Students are planning a protest today at the Carfax Tower in support of hunger strikers at Campsfield House, an immigration removal centre situated to the north of Oxford.

Large numbers of Oxford students are expected to attend, with Wadham student Rebecca Sparrow, who is heavily involved in the Close Campsfield campaign, “hoping for a big turnout.”

Alistair Johnson, of Oxford University Amnesty International, told Cherwell that they were protesting “to remind those detained in Campsfield that they haven’t been completely forgotten, and to show the people who run Campsfield that we are against what they’re doing.”

The protest comes as a result of reports from campaign group Close Campaign that six Darfuri asylum seekers, held in detention at Campsfield indefinitely without charge, have been on hunger strike for six days. The strikers have been held for varying periods of time, the longest time being six months.

A statement on Close Campsfield’s website said, “At least one of the strikers is also a confirmed torture survivor with visible torture wounds. Torture survivors are not supposed to be held in immigration detention under UK law, but campaigning groups say that this law is regularly flouted by the UK Border Agency.”

Whilst the hunger strikers’ demands are that they all be released and granted asylum, they have also expressed a desire to be removed to a safe place, and have claimed that they are being held arbitrarily with no time limit. They have complained of their treatment inside the centre, saying that they came to Britain asking for refuge, and instead have been locked up.

A report on an unannounced inspection of Campsfield by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in May last year revealed, “Health care staff received no training in recognising symptoms of torture and trauma.”

Concerns have also been raised over how the centre’s management have dealt with the issue, after those who attempted to visit the strikers, including Oxford students, were denied access earlier this week.

In an official statement concerning the attempted visits on Wednesday evening, the Close Campsfield campaign commented, “The hunger strikers requested visits; [additionally] various supporters from Oxford independently organised visits for the evening of 30 May. Despite pre-arranging visits, each of the visitors was turned away on different spurious reasons (some with no reason given) once detention centre management realised they were visiting Sudanese men.”

The group added, “Supporters have vowed to try and visit the hunger strikers again to support them and intend to submit a complaint alleging that detention centre management attempted to cover up the hunger strike and illegally refused and lied to visitors, to the company who manage Campsfield (Mitie), to the Independent Monitoring Board, to the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and to the Minister for Immigration tomorrow (31 May) through their local MP.”

The news of the strikes has caused concern among a number of Oxford students. Tilly Hill, a second year medic at St. Anne’s who plans to attend the protest, said, “How can you lock away a man that has been forced to leave his family and life behind and flee from his home country?”

After the denial of visiting access, channels of communication with immigrants have come under scrutiny.

Sparrow said, “One of the reasons Campsfield House gets away with what it does is that communication with the outside world is so difficult. People just don’t know what’s going on and there is so much denial of responsibility as these centres are run by private companies for profit.”

Many students also expressed the opinion that the events at Campsfield were a result of problems with the asylum system more generally. Brasenose student Rachel Rowan-Olive commented, “The current system is labyrinthine and bureaucratic at almost every level; it seems to me that Campsfield and centres like it are symptoms of its inadequacy. Asylum seekers’ wellbeing and rights are low on the priorities list.”

In an investigation into Campsfield earlier this term, Cherwell reported that in 2010, 147 of the 216 detainees went on hunger strike. The Home Office told Cherwell at the time, “Immigration removal centres like Campsfield are vital in helping us to remove those with no right to be in the country. HMI Prisons confirmed last year that Campsfield continues to be a particularly well-operated centre, and that it provides a safe and secure environment for staff and detainees.”

A UK Border Agency spokesman said, ‘Six detainees at Campsfield House are currently refusing prepared meals. However they have access to food at the centre’s shop, and healthcare teams have no concerns over their wellbeing.

‘Staff at Campsfield continue to monitor the situation, work with detainees and listen to their concerns.”

Exeter College, which over Easter hosted a conference by a controversial Christian group, plans to donate all profits from the event to a charity which supports LGBTQ causes, a decision which has been praised by students.

The conference, known as The Wilberforce Academy, was hosted at Exeter during the last vacation by Christian Concern, an organisation which some have labelled homophobic as it supports ‘corrective therapy’ for homosexuals.

The college’s decision to donate its profits from the conference comes after a petition was sent to the Rector, Bursar and Chaplain last week, carrying over 150 student signatures and complaining about the behaviour of the conference guests.

The petition accused members of Christian Concern of making homophobic remarks to Exeter student Nick Georgiou, comparing his homosexuality to the sexuality of a paedophile and labelling him “immoral.” Conference guests also reportedly distributed anti-abortion leaflets in communal areas in college, and held an anti-Islamic talk.

