In this article the news in brief from the Novembersession. The topics addressed are: the approval of a motion on the current university situation,the presentation of the three-year draft budget for 2016-2018,the redevelopment project of the Leonardo Campus donated by Renzo Piano.
Open session academic Senate: Motion on the current university situation
The Senate begins with a moment of silence in memory of the events in Paris. For the first time since it was established, an open session of the Academic Senate was held at the request of more than 10% of the teachers to approve and forward a document from the Senate of the Polytechnic to the Government on the issues of financing and functioning of the Italian University. The document expresses the difficulty of our university to maintain high standards and continue the climb in the world rankings without effective economic support from the State. The Government is also asked to include in the new stability law fundamental points for the protection of education and research.
After 2 hours of discussion the motion was approved by a large majority.
Our representative, Giorgio Quistini, intervened in the discussion by presenting a different point of view from what was the general opinion, making the other senators reflect on the meaning of this document in which the difficulties and problems were simply highlighted without proposing solutions,something that is expected from a university of our caliber. This invitation found a broad consensus and some changes were therefore made to the original text.
Here you will find the final text
www.polimi.it/news/dettagliodellanews/article/3575/mozione-senato-accademico-4191/
However, since we were not fully satisfied with the result, we preferred to abstain from voting. First of all, an Academic Senate that has the role of directing educational and research activities does not seem to us the place to discuss wage negotiations and in any case ask for increases in funds, however fair they may be. Secondly, we would have preferred a document, as expressed by our senator, which makes us understand the goodness of the investment in education with concrete data and with an effective and efficient strategy for a real rebirth of the country. We want a Polytechnic to be proud of, that finds solutions and that does not limit itself to highlighting problems.
Three-year Budget Proposal
The Rector presented the budget proposal for the three-year period 2016-2018,among the most important choices that concern us students we find:
- Increase in teaching resources of 250k euros for the School of Industrial and Information Engineering,in order to maintain the per capita value per student
- Keep unchanged funds for scholarships,meal vouchers
- increase in 10000s and Library services
- guarantee scholarship coverage for the Right to Education
Leonardo Campus redevelopment project
It has been decided that the realization of the project, announced at the Inauguration of the Academic Year last October 26, for the renovation of the Submersible area of the Leonardo Campus will be attended by the best students selected by theHigh School of Architecture (ASA). The preliminary sketches, donated bythe architect Renzo Piano,foresee the arrival of a hundred trees, the felling of a building and classrooms in the basement.