Impact of Previous Restructure on Students tells all
The previous round of restructuring at Goldsmiths under the Recovery Programme (RP) just two years ago resulted in negative consequences for students. It led to centralisation of administrative services, including the dissolution of the Student Centre and dismissal of department business administrators who hold crucial roles in understanding the specific experience and needs of students in their departments personally, and holding departmental agency over extensions, appeals, and other key support provisions which ensured that student issues were dealt with swiftly and effectively.
This centralised structure is causing delays in processing student requests, key appeals and complaints, enrolment, progression and student support, causing severe interconnected impact on student experience, student finance, and wellbeing.
As we have seen, every Summer when student appeals and complaints peak, massive delays caused by centralisation have led to severe interconnected issues for students from graduation and progression to student finance issues, putting students in extremely precarious and dangerous positions.
The current restructure is following just two years after the previous one, is happening against unrealistic timelines, and includes massive changes to academic and professional services alongside significant planned staff cuts. History will repeat itself.
The Senior Management Team is being reckless with your money by prioritising financial considerations over the well-being and needs of both staff and students. Their focus on financial gains may lead to neglecting essential resources or services necessary for a conducive learning or working environment, such as adequate staffing or student support services.
There is also a lack of transparency in financial decisions, making it difficult for key stakeholders (students and staff) to understand where the money is going and why certain budgetary decisions are being made. This adds complexity, especially amid an ongoing restructure, compromising accountability and compromising student and staff rights for financial goals - and not for the first time.
Deteriorating Working Conditions directly impacts student experience, support and satisfaction - As we have seen, the last round of restructure left students greatly impacted on multiple levels, with the administrative changes and the consequent delays in official processes causing not only progression issues but also financial and wellbeing problems.
The Senior Management Team’s focus on finances has stripped resources and power from department staff and students, leaving them overwhelmed and students neglected. Students turn to their tutors and staff in their department, as well as the SU, for support and personal contact, as official procedures do not accord them the answers they need or the respect they deserve. The senior management team are continuing to strip Goldsmiths of what meaningfully constitutes Goldsmiths.
Specific Risks with the Transformation Programme - In addition to the above, the extent of the redundancies targeting a whopping 130 FTE also poses a risk that certain departments as they currently exist may essentially be wiped out.
Additionally, there is no evidence of how the redundancy aligns with or impacts the other aspects of the Transformation Programme, which not only intends to cut and completely restructure the academic design and ethos of the College, but also contradictorily promises to deliver an improved student and professional services AND £20m in savings overall at the same time. Rather, it focuses on the regulatory obligations of the College only, which is indicative of the approach the College takes towards crucial issues with student experience and rights.
Additionally, despite centring a language of growth, there is no evidence of how the College intends to do this without a massive cost to the Goldsmiths community, the ethos, and pedagogy that is embedded within the College and local community.