A group of architecture and design students plans to sue The Glasgow School of Art over its alleged failure to provide adequate education during the coronavirus pandemic and for cancelling their degree shows.
The group has hired law firm Harper Macleod and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund their legal challenge for alleged "underprovided education".
The group, called Art School Racket, consists of around 35 students from courses including architecture, fashion and design innovation as well as the Masters of Letters (MLitt) in Fine Art Practice course.
Teaching and degree show cancelled
Students were six months into their courses when the first UK lockdown happened in March 2020. According to the group, the Scottish school then "chose to cancel the remaining seven weeks of the semester, two days after campus closed". "We had no contact from our tutors for 10 weeks whilst other universities, like the University of Glasgow, were tutoring students online within a few weeks," the group said. "GSA management instructed tutors not to speak to us during this time."
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) degree show was also cancelled, which meant students missed out on meetings with curators, galleries and collectors, which they say is another key reason for studying at the school.
"We've still not got our promised degree show," said the group's spokesperson Penny Anderson. "We've had talks, it's been promised, there were v...