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Bold textWhy is Ruskin College Selling its Main Buildings in the Centre of Oxford?Bold text
Ruskin College was built in its present location at Walton St, Jericho, in order for its students to study alongside some of the world’s highest academics, the most elite, learned, and successful people in the world. Its location in the centre of Oxford is still what draws in the majority of its students; the opportunity to go to oxford university lectures, visit the Bodleian library, have use of oxford university faculty libraries and take part in oxford union debates have always been part of what makes Ruskin so special.
Headington Campus was bought as an overflow site, to take pressure off the main site, and allow for further expansion. It was never intended to be the main or only campus.
Ruskin has given the Privileges of the highest of the elite to people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds, who have never been given or had a real chance in life because of circumstances: be that accident of birth, upbringing, disability or whatever reason either way, The majority of Ruskin graduates go on to be professionals. Authors, lecturers, trade union leaders, presidents of their countries, mp’s – have all come from Ruskin, and started with little or no education or prospects.
Italic text If you want more info on Ruskin History / Graduates there are many great books in the current library, you may also want to ask a member of the Ruskin fellowship (graduates association) about their members. Italic text Walton Street is on the open market for 7.5million
The college has 2.5 million in the bank (from sale of existing properties)
The Headington redevelopment requires 20million pounds
Where is the other 10 million coming from? Why are such drastic measures being made to raise just over a third of the budget? If we are going to be raising funds anyway, why rush in and sell our assets?, why not wait until we have enough money to develop Headington without selling Walton street, and then raise money until we can redevelop Walton street? What is the rush to build?
• The plan was the creation of the principal, a highly merited social sciences academic – but not an architect or a businessperson: this is the main reason we would have to sell the original college and move to the site in Headington. The current principal has done a lot of good work at this college, but this is one idea which must be re-addressed and made flexible, as its current rigid nature is stifling progress, and threatening the core of the college.
The plan would leave us with less lecture rooms & less student rooms (accommodation) than what we currently have now.
The plan (if we sell Walton street) would cause us to lose our oxford union membership
The plan involves spending over 2 million on a restaurant whose only practical purpose would be to feed the students in the interim period between bulldozing the existing canteen and building a new one.
• A property developer offered to give around 4 million, fully redevelop Walton St (a roughly 5 million pound task for a building company, or a task that could easily cost double that for an academic institution hiring private contractors.) In exchange for a 150 year long lease(150 year rent basically), on the back end of the property (the Kitson and Dining blocks). It is also common sense that the developers would continue to refurbish their end of the building in order to keep getting the most from their investment.
The administration have now decided ignore this offer as it didn’t offer enough ready cash for the redevelopment of Headington
• The new library, which the sale of Walton street would help finance. Is expected to cost 6 million Walton street is a huge set of buildings – of which the existing library is only a tiny part, is on the market for 7.5 million The new library would also only be a fraction of the size of Walton street – (although much larger than the current library, not least because, the current library (at Walton St) only has half (or possibly a 3rd of) as many floors as planned because not enough funds were raised to finish building it,… The proposed library would be wonderful, but could history repeat itself? The proposed Kitson library would also have been wonderful, and would still work today, if it had been completed We have overstretched ourselves in plans before – and ended up having to compromise, this time we also have to take a huge gamble. Is it worth it? Should we learn from previous mistakes?
• The re-development is apparently for the students, to give them what they want. The students have had no briefing, no seminar no nothing – on the principals plans for the future of Ruskin – although repeated articles have been placed in the oxford mail. (the college being been put up for sale in the mail was without the consent of the board of governors)
The principal has only recently agreed to disclose information to the students (for the first time), offering to give a ‘walk and talk’ after the demonstrations from the students during the governors executive meeting on Friday 22nd feb 08
There is a waiting list for students to move from Headington campus to Walton Street, there are students on that waiting list who have been there since September. There are also many empty rooms at Headington campus.
