Ulster University: trying to brazen it out

Thanks once again to everyone who has signed - we now have 2,700 signatures. We need to keep on sharing, reaching out to the media and informing people of the economic and reputational damage that the closure will do to Northern Ireland. The university and the relevant minister, Stephen Farry, for their parts seem intent on trying to brazen things out. They are hoping that by continuing as if it is business as usual, we will lose interest in accepting their ill-conceived and unjust closure decision. On Friday, their strategy was very much in evidence at a breakfast for business supporters of the Alliance Party, the party to which Farry belongs. At the breakfast, Farry praised the "role of Ulster University in promoting skills and employability" in complete denial of reality. The University is currently committed to reducing skills and employability through the closure of the School of Modern Languages. Interestingly, this party political event was attended by senior management from the university, according to a tweet from Alastair Adair, its pro vice-chancellor. Attendees may have included the Vice-Chancellor Paddy Nixon himself and the Provost of Coleraine and Magee, Deirdre Heenan. They presumably all promoted the same narrative. The presence of management at such events raises interesting questions. But, for our campaign, it stresses the fact that this will be a war of attrition. We need to make sure that we are constantly promoting our cause and our arguments because they will desperately be trying to 'move on' from their completely unjustifiable closure decision. Jim