Goals
To return the Hetherington House to democratic control by students and staff
To offer all those who lost their jobs as a result of the severance program and cuts their jobs back
To have Anton Muscatelli condemn the cuts and either take the average wage of university staff or resign
No job cuts, no course cuts, no cuts to student services, and no cuts to teaching budgets
To end the voluntary severance program
To have Glasgow University become a free site of lifelong learning for all residents of Glasgow
To invest in higher education and wider public services
Time period notes
Time period
Country
Location City/State/Province
Location Description
Methods in 1st segment
Methods in 2nd segment
Methods in 3rd segment
Methods in 4th segment
Methods in 5th segment
Methods in 6th segment
Segment Length
Leaders
Partners
External allies
Involvement of social elites
Opponents
Nonviolent responses of opponent
Campaigner violence
Repressive Violence
Cluster
Classification
Group characterization
Groups in 1st Segment
Groups in 2nd Segment
Groups in 3rd Segment
Groups in 5th Segment
Segment Length
Success in achieving specific demands/goals
Survival
Growth
Total points
Notes on outcomes
Database Narrative
In January of 2011, reports began to circulate at the University of Glasgow that massive cuts were coming to academic programs, staff employment rates and student services. Student activists targeted the abandoned Hetherington Research club, a former post-graduate club that had been shut down in January of 2010 due to a previous round of budget cuts, as a potential place of occupation from which protesters could issue demands against austerity. The university was beginning renovations on the building that appeared geared towards the university selling it as private office space.
On 1 February 2011, 50 students entered the building through a fire door from a neighboring structure to begin their occupation. Their initial demands included indefinite freedom of access to Hetherington House, no police presence, acceptance of student ownership, no cuts to student services or unions, and no more mandatory job losses, with departmental cuts limited to optional departures.
From the beginning the occupation also intended to serve as a learning and student life space open to all students and staff. They had already booked a spot for Scottish writer and comedian A.L. Kennedy to launch her campaign to become Rector at Glasgow University. Former staff members at the Hetherington club voiced their support for the occupation, saying it might restore some of the job losses cutting programs like the club entail, and prevent more in the future. Tommy Gore, President of the Student's Representative Council came out in opposition to the occupation, warning it could distract from the upcoming cost reduction plan announcement that would actually detail the austerity cuts the university planned on enacting.
The initial response from the university was relatively calm, with a spokesperson stating: “Campus security are in close contact with the protesters. As things stand, as long as the protest remains peaceful and does not disrupt the normal business of the University and other students, campus security will not intervene.”
On 9 February 2011, the full extent of cuts were published in the University Herald, confirming the suspicions of many of the protesters when they initially occupied the Hetherington. Nursing, social work, several modern languages including Russian, Czech and Polish, and the entire Anthropology department were all set to be discontinued, along with the department of Adult and Continuing Education which at the time had over 5000 adult learners enrolled. These cuts entailed massive job losses and a decrease in student life funding at the University. The cuts totaled a 20 million pound spending decrease over the next three years.
The Free Hetherington occupiers organized an open meeting on 11 February to discuss the proposed cuts and plan a rally and protest for the 16 February, starting outside the occupied Hetherington. The rally had a festive atmosphere with over 2000 protesters and lecturers in attendance, comprised mostly of students and staff members of the university. SNP party Scottish Parliament Member Sandra White and Green Party Scottish Parliament member Patrick Harvie spoke at the rally in support of the protesters and put forward a motion in the Scottish parliament voicing concerns over the cuts. Many expressed anger at the plans and, in particular, at the lack of transparency around the decision making process. The Student's Representative Council co-sponsored and backed the rally along with the Free Hetherington.
A separate rally was organized by the Queen Margaret Union, one of the two student unions at the university, in an attempt to distance themselves from an incident involving members of the Free Hetherington against NUS President Aaron Porter. Free Hetherington members had surrounded or “kettled” Porter, preventing him from moving, while shouting insults at him for expressing disagreement with the Free Hetherington movement. Some students also vented frustration at SRC president Tommy Gore in an op-ed for limiting the protest to university students and excluding the general public, whom they claimed would also be affected by further limiting access to higher education. Around this time, playwright Tom Stoppard and Baroness Onora O'Neill, along with 150 academics, penned an open letter opposing the cuts that they sent to Scottish Education Secretary Mike Russell.
