Around 60 students and lecturers marched in Portsmouth on Wednesday of last week against course closures and 16 redundancies.
They picketed the Eldon building, where the arts department is based, then marched to University House and occupied the lobby.
Students are angry that the university wants to cut workshops including ceramics, small metals and glass. Managers also want to sack ten lecturers and six technicians.
Management fired intern Claire Heath, a graduate of the university, two days before the demonstration after she told students the details of the cuts. She also helped to organise the campaign to save the workshops.
Managers have refused to meet Claire and negotiate.
Students and lecturers agreed to protest every Wednesday until the workshops and Claire’s job have been saved.
*Written for Socialist Worker
January 8th, 2012 → 1:13 am
[...] to art courses, as well as the closure of three workshops and 17 redundancies. With much haste a protest was organised starting outside the Eldon Building where arts is based. But two days before the [...]