James Watt College

The James Watt College is a further education college in Greenock, Scotland.

History, facilities

The James Watt Memorial College on the corner of William Street and Dalrymple Street was officially opened as the "Watt Memorial Engineering and Navigation School" on 1 June 1908. The building was constructed near the site of James Watt's birthplace (which was on the other side of William Street) and was built with funds donated by another famous Scot, Andrew Carnegie, who performed the opening ceremony, unveiling a statue of James Watt that stands prominently in the angle formed at the corner tower. David Barclay of Glasgow designed the original red sandstone building in a heavily ornamented Scottish baronial style, The corner is marked by an L-plan tower, the wing to William Street being capped by a crow step gable while the north wing has a conical roofed tower above a balustrade. The Dalrymple Street facade faces north out onto the main A8 road to Glasgow and is capped by a steep sloping roof up to an iron balustrade which protects a flat roof originally used to allow navigation students to take observations of the sun. The west corner features a corbelled corner turret with a conical roof. A later extension in William Street to the south of the tower is in a plainer more modern style. The building is now in use by Inverclyde Council local authority education department as office accommodation. [cite book
last = Monteith
first = Joy
title = Old Greenock
publisher = Stenlake Publishing Ltd
date = 2004
location =
id = ISBN 1-84033-314-6 ]

Over the years, the changing demands of commerce and industry highlighted the need for a new, purpose built College. The college relocated to its present Finnart Street site near Greenock West railway station in 1973, the eight-story main teaching block (by Boissevain and Osmond) dominating the area. The 1970s also witnessed a move away from traditional heavy industries into other areas of commerce and as a result, the college adapted to offer a different education focus.

Since then, the College has expanded to include campuses on the Greenock waterfront, at Kilwinning in Ayrshire, and at the Inverclyde National Sports Training Centre in Largs.

The current acting principal is Dr. Graham Clark.

Controversy over staff employment conditions

In March 2006, the college management caused controversy by announcing that they were sacking all academic staff, who could then re-apply for their jobs, but in doing so would have to accept new contracts, encompassing lesser pay and worse conditions. Both the EIS, Unison, as well as the NUS-backed Student Union protested these measures, and there have been allegations of financial mismanagement and fraud by the Board of Management. On 22nd March 2006, the student body had a walkout-come-protest at these measures, and they were joined by the EIS lecturers inside the building, who could not leave the buildings to protest due to contractual obligations. More protests and possible industrial action are planned against the proposed redundancies.

The controversial plans sparked outrage from students, who held two mass walk-outs, and staff who passed a motion of no confidence in principal Bill Wardle and the board of management.

But, at the eleventh hour, bosses caved in and the news was revealed at a union meeting.

Alan Ferguson, branch secretary of the EIS, said: "We have received a signed agreement rescinding all threats of dismissal and redundancies.

"The 90-day consultation period has also been withdrawn and this means the two sides will be getting round the table again to negotiate.

"The determination of people to take strike action, should it be necessary, was important. But political pressure was really crucial — not only the involvement of MSPs, but at the highest level of the Scottish Executive. It has been unprecedented."

On 23 October 2006 staff were informed that William Wardle and Board of Management chairman Tony Edwards had resigned, and that a new acting Principal (Dr. Graham Clark} and chairman (Jim Skinner) had been appointed to sort out the problems.

= References and

External links

* [http://www.jameswatt.ac.uk James Watt College Website]