Following David Beeby’s announcement at 7.30pm yesterday evening the GCU Combined Union Committee have issued the following statement

“The trade unions at Glasgow Caledonian note with astonishment the statement from senior management that the UK Borders Agency has suspended our licence to recruit international students for 28 days.   This is the first time this has ever happened to a University in the United Kingdom.

The unions believe serious questions must be asked of our senior management that have allowed this situation to develop.  This move will damage our reputation internationally and domestically.  It also seems to confirm the warnings that the Combined Union Committee have made over the increasingly risky strategic decisions management have made concerning the University.

To this end the unions are calling for:

• An immediate independent inquiry into the senior management of GCU and their running of the institution.  This should focus particularly on international recruitment and the relationship with international agents not only in the Philippines but across the world.
•  The Chair of the University Court, the governing body of the University,  to convene an emergency meeting of Court to examine this serious situation regarding the Philippine nursing students .The entire University Executive and other members of senior management involved in the process should be called to the meeting to explain their actions to them.

The unions welcome the statement made by Michael Moore the Scottish Secretary of the UK on the situation and would call on him to work closely with the newly elected Scottish Government  to hold senior management at GCU to account.

The same senior management who have precipitated this situation have been awarded unprecedented salaries, perks and bonuses in the last few years.  5 earn more than the First Minister and 3 earn more than the UK Prime Minister.  Senior managers have boasted of their commitment to internationalisation but now have become the first university in Britain to have their international licence suspended.  Given the crisis that has now developed these decisions over salaries need to be examined.

The same management are also threatening 95 staff  at GCU with compulsory redundancy.  These threats should also be suspended until an inquiry is held into our senior management’s actions.”

The unions will keep you informed of any official response to these requests.