Access Alliance Newsletter (17th February 2000)

This newsletter is a quick digest of what's happening with the Access Alliance and why we hope you will continue to support it.

Feedback about the format of this newsletter would be welcome.

Here's a quick reminder summary of the issues -

1) The Alliance believes that rents at Cambridge should be about the same as elsewhere in the country. If rents are much higher, applicants from less well-off backgrounds may be put off from applying, as Cambridge appears geared only to the wealthy. This is the 'access' issue. Although comparing the cost of living is not the only access issue, it is an important one.

2) The bursars (managers) of all the Colleges in Cambridge got together last year to try to force through huge rent increases of about 40% over 6 years. Such an increase would damage access, as it would take Cambridge rents well above comparable universities.

3) King's is more or less going along with this increase. Next year's average increase (weekly) will be 13.5% plus inflation.

4) 270 students are on rent strike to try to save access. This is the only real way that students can show their concern to the College.

1. Negotiations - our Number One priority

Over the last few months, much negotiation (probably about 50+ hours of solid discussion) have taken place between the Alliance exec. and the College. Even now, negotiations are continuing at all costs, in the hope that a real breakthrough can be made. We think the College will go much further than its present proposal, once it sees that trying to bullying students will not work and that concerns are not being met. The exec. are now considering longer-term aims and strategy. At all times, confrontation by the Alliance is being avoided, in favour of reasoned argument.

2. Summary of recent events

College Council, the main decision-making body of the College, voted last Friday to confirm that it would raise rents next year in a similar magnitude to that of the bursars' report. Council rejected a compromise where it would state that the bursars' report was 'insufficient' to define rent levels at King's in the long term.

Two papers were submitted to Council. The first, from College, made a few minor concessions but is not really conceding the main issue - that we will be more expensive than other comparable universities. The paper argued that rents should be put up this year and the next while the implications for access and how much subsidy, if any, is being put on rooms are discussed. We have serious doubts about what such a committee could achieve given the patronising attitude taken by Council. Also, the attitudes of the Council members and the paper itself did not strongly show what would happen if such rent rises were problematic for access.

The second paper, from the Access Alliance, argued that there should be a 'moratorium' i.e. a stop to all such increases until the issues are fully discussed and resolved. At present, there is no solid case for saying that rents are subsidised, and hence steam-rolling ahead with rent rises which may have serious access implications is thoroughly unwise.

Council voted for the College's paper, and threw out our paper with little discussion. The College's paper included a final clause on sanctions, namely what it will attempt to do to people on rent strike. College proposed these three sanctions, and there's not much else it could do:

- Excluding people from the room ballot
- BUT: We have found a way round this - see next page
- Fining people in a week or two's time.
- BUT: It won't work if everyone sticks together and won't pay!
- Preventing third years from graduating
- BUT: This is a long way off, and people would still receive their degree even if we were still on strike by then.

As you can see, the College's way of trying to stop the strike is to make threats rather than fully address student concerns. However, King's has an honourable history of students sticking up for each other and not letting the College bully them. If we stick together, all of the above sanctions can be avoided. The only harm being done to the community is due to actions by College, not by the Alliance as the College claims. Please continue your support for the cause and for each other.

3. Account

Please pay your bill into the Alliance's Account, and encourage your friends to do so too. Some £175,000 is currently being withheld, and this is increasing by several £1000s each day, at present. There are forms in the mailroom. The security features of the account are also explained on this, so you can be 100% certain that your money is safe.

4. The Room Ballot

There have admittedly been too many bits of paper produced about this - sorry about that! So here's a quick summary of how we are going to get round the threat of exclusion from the room ballot.

- We are strongly encouraging people to boycott the College's ballot, in support of their friends. We hope that, whether or not people are rent striking themselves, that they will support their friends who are doing so at their own perceived personal risk.
- KCSU, our ever-beloved student union, is going to be running a Fair Ballot. So far, over 90% of undergraduates choosing rooms have pledged to take part in this, and we hope that there will be very few people not doing so. Please ask people who are not currently intending to boycott the College ballot to do so, in support of their friends. The KCSU Fair Ballot will run in the same way (with the same rules and order of choosing) that the College would normally run its own ballot, only it will be administered by KCSU. The main difference is that everyone will be choosing fairly and not trying to get above other people. Even if you really can't boycott the official ballot, then putting down the same room as you choose in the Fair Ballot will ensure you get a room, fairly.
- It is in everyone's interest to take part in the KCSU Fair Ballot, as people doing so will only let others doing so to see their rooms. This is not an attempt to bully people or be divisive, rather it is a necessary appeal for people hopefully to stick up for each other.
- There is more info on the orange sheet about the KCSU Fair Ballot and how it will work. Do ask us about other questions or concerns.
- The College currently claims that it won't recognise the KCSU Fair Ballot. However, if most people boycott the College's own ballot (as now seems to be the case), it will have to. Also, when the strike is resolved, there will then be a fairly allocated system of rooms to fall back on.
- The other threat from College about rooms is that it will instead hire them out to APU students or King's Graduates. This is nonsense, as rooms are used for conferences outside the Cambridge term (when both of these groups are still around!) which make much more money. It is a totally idle threat, one that the College could never carry out, either practically or ethically, not to mention the very bad publicity it would get for trying! All we need to do is to stand together.

5. Discussion groups

In order to increase the input of members into the negotiation process, and to try to get more feedback and to generate ideas, Jon has proposed to start up some discussion groups - let us know if you want to take part (everyone is welcome). Here are some suggested topics:
- Comparability - how do we define this?
- Actions of non-co-operation with college - what sort of things could be done that would keep the whole membership fully on board?

6. Access Alliance meeting

There will be a meeting early next week, to discuss what is happening at present and to help allay any concerns and answer any questions.

7. Writing to College

Please, please consider writing a letter to College. Every e-mail or letter of support or concern will put pressure on the College to listen properly to students. Good people to write to are: the Senior Tutor - Rob Wallach (e-mail: erw1), the Bursar - Roger Salmon (rs299), the Provost - Pat Bateson (ppgb@cam.ac.uk), Fellows (fellows@kings), the Vice-Provost - John Barber (jdb6) and members of College council, a list of whom can be obtained from the Alliance exec. Letters or e-mails don't have to be long - anything helps! We can also put them on the Alliance website if you want.

8. Contacting the Alliance exec.

Although the Alliance executive are currently working several hours a day behind the scenes on this issue, we still want everyone to be sure about what is going on, what people can do, and to answer your questions and take suggestions, as we are acting on your behalf. Come and talk to us!

Messages to the exec can be left in box 253 or in the box in the Porters' Lodge. We can be e-mailed at accessalliance@hotmail.com , and there are full contact details of the whole exec on our website (which has so far attracted thousands of 'hits'!) at http://www.accessalliance.org.uk/.

We could really do with feedback about what things the exec could do better - e.g. whether too much stuff is sent out, what level of detail and so on. Please let us know, as it's very hard to judge, especially when under pressure to release stuff so quickly.

Best wishes -- The King's Access Alliance Exec.