Dear UEL Management Board and Vice-Chancellor & President Amanda Broderick,

This is an independent petition organised by UEL second-year students of BA International Development with NGO Management. On behalf of our peers, extending to International Relations, Sociology and other degrees across the university, we are writing to express our deep concern regarding the impending termination of Gargi Bhattacharyya's employment by the University.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Gargi Bhattacharyya is not the only lecturer in this situation. We also express our disapproval that a number of other staff are being made redundant and would like to see these staff reinstated as well. These are:

Molly Andrews

Mike Cole

Jill Daniels

Corinne Squire

Imogen Ward

As you can appreciate, it has already been an extremely unsettling and difficult year in these unprecedented times. This would be further exasperated by losing a lecturer. In our eyes, it is nonsensical and irresponsible that the University is not putting the interest of its students at the forefront of its priorities.

We will expect the University to take and display rigorous steps to ensure that the teaching and marking of our courses is not prejudiced.

We collectively urge you to reconsider your position in pursuing this, as it would be grossly negligent to the learning and welfare of all students concerned.

On a side note, having been taught by Gargi Bhattacharyya for two consecutive years, we can vouch that Gargi is a passionate, deeply zealous, talented lecturer and a valued asset to our programme and learning. This impending dismissal would be nothing short of a great loss felt by all. With this in mind, we hope that the University can come to an amicable agreement and stop pursuing this action.

 

We look forward to hearing back from you.

Students from International Development with NGO Management, International Relations and Sociology:

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