Letter from Durham University to encampment students

RSVP:  Update from Durham University
Issued: Thursday 20 June 2024

Dear Durham Students for Palestine, 

RSVP:  Update from Durham University

I write to update you on key matters, and to ask you formally to vacate university land.  

We acknowledge and appreciate your email of Wednesday 19 June which outlines your willingness to work with the University.   We too are open to continued dialogue, and set out below our offer of a further meeting with you.

This letter sets out our position in full.  

Meetings

You have had four meetings with the University to date, where senior colleagues acting on behalf of the University listened to, considered, and discussed your concerns in full. 

We have published the outcomes of those meetings on our website:  Encampment on Palace Green, Durham City - Durham University.   

These constructive discussions were paused a few weeks ago for reasons of which you are aware.

We have continued, as a University, to check in with you regularly to ensure appropriate arrangements for your welfare, safety and security are in place.

We would like to offer you another meeting with Dr Shaid Mahmood today or tomorrow -Thursday 20 June or Friday 21 June - to discuss the matters detailed in this letter.

Update on Finance Committee

You will be aware that our Finance Committee met yesterday, Wednesday 19 June.

The University indicated at our meetings with you that our Ethical Investment Policy would be discussed at that Committee, in an agenda item sponsored by the Durham Students’ Union President.  That discussion took place yesterday.  

I can share with you the following outcomes, which have the support of the SU President.

1. That a thorough, student-informed review of the Ethical Investment Policy will take place through a newly established Investment Sub-Committee;
2. That the Student Union President will be part of the review process to represent the views of wider student body;
3. To commission work through our investment partners, Sarasins, to provide an impact review of our Ethical Investment Policy including a list of companies that are currently excluded;
4. To report the outcome of the Finance Committee’s discussions on the Ethical Investment Policy at the next Council meeting in July 2024 and update on the intention for the policy to be reviewed.

Update on additional matters raised in your meetings.

In addition, as a direct result of our meetings, and in response to your concerns, the University has done the following:  

1. Shared with you our Ethical Investment Policy, talked through this in detail, and listened to any feedback.
2. Shared with you more detail of our investment portfolio.
3. Stated our commitment to continuing with our support for all affected students, including our Palestinian students who receive bespoke support.  As you know, we have already increased our financial commitment to scholarships for Palestinian students from the West Bank and Gaza.
4. Stated our commitment to helping those students whose university education has been disrupted by the war and to helping those who will need higher education in the future. We have also reaffirmed our commitment to rebuilding higher education in the conflict zone and to including our students in the development of those plans   We are already engaged in institutional and national discussions about the most effective way to do this.
5. Affirmed our commitment to freedom of speech within the law, including academic freedom.

Use of University land: our position

You will appreciate the University has engaged with you in good faith since your camp was established on Friday 10 May, and in line with our stated commitment to lawful protest and freedom of speech.

We have listened to your concerns during four meetings. We have taken action as a result of these meetings, which is outlined in detail above.

You will appreciate we have a very large student community to consider. The University must take account of a wide range of views. 

Your camp is based on University-owned land.

You have also acknowledged this land is used for our Congregations.  It plays an important part in ensuring that our graduations are a special and joyous occasion for at least 6,000 students who have worked hard over several years to get to this point. These 6,000 plus students who are due to attend graduation are looking forward to celebrating with their families and friends, very many of whom have travelled from afar.   

While we acknowledge you have strong views, we also know there is a great strength of feeling throughout our community about the importance of graduation.  We know that you are deeply concerned about the issues you have raised, and know that you are also appreciative of what this day means to students who are graduating.

This land is also used for community events with our partners in the City, including those due to be attended by thousands of members of our local community.   

We acknowledge and appreciate your email of 19 June in which you reference graduation and the potential for you to leave Palace Green for that. 

For the reasons outlined above, I must formally ask you to vacate University land by 18.00 hrs Sunday 23 June at the latest, so that we can prepare in good time.

This is for the sake of our wider student body: the 6,000 plus graduating students and their families and friends who will celebrate with them.

Please confirm receipt of this email as soon as possible. I look forward to your prompt response on the proposed meeting and our request.

Yours,

Dr Amanda Wilcox

University Secretary