Response to RAUIL email (copy below response) & CC'ed to CTCF/AIFS on 6th Jan 2020

Dear Helen 

Thank you for your reply. Given the President, the Chair, and Deputy Chair are not available to meet us at our proposed date and time, we are happy to accommodate them on a date and time that better suits them, either this week and ideally, given the situation, no later than next Wednesday. Please, can we ask you to send us at least 2 options in terms of workable dates and time within the above-mentioned window by the end of Wednesday this week so we can also look to plan our own attendance? 

In regard to any inaccuracies or misunderstandings you feel were included within our email of the 4th of January 2020, we are happy to give the President and Board the opportunity to offer any clarifications they may have. We also understand that the Board cannot accept conditions from an Alumni body, or indeed anyone else, being placed on decisions made at any of their meetings and we hope the same terms have been communicated to the CTCF and AIFS.  We only want to work with you to find a long term solution and of course, we would welcome any and all clarifications. 

The University’s concerns about not wanting to meet the seven alumni representatives are heard, however, we would like to counter the offer of meeting only three of us, with at least five alumni so that we can adequately represent our concerns. Let’s agree on this compromise so that we can work on a common solution? As alumni, we are only here to help and surely the number of people is not a critical factor - it’s about having the right people. 

We also wanted to address any blame directed at us regarding the impact of the petition and the Richmond Facebook Group on securing a deal with partners and investors. We have credible information to refute this, though we would like to avoid a blame game as this is counter-productive. Let’s please all focus on what needs to be done to find a viable solution (as soon as possible) to save the University. 

Critically, we understand that Richmond can only structure a long term solution with the involvement of CTCF/AIFS, hereby CC'ed, and with whom we are equally willing to meet and work with. We look forward to hearing back from you with your proposed dates and times to meet.  

Kind regards,

Davey, Zemar, Kristi, Cassandra, Damien, Daniel, & Gonzalo

On behalf of the Alumni of Richmond American University in London

On Mon, Jan 6, 2020 at 11:18 AM Dalrymple, Helen <DALRYMH@richmond.ac.uk> wrote:

Dear Davey and other signatories of the petition,

Further to your email of 4 January, the President and the Trustees are not available on 9 January.  We will revert to you with an alternate date.  The university is prepared to meet/video conference with up to three signatories of the petition. There are a number of inaccuracies and misunderstandings in your email of 4 January and the accompanying letter and we will seek to clarify these at any meeting.

Note that the Trustees cannot accept conditions placed on decision making at any of their Board meetings.  This would be a breach of the university’s conditions of registration with the Office for Students and standards of accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  Your support for the continuation of the university is understood, and your petition and associated correspondence will be discussed at the meeting. Note also that the petition and Facebook posts are all in the public domain and as such are accessible to the media and to potential partners and investors.

Yours,

Helen