ULU in Crisis
Elections called into question and Scandal over Rememberance
3
Obama Drama
5
JT White on four more years of Obama
The Volume 3 Issue 2 Friday 16th November theheythroplion.co.uk
Equal Marriage Heythrop Pride give their two cents
7
Lion
Students Vote Yes to 9k Tuition Fees An EGM held gives green light to College to charge Undergraduates the maximum amount. Samuel English Senior Editor Fifty students attended the Emegency General Meeting (EGM) on the 12th October. After a presentation from HSU President Ashley Doolan explaining how College’s like Heythrop would suffer under the new Higher Education policy and a further short presentation from Director of Finance Martin Grundy, the floor was opened to Students and their questions. This EGM signals a distinct change of tone from the student body who just two years ago voted strongly against any rise in fees at an AGM held unanimously. With few questions asked at the EGM an air of uncertainty descended before the voting was opened, at which point it became clear that an overwhelming majority of students were willing to facilitate a change in the Heythrop access agreement, which could pave the way for fees to rise by £750 from £8250 to£9000 over a period of two years. The reason for this staggered rise is a promise made by College that fees would not be raised by more than the rate of inflation in the 2013-14 prospectus. A student at the College said to The Lion: “Voting to increase the fees wasn’t too hard a decision, when I arrived here fees were around £3,000 that is a big difference to £9,000, £8250 isn’t though. After listening to the talks it seemed obvious that Heythrop has to charge the highest amount possible if we are going to survive as we are.” Not all agree with the idea that Heythrop should charge the full amount
permitted by the Government, one student noted “For £9,000 I’d expect a lot more in the way of facilities than we offer, a pool table and dark room to watch TV in don’t really cut it.” HSU president Ashley Doolan said of the new agreement “Heythrop has been forced into a position by Government policy that makes difficult decisions, such as that made at the EGM, unavoidable to assure the survival and development of high standards of teaching and learning. I feel it is unwise to punish Heythrop when they have been placed in a new market economy, which I feel is at direct odds with the true worth of a University education, the chance to grow and develop into a better rounded individual that can contribute to society. I am keen to fight for the increase in funds to be seen feeding directly back into student financial support and better facilities for students. ” It does seem that many have accepted the rise in fees as necessary, the question of bursary reassessment however seems to be proving more contentious as the changes to the access agreement do facilitate a potential slashing of bursaries offered up by College, in a move that one female student described as “infuriating” the EGM vote didn’t include bursary reassessment, though this will also go ahead. Academic affairs officer Peter O’Neil said of the issue “we were told before the EGM that bursaries would be reassigned in line with the new fees, this full disclosure was good. However, it is a great shame we didn’t have a separate vote on the issue.” One student told The Lion “I survive in London thanks to my bursary; Heythrop’s
Fr. John McDade - Courtesy of Heythrop Archives
bursary scheme was a major draw for me. I hate to think that in future people will suffer higher fees and less financial support...” Another student who works and still finds
herself reliant upon her bursary added “My bursary really helps, it comes in at the most crucial time of the year, paying three months rent and providing a little extra for
transport.” Director of finance Martin Grundy was approached for a comment by The Lion but at the time of going to press none had been received.