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Open Letter to The University of York
The York People & Planet group write an open letter requesting that the candidate for the position of new Vice Chancellor sees environmental sustainability as a priority and signs up to the Green Education Declaration.
To Whom it May Concern,
Consultation over the qualities and interests required in a new Vice-chancellor has never been more important at this conflicting time in the University’s status – rising 18 places in the world rankings; plummeting to 126th in People & Planet’s Green League; and the rising tuition fees making students more valuable stakeholders than ever before.
However, listing the student and staff consultation times only on the back pages of the university website shows a serious neglect to take the views of students seriously. This is even more marked by the inconvenient timing of the last consultation for students (an extra meeting, fought for by YUSU president Kallum Taylor) listed on Monday 15th October, just as students and societies come out of their busy fresher’s week and settle back into term life.
Our views are important to sustain the future of this university. At People & Planet we feel that one of the most vital qualities needed in our next Vice-Chancellor is a high priority for sustainability and a drive to develop an environmentally friendly institution. As it stands the University’s failure to implement an effective environmental strategy discourages potential students and disappoints those who applied due to York’s promised sustainable developments.
It is crucial that our new Vice-Chancellor leads from the front with regards to environmental commitment, as discussed in the University’s Sustainability Strategy drawn up in January 2012. Those institutions with the best sustainability records have environmental sustainability embedded at every level of the University. This is inspired by a high level of personal commitment from their Vice-Chancellor.
The new Vice-Chancellor additionally needs to recognise the importance of working with other UK organisations dedicated to sustainability, such as People & Planet, so that we not only have the motivation to improve that accountability brings, but also so that we can be helped to develop environmental strategies above and beyond current best practice. We call on the new Vice-Chancellor to join other leading University’s in signing the Green Education Declaration as soon as their post begins. The University as an institution has a responsibility towards the wider community to ensure environmental sustainability, and our next Vice-Chancellor needs to prioritise this. Furthermore, the new Vice-Chancellor needs to lead and inspire the fundamental change in culture and practice essential to make us an outstanding, modern university.
Most of these qualities are necessary in order to adhere to the University’s Sustainability Strategy drawn up in January, 2012, and all of them are necessary to make the University the world-class institution it ought to be. We hope, as key stakeholders, that the University will listen to our views, as promised. We also hope that the University will take our recommendations into account and appoint a Vice-Chancellor who will restore York’s damaged environmental reputation and make it an institution we can be proud to be part of.
Yours Sincerely,
People & Planet Society
University of York
People & Planet is the largest student network in Britain campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment.
2012-10-23 17:02:57
Source: http://blog.peopleandplanet.org/2012/10/open-letter-to-the-university-of-york/
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