Students fight to save ecology college after closure

Students at a specialist ecology college facing sudden closure are fighting to keep the institution alive.

Schumacher College, based on the historic Dartington Estate in Devon, announced its decision to cease all provision after incurring “substantial monthly losses”, and placed most of its 30-odd staff on notice of redundancy.

Its undergraduate and postgraduate courses, accredited by the University of Plymouth, had already closed to new students, following long-running issues that forced the institution to postpone the start of the last academic year. But the Dartington Hall Trust, which runs the college, had agreed to fulfil obligations to continuing students until now.

Hubert Fonteijn, one of the approximately 50 students affected, said that he was “shocked” by recent events – though he was hopeful he would be able to receive a final grade for his master’s in regenerative economics.

“They have treated staff, part-time students and BSc students with one to two years to go really badly,” he told Times Higher Education.

“To disrupt the courses again at the beginning of an academic year, giving students no time at all to evaluate their situation and make other plans, is wholly unnecessary.”

Part-time student Louis Alderson-Bythell said learners were “banding together” to take action, claiming that the college had legal obligations to meet.

“They’re taking their position as sort of a done deal. We do not think it is,” he said.

A silent protest was held on campus grounds, with staff and students maintaining that the college’s “pioneering, holistic, values-led learning” must continue.

“What happens here is going to be really important across the sector, and I think it’s really important that we, as a student body within Schumacher, stand up for what we believe needs to happen,” Mr Alderson-Bythell said.

“Look at what’s happening here right now, because it will be other institutions pretty soon.”

Lewis Winks, a geography researcher at the University of Exeter, said Schumacher had “punched well above its weight” and helped to inspire thousands of students.

“At a time of climate breakdown, dramatic declines in biodiversity and a growing disconnect between humans and the rest of nature, such institutions play an essential role in developing a planetary literacy central to sustainability,” he said.

“The loss of the college from our educational landscape is a significant blow to ecological education at a critical time.”

Sir David Behan, interim chair of the Office for Students, told Times Higher Education that the regulator was involved in ensuring that there is continuity for students and Plymouth is offering practical support.

“That’s still being played out at the minute, but that’s an example of a higher education institution awarding degrees which is not financially sustainable,” he added.

A trust spokesperson said that the college had made “no discernible effort” to pursue an independent future since this direction had been signalled a year ago.

“Last year 250,000 people, including thousands from the local community, visited and enjoyed the Dartington Estate,” they added.

“The risk of closing the doors to those people forever is extremely high if we were to allow large losses in an operation of 33 staff and 48 students to force us into administration.”

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com