London Met suspends Robert Mull as dean

London Met has suspended Robert Mull, the highly respected dean of the Cass.

BD understands the suspension was a response to Mull’s refusal to support London Met’s “One Campus, One Community” policy of moving all its departments to the Holloway campus.

The news, which has staggered students and staff, caps 24 hours of confusion and rumours at the troubled university. Yesterday London Met’s press office issued a statement saying the HR department “confirmed” he had not been suspended. Professor Mull himself failed to return repeated calls.

Today a joint statement from LMU and Mull said: “Professor Mull has not been suspended as Director of Architecture, nor has he been suspended from the university. 

“Professor Mull’s duties as Dean of Faculty have been suspended while discussions take place about his role on the university’s senior management team. He continues teaching and carrying out his duties as professor and  Director of Architecture. 

“Both the university and Professor Mull are making every effort to find a positive way forward, and we expect to be making a further statement next week. We will not be making a further statement until then.”

On Monday night he was due to host a graduation but at the last minute was asked not to.

An architecture student who asked not to be named described Professor Mull’s suspension as “shocking” and said it confirmed students’ belief that the university had a “complete lack of genuine commitment to preserving the future creative vitality and uniqueness of the Cass”.

“For the last four years, Robert has fought to integrate the architectural department in to the Cass for the benefit of saving financially threatened specialist courses while diversifying the Cass’ creative output,” said the student.

“Robert absolutely has the wide-spread support of his fellow Cass colleagues and students who condemn his treatment by the university.

“Consequently his suspension is a further devastating blow to the Cass and further outlines the steadily darkening shadow that remains over the future of our school.”

The campaign to save the Cass is backed by the likes of David Chipperfield, Richard Rogers, Peter St John and Iwona Blazwick, director of the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

Opponents of the move, which was raised in the House of Lords last week, say it will destroy the Cass’s unique approach to education which is focused on learning by making and collaboration with local industries. As well as architecture, the school offers courses in such skills as silversmithing and instrument-making – both of which will close.