Unions call for probe into NewYorkunicampusbid
UNIVERSITY union reps will gather outside Holyrood to protest an American campus they call an “unnecessary extravagance”.
Staff and students from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) are against the development of GCU New York.
They criticise the fact the head of the university satellite is paid £250,000 – despite the campus having no students.
Dr Nick McKerrell, Combined Union Convenor and EIS member, said:“Staff are up in arms over the whole GCU New York project.
“This unnecessary extravagance has taken place when staff in Glasgow face the age of austerity.
“It is now three years behind schedule and has cost £10million.
“This is despite not one student crossing the threshold as the application for a teaching licence has not been awarded.
“It looks like no proper due diligence was done initially, leaving us in this untenable situation
“Just last week it was announced that there had been yet another delay in the hearing process until the end of May. This cannot go on.”
“Both staff and students are now united in their calls for an independent investigation.
“There are serious financial questions to be answered.”
GCU Students Association has also formally raised concerns about the US campus.
A spokeswoman for GCU Students Association said “Our Executive committee is deeply concerned at this stage about the future to recover expenditure from the GCU New York campus and the level of expenditure so far.
“This is particularly hard to take given the funding cuts we face on our Glasgow campus.”
Staff from the four trade unions represented at GCU will gather outside the Scottish Parliament today to speak to MSPs.
The event had been due to be held last month but was postponed in the wake of the terrorist attack at Westminster.
A spokeswoman for GCU said: “It was never likely that New York State Education Department would quickly grant a licence to the first overseas higher education institution to apply.
“Nor would they do this on the basis of just an abstract plan. Glasgow Caledonian University has been engaged in meeting the detailed requirements which included investment in educational premises that met the exacting standards that NYSED required.
“No money from the public purse has ever been used by Glasgow Caledonian University to invest in the centre in New York.
“The £10m investment has come from £100m raised from international tuition fees, consultancy and other income sources over the last 10 years.”