‘Save the School of Surveying and Planning’ Campaign

Makeup:

524 total students352 – Undergraduates172 - PostgraduatesBME: 224Low socio economic group: 85Declared disability: 78Female: 177Compact student numbers = 25

Has RICS, CIOB, RTPI accredited courses The school has achieved the award of’ Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’

Background:

On 20th Feb, academic staff in the School of Surveying and Planning, which sits within the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), where informed that there was going to be a school-wide restructure, which would likely result in the closure of some courses, the relocation of others to different faculties and the likely reduction in staffing numbers by 2/3 of its current level.

Building and Quantity Surveying will be moved to SEC Real Estate will be moved to Business and Law Planning will be closed Note – Art Market BA will close. MA will transfer to FADA Historic Building Conservation – will close

Full listing of Course Closures listed in Appendix 1 & 2

The School is based within a unique space called C-SCAIPE – the Centre for Sustainable Communities Achieved through Integrated Professional Education.

2 thought process’1. Steven Spier Dean of FADA – wanted to close the school to make the faculty overall better

performing and to keep it to strictly Art, Design and Architecture courses2. Julius Weinberg – took on board a years’ worth of feedback the school had provided as they

wished to be relocated in a united move to SEC. He didn’t believe this was feasible and decided to take the action he did.

Timeline for the campaign:

20 th Feb KUSU was told about the closure of the school (verbal update)

27th Feb2nd BSM – KUSU Motion presented here supported the students to keep the school open

3rd MarchMeeting with NUS/UCU/KUSU and students to finalise the campaign strategy

5th MarchBoard of Governors meeting. Joint UCU/KUSU and students protest outside. Lobby before and after meeting

10th, 11th, 12th MarchStudent Consultation meetings with the Dean. KUSU encouraging all students to attend these events

12th March University Equality Committee. Lizzie (VP Student Life) brought up in AOB.

March 18th Meeting with UCU to discuss consultation paper

20th March Open student meeting with Deans. KUSU prepped presentation. Nick Beers presented.

24th MarchSPRAC – Committee dealing with course closures, nothing came here

25th MarchStudent Consultation paper due

1st April Celebrate the School day. 5 speeches from Alumni, staff and students. Over 100 people attended

9th AprilAcademic Board. Final decision brought to this committee. Emma Shakir brought up in AOB.

Involvement in the process The University has not involved students in the decision making process at all up to this point.

The students on the affected courses were only informed of the decision informally from academic staff at risk of redundancies.

There is no current plan, as far as the students’ union is aware, of involving students affected by this proposal in the consultation process at any stage. There are no current plans, as far as the union is aware, for the mitigation of any negative impacts upon a students’ learning experience as a result of the proposed restructure.

Direct effects on current students Students on courses that are closing will be required to change degree or move institution.

There is no detailed plan, as far as the union is aware, for how students will be supported in making these decisions. There are no assurances of what protections students will have if no viable option is available to them. This is particularly concerning as a high proportion of students at Kingston are from the local area. There are only three other HEIs that provide similar courses, UCL, London South Bank and Westminster. Why phasing out of these courses, which is the most common approach by HEIs closing courses, has not been considered as an option is not clear.

Loss of specialist expertise and of student support. The loss of specialist academic staff will inevitably have a negative effect on those students whose courses are transferred to a new School. The extent of this effect is currently unclear. The loss of three support staff will also have an impact on the personal contact and support individual students can access,

Loss of unique learning environment. The interdisciplinary nature of the School, which students have identified as a highly valued element of the learning experience will be lost if the School is dissolved.

Wider effects on Kingston University and its community Loss of opportunity the community. In particular it appears, the BA Art Market and BSc Historic

Building Conservation are the only ones of their kind in the UK (according to Unistats; 28/02/14). In addition, the Planning courses are currently one of four in the Greater London area.

As a publicly funded higher education institution, Kingston has a duty to consider the implications of its decisions around course provision beyond the immediate impacts on itself. The institution has a civic responsibility to ensure that education of all types is continued to be made available to all those who wish to study it, which means taking into account the broader picture of course provision (especially in specialist courses) in the local and national settings.

Knowing our alliesName & Role Relationship to SU/campaign Influencing power Decision making

powerBonnie Greer, Chancellor

Denza. Positive, formal. Significant. Behind scenes.

Little

Local MP Denza. Positive, though unlikely to take a position

Some. Public & behind scences.

None

Liz Green, Chair of local council

Lizzie. Quite positive. Some. Public & behind scences.

None

Mayor Denza. Unknown. Know them but do not have formal

Some. Public & behind scences.

None

relationship.Chair of Governors

Denza. Very positive. Formal Significant. Behind scenes

Some

Chair of UCU Will. Positive. Informal Some NoneLocal Rotary Club

Denza. Positive. Informal Some. Contains influential people.

None

Appendix 1

School of Surveying and Planning

524 Total Students

Undergraduates – 352Postgraduates - 172

6 courses closing , 7 being distributed

Undergraduate Course # of Students Moving to

Art Market 15Full Time- 14Sandwich – 1

Closed

Building Surveying 94Full Time –56Part time- 20Sandwich - 18

SEC

Property Planning and Development

33Full Time – 29Sandwich - 4

SEC

Quantity Surveying Consultancy 113Full time – 35Part time – 68Sandwich - 10

SEC

Real Estate Management 57Full time – 50Part time – 1Sandwich – 6

LAW

Residential Property 23 Full Time Closed

Historic Building Conservation 22 Full Time Closed

Applied Architectural Stonework & Conservation

5 Closed

Appendix 2

PostgraduateCourses

# of students Moving to

Real Estate 34 LAW

Real Estate MSc (Warsaw delivery)

10 LAW

Quantity Surveying 37 (1 student on break) SEC

Sustainable Place Making and Urban Design

8 Closed

Historic Building Conservation

11Full Time – 7Part Time - 4

Closed

Art Market Appraisal (Professional Practice)

21 FADA

Building Surveying 39 (1 on break) SEC

Planning and Sustainability 14 Closed