The petition had also criticised the college’s initial handling of the matter, referring to “the indolence of College when it came both to responding to media criticism and to ensuring the behaviour of the conference.”

Ella-Mae Lewis, LGBTQ Rep at Exeter, was among many students who praised the college’s reaction to the petition. She said, “Their response was completely overwhelming. All student members with specific issues were invited to speak to the Sub-Rector (the Rector is on sabbatical), and as we requested, a Working Group was set up to vet future Conferences.”

The exact size of the donation has yet to be determined, but Lewis claimed, “The Bursar is currently calculating the number, which he’ll be communicating to us: he seems to think it will probably be quite a figure!”

The college has not confirmed which charity will receive the money. Lewis said that the Terrence Higgins trust, a British charity that campaigns on AIDS- and HIV-related issues, has been suggested.

She concluded, “[College] have really impressed us by proving that, as they have always said, this was not about the money. All we can do is thank the JCR and MCR members who helped make the petition possible, and thank College for really rising to the occasion!”

Dr Maureen Taylor, Sub-Rector of Exeter College, confirmed that the donation will be made.

Reverend Mr Stephen Hearn, Chaplain at Exeter and one of the Governing Body members to whom the students’ petition was addressed, commented, “I think it’s an excellent decision and I’m delighted.” Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, he said, “We were keen to show that this was never about conference income.”

Benjamin Clayton, Exeter JCR President, was also complimentary about the college’s reaction to the controversy. He said, “As JCR President what has struck me most is the positive and productive way in which the whole of college has dealt with the situation.

“Members of the JCR, irrespective of whether they associate with LGBT more generally, have gone out of their way to organise LGBT events, parties and information sessions, to reaffirm Exeter as a place where all are free to flourish intellectually and socially irrespective of sexual orientation.

“I believe College’s decision to donate the proceeds of the conference to charity backs this message up, and shows strongly that the JCR, MCR and College are working together to make Exeter the brilliant College we know it is.”

Ben Houghton, a third year at Exeter, claimed that allowing the conference to take place at the college was a mistake, arguing, “The fact that college let Christian Concern come in the first place was pretty awful. It should never have been allowed to happen.”

However, he praised their decision to donate the profits, saying, “It shows that they are remorseful, and realise that they’ve upset a lot of students.”

A Cherwell investigation has revealed worryingly low levels of security across the University. As the majority of Oxford colleges leave their entrances open during daylight hours, break-ins are not uncommon for most, with some colleges reporting as many as 15 security breaches in the last three years.

A Cherwell investigation has revealed worryingly low levels of security across the University. As the majority of Oxford colleges leave their entrances open during daylight hours, break-ins are not uncommon for most, with some colleges reporting as many as 15 security breaches in the last three years.

Cherwell investigated how easy it is for a member of the public to enter an Oxford college. Of the 22 colleges observed, 22 colleges left their main doors open, and though one college had a porter on the door, they did not prevent access to the premises. Half of the colleges surveyed had pidge rooms that were easily accessible. In 21 colleges doors around the quad were left open, with only one college requiring a fob to enter.

Somerville had the highest number of break-ins of the colleges who disclosed the number of security infringements to Cherwell, with 15 incidents reported. These included vandalism, graffiti and theft, which may or may not have involved culprits from outside college. Hertford were close behind with 10 instances of security failures, including five bike thefts, three other thefts, and two counts of damaged property. However, colleges including Christ Church, Jesus and St Peter’s had no security breaches recorded over the past three years. New College also had no recorded incidents, despite the robbery of the JCR’s PlayStation3 by two members of the public in February of this year.

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One female undergraduate commented, “The problem with security in many colleges is that if you live in some of the older, in-college accommodation, a lot of the entrances to staircases are big stone archways without any doors. So of course it’s incredibly easy to walk in off the street, especially if you look the right age, and just walk into staircases where people live.”

She added, “A friend of mine who lives in a staircase like this left her room unlocked for the whole of Michaelmas and most of Hilary until something went missing and she realised how accessible her room was. Students should treat their rooms like they would treat their own homes and keep them locked at all times – you can’t blame it all on colleges.”

Cassie Davies, a first year English student at Lincoln, said, “I can’t remember any serious intrusions, but we do get a lot of tourists wandering around in college. This term we even had a tourist walk straight in on a class in our tutor’s room, which is where he lives not just where he works. It’s pretty disconcerting to think people will happily walk around opening private doors – I always lock my door now!”

