Medics vs BUCS: Fight!
This month, the battle between BUCS and medical schools has intensified over the merger between the sports teams of the medical schools and their parent institutions. Time is running out on the period of consultation BUCS have implemented after removing the merger proposal from their agenda. The consultations have felt to be inadequate in both time and quality, further escalating tensions between the three parties involved in trying to find a fair and suitable solution to this issue. In July 2011, it was discovered that at the BUCS AGM, a proposal to remove what BUCS describe as ‘higher education anomalies’ where sports teams competing under different departments but originate from the same institutions. At the time, this generated a massive wave of furore and unrest amongst the medical school unions and students. This resulted in BUCS removing the proposal from the agenda of the AGM.
BUCS also stated that there would be a period of consultation with the affected institutions in the next few months regarding the proposal. This period of consultation is now nearing its end despite the lack of inclusion felt by the medical school students and representatives.
"The letter stressed the inadequacy of the consultation process, especially with regards to the involvement of the student representatives from each medical school as well as all of the medical students within each institution"
UH Medgroup, the representative body of all five London medical schools, have sent a letter to the BUCS London Regional Meeting on January 23rd 2012, outlining the concerns of the medical schools. The letter stressed the inadequacy of the consultation process, especially with regards to the involvement of the student representatives from each medical school as well as all of the medical students within each institution.
A request therefore was made in the letter to extend the period of consultation between BUCS and the affected institutions on the matter of the merger. This letter was passed on through various ranks inside BUCS to the Chief Executive Officer and the Head of Sports Programmes of BUCS. They have both expressed their willingness to extend the consultation period as well as ensuring that all parties feel included in the process.
Consultations between the medical schools and their parent institutions have been taking place since the issue was first brought up last summer but now they have intensified given the time-pressures exerted by BUCS.
At ICSM, numerous suggestions have been put forward but at the moment, one proposal has stood out during the consultation. The proposal was put forward by Sport Imperial, a team of Imperial staff whose main objectives are to maintain and improve the sports facilities of Imperial, increase participation in all sports at all levels and to improve the BUCS ranking of Imperial by enhancing team and individual performance.
The proposal would see Imperial and ICSM still remain completely separate with separate teams. However, Sport Imperial would rank Imperial and ICSM teams according to their position in the BUCS league and form an internal ranking only known to the club and team captains, Sport Imperial, and BUCS. With regards to the BUCS points and team names, BUCS points from both ICSM and Imperial would be combined and the team names would have brackets included if one team originated from ICSM. For example Imperial Medicals 1st ranked 1st would become Imperial (Medicals) 1st.
The proposal is still in its early stages, with no formal agreement signed and accepted by ICSM, Sport Imperial or BUCS. However, it has generated much debate amongst ICSM students, with supporters saying that it is an adequate compromise to prevent the worst case scenario of ICSM sports teams being removed from BUCS entirely and a complete merger with Imperial.
Detractors of the proposal say that the compromise is almost as bad as a merger, particularly with regards to the loss of medical school identity as well as administrative issues such as the limit as to a number of teams one institution can enter in BUCS which will squeeze out the lower ranked teams and thus decrease participation.
"Given the intricate politics involved in this matter, with the individual vested interests of the medical school, the university, BUCS and the sports clubs themselves, some student unions are urging all parties involved to proceed with caution."
At RUMS, a proposal similar to the one put forward by Sport Imperial has been drafted. However, a more formal consultation process will take place at GKT. King’s College London and GKT are holding a formal referendum on the issue of whether sports clubs at GKT should merge with their counterparts at King’s. The referendum is likely to be fiercely contested at King’s especially as GKT are having their own internal referendum on the subject of whether GKT should, like all of the other London medical schools, should break away from King’s and form their own student union.
Queen Mary, the parent institution of Barts and the London, are pushing for a complete merger between the two institutions. Barts have formally rejected any proposals to merge with their counterparts at Queen Mary at their General Council Meeting with an unanimous vote from the BLSA Students Presidents’ Council.
"UH Medgroup, led by President Jeeves Wijisuriya, will continue to strongly campaign against any moves by BUCS to push for the merger and plans have already been drawn up to lobby senior sport governing bodies including Sport England for support. "
Whilst the general consensus amongst all of the London medical schools is to prevent any moves on a merger between the sports clubs, there has been a great deal of internal disagreement within every medical school as to the best way forward to solve this problem. Given the intricate politics involved in this matter, with the individual vested interests of the medical school, the university, BUCS and the sports clubs themselves, some student unions are urging all parties involved to proceed with caution.
Various student representatives and sports captains that have been contacted by The Medical Student have been reluctant to comment on the record about the merger although they have been vociferous in their opinions off the record. Again this seems to highlight the inadequacy of the consultation process offered by BUCS themselves with emotions understandably running high due to the lack of transparency and the time pressures.
The extension on the consultation period has given the medical schools a temporary respite on the issue and an opportunity for continued discussion. However, this matter is likely to flare up again in the coming months leading up to the next BUCS AGM in the summer.
UH Medgroup, led by President Jeeves Wijisuriya, will continue to strongly campaign against any moves by BUCS to push for the merger and plans have already been drawn up to lobby senior sport governing bodies including Sport England for support.
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