The preceding sections of this Report are designed to form a background to the questions that now follow. The aim is to make this assessment as simple as possible so that it can be understood by anyone who takes the time and trouble to read it.

Our approach for assessing the relative merits of “relocation” to Falmouth or of staying on the Dartington Estate is based on an overall framework which asks a series of simple questions grouped into five key areas of concern: economy, ethos and culture, education, local provision, values and artistic factors. In some cases the same question is asked of both scenarios, Falmouth and Dartington. Scores from 0 to 5 are given for each answer, prefaced by reasons for such scoring.

Questions	Answers	Score
QUESTIONS OF ECONOMY
1. Given that the sum of £20 million to stay on the Dartington Estate is proposed and accepted by the Dartington College Executive and the Dartington Hall Trustees, is this sum acceptable in terms of being an absolute?	1. Not at all. There are other estimates. Figures we have seen vary between £7 million and £20 million. Much depends on priorities, timescales and values.	0
2. Whatever sum is agreed as necessary to upgrade the College, does this money have to be found all at once?	2. Not at all. It is logical in all rebuilds, decorations and renovations to approach an overall task in stages.	0
3. Is it good economy to spend £25 million on “relocation” when the figure of £20 million to stay has been accepted by the College and the Trust.	3. Obviously not. The sums simply do not balance. Furthermore, there is no general agreement on what the two sums should be.	0
4. Would the continued presence of the College on the Dartington Hall Estate have substantial economic disadvantages?	4. It is possible that the Trust could gather higher rents from other concerns. However this would need to be balanced against the status of the College. This may be hard to quantify but is of undoubted relevance given the high international profile of the College.	1
5. Would the removal of the College from the Dartington Hall Estate have substantial economic advantages?	5. For the Trust – not really. The Trust may sense considerable freedom in the absence of the College. However from a public relations point of view the loss of the College already looks bad for the Trust. How much worse would it be if the College were to close? For the College – it depends whether one takes the view that anything significant would be left of the College following relocation to Falmouth. Those who think something might be retained would score higher than those who don’t. As a compromise, score 3.	3
6. Would the proposed merger have substantial advantages for Falmouth?	6. Little research has been done, and less is available. However an addition of a few hundred students must have some economic effect on an area.	3
7. Would the proposed merger have substantial disadvantages for Falmouth?	7. This is less of a possibility, although present-day chaos in Penryn suggest that obstacles of local opposition would have to be overcome.	3
8. Would the “relocation” of the College play a highly significant part in creating economic equality between Cornwall and the rest of the country?	8. The numbers are too small. Currently the College has less than 700 students plus staff. To create economic equality, one needs more significant numbers. However the status of the projected University could be a factor. Even so the University of the Arts is not dependent on Dartington College relocating.	1
9. Would the proposed “relocation” create significant overall employment opportunities?	9. It would create some employment opportunities, but it is doubtful whether they could be considered insignificant. Economies of scale make it possible for large-scale organisations to absorb small-scale problems. Likewise they swamp small-scale advantages. A handful of jobs in a big organisation is far less significant than the same handful in a small organisation.	1
10. Would the proposed “relocation” serve as an incentive for greater student recruitment?	10. This is unproven and could never be proven until it is too late. However experience with prospective and current Dartington students confirms that the current location is a very significant part of the reason they opt for Dartington. It seems unlikely that a large standard unremarkable new campus will attract students for reasons of its outstanding interest, beauty, historical or iconic status.	2
11. Would the proposed “relocation” create opportunities for inward investment?	11. Possibly, although it would be hard to know exactly how much. If a merger were to take place, all investments would be in University College Falmouth as a whole. It would be hard to identify exactly which investment would be directed at whatever was left of Dartington College. Due to this uncertainty, score no more than 3.	3
12. Would the continued presence of the College at Dartington Hall preclude opportunities for inward investment?	12. This would be much easier to quantify, because Dartington College would remain a discreet entity rather than a merged one. Undoubtedly if the renovations and accommodation said to be required were to be tackled, there would be plenty of need for investment. So the answer is “No it wouldn’t.”	0
13. Would the proposed “relocation” create short-term jobs in construction and the provision of necessary buildings, etc.?	13. The same case as question 11.	3
14. Would the continued presence of the College at Dartington prevent short-term jobs in construction and the provision of necessary buildings?	14. No. Quite the reverse.	0
15. Is student recruitment a serious problem for the College at Dartington?	15. No, and it never has been. Those music staff we have spoken to report that the last few years have seen the largest classes they have ever taught at Dartington. The College is at its limit. It neither needs nor wants to expand. If there has been any shortfall in departments other than music, this merely reflects a national trend.	0
16. Are 350 student residences really necessary?	16. Some new student residences are necessary. The state of accommodation at Foxhole is a disgrace. However we have not seen any convincing evidence as to why it has to be 350. It could be lower	2
17. Are all the new student residencies necessary immediately?	17. The Foxhole situation is urgent. However this does not apply to all the residencies. Whatever the actual number required may be, this work could be completed in stages.	3
QUESTIONS OF ETHOS AND CULTURE
18. Is the College failing educationally?	18. No	0
19. Will the College’s traditions and distinctiveness remain intact as part of University College Falmouth?	19. Obviously not. Outside the current College Executive, ask anyone involved, including Jim Port	0
20. Is there a thriving performing arts/music culture in Falmouth/Penryn comparable to that in Totnes?	20. There is some, but it could hardly be described as thriving when compared to Totnes.	2
21. Did a genuine consultation take place with staff and local people?	21. No to both.	0
22. Could a local culture equivalent to that evolved in and around Totnes be created in Falmouth/Penryn?	22. In time possibly yes. The question here, however, is of an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” nature. Why consign over 50 years of “culture building” in and around Totnes to history when there is no good reason to do so.	3
23. Is Dartington College’s elegant non-conformity replicable elsewhere?	23. Of course not.	0
24. Would the students of the merged institution maintain any links with the Dartington Hall Estate?	24. The institutions themselves might keep or even forge links. The students, however, are unlikely to be part of these other than possibly a visit or two to the place-that-was.	1
25. Would the merged institution benefit from being free of the potentially abusive relationship with the Dartington Hall Trust?	25. This is a strong question. If the College were to continue on the Estate, a genuine rapprochement between Trust and College would be essential.	5
EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS
26. Is the closure of the College based on any educational or artistic ideas or needs?	26. No.	0
27. Is the proposed “relocation” based on sound educational ideas?	27. No. If anything, it is based on the empire-building political thrust of the CUC.	0
28. Would it be possible to “lift” programmes now offered at the College by its present staff to University College Falmouth?	28. This is dependent on various factors. Dartington College’s programmes have been designed by its staff. If they were to relocate to Falmouth it might be possible to deliver some aspects of the current programmes. However the available space is apparently smaller, not all staff would relocate, and new staff might, with some justification, not wish to deliver an old programme they had nothing to do with.	2
29. Is it certain or even likely that students could be attracted to the merged College on the basis of what Dartington College of Arts currently has to offer?	29. Highly unlikely.	1
30. Would significant numbers of Dartington College’s current staff relocate to Falmouth?	30. Contact with current staff suggests not, although some are considering it.	2
31. Would they be happy to do so?	31. A few might, however many are extremely unhappy about the prospect of moving.	2
32. Would the merged institution be able to call on a local supply of superb specialist established part-time tutors and instrumental teachers as Dartington College currently does?	32. Certainly not initially, and probably not for a long time. Dartington College’s part-timers are a unique group of committed and skilled individuals.	1
QUESTIONS OF LOCAL PROVISION
33. Is the closure of Dartington College popular in Totnes?	33. No.	0
34. Is “relocation” popular in Penryn and Falmouth?	34. Currently no. See the tremendous social problems already caused by too many new students in the area. These problems may be surmountable in time.	3
35. Do the Dartington Hall Trust’s projected replacement activities or other plans for the Estate preclude the College remaining?	35. Clearly not. The prospect of an Arts Park with a College could even be exciting. However, score 1 in case the Trust really don’t want the College at any price.	1
36. Would the College remaining have a negative effect on the Trust’s new plans?	36. Quite the contrary. If despite the present uncertainty the Trust were to find a way to keep the College on the Estate, its status in the arts world would shoot up. It must be good news for the Trust in view of some of its current plans to have one of the world’s premiere arts colleges as part of its culture.	0
37. Is Falmouth/Penryn as generally accessible to the rest of the country as Totnes?	37. No.	0
38. Is it necessary to sacrifice Dartington College in order to achieve the ambition of the CUC to create a University of the Arts in Cornwall?	38. No.	0
QUESTIONS OF VALUES AND ARTISTIC FACTORS
39. Would the relocated merged institution be on an iconic historic site which in itself would attract students?	39. No.	0
40. If the proposed plan goes ahead, would Dartington College still have a key role to play on the Dartington Estate?	40. No. Whatever they say, no.	0
41. Could the merged institution be considered as Dartington College for the purposes of Dartington Plus?	41. Dartington Plus would say yes.  However the SDCC is circumspect that Dartington Plus could maintain such a relationship in practical terms.	1
42. Does University College Falmouth have state-of-the-art facilities and studio spaces equivalent to the new £6 million studios recently built at Dartington?	42. No.	0
43. Does merger culture in general help in any efforts to preserve distinctiveness, one of the cornerstones of Dartington’s philosophy?	43. Merger culture is the opposite of Dartington’s philosophy.	0

