Echo readers have been left shocked by the sudden announcement that the Southend campus of the University of Essex will close next year.
Citing financial turmoil in the Higher Education sector, university bosses confirmed the move will impact 800 students with 400 jobs at risk across the Essex sites.
Higher education has been failed
Almost 25 years ago, Redpepper magazine warned that turning our universities into commercial businesses would damage creative thinking.
Today that warning feels very real with The University of Essex confirming it will close its Southend campus next year. This is a huge loss for higher education and a huge loss for Southend.
Years of reduced government funding have pushed universities to rely more and more on fees from international students. When overseas student numbers dropped sharply, the Southend campus was hit hardest.
The impact on our city will be serious. A campus that brought life, learning and culture into the centre of Southend will simply disappear. East 15 Acting School and its theatre and facilities will be moved to Colchester - two hours away on the train! Local students, staff and businesses will all feel the consequences.
Once again we are seeing profit placed above the common good, and we all suffer. It’s time for the Government to step up to correct its mistakes from the Blair-era and properly fund Further and Higher Education.
Simon Gittus, Green Party Candidate for W Leigh
‘Drastic’ decision to close campus
Like so many, I’m very saddened by the news that the university campus at Southend will be closed next summer.
I remember the excitement when it was founded and how it put the then town on the academic map. The announcement was, it seems, totally out of the blue and certainly caught local and national politicians “on the hop”.
What, I think needs to be understood, is precisely why. We know it is financial but was there no trend towards this drastic decision and why government was not being lobbied, or were they?
Locally, civic leaders had just launched a campaign for civic pride but it had just left social media when this devastating news broke.
The job loss and local seat of learning disappearance will both harm the civic pride as well as individual and local economies.
I note the early political responses from local MP’s which range from “disconcerting” to “….pressures facing universities….” Why so reasonable and not calling for more information and government intervention? I can only reflect that it’s their government and led council.
Mark Flewitt, via email
Decision to close campus is unreal
How sad the University of Essex is closing it’s Southend City campus and 800 students are being moved to Colchester as well as 400 staff jobs relocated or being axed.
It’s been made out like Colchester is just around the corner from Southend.
Are the decision makers for real? Eight hundred students sounds like a healthy amount of learning students to me.
Pre-last election I had canvassing politicians knock at my door, asking (and agreeing with me) that the two most important things in everyday life are health and education, for all of our futures.
Willy Richards, Benfleet
Hundreds of comments were left on the Echo Facebook page with residents, staff and families with children at the campus reeling in shock.
It will have a knock on effect to all the uni bars and restaurants that were built to accommodate the students too TRACEY KNIGHT
Where’s the local councillors fighting for this? They where just saying how important the children are spending a million on a playground yet letting almost a 1000 children lose they important education..... MARK COX
That’s really sad I feel for all of the staff and students. SARAH REED
Omg that’s shocking !! DONNA BUDD
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