St John’s PPEist Nupur Takwale told Cherwell, “I do have concerns with security as my own room was broken into, but luckily all my valuables were with me and the only thing they took was some vodka. There is a CCTV camera outside which supposedly points towards my bedroom window, but I was later told by college it was in fact not turned on. Also my bike was taken from outside my house and my friend had the wheel from his bike (also locked outside the house) stolen too.”

One anonymous student from Jesus, which had one of the lowest break-in rates with no recorded security breaches in the last three years, said, “College security at Jesus is pretty tight as the only way in without a key is through the porters’ lodge. Last term the police did an exercise trying to break in and tailgate, but they didn’t manage to without getting reported. It’s a bit less secure on the off-site accommodation though and recently we have had a few bike thefts, but new doors have been installed on the sheds as a result.”

Stolen bikes are a particular problem across Oxford, with bike theft rates in the city reportedly reaching over one per day earlier this year. One student commented, “It’s really frustrating. I left my bike locked outside Worcester for a couple of hours and came back to find it had been stolen. I went to the porters’ lodge, and they told me it happens all the time. Some of my friends have had their bikes nicked too. I’ve got a better lock now, but I really can’t afford to lose this one.”

As well as bike thefts, laptop thefts were surprisingly common, with St Catherine’s recording four occasions where computers were taken from rooms. St Antony’s similarly saw three computers stolen since 2009. Cherwell reported in October last year on the theft of two laptops from St Hugh’s, and in March another attempt to steal a laptop from St Hugh’s was foiled by a don who chased the thief as he fled the college.

One student from Wadham, which reported six security incidents since 2009, had items stolen from his locked bedroom. He disagreed that the problem lay only with students and was critical of college security, suggesting that “a little bit of maintenance needs to be done” to improve it.However, another Wadham student suggested that members of the college were too trusting as “people will often hold the door open for people they don’t know”. He added, “The other day I gave a staircase code to someone I’d never met before – they looked like a student but in retrospect it was a silly thing to do.”

Although Cherwell’s observations also showed that 12 colleges restricted access to student accommodation, many of these were protected by codes on the doors to the staircase.Many students have expressed concern over this system. One second year student commented, “Although having staircase codes appears very safe, my college only changes their code once a year and if you ask the porters for a code to a building and look like a student, they’ll often comply.“Not to mention that my friends and I store the codes on our phones – if they were lost or stolen then someone would have access to not only their possessions but everyone else in the building.”

However, Brasenose student Amy Rollason said, “We had some break-ins in the library last year which was a bit worrying, but generally I feel really safe in Brasenose, especially as the porters are on site 24/7. The only major security breach was from one sly fox. Literally. But other than wandering wildlife we’ve had no other real intruders that I know of.”

One Mansfield student, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed. He said, “Although Mansfield’s security cameras are pretty obvious you can walk right into college without having to go through the porters’ lodge. You need fobs to enter student accommodation but it would be pretty easy to slip in if the cleaners have propped a door open or (more likely) if one of the doors hasn’t clicked shut.

“Lots of students don’t lock their room’s windows or doors either, which is especially stupid of those on the ground floor. Overall I don’t think college can do much more about security, but students should be more responsible.”

A report released by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts last month attacked the increasing income of Russell Group academics, of whom Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Andrew Hamilton, received the highest income in 2011, £424,000. This sum is closely followed by the Vice Chancellor at University of Birmingham’s salary of £419,000 and the Vice Chancellor of University College London, who received £365,000 last year. These accounts show that Russell Group universities have spent an average of around £318,000 on Vice Chancellors’ salaries, benefits and pensions over the last year.

A report released by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts last month attacked the increasing income of Russell Group academics, of whom Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Andrew Hamilton, received the highest income in 2011, £424,000. This sum is closely followed by the Vice Chancellor at University of Birmingham’s salary of £419,000 and the Vice Chancellor of University College London, who received £365,000 last year.

These accounts show that Russell Group universities have spent an average of around £318,000 on Vice Chancellors’ salaries, benefits and pensions over the last year.The NCAFC report was written by Edward Bauer, a student and Vice-President of Education at Birmingham University, in collaboration with Michael Chessum, member of NUS and organizer for NCAFC; it also expresses concern at the rate at which these incomes are increasing.

According to the report, the income of the Vice Chancellors of the University College London and University of Birmingham increased by £27, 345 and £27,000 respectively between 2010 and 2011, whilst the Vice Chancellor of Nottingham followed with an increase of £9,057 over the past year. These figures are supported by each university’s annual finances report.

