When students were informed that Teviot House, the University of Edinburgh’s student union, would be closing for over a year, a student-led petition began, almost immediately, to keep it open .
The petition was started on the 2nd of May 2023, the day after the Edinburgh Student Association (EUSA) posted on Instagram announcing the plans, alongside a picture of a computer-generated concept model of the exterior of a refurbished Teviot. The petition, found on Change.org, has amassed 1,234 signatures (as of 22nd of September 2023).
On their Change.org page, the creators of the petition set out their complaints and reasoning as to why they oppose the refurbishment plans. They claim that: “there was no consultation, no vote, [and] no consideration whatsoever of the impact this might have on students.” They then go on to argue that the closure of the much-loved union would end up “depriving a whole new cohort of a crucial space in which to gather, socialise, and relax,” while also “exacerbating the strain on the previous few study spaces available at Edinburgh.”
When discussing the issue with students there were often similar answers in which they all mention the unique role Teviot played in student life at the university saying that it fulfilled multiple roles at once, offering a less intimidating space for study than the library while also offering student prices on student favourites – especially coffee.
Whereas many of Edinburgh’s popular coffee spots will easily charge upwards of £4 for coffee the union, and other university buildings offer most of their hot drinks around the £2.50 point, with cheap soup options for £1.50 and meal deals offered for pastries and other light bites.
With the ONS reporting that 9 in 10 students are ‘either somewhat or very worried about the rising cost of living’, the fact that the university is closing a major student hub in which they can study while not breaking the bank has been criticised by the creators of the ‘Stop the Teviot Renovation’ petition as well as the wider student body.
One commenter under EUSA’s Instagram announcement of the plans says that: “I swear this uni is all show and zero care, Teviot is easily the best social space on campus, not to mention the fact that it provides cheap food and drinks for us, and closing it for two years just for it to look modern??? There’s already no space to study anyways.”
This concern of lack of available study space is echoed by other commenters, with one saying that: “There is barely any room in the library as it is, why are you doing a whole refurbishment at once?”.
Lack of adequate study spaces was already a topic of criticism within the university, another student told us that during previous exam seasons “even non-uni cafes are full”, and that it is “up to chance” when trying to find a seat in the library. Another stating that “having to get to the library before 8am just to get a seat is really not ideal.”
The university responded to complaints over the removal of study space during the refurbishments with the statement:
“We are working with Edinburgh University Students’ Association to upgrade Teviot Row House to modernise the facilities and improve fire protection. We’re making almost all areas freely wheelchair accessible and we’re also making the building more environmentally sustainable for future generations. The works will ensure that Teviot’s unique character, charm and heritage are preserved, while providing the world-class facilities that students expect.
“While the works are ongoing, we’ve opened a new Study Hub with more than 300 additional study spaces over four floors at 40 George Square, which can be used on a drop-in basis. This is in addition to the wide range of welcoming central spaces available to students for socialising, studying and for clubs and societies to meet.”
One student, who was already a frequent user of Potterrow before the announced closure of Teviot, has raised concerns over the suitability of the space as a place for study, saying that: “there’s just not enough charging points, you can really only use the sockets next to the benches (found against some of the walls) but they aren’t suited to working for long hours on a laptop” due to their lack of tables or laptop stands, and back/arm support. Without this being improved upon the spaces remain inconvenient for students, many of whom rely on their laptops, phones, and tablets to study.
With the closure of a student-favourite, and the alternative spaces seemingly underwhelming and poorly equipped, the creators of the petition to stop the renovations put out a scathing review of EUSA’s plans and attitudes towards the student body writing that: “This is a classic case of EUSA making promises they can’t keep and hoping for the best.” They go on to ask the question that many students have already asked: “why hasn’t the University done so already?” Students have long complained about lack of study space, rising prices and lack of communication from the University so why, and how, do they continue to fail at these key responsibilities?
“teviot row house” by Jon Vrushi is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
An earlier version of this article contained an outdated statement attributed to a university spokesperson. This has now been updated with the latest version.