Students could take legal action after Wadham ‘invade privacy’ to save electricity costs
Wadham scouts have been told by the college and the college Student Union to switch off appliances in student rooms. Hifis, mobile phone chargers and laptops are all to be turned off in an attempt to cut costs. Students were asked last week either to switch off electrical devices and lights or have them switched off by their scouts. In an SU e-mail, students were told,“they are a fire hazard and this is also environmentally responsible.
The college has particularly highlighted rice cookers, irons, adaptors and transformers as targets for the new policy, but Wadhamites have raised concerns about potential damage to possessions and voiced fears that computers containing valuable work may also be affected. Wadham Student Union President Navid Pourghazi offered reassurance, saying “the scouts shouldn’t turn off laptops and computers, they have been instructed not to do so.
A spokesman from the Oxfordshire Trading Standards Service told The Oxford Student there is potential for legal action over the college’s move. “It is not allowed to have unreasonable demands on students. If the cleaners were to interfere with appliances, there are civil law implications. There would be the possibility of civil action between the students and the college.
“We have to ask the college, would they want to be leaving themselves open to civil action?” Both Pourghazi and the College officials refused to comment on the possibility of legal action. One student, who did not wish to be named, suggested that, “people may be sufficiently annoyed with this to take it further.” A second student added, ”I can see the issue with electrical appliances being a fire hazard, but they need to balance this with students legitimate demands for privacy.
The move has resulted in deteriorating relations between the college and the students. A third year Wadhamite said: “Everybody is really disappointed about this. It has ruined the atmosphere at college, changing it from friendly to doctrinaire. “Students are not happy about having their privacy invaded.” Wadham stands to save money by switching off appliances.
The Oxford Student estimates the college will save a minimal amount of 28p per day for computers, 20p per day for lights, and 7p per day for stereos and TVs. One Wadham student described the policy as “just penny- pinching.” It is possible that switching off unused appliances may also reduce insurance premiums. Pourghazi did not wish to comment on how the decision would affect the college’s insurance policy or give details of how much it costs.
The decision to ask scouts to turn off appliances was taken at a liaison meeting between the SU representatives and college officers. No direct consultation with the larger student body was conducted. Pourghazi admitted “I can see why some people might view this as an issue of privacy - but I myself don’t see it as that.” College authorities refused to comment on the issue.
10th Nov 2005