Dundee University students are challenging management to find a “better use” for funds earmarked for a £12 million research building.
The student representative council believes existing facilities need upgrading and the university is wrong to prioritise work on the Centre for Translational and Interdisciplinary Research (CTIR), to be built off Hawkhill.
They said, “The CTIR would require a multi- million-pound investment from the university in addition to external funding from research councils.
“University court had previously been asked to authorise a renewed capital plan that would prioritise the new centre and push back previously agreed projects, including a long-needed multi-million-pound renovation of Duncan of Jordanstone Art College.
“Other previously planned projects included upgrades to the Fulton, Scrymgeour and Ninewells buildings,” they added.
The council has passed a motion noting the university is multi-disciplined and has built its reputation across all fields.CutsIt also recognises that funding for capital projects has been cut by the Scottish Funding Council.
However, the students want management to “reconsider the priority list on capital projects and look at doing them in chronological order or identified need with a mind for equality and fairness across the university disciplines.”
The students also seek a meeting with representatives of academics and trade unions to “find a better use for the money that is being earmarked for CTIR, such as upgrading of current facilities across the university.”
They added that there are a “whole host of important facilities” needed.
The students stress they understand the work done by the college of life sciences and they are not criticising plans for the building themselves, but they have concerns about management’s spending priorities.
A university spokesman said, “The changing picture of funding for higher education has forced us to re-examine the capital plan for the next two years.
“The university court will consider proposals for a redrawn capital plan… Given the reduced amount available the plan is aimed at achieving a balance across the university’s activities and continuing to improve student facilities as well as enabling further growth in research.”