That's a much better sign. Shame about the DPE&W.

How much room is there in the Great Hall?

not enough to fit me and my 500 mates

That's all very well having a Q&A session with us NEXT friday Richard, but your committee will be approving the plan TOMORROW! It's at least 7 days too late. That just goes to show that no matter what we say our views count for nothing! It also gives him a whole week to work out how he's going to try and charm us and persuade us that it's such a good idea. In his proposal he seemed absoloutely delighted that this plan would improve the college's facilities without costing the government a thing!! Well doesn't that sound great guys!

By the way, who appointed Sir Richard as rector in the first place?

He's got the background and skill to run the place effectively - and well in profit if he gets his way.

Unfortunately he needs to be taught about C-O-N-S-U-L-T-A-T-I-O-N. Then, maybe he can run Imperial well and keep everyone happy (well, most people happy).

Well yes i suppose if i think about it rationally he does have the neccessary business skills. But this is not a FTSE plc, and a different approach adn a different appreciation is needed here. Was he nto told when he was appointed that there are actually students at Imperial?

Maybe he didn't notice, with apathetic students and a union which towed the College line.

I'm sure he realises now though.

This is probably the first real test for Sir Richard. Can he adapt his business skills to keep the newly awakened student body happy?

Why don't you guys stop whining? You're lucky to have a leader who's got the balls to come up with good ideas.. And all you people do is whine.

Get real: factoid no 1: merger is a great idea, and when eventually LSE joins in you'll have a fantastic academic consortium which will finally blow the gaff on the fake dominance of Oxbridge;

factoid no 2: top up fees have to come sooner or later, and will be balanced out by bursaries for poor students-government will never provide the cash and the current system simply subsidises affluent students who could afford to pay more...

Yes, the merger is a good idea. Yes, top up fees are probably inevitable in some form.

BUT - both need to be discussed. The merger will have an impact on teaching while it takes place and there are other issues which are of concern. College didn't consult the student body.

Top up fees could work - they're going to discuss the options in the meeting tomorrow (Friday). However, they've blocked the student representative who's in the best position to comment on it. They need wide-ranging consultation to determine the best way to introduce top-up fees but NOT have a negative effect on student numbers.

Imperial students get attacked for not voicing opinions - then when something's pushed through without any consultation and we do voice our opinions, you come along and complain about it.

My gripe is with the lack of consultation with the student body, not the policies in their entirety.

fatboy,

sorry to disappoint you, but you'll have to have 50% more mates than that. Inside info has it that the Great Hall capacity varies between 750 and 300 depending on what you are doing with it - lets hope my 250 mates and your 500 mates don't argue over the best seats.

Dear E. Shaw,

In response to your post:

Firstly the fact that the merger may or may not be a good idea is beside the point.

The rectums actions show complete disregard for the student body. The students should have found out not second hand from bbc well after talks had started but before the proposal even went to the table.

Secondly tution fees are only inevitable if you let them be. Whilst we live in an increasingly multi national globaly capitalist world, I mantian that education is still priceless. By not standing up against this leap to pre war values you are as guilty as the rector.

Presumably you are able to finance your way through a 50000 pound degree. Sadly I am not. That does not make me stupid.

Great Hall talk. Fiver says he only takes Three questions none of which will be from Messers Arif, Heeps or Pollard.

ahem... the BBC probably found out about all this from the students.

You're missing the point and just asking to be shot down if you rant on about 50000-pound burdens.

The plan would never be accepted by anybody - college council or the government - unless poor students will be subsidised. Only those who can afford 50k pounds will be asked to pay it. That is EXACTLY what Sykes will tell you if you ever get up and ask him the question.

Find a better way of voicing your objections, please. A clever one, at least. One worthy of an Imperial student, not something that any old UCL student can come up with. :)

I agree with 'In response' that top-up fees constitute a regression to pre-war values.

Just because the situation is such in America (a far from equitable society), it doesn't necessarily follow that this is the inevitable or most desirable course for the so-called 'globalisation of education'!

Whether or not those who can afford to pay (and I am not in that position) should be made to is beyond the issue. This is the thin end of the wedge.

It seems we are increasingly importing some of the least savoury elements of the American way of doing things, as short-sighted, purportedly pragmatic responses to 'globalisation'; including a presidential style political leadership, which threatens de facto democracy, by circumventing channels of consultation and discussion -and this risks permeating to other levels (as we are currently witnessing...).

The rhetoric of 'Globalisation' is obsuring a

great deal of common sense and eroding hard-fought values that have been at the core of the social progress achieved in the twentieth century -which we take for granted, but on which much of our economic growth has relied.

When will the people in charge of Britain learn that throwing money at problems is not going to fix them? How exactly will ?40,000+ per student translate in to improvement in our education?

If there is infact a gap between UK and US Institutions surely trying to copy them is not going to fix the problem. We should be concentrating on what has led IC to its current level of sucess, incouraging the best students in the UK and abroad to learn together and produce sucessful and competent workers for the economy.

It would be ever so nice if Sir Richard would also deign to speak to UCL students and explain to them what they can expect from his mega-merger - I note that the meeting of the 25th is to be for IC students only. Shouldn't IC and UCL students be getting together on this to hammer out a united front?

Well, the two unions have been meeting

"Meeting is held between UCL and ICL student officers, with ULU president in attendance."