PhD coffee row in Mechanical Engineering

An experiment in the Mechanical Engineering department whereby PhD students have been allowed to share the academic common room (701) with staff members has ended after six months – with the eviction of students. In an email sent to the students involved, Mike Lowe, Chair of the Space Committee, listed a combination of contributing reasons why “the facility is no longer working out to be convenient.”

Lowe accuses students of “taking coffee sachets and milk away from the room – presumably to make coffee elsewhere”, and abusing the facility “simply to get free take-away cups of coffee.” He adds that “this misses the intention of it being an informal place for people to meet colleagues.” Lowe also argues that there are now too many people using the common room and that it has become too popular for formal small meetings, which limits access for others.

One PhD student, who wished to remain anonymous, told Felix that “the reasons for the space being closed off to PhD students are ridiculous. The room is always mostly empty. The perception is that the decision was made by a couple of grumpy lecturers with no respect for PhD satisfaction.”