What do the students want? Where do the students want to be? Has anybody actually asked them?
[edit] Sources
http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/fellowship/index.php?action=tribute
http://www.oxfordmail.net/search/display.var.2067724.0.students_picket_college_campus.php
http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2231027085
Ruskin College: Contesting Knowledge, Dissenting Politics by Andrews Geoff Kean Hilda (Author), Tho (Author), Geoff Andrews (Editor), Hilda Keane (Editor), Jane Thompson (Editor)
The History of Ruskin College by H Pollins (Author)
Dennis Hird, Socialist Educator and Propagandist, First Principal of Ruskin College (Ruskin College Library Occasional Publication) by John Beatson-Hird (Author)
'I Ban Everything': Free Speech and Censorship in Oxford Between the Wars - Some Episodes in the History of the University of Oxford and Ruskin College (Ruskin College Library Occasional Publication) by Judy Mabro (Author)
Education and the Working Class: Ruskin College, 1899-1909 by Paul Yorke (Author)
Ruskin College Oxford by Oxford. Ruskin College
The Story of Ruskin College
195.194.91.44 (talk) 17:13, 27 February 2008 (UTC) Articles for creation/2008-02-27
[edit] Why Is Ruskin College Oxford For Sale? (Walton Street, Jericho site)
Why is Ruskin College Selling its Main Buildings in the Centre of Oxford?
[edit] A Brief History of Ruskin College and Why It Should Remain in Oxford
Ruskin College was built in its present location at Walton St, Jericho, in order for its students to study alongside some of the world’s highest academics, the most elite, learned, and successful people in the world. Its location in the centre of Oxford is still what draws in the majority of its students; the opportunity to go to oxford university lectures, visit the Bodleian library, have use of oxford university faculty libraries and take part in oxford union debates have always been part of what makes Ruskin so special.
Headington Campus was bought as an overflow site, to take pressure off the main site, and allow for further expansion. It was never intended to be the main or only campus.
Ruskin has given the Privileges of the highest of the elite to people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds, who have never been given or had a real chance in life because of circumstances: be that accident of birth, upbringing, disability or whatever reason either way, The majority of Ruskin graduates go on to be professionals. Authors, lecturers, trade union leaders, presidents of their countries, mp’s – have all come from Ruskin, and started with little or no education or prospects.
If you want more info on Ruskin History / Graduates there are many great books in the current library, you may also want to ask a member of the Ruskin fellowship (graduates association) about their members.
Walton Street is on the open market for 7.5millionThe college has 2.5 million in the bank (from sale of existing properties)
The Headington redevelopment requires 20million pounds
Where is the other 10 million coming from? Why are such drastic measures being made to raise just over a third of the budget?
If we are going to be raising funds anyway, why rush in and sell our assets?, why not wait until we have enough money to develop Headington without selling Walton street, and then raise money until we can redevelop Walton street? What is the rush to build?
[edit] The Plans For Redevelopment
The plan was the creation of the principal, a highly merited social sciences academic – but not an architect or a businessperson: this is the main reason we would have to sell the original college and move to the site in Headington. The current principal has done a lot of good work at this college, but this is one idea which must be re-addressed and made flexible, as its current rigid nature is stifling progress, and threatening the core of the college.
The plan would leave us with less lecture rooms & less student rooms (accommodation) than what we currently have now.
The plan (if we sell Walton street) would cause us to lose our oxford union membership
The plan involves spending over 2 million on a restaurant whose only practical purpose would be to feed the students in the interim period between bulldozing the existing canteen and building a new one.
[edit] Positive Alternative?
A property developer offered to give around 4 million, fully redevelop Walton St (a roughly 5 million pound task for a building company, or a task that could easily cost double that for an academic institution hiring private contractors.) In exchange for a 150 year long lease(150 year rent basically), on the back end of the property (the Kitson and Dining blocks). It is also common sense that the developers would continue to refurbish their end of the building in order to keep getting the most from their investment.
