and with their best interests at heart. At present students feel they have no such guarantee.

I would suggest to the Executive Group that the current situation can be used as an opportunity to find new ways for students to engage with the institution in a meaningful dialogue that might avoid repeats of the Open Day protest. I would propose the formation of a liaison committee between GSA’s executive group and the student body, comprising a small number of staff and student representatives, which meets once each term to inform students of issues discussed by the executive group, in order that students can feel better informed about decisions made by senior management and the operation of the institution as a whole.

In the school’s promotional material and strategic plan, GSA frequently celebrates its status as a small, specialist institution, its dynamism, courage and sense of community. I would request that the Executive Group consider the issues that students have raised, and find a way of addressing them that capitalises on the qualities, instead of perpetuating the negatives with a wall of silence. Students are demanding a greater sense of ownership of their education, and a greater influence over it. I would argue that this can only been seen as a positive and desirable thing, and that it should be accommodated and encouraged by the school.

Colin McKean
1 December 2008"