By Joe Rukin
As we have now got to a stage where the news of mergers, closures, privatisation and the like in every single issue of educationet, we're giving up on trying to think up new headlines every time, so welcome to the first edition of MAD News (Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals)
Students at Plymouth University have conceded defeat in the battle to retain the Seale Hayne Agricultural College. The National Farmers Union had lobbied the University of Plymouth over plans to close Seale Hayne college near Newton Abbot and move courses to the centre of Plymouth. John Dawe, chairman of Devon NFU, said: "How can you teach agriculture in the middle of Plymouth? It is a totally ludicrous idea. We have all the facilities there, it is an ideal site."
In a last ditch attempt to get the feelings from the smaller sites known, many
students formed a picket outside the University building where the board of governors sealed the fate of this and other sites. David Clark, Union Welfare Officer said;
"It is a sad day for many of the students, past and present, on all our sites, who feel that on important part of Devon life is changing. We have done our utmost throughout this consultation to gather as many views and opinions as possible and to communicate these to the decision makers. Unfortunately, some of the wishes of our students have not been realised in the final decision, but we are pleased that many of our concerns have been addressed. We recognise and support the University's
overall aim to become a world class University; it has just been unfortunate
that we were not able to agree on this particular strategy."
The University of Glamorgan and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) have taken the first step down the line towards merging, establishing a small joint committee to consider the benefits and feasibility. An initial decision is due before the end of February 2003, but it looks like if anything goes ahead a new institution, like London Metropolitan, will be formed. The two Vice Chancellors, Professor Antony Chapman and Sir Adrian Webb, said in a joint statement; "A huge variety of issues need to be considered before decisions can be made, but we have started on what could prove to be a very exciting and widely beneficial change in higher education in Wales."
North Birmingham College, apparently failing, is to be taken over by neighbouring Sutton Coldfield College. NBC is reeling from an awful Ofsted report which said two out of ten areas of learning condemned as "very weak" and a further two considered "unsatisfactory". The colleges are set to cash in on their massive grants from the LSC's mergers fund as soon as April. For once the person in charge was honest about redundancies, admitting there would be some, but not yet. Principal of Sutton Coldfield College Graham Jones said there will be no redundancies for the next two years.
Paisley University and Bell College are next on the list. In a joint statement, they said:
"The institutions now believe it would be worthwhile for more detailed work to be carried out with a view to identifying and evaluating the options for further collaboration. Informal discussions have been under way since autumn 2002, and these discussions have identified valuable academic opportunities for bringing together their significant expertise in the development and delivery of higher education across four campuses in west and south-west Scotland, an area that serves approximately 30% of Scotland's population."
Bell College which was designated a higher education institution in 2001 has two campuses in Hamilton and Dumfries, with Paisley University has three campuses - Ayr, Dumfries and Paisley.
We reported last time that Huddersfield University effectively may move to Doncaster. Well that moved a step closer as cash-strapped Huddersfield University has sold what remained of its student accommodation. The Ashenhurst complex at Newsome which housed almost 300 students, has been sold as part of the deal which saw the university offload the Storthes Hall site. They are now owned by Ubrique Investments, a Guernsey-based company (Offshore, Offshore, how little tax??).
IC Wales, Jobs threat as universities plan merger
BBC, Farmers step into college closure row
Times, Surrey University gets ready to leave state sector
IC Birmingham, Merger may save failing college
The Herald, Paisley University and Bell College in "partnership" discussions
IC Huddersfield, University sells final student flats blocks
