In Defence of the College System of the University of York

We, the undersigned graduates of the University of York, deplore news of the recent conversion of Vanbrugh B and C Blocks to academic space, the loss of all portering in Wentworth, Vanbrugh and Derwent during the spring term of 2007, and the imminent closure of Langwith bar, as just a few examples of the University administration's disregard for York's college system.

We assert that this system is the University's most valuable asset. The sense of community that has sprung from the carefully considered mixture of academic, residential, and social space is what has made York the unique place it is, not just socially, but academically and culturally. It is what made thousands of people like us first want to go to York, and it is what made the University such a special place when we were there.

So long as the University addresses the issue of the college system as a mere afterthought, inevitably it just chips away, piece by piece, at this asset. And so we call upon the University to reconsider its attitude, to recognise the value of this asset, and to move the protection and development of the college system back to the very centre of its plans. To secure the University's future success, and to ensure that future generations of students can share in the opportunities and experiences that we were lucky enough to have.