In late February 2011, the occupation listed a formal set of demands in response to the proposed cuts. This included the reversal of any departmental cuts, the prevention of any job losses for staff in those departments, the re-opening of the Hetherington club with full funding and a rehiring of all staff who had been deemed 'redundant' by the university. They also called on University principle Anton Muscatelli to cut his own salary from 283,000 pounds a year to that of the average university worker.
Throughout February and March of 2011, occupiers turned the Free Hetherington into an alternative living and learning space and a resource for the larger community. Organizers hosted film screenings, art and cooking classes as well as performances from artists including Billy Bragg and Scotland's poet laureate Liz Lochhead.
On 22 March 2011, police suddenly and forcibly evicted students from the Hetherington without warning. Eighty police, canine units, and a helicopter descended on the building. There were several reports of injuries, including concussions and dislocated shoulders, though there were no reports of activist violence. In fact, occupiers sat and resisted arrest peacefully, preventing the complete expulsion of all in the building for several hours, but eventually the eviction succeeded.
The eviction failed to deter the protestors from action, and they marched to the University Senate building and managerial offices, occupying them in turn. Faced with a renewed occupation, publicity backlash, and anger from faculty and staff due to the forcible eviction, the university negotiated a compromise in response to the senate occupation. The administration allowed the protesters to return to the Hetherington in exchange for leaving their offices. In response to the eviction, President Muscatelli apologized for the excessive force and opened an investigation into the incident.
After many subsequent months of occupation and several preceding weeks of negotiations, occupiers voted 58-9 to end the sit-in at the Hetherington on 15 August 2011. The Free Hetherington garnered significant concessions from the administration, and the occupiers decided that they could no longer be productive. The administration agreed to cancel course cuts beyond the Slavonic Studies Program and the adult learning program, preserving many Linguistics Departments and the Anthropology Department. They also negotiated an end to the firing of staff deemed redundant in most university departments. They also granted amnesty for the occupiers and secured the opening of a new post-graduate club and the conversion of the Hetherington into an academic lecture hall. The Free Hetherington voted to support these concessions, deciding that the occupation would no longer produce further change. Occupiers also worried about their dwindling numbers and the increasing attachment and association the campaign had with the building.
Members of the protest vowed to continue to fight to preserve the Slavonic Studies program and the Adult Learning Program. The University shuttered most of the Slavonic studies program in 2012, though it preserved the linguistics department. As of 2015, the Adult Learning Program remains active though smaller after an additional wave of cuts.
Influences
In 2007, Glasgow University planned to close Crichton Campus, as part of proposed cuts. Students enacted an active campaign to save the Crichton Campus. The student protesters in the campaign personalized the campaign around the Principal, Muir Russell. The campaign was ultimately successful, did not give up, and continued to place pressure on the University management, resulting in additional funding provided by the Scottish Government and Crichton Campus remaining open (1).
On 11 May 2011, University of Madison Wisconsin students looked to the Hetherington House occupation when they began their occupation on 2 March 2011 and before being evicted held the longest student occupation in United States history (2).
On 27 June 2011, Strathclyde University students started an occupation campaign protesting against cuts. The Free Hetherington Campaign worked with and supported Strathclyde staff and students (2).
On 16 September 2011, Edinburgh University Students started an occupation campaign protesting increased fees on students from outside Scotland (2).
Sources
2011. "Thousands protest over Glasgow University 'course cuts'." BBC News. February 16, Retrieved October 27, 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12467789.
2011 "Glasgow University Hetherington sit-in ends." BBC News. August 15, Retrieved 27 October 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14526099>.
2011. "Glasgow University students end Hetherington sit-in." BBC News. August 31, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14730337>.
