EST. 1936
Redbrick Friday 20th January 2012 | Volume 76 | Issue 1403 | redbrickpaper.co.uk
Find out why Redbrick joined the blackout protest against SOPA
Technology, page 24
Guild President faces vote of no confidence Charlotte Lytton Reporter
The President of the Guild of Students, Mark Harrop, is facing a vote of no confidence at the next Guild Council meeting. On Thursday 12th January, Harrop was presented with a petition from the Vice President of Education, Edd Bauer, explaining that 28 Guild Councillors and 22 students were requesting a motion of no confidence to be passed against the current President. The petition was signed for the following six reasons: 'the President's involvement with the disciplinary of a student at the university', 'lying to the sabbatical officer group about his witness statement,' 'chairing of the appointments panel', 'knowingly misleading students on his Officer Blog', 'serious and misleading miscommunication of the bye-laws to Guild Council' and 'failing to implement Guild mandates.' After the occupation of North Gate House in November by members of NCAFC (National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts) and others, Harrop was asked by the Guild to provide a witness statement of events that occurred over the two day sit-in. In his report Harrop identified a student at the University, who is now facing disciplinary action and possible expulsion. The student also alleges being assaulted by a member of the private security team hired by the University to guard the building during the occupation, a claim to which the President responded, 'I did not have the facts, nor did I witness the alleged event and therefore was unable to clarify. I was asked by the interviewer as to my initial reaction upon hearing of this event, which I concede I could have worded better.' The student concerned posted a scanned copy of Harrop's statement on Facebook, which prompted much outrage amongst students at the University of Birmingham and led to the statement being retracted. In a note entitled 'Withdrawal of Witness Statement' dated Tuesday 10th January, Harrop wrote, 'I gave what I believed was a truthful account of my observations of this incident; however I recognise how parts of the statement could be misconstrued.' Following the release of
Mark Harrop, the Guild of Students President Harrop's statement on a social networking forum, Edd Bauer made a number of comments through the official Vice President of Education Facebook account, offering solidarity with the student facing disciplinary action and heavily criticising Harrop's report. The other students present at the occupation have since written a letter to the Vice Chancellor, David Eastwood, affirming their attendance there in a bid to support the student concerned. While they had kept their presence at the sit-in under wraps, their letter, dated 11th January, told Eastwood: 'If you want to discipline [the student involved] you must discipline us as well.'
Jon Robinson, a third year politics student and participant in November's occupation, explained his decision to sign the letter was as a result of Harrop's incriminating statement. He said, 'It's fairly obvious that defending and supporting students is the fundamental role of the President of the Guild of Students, so I'm horrified to learn that he has not only been testifying against a student, but even casting doubts on the validity of that student's own testimony.' The University of Birmingham was also criticised last week by John Rushworth, Deputy Chancellor of the University of West England. Speaking to the Guardian newspaper about the student protests in November
Guild of Students 2011, he said, 'I don't say this in a negative way, but we're not Birmingham – our focus is on our students, whereas theirs is on their research.' Bauer stated in a recent blog that the University of Birmingham 'is getting a reputation for repression in the higher education sector,' and that the decision of students involved with the occupation to write to Eastwood was a means of fighting against this and showing solidarity with the student involved with the disciplinary. Much division has ensued on campus since Bauer has spoken out about Harrop's actions, with a Facebook page being set up in support of the President and much
criticism against him also appearing on the site. The vote will proceed to Guild Council if it passes through the scrutiny committee, in which two out of the three members must decide there is a case to answer. The scrutiny committee is made up of a University representative, a lay trustee and a student trustee. If it is passed, the Guild Council meeting will take place on 2nd February in which a two thirds majority vote of no confidence is needed to oust Harrop from his post. He stated: 'I will continue to do my job as President of the Guild of Students to the best of my ability, as the students who elected me would want me to do.'