Dundee University’s student council has voted overwhelmingly to demand the institution reinstates financial support for free breakfasts and its food pantry.
Originally introduced as a cost-of-living measure to help struggling students, the university cut support for the schemes last week.
It prompted accusations that bosses were balancing the £30 million budget shortfall at the institution on the backs of the poorest students.
Now, in a vote at the Dundee University Students’ Association’s student council, representatives demanded the decision is reversed.
The services provided over 54,000 free breakfasts and 188,000 pantry items to struggling students.
The motion supported by those at the meeting describes the financial cost of supporting the projects as “tiny” compared the university’s overall spending.
Tánaiste – a student at the university – told The Courier the university is “haemorrhaging” its good reputation.
‘Distressing to see leadership target poorest students’
“It’s distressing to see the leadership choosing to target the poorest students to pay for a f***-up of their own making,” he said.
“I think the university needs to have the humility to admit it needs help.
“Choosing to make food poverty worse is such a failure not only of the mis-leadership of the university but also of the Court that’s supposed to oversee the management.
“Given the senior management are dropping like flies, will there be anyone left to petition or do we just wait for the government to take over before we collapse?”
DUSA said it was doing everything it could to minimise the impact of the university’s financial position on students.
A spokeswoman said: “We are in close contact with students who have been affected by the removal of the pantry and free breakfasts, and students who are campaigning for the restoration of these provisions.
“We are working towards a solution that serves the needs of our students and we will be keeping students informed at all times of any developments.
“Our priority is finding a solution that meets the needs of our student community. We are in continuous dialogue with the university’s senior management and are exploring as many options as possible.”
A spokesman for the university said previously the university was required to make significant savings.
He said: “The Campus Pantry and the provision of free breakfasts via the Students’ Association were initiatives we put in place more than two years ago, in recognition of wider cost of living issues at that time.
“We appreciate these volunteer-led activities are highly valued by some students, but the university needs to make significant savings to help with our financial recovery, which does require hard decisions to be made
“While these initiatives have now ceased, we are exploring some alternative provision of of services. Wider support is also available to students who are in need.”
Conversation