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View Full Version : Save Crichton Campus!



Andy Bowden
7th March 2007, 10:11
Im not sure if this is the right place, if it isnt could a mod move it please? Basically the story is my uni (Glasgow Uni) is withdrawing funds from Crichton Campus and leaving the workers and students there in the shit. The SSP and the IWW have been working heavily to try and stop this, and weve already got some concessions. Its definitely winnable.

But we need your help to phone/mail blockade the uni! We did it last week and it fucked up their servers good :P The numbers/addresses are below, and given the huge no of people on revleft if just a small no phoned in it could make a difference.

:)

***


The campaign to save the Crichton Campus of Glasgow Uni in Dumfries is stepping up a gear, with a second phone blockade of the Principal Muir Russell. Russell (the guy who was responsible for the fiasco of the Scottish Parliament building) has decided to close Dumfries and Galloway's only Higher Education institution, despite all the vital work it does for the region.

He claims it runs at a deficit, figures the campaign claims are inflated. But in any case, the University is currently running at a profit, and Sir Muir's salary of £211, 000 would go a long way in helping.

The campaign is starting to score victories against the decision. The Scottish Executive, previously immovable in claiming Crichton's closure had nothing to do with them (an article in a Dumfries paper alleges they knew about the decision 8 months ago and gave the University the OK) is now pressurising Sir Muir Russell, principal of the university to meet with them to discuss the issue. The campaign is building momentum on campus with flyposting and creative publicity stunts and resistance is planned, however time is very short as the University has accelerated its attempts to shut the facility down in light of the media exposure. Pressure however is starting to tell.

We believe that with a further phone, fax and email lobby we can increase the pressure on the University Administration and the principal in particular. Last time round we caused a major nuisance - this time we want to cause further discomfort and we are advertising this lobby on every medium available to us. This is going to be big, especially with your participation!

On Thursday and Friday we are asking people to ring (and ring and ring again if you can!) the university swtichboard, and the principal's office. Send a fax, write an email, but above all phone the principal's office and ask to speak to Sir Muir Russell.

If you're looking for things to say mention that you want to register a complaint about the closure of the Crichton Campus, with the loss of the jobs of staff, the damage done to the Dumfries area at large, the vital role that the campus plays in the education and culture of the area, and that fact that all this damage is being justified on the basis of figures for sums of money which prominent Labour Party MSPs have dismissed as fantasy; this university administration, you might want to remind them, is a university administration which saw fit to award Sir Muir Russell, the Principal, a 15% pay rise a few weeks ago, while attempting to cut Janitors pay by 5 grand a year, and laying off staff at Crichton, on the back of last years job losses. It has pointedly ignored a 2800 signature petition from the people of Dumfries. There is widespread popular anger in the region, and staff and students have been involved in winning the support of the entire community, collecting signatures and donations and talking to people late into the night at local supermarkets. The local council is against the decision. The local paper is publicly backing the campaign. There could not be more support in the area for the campaign against the decision. Ask them how they feel about behaving with such arrogance in the face of such widespread popular opinion. Of course you could also just say what you want to keep the phones tied up. ;o)

This is going to be big - help stick the boot in. Workers jobs and an entire community are resting on us winning this campaign.

Phone, fax or email the following on Thursday 8th March and Friday 9th March during GMT office hours 9AM - 5PM. Let us know how it's going!

Sir Muir Russell
Principal of Glasgow University
Email: [email protected] email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Tel: 0141 330 5995
Fax: 0141 330 4947

Mr Alexander J Scrimgeour
Executive Assistant to the Principal
[email protected] email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Prof K C Calman
Principal's Office University Chancellor
telephone: 0141 330 5995
email: [email protected] email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Also those with more time to contribute can contact the University via the switchboard and try and tie lines up there too:-

0141-330 2000

luxemburg89
7th March 2007, 21:49
im 'aving a slow day. So we call these numbers and then what do we say? and what does it effectively do? i wil do it i just don't understand

Andy Bowden
7th March 2007, 22:20
Phone either tommorow or Friday, between 9 - 5 and ask to speak to Muir Russel, because you are concerned with the situation with Crichton Campus. You won't get through though, you'll get his PA.

Basically, we did it last week and it fucked up their phones. Were building momentum on the campaign - its definitely winnable, and the more hands on deck the merrier :)

luxemburg89
7th March 2007, 23:46
cool, cheers, i'll do that friday, i wont have time 2moro.

Andy Bowden
8th March 2007, 22:23
Thanks a lot man, we can win this thing so any help we get is great. Anyone else able to phone in and give Russel a hard time? :D

A.J.
12th March 2007, 14:50
How is this middle class stuff in a rich western imperialist country of any relevance to the world revolution?

Forward Union
12th March 2007, 18:57
Originally posted by [email protected] 12, 2007 01:50 pm
How is this middle class stuff in a rich western imperialist country of any relevance to the world revolution?

Don't be a dick head.
I mean, if you are a Marxist, you should accept that only the proletariat of rich industrial nations are capable of a succesful revolution, right?

So working class struggles of "rich western imperialist countrys" are relevent in their entirety to world revolution. Unless the "science" or marxism has changed.

But if you would rather side with the senior staff and bussinessmen on this particular issue...

luxemburg89
12th March 2007, 23:12
would it make a difference if i call up twice with different voices?