Imperial doesn't seem to care about its postgraduates

After finishing my undergraduate degree, I’m now in my fifth year at Imperial studying for a PhD. Recent news about the future of Clayponds and the Holland Club has led me to believe that Imperial is disconnected from the lives and needs of postgraduate students.

The college has confirmed that it intends to close Clayponds, the postgraduate student estate in South Ealing. Its replacement is Griffon Studios, a new, purpose-built development offering “high quality and affordable accommodation options” in Clapham. Unlike Clayponds, there is no pastoral care system at Griffon Studios – a key benefit of living in university accommodation that is particularly attractive to students new to London or the UK.

A 19 square metre studio there will set you back £235 per week. £300 per week will get you a 22 square metre studio that’s apparently suitable for couples. In contrast, a single room in Clayponds ranges from £104-£148 per week and a single studio is from £181.

To put that in context, I’m a postgraduate student in the Plastic Electronics Doctoral Training Centre and my stipend is £1,299 per month. Living in the smaller studio would cost me a whopping £1,018 per month and leave me with £281 for living costs. No wonder they haven’t filled all the rooms. My girlfriend and I privately rent a flat in Southfields twice the size of Griffon Studios for £230 per week – a much better deal than anything Imperial offers.

Imperial appears to have completely forgotten to investigate what a typical PG can afford

The Rector responded to criticism from Clayponds subwarden Craig Court by saying that a focus group found students wanted to be within 30 minutes of South Kensington. Who doesn’t? But not at these obscene prices. Imperial appears to have completely forgotten to investigate what a typical PG can afford. Furthermore, in a move that will undoubtedly be a bitter blow to current Clayponds residents, proceeds from its sale will be used to subsidise accommodation in Griffon Studios to the tune of £25 per week. What is the point in building new accommodation that is so expensive it has to be subsidised from the proceeds of selling existing housing that has great feedback from residents?

The second development to cause me to doubt Imperial’s commitment to PGs is the recent news that college catering is planning to convert the Holland Club, the staff and PG bar in the basement of the Sherfield building, into yet another catering outlet. The response has been overwhelmingly in support of the Holland Club. At the time of writing, the Save the Holland Club Facebook page has nearly 800 fans and there are 57 comments on a college announcements blog post – all against the plans.

Jane Neary, head of Commercial Services, told Felix that catering was unable to meet demand last year. How can Neary explain that I can go into any catering outlet at 1pm and find cabinets unfilled? I worked as a bookseller for six years and when the shops didn’t meet customer demand, we didn’t build a new shop, we restocked the shelves or changed the products. Perhaps catering should try this approach before trying to assimilate a well-loved and excellent place to drink into another soulless, drab Taste Imperial clone?

I can understand that Neary wants to provide facilities for taught PGs, but destroying the best place on campus for PGs to relax with colleagues and friends (and blag free beer off their supervisors) is not the way to go about it. At best, catering’s plans are misguided; at worst (and more cynically) it is an attempt to increase the size of their food and drink monopoly and make even more money.

There is a common thread running through both of these issues: Imperial needs to become more aware of the financial realities of postgraduate life and needs to listen more carefully to the needs of students and, in the case of the Holland Club, staff. It is unacceptable that the Union was not consulted about Clayponds and that the bar manager, Kevin Young, and the Holland Club committee were not consulted about catering’s plans from the very beginning. Postgraduates are responsible for the bulk of the world class research that makes Imperial the great institution it is. I urge the college management to not let them down.