This report also reveals that the rise is not limited to Vice Chancellors, alledging that there has been an increasing amount of universitys’ incomes spent on jobs paid a salary of over £100,000 a year. It claims that the percentage of the Russell Group’s total income that was spent on high paid jobs has increased by over 2%, from 1.832% in 2003/2004 to 3.849% in 2011/2012.

Furthermore, this increase is not limited to the Russell Group. A Telegraph report claimed that more than 950 university staff, including Vice Chancellors, were paid more than the Prime Minister in 2010 and that last year Liverpool Hope University announced intentions to cut up to 110 jobs whilst increasing Vice-Chancellor Gerald Pillay’s salary by 20.6% to £199,077.

With the total cuts to universities for 2012/2013 standing at around 3.4% and the typical teaching academic being paid £42,263 on average, Bauer’s and Chessum’s ‘University High Pay Report: One Alternative to Cuts’ states, “it is worrying that UK universities are now spending 2% more on increasing the wages of their very richest employees”. This claim is supported by the Times Higher Education survey and by university financial statements. Analysis of these statements, conducted by accountancy firm Grant Thornton, shows that whilst total income packages dropped by by 1.21% in 2009-2010, the average spending by universities on salaries in isolation rose by 0.6%. A government-commissioned review of public-sector pay by the Work Foundation discovered that the pay-gap between the highest and lowest paid staff was greatest within the higher education sector.

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Students have expressed concern at these increases when education in the UK is facing stringent cuts this year. According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), core teaching funding is being reduced from £3.6bn in 2011/2012 to £2.4bn in 2012/2013 (a 34% decrease). And, despite the counteractive action of raising tuition fees, recent statistics show that the number of available courses over the past six years has been reduced by 27% and there will be around 11,000 fewer places for first year undergraduates available at universities next year.

Emma Wilson-Black, a second year student at Mansfield College, said, “At a time of cuts and austerity I would consider it deeply wrong and socially divisive to pay Russell Group university VCs massive salaries. I consider lecturers crucial to the education system rather than the few individuals at the top of the system who gain ridiculously inflated salaries.”She continued, “The government is already facing criticism that its ‘education reforms’ will create a two-tier system where poorer students find it even harder to access top universities. This presents a vision of education where elitism dominates.”

The Times survey of Vice Chancellors across the UK also revealed that 26% of VC’s went to state schools, 39% to grammars and 20% to private schools (there was no data available on the remaining percentage). However, amongst the chancellors of the Russell-Group, 35% were private-schooled, in contrast with only 7% of privately schooled Vice Chancellors in the Million+ research intensive institutions, (Million+ is a ‘think-tank’ of post-1992 institutions, formerly known as the Campaign for Mainstream Universities.)

Somerville student and president of the Oxford Socialist Worker Student Society, Fraser Anderson, agreed with Wilson-Black. He said, “Revelations about the increases in Vice Chancellors’ salaries at a time of unprecedented attacks on higher education are yet another confirmation that we’re not all in it together. This is what Stefan Collini called the ‘world of McKinsey’, where education policy is shaped by people like former BP boss, Lord Browne, and the chief of McKinsey’s Global Education Practice, Sir Michael Barber. In their world it’s huge salaries for top executives – higher fees and cuts to jobs, pay and libraries for the rest of us.”

However, not all Vice Chancellors pay packets have experienced an increase. For instance, the London School of Economics reduced their Vice Chancellor’s pay by £67,000 between 2010 and 2011 to £218,000 a year whilst Sheffield reduced their Vice Chancellor’s salary by £17,000 to £294,000 per annum. One student commented, “I think its important to remember that whilst education is facing cuts, the Russell Group contains some of the best universities in the world. Places like Oxbridge still manage to compete globally despite the huge financial advantages that institutions such as the Ivy League can offer students.”

He added, “I believe that the money within higher education should be more evenly spread between the VC’s and the average academic staff member if the University wishes to attract a larger proportion of high-calibre teachers. What’s the point in competitively paying for brilliant leadership if we can only afford to pay competively for a moderate workforce?”

Oxford University said that the pay for the Vice Chancellor reflected the calibre of the University itself. A spokesperson said, “It is certainly one of the two best universities in the UK and among the handful of best universities in the world.”She added that the influence of Oxford on the UK also accounts for the high salary. She stated, “It makes a major contribution to the economic prosperity of the UK and the UK’s position in the world, as well as to tackling global challenges through its research. Its research output is vast, it has an almost billion-pound-a-year turnover not including the colleges and OUP, and it has great institutional complexity. Its Vice Chancellor’s salary reflects that.”