2011. "Cuts & Court: What’s the State of Play?." Glasgow Guardian. June 24, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223105845/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/06/24/cuts-court-whats-the-state-of-play/
2011. "Free Hetherington Votes to End Occupation." Glasgow Guardian. August 16, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110027/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/08/15/free-hetherington-votes-to-end-occupation/
2011. "Hetherington Occupation Ends." Glasgow Guardian. August 31, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110223/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/08/31/hetherington-occupation-ends/
2011. "Glasgow University students in demo against £20m cuts." STV News. February 16, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110407/http://news.stv.tv/west-central/228790-glasgow-university-student-in-demo-against-20m-cuts/
2011. "News." Glasgow University principal expresses "regret" over police storming of student protest.” The Scotsman. March 24, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110614/http://www.scotsman.com/news/glasgow-university-principal-expresses-quot-regret-quot-over-police-storming-of-student-protest-1-1546100
2011. “Student protesters in stand-off with police at Glasgow university.” The Scotsman March 22, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223111459/http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/student-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-at-glasgow-university-1-1545933
2011. "Glasgow University Students Resume Occupation." The Scotsman March 23, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223111727/http://www.scotsman.com/news/glasgow-university-students-resume-occupation-1-1544041
2011. “Students' six-month sit-in victory.” The Scotsman. August 16, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223111849/http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/students-six-month-sit-in-victory-1-1789967
2015. “University of Glasgow Slavonic Studies Closure.” Russian Centre in Scotland. Retrieved October 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223104636/http://www.rcshaven.org.uk/?page=news&article=88&l=en
Campbell, Adam. 2011. "Hetherington re-opened by students." Glasgow Guardian. February 12 2011, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223105023/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/02/12/hetherington-re-opened-by-students/
Campbell, Mark. 2011. "Students make their voice heard." Glasgow Guardian. March 8, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223105250/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/03/08/students-make-their-voice-heard/
Denholm, Andrew, and David Leask. 2011. "Courses face axe under university cost-cutting." Herald Scotland. February 9, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/courses-face-axe-under-university-cost-cutting-1.1084111>.
Denholm, Andrew. 2011. "University to press ahead with cuts despite protest." Herald Scotland. February 17, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/university-to-press-ahead-with-cuts-despite-protest-1.1085622>.
Denholm, Andrew. 2011. "Russell attacks university over ‘perverse’ plan to cut courses." Herald Scotland. March 29, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/russell-attacks-university-over-perverse-plan-to-cut-courses-russell-attacks-course-cuts-1.1093174>.
Denholm, Andrew. 2015. “Glasgow University Courses Facing Cuts.” The Scotland Herald. April 22, Retrieved October 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223104422/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13210832.Glasgow_University_courses_facing_cuts/
Ferguson, Jack, and Natalia Bain. 2011. "We students have built an alternative." The Guardian. March 24, Retrieved October 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223105625/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/25/students-alternative-occupation-glasgow-university
Fleabite. 2011. “Glasgow University protest continues with Senate building occupied following Free Hetherington eviction.” The Free Hetherington. March 22, Retrieved October 30, 2015.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151223103705/https://freehetherington.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/glasgow-university-protest-continues-with-senate-building-occupied-following-free-hetherington-eviction/
McCracken, Ed. 2011 "Student sit-in after police eviction: celebrity visits, more protestors and an upgrade." Herald Scotland. March 27, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/student-sit-in-after-police-eviction-celebrity-visits-more-protestors-and-an-upgrade-1.1092866>.
Scott, Kirsty. 2011 "Students protest as university considers where cuts will fall." The Guardian. February 16, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110732/http://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/feb/16/glasgow-university-protest-proposed-cuts
Shaw, Joe. 2011. "GUU Management in naked HRC intrusion." Glasgow Guardian. March 7, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110914/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/03/07/guu-management-in-naked-hrc-intrusion/
Sikora, Nick. 2011. "Hetherington occupation to fight University request for closure." Glasgow Guardian. February 23, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223111050/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/02/23/hetherington-occupation-to-fight-university-request-for-closure/
Sikora, Nick. 2011. "Hetherington occupation cost to University: £10,000." Glasgow Guardian. April 25, Retrieved October 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223111214/http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2011/04/25/hetherington-occupation-cost-to-university-10000/
Tetlow, Gemma. 2013. “Cutting the Deficit: Three Years Down, Five to Go?” Institute for Fiscal Studies. May 8, Retrieved October 30, 2015.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151223104047/http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/6683
Williams, Martin, and Andrew Denholm. 2011. "Staff back students over university protest eviction." N.p., 2Herald Scotland. March 3, Retrieved October 27, 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/staff-back-students-over-university-protest-eviction-1.1092003>.
Williams, Martin. 2011. "Outrage at police treatment of student protester." Herald Scotland. March 30, Retrieved October 27 2013. <http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/outrage-at-police-treatment-of-student-protester-1.1093467>.