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By Joe Rukin
 | In the last issue we made a mistake. It does happen, but at least we can admit it! We were under the impression that the collaspe of a pathfinder privatisation project at Sheffield University had stopped Halls of Residence from slipping into the private sector. We were wrong. While the PPP deal to build halls for the university has fallen, the university still plan to sell off their existing halls of residence, a move which has created student uproar. The deal with Unite was originally meant to cover the entire
accomodation stock of 5,500 bed spaces. However, on July 28 2002
a meeting of the University's Council voted through a project that
contained 2 elements:
1) A PPP (Public-Private Partnership) deal with Unite for 2,500 bed
spaces and
2) 3,000 bedspaces being sold off onto the open
market in a 5 year disposal strategy to be replaced with
accomodation from third party private sector providers. |
While the Unite component collapsed, which students and the union welcomed, the second half of this project, the wholesale privatisation of half of their student accomodation to the highest bidder, proceeds apace. Kate Willingham, Sheffield Union Welfare Officer and Campaign Co-ordinator said:
"The Students Union has campaigned against this project for over four years. This [the collapse of part 1] vindicates what we have been saying all along- that the involvement of a private sector company, Unite plc, in this way would not have delivered safe, affordable housing for students, and was not in the interests of students, the University or the local community"
"We are still very concerned that the University intends to proceed with its plan to sell-off the remaining half of its student bed spaces onto the open market. Furthermore, it remains uncertain how the University intends to manage and run the residences that were included in the Unite deal. We are opposed to student accommodation being sold off to the highest bidder. Student accommodation must be run in the interests of student welfare, not profit, and we will continue to campaign for our demand of safe, affordable housing to be met".
"This failed project was a HEFCE-sponsored 'pathfinder' pilot project set to be repeated across the country. We are concerned that other student unions do not go through a similar ordeal. We are therefore launching a campaign statement to unite and co-ordinate a national campaign against the privatisation of student accommodation."
Sheffield University Students Union has launched a 'safe, affordable housing' campaign that has the backing of NUS and campus unions, and has received the support of student unions across the country. As part of this campaign, the students union organised a 'sleep-out' protest which took place under a bridge outside the students union building (photos at the bottom of this page). With a large number from Tapton Hall, one of the halls planned to be sold, over 200 students turned up for the protest on October 9th as part of the Union's "Stamp Out Rent Hikes" week, which aims to get guarantees that the University will continue to provide safe, affordable housing. Hundreds of postcards signed by students were delivered to the Vice Chancellor on the 11th.
As for putting a national campaign against privatisation together, the task may well lie with Sheffield students as NUS's stanceis far from ideological opposition to privatisation. Despite making noises against GATS and the privatisation of education that it represents, NUS are seeking to ensure that halls privatisation, the first step to full privatisation goes through smoothly. NUS Vice President Welfare, Verity Coyle said:
“NUS shall be commissioning research this year that pro-actively seeks good examples of part-privatisation, where good safe accommodation that reflects students’ needs is in place. We are not systematically ruling out further partnerships, just asking universities to think carefully before they get involved with these companies.”
To faciliate this, NUS is currently holding a two-day seminar (21st-22nd Oct) which "Aims to inform and assist those whose first interest is the student and their welfare in policy formation in this [halls privatisation] area. It brings together those from the rpuvate sector, elected student officers and policy experts from the NUS to examine and evaluate a number of vital policy changes." 4 of the six speakers are from private accomodation firms and just 35 union officers will be told by Executives of private firms 'How publically accountable PLCs are', 'Where privatisation fits in' and how to 'Understand Jarvis PLC.
Anyone who wants to understand Jarvis, who were blamed by some for the Potters Bar Rail Crash, a bit better might be interested by the fact they have taken a majority 75% stake in the student website studentUK to boost its university accommodation business. Last year studentUK merged with Gradunet.com and has relaunched it's service in a bid to "expand its operations in the student market and to grow revenue aggressively.". Student UK recently signed a deal with marketing giants DoubleClick to generate extra revenue for the site by targeting the student niche market. StudentUK MD Charles Linney said:
"With over 2m page impressions on StudentUK.com each month, it has become increasingly important to target advertising specifically at our niche market. Let's not forget that today's students are tomorrow's high earners - with the average graduate starting salary rising year after year, it is important not to miss out on opportunities of reaching this consumer-goods orientated sector sooner rather than later."
The another mistake in the article from last time, as we reported that a 245-bed hall at the University of Liverpool was to be closed. In fact, Lady Mountford Hall had been 'closed permanently' over the summer holidays. This had followed petitions from students and a visit from the Councils' Enviromental health Department. However, as the university had 111 students sleeping rough on the floors of other halls at their Carnatic Residencies, they decided to re-open the hall, even though 139 rooms had already been stripped. The soultion? a £100,000 quick refit and after pressure from the Guild, compensation for sleeping on the floor was upped from £4/night to a whopping £6/night!
The private sector has fared no better in Liverpool, with students being moved into Opal Estates' Great Newton Hall with electrical sockets hanging out of walls, ceiling panels missing and no launderette. Students have been told they will receive a 25% rent discount per night for two faults and 33% for three.
Links
Educationet, Halls sell-off comes under fire with freshers in 'refugee camps'
NUS ONline, NUS on halls privatisation.
Net Imperative, Jarvis takes control of student website
Net Imperative, DoubleClick granted student account
Student UK
 
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