Bowland College and Lonsdale College are still without principals after repeated failures by the University’s search committee to recommend a candidate. The University has appointed Pendle Principal Roger Gould as Interim Principal of both colleges, leaving Gould in charge of three colleges during Intro Week, one of the busiest times of year for college staff. There was no consultation between the University and the two colleges over the appointment, and both colleges have fiercely resisted Gould’s instatement.
Both college syndicates have passed motions in an attempt to restrict Gould’s involvement in their governance. Bowland College’s motion, passed on September 18, could have seen former principal Joe Thornberry return as the College’s Interim Principal instead of Gould. In Lent Term of the last academic year, the University’s search committee refused to recommend Thornberry for a third term as Bowland College Principal, a decision another former Bowland Principal said amounted to “slander,” and one which many officers in the college would like to see reversed.
The attempted instatement of Gould by the University has been heavily criticised by members of both Bowland and Lonsdale Colleges. Dr. Ian Saunders, a former Principal of Bowland College, said that the appointment of Gould was “totally unacceptable.” “There is no reason that a principal should be imposed upon us,” Saunders told SCAN. “The College Principal needs to know what is going on in a college and its history. To jump into two different colleges and learn that is impossible.”
However, the University’s Provost for Student Experiences, Colleges and the Library, Professor Amanda Chetwynd, defended Gould’s appointment. “Roger [Gould] is an experienced principal and is able to increase his time commitment to cover the additional duties until a permanent Principal can be found,” Chetwynd said.
Read the full report in the Freshers’ Week issue of SCAN, out on Tuesday, and online throughout Freshers’ Week.
Also in this issue:
- LUSU to bring back the Sugarhouse Card
- Part I teaching could be outsourced
- Owen Jones, Peter Tatchell and Toni Pearce among speakers at upcoming Assembly for Change
- Elliot Ross: the University’s parking policy is frustrating for students
- Lancaster’s sporting people
- Our guide to getting the best out of your Freshers’ Week
