DTH Protest: College Response (17 April 2019)

Deptford Town Hall (DTH) is currently subject to a sit-in by a number of students at Goldsmiths, University of London.

The protestors have indicated that their concerns relate to issues of racism on campus and BAME student experiences. This page is intended to provide information about this ongoing situation. 

How Deptford Town Hall is used

Deptford Town Hall is primarily used as a space for teaching, music rehearsal and performance, academic office space, the student-facing Immigration Advisory Centre and provision for the Senior Management Team (SMT).  

Timeline of events

After the protest began on the afternoon of Tuesday 12 March the College sought to continue using the building as usual. Members of SMT met with student representatives that evening to understand the purpose of the protest and the reasons for the occupation. 

On Wednesday 13 March, teaching was able to continue as usual. However, during Thursday 14 March, protestors began interrupting teaching sessions. As a result of this the Senior Management Team decided to temporarily close DTH and relocate or reschedule academic activities due to take place in the building.

The building reopened on Monday 18 March, with students free to come and go between 9am – 7pm.

On Friday 22 March members of SMT met with sabbatical officers from the Students’ Union and a number of students participating in the protest, sharing a constructive discussion around the issues raised.

On Monday 1 April, SMT issued an extensive response to the protestors’ demands, offering what SMT believes are positive steps towards 29 of the protestors’ 32 demands. The protestors responded to this on 8 April.

Student and staff welfare

The College takes very seriously the welfare and safety of its students and staff.

During the temporary closure (14-18 March), protestors were free to leave at any time and the College consulted with London Fire Brigade who were content with our evacuation arrangements.

Food and non-alcoholic drink were allowed in via the front door of DTH throughout the protest.

Listening to the protestors

College management offered a prompt response to the protestors’ initial demands. The College also re-opened the building on Monday 18 March after requests from the protestors to allow free passage during certain hours.

A further detailed response - SMT response to GARA 1 April 2019 - was issued on Monday 1 April, making a wide range of commitments. The protestors issued a response to this on Monday 8 April, indicating they were not willing to negotiate on any aspect of their demands.

The protestors have so far appeared reluctant to engage in sustained discussions with College management in order to establish a clear action plan for addressing their concerns.

However, following the extended correspondence outlined above and an indication from the protestors that they would be agreeable to a further meeting with SMT (providing the protestors are given at least three days’ notice), it is hoped that face to face discussions might commence soon after Easter.

The College updated students across campus on the situation via an all-student email on Friday 15 March, and a further message on Monday 1 April. Staff were sent a further message before the Easter break, on Wednesday 17 April.

College response to protesters’ themes

Goldsmiths has various strands of work underway related to the themes raised by the protestors. College management has communicated a range of commitments to the protestors on how we will accelerate and build on this work.

You can read the College’s response of Thursday 14 March, but in summary:

• A specific report relating to damage to a Students’ Union election poster is being investigated as a priority, utilising all forms of evidence available to us including CCTV footage;
• Mandatory training for all student-facing staff on issues of diversity and race awareness, from next academic year;
• Immediate recurrent investment of £100,000 on additional specialist mental health and wellbeing staff, to be recruited this academic year;
• A further commitment to provide appropriate resources to address findings of Dr Nicola Rollock’s current work on the discrepancy between the outcomes of BAME students compared to their white peers.

The further response to the protestors of Monday 1 April can be read in this PDF: SMT response to GARA 1 April 2019. In summary, SMT has now additionally committed to:

• Drawing on internal experts and external partners to conduct a comprehensive audit of the experience of BAME students and staff and our current procedures for tackling racial harassment, to provide an evidence base from which to devise a properly resourced action plan;
• Working with the Students’ Union to clarify the role of the Hate Crime Reporting Centre on campus and how it operates alongside the College’s disciplinary process/system;
• Facilitating a proper process of consultation across the College, Lewisham Council and community groups, about how best to respond to concerns around the historic iconography on DTH;
• Continuing with ambitious plans to open up DTH for wider community use by increasing physical accessibility through a ‘lift and bridge link’, as part of the renovation of the College-owned shops on New Cross Road;
• Extending the Humanitarian Scholarships Scheme, which offers bursaries for MA students from countries which are affected by political and military strife;
• Conducting an audit of the usage of the multi-faith prayer space throughout the week with a view to finding additional/alternative accommodation if necessary.

SMT knows these are only steps on a long journey and that Goldsmiths cannot fix deep-seated societal issues alone. Goldsmiths is proud of our diverse and inclusive community, and College management will continue to work with all those committed to ensuring that prejudice has no place on our campus.

The College’s commitment

SMT fully acknowledges its leadership and management role in tackling any incidents of racism on campus and ensuring equality of opportunity for all.

We are also keen to ensure that the wider Goldsmiths community and beyond can feel actively involved in the issues raised by the protestors. Only by broadening ownership of the issues beyond the six members of Goldsmiths’ Senior Management Team and those directly engaged in the occupation will we stand any chance of properly addressing these issues in a long-term and effective way.

SMT also has to meet its legal obligations to ensure the safety of students and staff, and its core responsibilities for providing teaching and learning for students.