6.2 The Overwhelming Conclusion

In any scoring system there has to be a spectrum between two extremes. This includes a grey area of various shades of “maybe”. The above questions were geared so that low numbers would indicate that the College should stay where it is, large numbers would indicate that the Falmouth plan should go ahead, and that there would be a grey area in between. The tipping point would be halfway.

There are 43 questions each with a maximum score of 5 and a minimum of 0, and therefore a maximum total score of 215 and a minimum of 0. Let’s say the mid point (the tipping point) is a score of 108. Any total score of over 108 would suggest that the Falmouth plan should certainly be considered. The higher the score, the more certain it would be that relocation to Falmouth is the correct course of action. Less than 108 casts doubt on the plan. Much less – less than 50 – shows that the plan should be abandoned.

The result is as follows:

Out of a possible 215 points 49 were scored. This is a clear indication that the plan to “relocate” to Falmouth should be abandoned.

The questions are not unfair, nor are they loaded. The answers given are fair evaluations. However, as they are “out in the open” anyone can score them for themselves. This Report, and the SDCC, suggests that even allowing for a reasonable margin of difference the total could never come to more than 108.

The best result to come out of this Report would be a new rapprochement between the Trust, the College and those who genuinely care and campaign for Dartington College. The SDCC would be happy to initiate discussions with the relevant people.  Bearing in mind this Report’s analysis that there are, in this situation, controllers and controlled, discussions should include representatives from both.

In order to make these discussions meaningful, rather than blunted by arbitrary deadlines which cause undue haste, the SDCC calls for a moratorium on all activities designed to plan or hasten the “relocation” to Falmouth. This should last for at least one year. We also call for public enquiries into all aspects of the proposed spending of public funds and the status of the £6 million new studios at Dartington.