Edinburgh University fine departments for unofficial room use

Departments at the University of Edinburgh are being fined several thousand pounds a year for not holding classes in the right rooms, The Journal can reveal.

The School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences was charged roughly £3500 in the 2009/2010 academic year, with £50 being levied for every class that takes place anywhere other than the room that has been booked for it – representing roughly 70 classes over the course of the year.

One tutor from within the school, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Journal: “It just seems crazy.”

“The whole room-booking situation is a mess,” they said, adding that tutors were in "competition" for the best venues for classes.

The Journal has learned that at a meeting of prospective undergraduate tutors held three weeks before the start of the current term, attendees were warned by Linguistics & English Language school administrator Debbie Moodie not to teach classes outside of their assigned room, as they would incur fines for their department.

Tutors have expressed their unhappiness at the system, which prevents them from switching class venues if the room they are assigned is inappropriate.

One told The Journal: “Tutors have been given rooms without a blackboard – how are you supposed to teach a class of 16 without a blackboard?”

Asked whether classes were ever assigned to rooms that were too small for the number of students, the tutor said: “There have been instances where there’s no room to manoeuvre. It makes it far more difficult to engage with the class and make the lesson interesting.”

It is understood that university security staff, who regularly interrupt tutorials held in buildings at the George Square campus, are in fact being used to verify the occupancy of rooms and establish whether a fine should be handed down.

Another tutor from the same school, who has taught at a university abroad, told The Journal: “At my last position, you could even take classes outside if the weather was good. I can’t do that here.”

The University of Edinburgh is responding to a request to disclose how widespread the policy of fining departments for class venues is, how the fines are implemented, and how the revenue is spent.