Proposed by:
Seconded by:
What do you want?
If passed, this motion would mandate Queen Mary Students’ Union (QMSU) to do the following:
1. All QMSU Staff and Sabbatical Officers publicly oppose the change in branding from ‘BLSMD’ to ‘FMD’, including in wider university meetings, and take steps to oppose this in any meetings where these individuals have voting power.
2. In any references to the Medical and Dental Faculty in QMSU Communications, including internally and with university staff, the name ‘Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry’ (or any subsequent derivations of this name, e.g., BL, Barts, SMD etc…) shall be used.
3. Queen Mary Students’ Union will write a letter to Queen Mary University of London’s College Council, this would highlight the importance of Barts and The London, and their alarm at the lack of formal response to the ‘WeareBL’ Petition, to be written by the QMSU Sabbatical Officers and approved by QMSU Student Council.
Why do you want it?
Last year, Queen Mary University of London’s Senior Executive Team (SET), led by President and Principal Colin Bailey, made the decision to rename Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry (BLSMD) to the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD). This decision was made without consultation with Students or Staff at the school, any external Stakeholders (including Alumni), the BLSA or QMSU. The initial decision for this rebrand has remained mostly unclear.
In the wake of this rebrand, a student-led campaign began a petition that amassed over 16000 signatures, from Students, Staff and Alumni. This was then presented to Colin Bailey, which was subsequently ignored, with no formal acknowledgement from the Office of the Principal that this had been received. Since the ‘WeareBL’ campaign, internal communications from central university staff has been clear - staff are under no circumstances allowed to use the terms ‘Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry’, or any of its derivations (BLSMD, BL, Barts, SMD etc…) in their email signatures, in presentations, or otherwise.
As far as governance is concerned, any changes to the BL Faculty name is required to go via College Council, and thus far this decision has been strategically delayed to after the 900th Celebratory year of St Bartholomew’s Hospital. This has not affected Queen Mary’s mandate of changing internal nomenclature over several months, and successfully transitioning the culture within staff to a ‘taboo’ when choosing to use the Barts and The London name.
Whether you are a BL Student, or you belong to the wider Queen Mary student body, this rebrand affects you. The nature of this decision sets a dangerous precedent going forward and is a clear indication that the Senior Executive Team of Queen Mary are unwavering in the face of overwhelming student voice, as well as external stakeholder pressure. A petition that has been signed by the equivalent of over half of all QMUL’s entire student body has not been acknowledged, let alone actioned. This needs to be criticized by Queen Mary Students’ Union as a wider body, given that the Barts and The London Students’ Association has already been embedded in branding discussions from the start, and requires larger support from QMSU, for more meaningful impact than as a sole organisation.
What impact will this have?
Currently, the struggle to represent students on this matter has fallen almost entirely on the Barts and The London Students’ Association, and the BLSA President. Once passed, this would allow the BLSA to ask for further assistance on this matter, and free up these reps for other projects. This motion would also give the BLSA a further democratic mandate to push back against the removal of the Barts and The London name.
On this further mandate, Queen Mary Students’ Union is democratically led, and this motion would be further evidence to the fact that this has been an undemocratic process against student wishes. The goal would be to have this motion presented to Colin Bailey, and for them to acknowledge students’ opinion on this matter. This motion would remove any doubt whatsoever that Students across all campuses and courses reject the notion that QMUL’s Senior Executive Team is above accountability or scrutiny.