We did it!
Uppsala Student Union has now been working on the issue of the relocation of departments to Gamla torget for what feels like an eternity. The proposed relocation of the Department of Social Work and the Department of Sociology came up as an orientation decision to the Area Board for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The decision, which our student representatives were critical of, was passed and it was decided that they would work to make the move happen. Uppsala Student Union's student representatives have always asked the question, but what about the students? During the process, there has been great concern about what the consequences would be for the students, where will we study and eat lunch? Where will we have our lectures?
The questions have not been answered in a way that we could feel confident that all students at Gamla Gamla torget will have a good working environment and a good access to study places. This led to the Save Campus Gamla torget petition and a demonstration on Gamla torget where students gathered to eat their lunch boxes on the floor. The demonstration was to show the future that would await with a decision. The petition currently has 1300 signatures from students and staff at Uppsala University, and the said demonstration filled the floor with students opposing the move.
During the spring, it became clear what the consequences could be for English Park if a move were to take place, parts of the campus would have to be closed down and departments would have to move within the campus area. In addition, the risk that the Karin Boye Library might have to close was also raised. We asked ourselves again, what about the students? Where will we study and have lunch? Where will we have our lectures? And what will happen to our working environment if this happens? With this, it became clear that the consequences would be far greater than we had previously known about at the same time as the decision in the area committee was approaching.
Today, the area committee had its meeting where the decision on the move was to be made and the student representatives voted for rejection. Together with other members we got a majority and the decision was rejected.
Instead, a new process to find a solution is starting. Something had to be done, but the proposal on the table was not the solution.
If you have any questions, please contact Uppsala Student Union's faculty coordinator Klara Fröberg at klara.froberg@uskar.se
Want to read more? Read the articles published during the process:
Ergo, 2023 https://ergo.nu/nyheter/20230419-planerna-f%C3%B6r-campus-gamla-torget-skapar-stort-missn%C3%B6je
Ergo, 2024 https://ergo.nu/nyheter/20240318-nya-planer-f%C3%B6r-gamla-torget-kan-bli-flytt
Ergo, 2024 https://ergo.nu/nyheter/20240521-besked-om-gamla-torget-dr%C3%B6jer
Ergo, 2025 https://ergo.nu/nyheter/20250131-hundratals-studenter-samlas-f%C3%B6r-gamla-torget
UNT, 2025 https://www.unt.se/nyheter/uppsala/artikel/studenter-ater-pa-golvet-i-protest/j8m078pl
UNT, 2025 https://www.unt.se/debatt/artikel/i-dag-avgors-engelska-parkens-framtid/r51mg2qj
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