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Forge Press ISSUE 150| FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER 2020
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Break 20
FORGETODAY.COM
Sheffield students prepare for rent strike as University agrees to 5% refund Sophie Henderson A student group has launched an online petition threatening a rent strike if their demands, which include a rent reduction of at least 30% for the remainder of this academic year, are not met. Sheffield, Cut the Rent have said it will be shown to the University to indicate the level of support that exists for a rent strike amongst students. Charlie Lutz-Collier, a Politics and International Relations student on the organising committee for the strike told Forge Press the online petition, which gained 380 signatures in three days, was written by the committee after discussions between over 250 students in a group chat. Their demands also include: ensuring students are offered a no-penalty early release clause from their tenancy contracts; improved communication from the University regarding students’ return following the Christmas break; and improved access to food packages, laundry services and mental health support. The committee, which was formed from the group chat early last week, aims to provide information to students regarding the rent strike and will be liaising with the University. It includes first year students
living in University accommodation, as well as a Masters student who has been working to expand the rent strike information among postgraduate students living in halls. Lutz-Collier said the committee will present the petition to the University once they reach 500 signatures, adding that 500 times the next rent payment for those in University accommodation, which for him is £1,920, “is a lot of money for the University to lose”. He said: “Even the amount [of signatures] we have now is enough to get some concessions from the University”. Last week it was announced the University will be awarding a twoweek rent refund for students in University-owned accommodation, accounting for the time in which students are not required to be on campus following the student travel window. Lutz-Collier said the refund, which amounts for 5% of the total rental costs for the academic year, is “a bare minimum”. He added: “We want at least 30% for the whole year, not just the two weeks that they’ve tried to kick us out for.” Students at other universities across the UK have also launched their own rent strikes, including the University of Manchester who were Continued on page 4 >>
Credit: Forge Press
Students to vote on changes to SU officer roles Jack Mattless Students at the University of Sheffield will be able to vote on changing the roles and responsibilities of the Students’ Union’s elected officer team in an upcoming referendum. The proposed changes were approved for referendum by SU Council last Thursday and would see the number of full time officers reduced from eight to seven. They would be joined by a further six paid, part time officers elected
to represent student interests and be a member of the relevant representative committee alongside their studies. Under the plans, the Women’s Officer would become part-time with a separate, full-time officer elected to represent all liberation groups on campus. The new Liberation Officer would also coordinate five new parttime officers elected to represent BME, LGBT+, mature and disabled students respectively, as well as the new part-time Women’s Officer.
Elsewhere, the SU Development and Activities remits would be merged into a single full-time role and the Sports Officer would take on extra responsibility for general student wellbeing. The roles of SU President and Education Officer would remain as full-time posts, largely unchanged. One further part-time position would be introduced to specifically represent postgraduate students.
Continued on page 4 >>