A record number of students were denied graduation this summer through non-payment of tuition and other fees to universities. Students have been barred from receiving final exam marks and attending graduation ceremonies, with the harshest universities being Newcastle, De Montfort, London Guildhall, Essex, Sussex & UCE.
Further confirmation that the idea of higher education for the sake of education is slipping away, to be replaced by training for work has been provided by Universities UK. The umbrella body of university vice-chancellors and principals ahve made a proposal that in future students must show they are employable in before they get their degree. This proposal was included in a report setting out ways of making graduates more 'business friendly'. The report says
"Institutions must develop a strategic institution-wide approach to employability…If students are to take employability in the curriculum seriously, institutions should seriously consider including it in the grading and assessment process. There is evidence that mature graduates are disadvantaged on entry to the labour market and that graduates' socio-economic and ethnic background appears to influence recruitment decisions. Other research suggests that the level of earnings can also be affected by the perceived status of the higher education institution from which the recruit has graduated as well as their age and family background."
Employers had complained that graduates lack business skills, whilst the president of Universities UK, Sir Roderick Floud used the launch of the Universities UK and Higher Education Careers Service Unit (CSU) report "Enhancing employability, Recognising Diversity", to attack employers for not offering enough placements or work experience and asked them to 'engage meaningfully' with higher education, whilst criticising them for expecting 'Oven Ready' graduates . He said;
'The case studies in the report show that the sector is making strides in the right direction and today I'm calling on all employers to do the same. Failure to recruit talented graduates from non-traditional backgrounds will undoubtedly discourage those from similar backgrounds from following in their footsteps. This is a key Government target of immense benefit to the economy and society and in which universities all share. We should look at the potential for giving credit for employability learning in the assessment and grading process so that it's credible and meaningful for students."
Links
UUK, Executive summary of the report (PDF format)
Guardian, Employment potential could form basis of degree
HR Gateway, Graduates lack business skills
Ananova, Students 'could face job test to obtain degree'
To hammer home the nail that courses must only be provided to get you a job, students in Northern Ireland will no longer be able to study Latin or Greek as Queen's University will close it's classics department so as it can "remain a world class organisation". The languages had been taught since 1849 and student numbers have actually been rising. Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney, made a plea to keep the department open, saying "This is a retrograde step which would deprive students of access to the heritage stored in the classical languages". . Three other departments at Queens are under threat.
There have been more job cuts at institutions across the country cut courses and departments. The most high profile is Birmingham University, where £5m worth of cuts has seen 16 members of staff from seven departments, including Cultural Studies, Earth Science, Physics and Dance, redundant. The cuts are the result of the last Research Assessment Exercise, which set research funding across universities. Departments scoring below this years threshold had funding withdrawn. Postgraduate studies will be hardest hit, with some students told they will have to find other institutions to complete their studies. Students in the School for Cultural studies, the first department of it's kind in the country, will hold a public meeting on August 1st (2pm, Floor 8 Muirhead Tower) to address the closure of the department and to open a broader discussion about the state of higher education in the United Kingdom. Postgraduate Alan Thomas said
"We are not merely concerned about ourselves as a group, but about highlighting an issue which has wider implications and effects and which will keep affecting future generations of students and staff as long as people remain passive."
Well the implications across the country are there for all to see. As Leicester University will also axe the first department of it's kind in the country as a result of the RAE funding cuts. The Centre for Mass Communication Research will close, euphemistically described as a "restructuring" by vice-chancellor Robert Burgess, with some courses moving to other departments in the university. All distance learning will end, but current students will not be forced out. Full plans to dissolve the 'original hotbed' of communications and media theory will be drawn up in the next few months.
In Scotland West Lothian College, which has recently expanded due to it's success, has become a victim of that success as cuts in funding have meant it will be unable to meet the demand for its courses and at least nine staff are facing the axe. The recent PFI expansion, which saw new premises open earlier in the year has left the college £844,000 in the red, with 13% of turnover swallowed up in annual PFI payments of £1.1m. The college management claim they were originally told that any PFI payment shortfall upto 2004 would be met by central government. Principal Sue Pinder said:
"The [funding] allocation for this year is such that in order to make the books balance we have turned students away, we will be cutting back on our programme and curtailing evening class provision. This unacceptable situation is not the fault of the college, but is the result of funding commitments which have not been kept."
Students at Sheffield college will have to do without the services of their student development officer from now on as their Principal has decided to make the post redundant from 31st July. Union president Katie Marvin said;
"This is a blattent attack on the SU of the largest FE college in the country. Without the Development Officer, our only staff support, our union will basically be up shit creek and paddle-less."
University applications figures show that the number of school leavers applying is falling. Overall the figures are by 7681, but the bulk of this is accounted for in the 5389 increase in international students (See BBC & Independent). However, one place international students are not coming from is Muslim Countries. Since 11th September 11, a study from the British Council has found that in some Islamic countries the proportion of students intending to start courses in Britain had halved since the terrorist attacks.
Students and teaching unions are furious at a decision by Burnley College to enrol one of the towns' BNP councillors. Lecturers decided not to take strike action over having to teach Councillor Carol Hughes, one of three BNP councillors elected in May, but some may refuse to teach her. Hughes has been at the college part time for two years, but unions now claim staff are unhappy at being asked to teach someone who held extremist views which seemed to be at odds with the college mission statement to promote social cohesion.
Stevenson College in Edinburgh is another college that is desperate for cash, and as such is going to the private sector to seek sponsorship from local businesses for improvements. Naming rights for the library and parts of the main teaching building are up for grabs and will go to the highest bidder
And what round up would be complete without another merger announcement? The University of Wales College of Medicine and Cardiff University have agreed in principle to the two institutions merging to create an 'internationally-competitive research-led university' in Wales.
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