Union steps up campaign against threats to Glasgow college

Staff from Glasgow’s Stow College lobbied the Scottish Parliament on 4 May as part of their campaign to save the threatened college.

It is facing removal of its funding unless a large number of courses are transferred out of the college to the newly merged City of Glasgow College.

As SiU went to press, UNISON Glasgow City Branch officers were hoping to meet with the Funding Council to try to take the issues forward.

“We had already written Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell but it appears he cannot legally step into Funding Council decisions”, said Jim Snell, Glasgow City Branch Service Conditions Officer.

Stow College removed itself from the merger process involving the Metropolitan College, and the other colleges planning to form the new City of Glasgow College.

Subsequent discussion over merger with North Glasgow College are only at an early talks stage.

Jim Snell said, “Despite the withdrawal of Stow from the merged college, the Scottish Funding Council still wants certain courses and student numbers to be delivered from within the new college structure.

“It has now told Stow that to receive any grant this year it must transfer a number of course and consequently students, to the new college.

“However if Stow does this then it will be longer be a viable college, so in essence it is being forced to the merger table or to huge uncertainty.”

The lobby was arranged as the start of a wider campaign to save Stow which will include the EIS and the STUC given that Stow delivers a huge number of TU courses.

headlines . top