The first point is very much idealogical, Universities shouldn't be forced to merge, they are autonomous institutions dedicated to learning and far removed from political quarrelling. That's the current, the status quo and what we were fighting to maintain. Way back at the start of this campaign we took the legal angle, currently it is illegal to force 2 Universities to merge if either of them are a registered charity as both Abertay and Dundee are. It is also illegal for a University Senate not to seek a replacement Principal when the vacancy has arisen.
"141. Around the urban areas of Scotland there are often overlaps in provision between some of the more regional universities. In any approach which involves greater regionalisation, we believe the SFC should be charged to work more closely with universities to consider how such overlaps are best removed through greater collaboration or, where the case exists, merger. We say more about this below.
144. Against this background of the need for more coherent provision, reduced duplication and tightening public expenditure, we have already proposed (in paras 133-139) a regional network of colleges; and, we think there is also some room for some consolidation in the university sector. We therefore want colleges, universities and the SFC to continue to consider the case and opportunity for further structural change and movement of provision in order to meet Scotland's changing needs.
145. We therefore intend to supplement Scottish Ministers' current powers on mergers in two ways. First, to require the SFC periodically to review the number and pattern of fundable bodies (that is, colleges and universities) and make recommendations on implementing changes - including mergers, new fundable bodies or transfers of provision. The test would be the need to improve the value for money and coherence of provision. The SFC would be required to justify its recommendations and publish the evidence base on which it was founded. Second - and following such a review, Scottish Ministers would have the power to require the governing bodies of fundable bodies to work with the SFC to respond to and implement the recommendations."
-- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/09/15103949/8
The stage is set now for my idealogical point, Universities should be as far removed from political quarrelling as possible, these seats of learning should be held out of arms reach of politicians, political bias or any other such thing. You'll be familiar with the saying "History is written by the victors" in a modern, democratic society we (hopefully) don't need to worry about being hung for writing bad of those in power but assuming the Scottish Government obtained the power to force merger and such - it would become far too easy for that University who's leading researcher is preparing a piece on the lack of economic sustainability of an independent Scotland to become at risk. (n.b. This isn't a reflection of my beliefs on independence or the SNP, simply an example)
So that's why Universities should not be forced into merger but looking specifically at our example, why would merger be a bad thing for Abertay and Dundee?
We'll start with the statistics, just to demonstrate a point the University of Abertay Dundee has at any one time approximately 5,000 students and in 2011 achieved a turnover of £37m (See Accounts Here). Meanwhile across the road at the University of Dundee there are 18,000 students and a turnover of 230m (again Accounts here.) These figures very quickly show one thing, the University of Dundee dwarfs Abertay. Which students generally agree means one thing - there would be no merger between Abertay and Dundee, it would be a takeover. With less than a third of the students and a seventh of the turnover Abertay would be left without a voice in any forced merger talks.
It doesn't stop there however - once you've been around Abertay long enough you pick up on something - Abertay isn't small because it's a lesser University - it's small by choice, it actually makes a choice to tone down it's advertising to maintain that ~5k students from year to year. It's important to the way Abertay works that it's small - it's a community based University, encouraging students to collaborate and backed up by lecturers that work well within the community. Once eaten up by Dundee and deprived of a means to carry on this small University path, in my opinion, you would see Abertay begin to fall in all of the areas that make it unique - the ideal behind their Whitespace advertising campaigns would fall apart.
Of course there are always wins to the University aspect - Sports Students would suddenly have dedicated facilities however may have to end up re-sitting a year to meet Dundee's entry requirements. On the whole however students would lose out from the experience they signed up for when enrolling at Abertay University - I have spoken to several students who had conditionals from both Abertay and Dundee and chose Abertay for the atmosphere. Just as, I'm sure, there are plenty of students at Dundee who chose it over Abertay for whatever reason.
Now, taking a look at the place I know best, the Students' Association, Abertay in all aspects punches above its weight, the Students' Association is yet another example of this. With 2 sabbaticals and 6 non-sabbatical's there is a lot to be done at UADSA but year on year the SA is tackling engagement issues and winning, tackling students issues with the University and winning and tackling national issues and winning. The final result of Hands Off Abertay is just one example of this - working nationally with NUS, national media and other key people. The entire Executive Committee forced the Scottish Government into a U-Turn on the whole idea.
At DUSA, from my perspective, it's a slightly different story - DUSA miss out on national representation by electing to disaffiliate from NUS, as such the last big campaign I know of them taking on is All Taygether Now - launched jointly by Tayside's University and College Student Association's and through Abertay working with NUS. The inability to shout at a national level could cost us dearly if a merger were to go ahead. Locally, Student Representation has come a long way and I have the utmost respect for all of the Sabbs, NSO's and anyone who helps with the running of things over there. As far as I've ever seen though, DUSA is associated with drinking, unlike ourselves Dundee Uni SA do run commercial services and they run it well - the SA building takes in a large enough portion of our own students for me to know that.
However it means that the SA name has become associated with a nightclub, more than an Association that represents Dundee Uni Students at all levels. So whilst other Students' Associations are debating getting rid of commercial services in this economic climate, a merger would potentially see Abertay Union handed over to DUSA and certainly would see students of the merged Universities having these same identity issues when figuring out who repesents them.
It's been a long and long overdue post but there you go - Hands Off Abertay, that's why! Any questions shoot me a comment as ever of course.
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