7 DECEMBER 2020 https://soasspirit.co.uk/category/news/ News Editors: Frances Howe, Fakhriya M. Suleiman, Josh Mock
SOAS News
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them at the moment, many are worried about the situation and are still looking for jobs.’ SOAS’s Transformation and Change policy has contributed to the cuts. It was formulated in a bid to save money for the school, aiming to lower spending by £17 million for their 2020/21 budget. SOAS claims such action will create foundations for a ‘financially sustainable academic institution’, while ‘simultaneously advancing social justice.’ Nicoll, on the other hand, argues the policy is based on fallacious arguments. He added, this was exacerbated by including projected losses that eventually did not materialise and in themselves were based on erroneous numbers. The SOAS Spirit reached out to SOAS for a comment in response to this article. The institution said: ‘In the summer,
the Board of Trustees reached the very difficult decision to undertake a widespread transformation and change project in response to Covid-19 and the serious financial position the School was in at the time. The catering service was making a loss, and closing it allowed us to reduce the number of jobs lost in other parts of Campus Services and elsewhere in the School. ‘As with every change that took place across the School during this period, we undertook a full School-wide consultation and consulted formally with the trade unions on both the proposed changes and the processes for restructuring. We understand that Transformation & Change has been a very difficult time for many people, although we are pleased to report that every member of Catering staff who was identified
as being at risk, was either successfully redeployed to another role within SOAS or decided to take voluntary severance. ‘We have had some early discussions with the Students’ Union to look at new food service options to provide on campus, and will return to these alongside our plans for reopening campus further, when this is possible.’ On 4 August 2017, it was announced that SOAS catering services would be brought in-house. This came into being on 29 August 2018. It was seen as a victory for catering staff, who had previously been outsourced. Carlos sees the Transformation and Change policy as an excuse for SOAS to go back on the progress made in 2018 and claims ‘all of that means nothing now.’
Students’ Union faces 70% annual income loss
The beloved SOAS Students’ Union amenities remain closed (Credit: Jasper Newport, The Tab)
Katherine Brown, MA Chinese Studies The Students’ Union bar and shop normally generate 70% of the Students’ Union (SU)’s annual income. Government announcements on 1 November excluded universities and schools from closing during the National lockdown. However, the majority of on campus amenities, including the student union bar and shop have remained closed since March. In speaking to the SOAS Spirit, Anna Dodridge, General Manager of the SU, said the loss was ‘detrimental to a certain degree,’
but not as detrimental to the functions and aims of the SU as not being able to facilitate interactions with students in person. Dodridge has said that there are savings from the reduced expenditures going out, which has softened the financial impact. The SU merchandise shop continues to sell products online. According to the SU, most of the staff at the SU bar were on yearly contracts, with only two staff members on permanent contracts. The staff on yearly contracts were furloughed until the end of their contracts. Those contracts have not been renewed. The last update on the SU website from 30
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September indicated their hopes to reopen the JCR and bar dependent on SOAS’ return to campus plans. The SU have affirmed that if they cannot guarantee the safety of staff and students, the bar and shop will remain closed. Yasmin Elsouda, the co-president for Welfare and Campaigns at the SU, emphasised that this was a moral stance the SU held, regardless of the financial loss they will face. SOAS has made the decision to solely deliver online teaching for the remainder of the academic year due to the enduring pandemic. The library services and study spaces remain open with an online booking system
in place. This is despite the fact that several other London colleges including Imperial and LSE, alongside other universities across the UK, have been able to have some form of face-to-face campus contact. The closures will also no doubt be a loss to student life, along with the closures of the UCL and Birkbeck student bars near Russell Square. With students continuing to pay full tuition fees this year despite completely online delivery, students will be looking for alternative social activities from the SU, who in turn will be looking to regain some lost revenue.
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