Goldsmiths students who occupied the university library in protest against proposed staff redundancies claim they were threatened with a campus ban if they did not end their demonstration. The occupation, which began on April 19 and ended on May 20, saw students camping out overnight for 32 days to show support for 269 staff members at risk of losing their jobs.
Alleged Ultimatum by Management
Students involved in the 24-hour occupation of the university library in Lewisham feared they would not be able to finish their education or even graduate after they were issued with an alleged ultimatum by management. A spokesperson for Goldsmiths told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that student misconduct rules are applicable in cases of disruptions affecting student learning. Goldsmiths said it made it clear that it was prepared to enforce them on these grounds.
However, students from the Free Goldsmiths movement claim management's decision to issue an ultimatum was unprecedented. The group alleged the ultimatum included an imminent ban from campus which would put them through procedures that likely would have prevented them from continuing their educations or graduating.
Concessions and Ongoing Action
The group added: We were nonetheless able to get some concessions from our management before we de-occupied, including commitments to full transparency about the cuts and finances. Although this occupation may have ended, our group will continue to take action as long as our educations and our staff’s jobs are at risk; this is just the beginning.
The demonstration came to a halt on May 20, with the Goldsmiths spokesperson stating students had agreed to end the occupation with deputy Vice-Chancellor Annabel Kiernan. Goldsmiths said talks had been ongoing with students since the occupation began, and that a range of measures have been agreed, including meeting weekly and working together to build understanding of the financial challenges the university is facing.
Financial Challenges and Redundancies
Goldsmiths is one of the top 10 universities in London and is internationally renowned for its creative and cultural approach to degree courses including the arts, humanities and social sciences. However, management has said the university needs to make £22 million in cuts by the end of the 2026/27 academic year. Among those reportedly at risk of losing their jobs include academics, as well as cleaners, security and maintenance staff who are essential to the day-to-day running of the university.
Joe Newman, co-president of Goldsmiths University and College Union (GUCU) and a lecturer in the music department, said it was the third round of redundancies and restructuring the university has seen in five years. Mr Newman previously told the LDRS: It’s the biggest in terms of it impacting, right now, around one in four staff from professional services primarily, though also some academics. They are looking to make more academics redundant in the autumn term.
For some reason that we can’t quite fathom, management are intent on trying to save £22 million in total – of which £20 million will be from staff cuts. The reason why we’re so confused about the large figure is they tried to save £20 million two years ago, during what they called the transformation programme where they saved £16.1 million.
Impact on Education and Community
He went on to say: If you cut a programme or if you sack a staff member, you don’t get that expertise back overnight. It takes years, sometimes decades to build that kind of community of students and learning in a particular area. And it’s what’s happened already this year in some of those areas that have been axed completely behind the scenes. The changes have gone through committees that have kind of signed it off, but the university hasn’t really engaged staff, students or unions at all – even though we’ve been pushing to be involved in those decisions all year.
Jen Crossan, a part-time anthropology student who has been at Goldsmiths since 2022, said the situation is anxiety-ridden for students because you don’t really know what’s going to happen. She previously told the LDRS: I think a lot of us are really unsure of how exactly the university and the courses are going to run with this kind of massive cut of lecturers. We still don’t know the full details of what it means for courses and students, but from experience we have an idea.
University's Response
A Goldsmiths spokesperson previously told the LDRS that the university is operating in a disrupted environment defined by declining enrolment, adding that student numbers have fallen by more than a quarter in the last five years. The spokesperson added: Moreover, the funding, regulatory and policy context in England puts additional pressure on Goldsmiths because of our location in London and our academic offer. Without purposeful redesign, our institution will continue to face a structural financial deficit and an operating model that is not aligned with future learners, regulatory expectations or the pressing realities of our sector.
