Alan Gilbert, the vice chancellor that bankrupted his old university in Melbourne with his extreme privatisation policy, is now faced with a student body hostile to his rule and has also succeeded in alienating academic and support staff.
He is isolated and the student body has been invigorated and strengthened in the battle for solidarity with Gaza - and the wide gamut of other issues faced by students in the UK, up against the corporatisation of education in the UK.
Well done Manchester for maintaining your month long occupation which can of course be reinstituted. However, the importance of occupying and holding strategic university buildings - the admin and post rooms - should be emphasised.
From Manchester University occupation blog
He is isolated and the student body has been invigorated and strengthened in the battle for solidarity with Gaza - and the wide gamut of other issues faced by students in the UK, up against the corporatisation of education in the UK.
Well done Manchester for maintaining your month long occupation which can of course be reinstituted. However, the importance of occupying and holding strategic university buildings - the admin and post rooms - should be emphasised.
From Manchester University occupation blog
After 31 days, 2 Emergency General Meetings, support from academics, students and trade unions from across the globe, as part of over 30 occupations in the U.K, students scaling the gates and blockading the Board of Directors car park; with guest speakers, workshops and film nights; after resolute defiance to countless threats from the University administration, students and activists from the University of Manchester can declare they are entering into negotiations on their terms with the Vice-Chancellor!
The decision was made from the group that leaving today was going to leave them in a position of strength. The fact the Vice-Chancellor did not issue an ultimatum time demonstrates it was the students calling the shots.
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