University of York closes campus receptions in a bid to relieve financial difficulties

The University of York has announced an important update and change to everyday student life. Last Wednesday, the university informed its students of the confirmed action to permanently close the receptions at Wentworth, Alcuin, Derwent, and James. The proposed solution is to run a larger reception hub at the Information Centre, located near Vanbrugh College, to mirror the existing reception system on Campus East. The only reception on Campus West besides the Information Centre to remain open is Halifax College, a 15 minute walk from the other West colleges.

The changes have been described by the university on the website as an outcome of “previous challenges around staffing levels across our receptions” and the persistent strain of “last-minute closures”. The University of York has launched a series of measures in the past few months to attempt to cut costs, with a major focus on using buildings effectively and reducing staff numbers. The closure of the four receptions is in effort to reduce estate expenses, meet a seven to eight per cent reduction in staffing levels, and contribute to a planned budget cut of £34 million.

York has been open and informative this year about the pressures of higher education funding, with Vice-Chancellor Charlie Jeffery publishing an opinion piece on the “crisis” of UK university funding. The website states that the decision to close the receptions comes after a staff voluntary severance scheme, but the university has still not reached its intended reduced financial levels: “in discussions with colleagues, stakeholders, staff and student unions, we have established that the most effective way to meet the needs of staff and students is to permanently close the receptions.”

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The University and College Union (UCU) estimated that York’s first semester of the 2024/25 academic year could see 300-700 members of staff leave, the BBC reports. A union spokesperson told the BBC that losing such high numbers of staff during a semester will “inevitably result in a diminished teaching and learning environment for students”.

Students told The York Tab of their concerns regarding being locked out of accommodation and having to walk further to get a temporary keycard. Whilst the singular hub system is currently effective on Campus East, the older landscape of Campus West presents more difficulty and anxieties for students. As a large natural campus with multiple unenclosed lakes, the reduction of college receptions does present a minimal safety concern.

The confirmed change has also seen concerns for international students, who would frequently use the reception services for information and support more than most domestic students. The university has recognised the impact of the changes upon students, writing on the website “this will be a change for some staff and students who use the impacted receptions regularly, however we hope that over time it will help to improve our reception support services.”

Alcuin reception is already temporarily closed and will not re-open, Derwent reception closed on the 30th August, Wentworth on the 3rd September, and James on the 5th September. The new system insists to offer the same services as the previous receptions; the university has suggested that a hub model will enable staff to move more flexibly across campus and thus provide better support for students with accessibility issues or safety concerns.

To read the University of York’s official update on the closure of receptions, see here.

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