The resignation of McMahon was a long time coming

Last year, we wrote an article calling for Vice Chancellor McMahon’s resignation. Looks like her time has finally come.

In recent years, Aber uni struggled with its reputation in league tables, wide-spread criticism over McMahon’s heavy pay rise, and difficulties with the opening of Penglais Farm. Even though it is obviously wrong to hold one single person accountable for such misfortunes, McMahon still represented the university as such.

Her resignation shows she has finally taken on the responsibility that comes with her job description – better late than never I’d say. The public pressure on the Vice Chancellor grew steadily and her time of stepping down gracefully was running out, so taking the emergency exit in a semi-dignified manner was her only option.

Several petitions and vast criticism of her work online show the deep controversies that her

In her email to students and staff April McMahon declared her leaving by July 2016, stating that she is “immensely proud of the work I have done with so many exceptional people in setting Aberystwyth University securely on the path to future sustainability.”

Her resignation is the first step in the right direction, but I don’t think it’s right to fool ourselves in believing our uni has settled securely on any sustainable path yet. This is where students and staff come in.

The reason McMahon was forced to leave was the heavy engagement of concerned students in protests and campaigns that ultimately did not aim to crucify a middle-aged woman, but that revealed a deep concern about our future.

Penglais Farm is finished. There’s still plenty left to do for all of us

In 2014 I said: “I remain confident that the people will ultimately get what they want, as long as they continue to stand up for their convictions”. Today, I stand by this and want to add that it is up to all of us to make sure the future of this university is shaped in a way that’s sustainable and acceptable to all of us. We all want the uni to have a good reputation, we all care about job prospects and we want to be proud of this insititution.

McMahon’s resignation teaches us that democratic protest takes long, but it can be very effective. Let’s take this example and keep pushing for reforms, let’s stay critical of our superiors and ensure this university can ultimately claim its rightful place amongst well-known institutions in the UK. McMahon is gone, but there is still a lot each and every one of us can contribute to the recovery of our uni’s reputation.