Poor-ter positioning

The relocation of porters from the Goodricke nucleus to the Ron Cooke Hub has become a growing concern for YUSU and the Goodricke JCRC. A formal decision on its permanent position will be made by the University later this month.

There is particular concern for disabled residents, for many of whom the move has been severely problematic.

The resultant inaccessibility of the porters’ lodge could lead to a “life-threatening incident” according to Arthur Jiggins, Goodricke JCRC’s Disability Rep.
Goodricke JCRC Chair Nacho Hernando told Vision that he felt the switch from the college nucleus to the Ron Cooke Hub is issuing a preference to the University’s commercial interests, as it “puts the students’ interests second to the University’s business interests.”

Hernando has had meetings with both the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor of the University to lobby a return to the previous system.

He told Vision that he believes he is on the verge of convincing the administrators to move the porters back to the nucleus, saying: “at least during the night they have more or less agreed that the porters should be based in the college nucleus.”

Goodricke Provost Jane Clarbour explained to Vision that the porters are not currently located in the college for financial reasons. “[The reason] we don’t have porters there at present is that it costs around £250,000 to cover a porters lodge on a 24 hour basis,” she said.

She also stated that even if the porters returned to their original position within the college, their availability would still be limited as “one of their most time-consuming duties is to set up rooms in preparation for teaching the following day.”

However, Jiggins believes a crucial aspect of their job is being denied to students. “Even if a student with limited mobility was to simply lock themselves out, the porters being so far away from the college severely limits their independence” he said. Jiggins feels the issue is of “vital importance”, believing that a “life-threatening incident” is much more likely to occur if a there aren’t porters nearer and available to assist.

This sentiment is echoed by Liam Smith, the YUSU Disabled Students’ Officer, who told Vision that “this cannot continue.”

A potential compromise on the situation could be worked out by Jane Grenville, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for students, who is due to make a decision at the end of this month.

David Garner, the University Press Officer, said: “from the outset, the University planned to base the 24-hour porters in the Hub. Goodricke was the first building to be completed on Hes East and the porters were located there as a temporary measure.”