The administration have now decided ignore this offer as it didn’t offer enough ready cash for the redevelopment of Headington
[edit] The New Library
The new library, Is expected to cost 6 million Walton street is a huge set of buildings – of which the existing library is only a tiny part, is on the market for 7.5 million The new library would also only be a fraction of the size of Walton street – (although much larger than the current library, not least because, the current library (at Walton St) only has half (or possibly a 3rd of) as many floors as planned because not enough funds were raised to finish building it,… The proposed library would be wonderful, but could history repeat itself? The proposed Kitson library would also have been wonderful, and would still work today, if it had been completed We have overstretched ourselves in plans before – and ended up having to compromise, this time we also have to take a huge gamble. Is it worth it? Should we learn from previous mistakes?
[edit] The re-development is apparently for the students, to give them what they want
The students have had no briefing, no seminar no nothing – on the principals plans for the future of Ruskin – although repeated articles have been placed in the oxford mail. (the college being been put up for sale in the mail was without the consent of the board of governors)
The principal has only recently agreed to disclose information to the students (for the first time), offering to give a ‘walk and talk’ after the demonstrations from the students during the governors executive meeting on Friday 22nd feb 08
There is a waiting list for students to move from Headington campus to Walton Street, there are students on that waiting list who have been there since September. There are also many empty rooms at Headington campus.
What do the students want? Where do the students want to be? Has anybody actually asked them?
[edit] The Debate
Open debate has always been a natural part of Ruskin College life, below is the current active debate - please feel free to add to it.
Pros: Argument (for the sale)
1. We would no longer have to waste time money and effort on cross campus administration
2. We would dispose of a building that has an archaic plumbing central heating and electricity system.
3. We would move to a site where parking would be better, and travel coming in and out of college / work would be much easier
4. We could attract more students
5. We could develop a better relationship with Brookes
Cons: Counter argument (against the sale)
1. No argument
2. It would cost hundreds of thousands to replace the current heating/lighting/plumbing, we are spending millions on redevelopment anyway, why not spend it where it is needed.
3. -a)Headington hall would be a nightmare for people who don’t know oxford to get to (I had to get a taxi from the college when I first came) –b)it isn’t near to any public transport links. (meaning people would have to use cars which is bad for green / sustainability) -c) Headington turns in to a solid traffic jam every afternoon during rush the hours.
4. –a) The main attraction of Ruskin to students is the location of its Walton street site –b) why would we want to attract more students anyway, when we are effectively downsizing?
5. We could jeopardize our relationship with Oxford
Cons: Argument (against the sale)
Pros: Counter argument (for the sale)
[edit] Sources
http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/fellowship/index.php?action=tribute
http://www.oxfordmail.net/search/display.var.2067724.0.students_picket_college_campus.php
http://www.ruskin.ac.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2231027085
Ruskin College: Contesting Knowledge, Dissenting Politics by Andrews Geoff Kean Hilda (Author), Tho (Author), Geoff Andrews (Editor), Hilda Keane (Editor), Jane Thompson (Editor)
The History of Ruskin College by H Pollins (Author)
Dennis Hird, Socialist Educator and Propagandist, First Principal of Ruskin College (Ruskin College Library Occasional Publication) by John Beatson-Hird (Author)
'I Ban Everything': Free Speech and Censorship in Oxford Between the Wars - Some Episodes in the History of the University of Oxford and Ruskin College (Ruskin College Library Occasional Publication) by Judy Mabro (Author)
Education and the Working Class: Ruskin College, 1899-1909 by Paul Yorke (Author)
Ruskin College Oxford by Oxford. Ruskin College
The Story of Ruskin College
195.194.91.44 (talk) 17:15, 27 February 2008 (UTC) Articles for creation/2008-02-27
Declined. The proposed article is not suitable for Wikipedia. RT | Talk 18:08, 27 February 2008 (UTC)