Issue 55
Queen Mary security services face cuts Page 5
Monday February 6 2012
Can a child be
QM Profraised genderless? awardedIs it possible or right to keep the sex of your child a secret? Page 16 CBE Page 7
The Newspaper of Queen Mary Students’ Union
The “evolution” of sciences » Students voice their concerns in an open meeting about the cuts to the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
teaching and scholarship] roles”, with the possibility of 20 redundancies. Professor Evans The head of the school of noted redundancies may not be biological and chemical sciences necessary, if current staff fulfilled (SBCS), Professor Matthew certain criteria, which included sufficient published Evans, held a meeting with having students last week to discuss research, grant funding and a proposal – currently under teaching awards nominations. Overall staffing numbers would consultation - to restructure the school, with the aim of improving increase from 70 to 82, although research activity and league questions were raised about table positions, but at the risk how high quality researchers of “up to 20” staff redundancies. would be attracted to the school. Professor Evans indicated a “Queen Mary’s ambition as an institution is be to in the top 10% fellow Professor would require of universities in the country”, 13 published papers, four of Professor Evans told students. which were in a “high quality” “SBCS has accepted for some period journal and £500,000 research of time that it should be in the top funding to retain their job. When asked about specific 20% of comparable... biological and chemical departments, but numbers or timescale, Professor we’re a long way off that. In Evans was hesitant to answer, another internal general league tables for example despite we’re around about half way.” document reads “... the College Professor Evans says he aims considers that the potential to ensure teaching and research number of dismissals by reason “are done as well as they can be”, of redundancy will equate to and hopes to create “a different more than 20 but less than 100 sort of school, which is acting over a period of 90 days or less.” “The meeting was predictably and behaving in a different sort of way” later describing unhelpful. Professor Evans did the process as “evolution.” A quite a good job of evading most document addressed to the Queen of the questions, but did seem Mary Senior Executive – and unprepared for the turnout and leaked to this newspaper last some of the more sophisticated October – proposed “a significant queries, which is a start,” said refocusing of the School’s activity” Lucy Wyatt, second year Biology and suggested the possibility student and creator of the of laying off six staff “in the facebook page “QM Students current ecology and evolution Against Restructuring”, which groups” and replacing them currently has 98 members. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to with new staff in the molecular biology and psychology divisions. arrange something else with Professor Evans now suggests the actual SBCS staff (as they all staff will have “to demonstrate were banned from the meeting), how well they’d fit into new and we can get a clearer and [teaching and research, or more honest view from them.”
Alex Badrick
Image by Matthew TK Taylor
Professor Matthew Evan, head of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the open meeting where students voiced their concerns over the pending cuts. Image by Keeren Flora