SINCE the rector announced the proposed merger with UCL on 14 October, merger@imperial.ac.uk has received more than 130 messages from staff and students.

Just one of the channels for feedback during the consultation period, staff can also respond through heads of department or faculty principals, the appropriate sub group representative, or question the rector direct at one of the face-to-face events.

We are working to increase the numbers of people who can participate. The issues raised have been varied, but a few key concerns are emerging which include:

Quality and quantity
MANY comments have focused on the issue of student numbers. "It is important that undergraduates find themselves in an environment that is not overwhelmingly and impersonally huge," said the rector.

In order to alleviate the problems of impossible class sizes, it has been suggested that either the Oxbridge tutorial style teaching or a more modular degree structure should be considered.

Merger or alliance?
SEVERAL options are being considered in addition to full merger.

Some have suggested that a strategic partnership might yield many of the benefits of merger whilst avoiding most of the costs.

Geography
IMPERIAL already operates on a number of campuses, but there is a strong feeling that careful thought should be given to the location and mix of disciplines.

"This is what creates a buzz and allows for synergy between researchers.

"Staff are more likely to attend seminars and interact in a casual manner if disciplines are collated."

All responses are being fed into both the merger board and sub groups.

In addition, popular queries are collated into the frequently asked questions list available on the web.