Fed-up students paying £19,000-a-year for university lectures in church with no internet

Fed up students paying more than £19,000-a-year have hit out at a decision to teach lectures in a church - with no internet access.

Subjects including Politics and Psychology are being taught at Wellington Church, a short walk from the University of Glasgow's library.

Services are still being held at the Church of Scotland rather than lecture theatres, student news site The Tab reports.

Timetables suggest the 19th-century church, which has no internet access, will be used until Christmas.

Lecturers are using the lectern - typically used by priests - while students complained of it being uncomfortable.

Second-year student Evan, who does a joint honours degree, told student newspaper The Tab she has to spend two hours sitting on the wooden pews.

Students say the pews aren't big enough to fit their laptops (The Tab / SWNS)

Pictures show multiple students setting up their own personal hotspots within the church to be able to use the internet on their laptop (The Tab / SWNS)

She said: “There’s no eduroam extension (student WiFi) so I have to use my data and hotspot to take notes on my laptop which sits on my knees since it doesn’t fit on the tiny little ledge for the bibles.

“When it’s sunny the light comes right through the stained glass and you can’t see the projector screen.

Subjects including Politics and Psychology are being taught at Wellington Church, a short walk from the university library (The Tab / SWNS)

“Love that I’m paying £19,000 a year as an international student for that."

However not all pupils are frustrated by the arrangement, one student said it was "pretty cool", adding: “It was unexpected but a nice twist."

Alongside there being very little room to rest any laptops or books, students have said there are big queues to get into the church as the space, which can hold up to 1,000 people, only has one entrance through which students can come in.

The university says refurbishment works are taking place across campus (DAILY RECORD)

The church website suggests it’s still functioning as a normal church as well as an impromptu Glasgow University lecture theatre.

There are still bibles on the pews as students enter for their lectures and on its website, the church invites people to “join us for our worship this Sunday!”

A spokesperson for University of Glasgow said: “Our ongoing campus redevelopment plan has recently added a state-of-the-art learning centre and the Advanced Research Centre to our learning and teaching capacity.

"We are making use of a few teaching rooms close to campus while refurbishment work is underway across our campus.”