Higher Education funding
The next few years are going to be critical in terms of the funding of Higher Education (HE) — whether in terms of cuts to higher education, potential increases in student fees, or changes to the loan system. Here, we're collating news stories about how the climate is panning out...
Vince Cable today highlighted how a graduate tax may be seriously considered by the Browne review. For more information, see:
Click on the play button on the right to listen to the NUS' policy podcast about the issue.
As part of attempts to cut the £155bn deficit, Mr Cable will say that the current degree system, in which some students are taught for just six hours a week, ought to be adapted to make it more efficient.
Two-year degrees with shorter summer holidays would enable graduates to compress their learning into a shorter space of time, meaning tuition fees and debts would be reduced, he will argue. Mr Cable will also suggest that more students ought to be able to live at home and study at their local university for a degree awarded by another institution.
The Treasury is examining the possibility of introducing a graduate tax for students rather than raising the tuition fee cap. Its work is at a preliminary stage, with Lord Browne's report on how to finance higher education due in the autumn. For another story on the topic, see
this Daily Mail article on the topic.
The government should slash student places at "pile it high, sell it cheap" universities – even if it means some being forced to close – to protect Britain's "world class" research institutions, the head of University College London has said.
A decline in government support for universities is "inevitable" and higher education must embrace entrepreneurialism to survive, a US university president has warned the UK sector.
Graham Spanier, president of Pennsylvania State University, said that scrapping tuition fees was "never going to happen" and that institutions need control over their income and salaries to be successful.
However, Dr Spanier, addressing the Higher Education Futures Conference in London last week, said there was a risk of undermining "long-term traditions and values" if universities become too business-focused.
Massive funding cuts to UK higher education are "starting to be noticed" on the international stage, Michael Arthur (chair of the Russell Group) has warned.
In his emergency Budget on 22 June, the Chancellor, George Osborne, said that unprotected government spending would be reduced by an average of 25 per cent, but he noted that there were "particular pressures" on education and defence.
Calls from education campaigners for the NUS to organise a protest, and attacks for trying to reduce delegate numbers at the NUS cuts conference.
The vice-chancellor of Buckingham says all universities should be private and that free education for children has been a disaster. He remarked on the bad QAA report, and his staff's controversial views.
Thousands of students face being left without degree courses as universities are forced to slash the number of places available through the traditional clearing system.
It was claimed that institutions will be forced to reduce undergraduate numbers and slash thousands of lecturers’ jobs as vice-chancellors make huge savings to service the national debt. There are also concerns that cuts will heighten the chances of an increase in tuition fees as the government turns to students to plug a hole in university budgets.
Students and staff at 100 UK colleges and universities are protesting against funding cuts in further higher and adult education. The coalition of unions include the University and College Union (UCU) and the National Union of Students (NUS) says thousands of jobs have already gone and that thousands more are at risk.
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt says that "You cannot make cuts without serious consequences. Where will the next generation of doctors, nurses, engineers and social workers come from if not universities?” The protests include a meeting at Parliament and an early day motion calling on the government to protect educational provision.
The Sutton Trust education charity has published research showing that 80% of 2,700 youngsters asked in England and Wales expect to apply to universities. However the report notes that a steep rise in fees could mean two-thirds changing their minds. Trust chairman, Sir Peter Lampl says that many young people who miss out on places would be “sorely disappointed.”
The Sutton Trust’ study of 2,700 young people aged 11 to 16 highlights an “unprecedented” four out of five young people expecting to go to university. Universities have warned that they are facing a huge demand for places in summer 2010- up 16. There are predictions that as many as 250,000 more applications than there are places this summer.
The survey argues that “such ambitions could be punctured by much higher tuition fees.” The “crunch” point for fees is noted to be £7,000 but “if fees rise to £5,000 per year, the survey suggests a limited deterrent.” The survey also highlighted a low level of awareness among teenagers of the financial support that might be available for students.
As a response to David Willetts' comments, Vice Chancellors are warning the government that cuts could inflict “real and lasting damage” on the University sector and set back Britain’s recovery from the recession. Vice chancellor’s group Universities UK (UUK) says that most people under-estimate the value of universities. Their survey suggested that people “vastly underrated” the economic impact of universities. 1/5 of those asked put the economic contribution of the sector at £100m a year. A further 10% said it was zero. UUK suggests that universities contribute around £31bn each year to nation’s economy directly and £59bn indirectly.
Following its National Steering Meeting, the NCAFC has called an autumn convention to co-ordinate the resistance, and released a Unity Statement to foster co-operation at every level with other networks. Keep in touch with planning the convention by RSVPing
here.
David Willetts believes that Labour has left the university system on “shaky foundations, without a viable long-term future.” The Universities minister believes that England’s university system needs a radical overhaul to give more value to students and taxpayers. Willetts is not “assuming that fees should rise” but students should consider university fees “more as an obligation to pay higher income tax.”
The National Union of Students said that many had already graduated with huge debts and has accused the government of trying to “re-brand” student debt. Willetts has also suggested that raising tuition fees would not be enough to solve the funding problems. He said that “if fees were to go up, the government would have to lend people the money to pay for them- and that would push up public spending.”
The universities minister has given his clearest indication yet that students could soon be forced to pay higher tuition fees. In an interview with the Guardian, David Willetts warned that the cost of hundreds of thousands of students' degree courses was a "burden on the taxpayer that had to be tackled", and that we should consider fees "more as an obligation to pay higher income tax" than a debt.
So much for waiting for the review to be concluded, huh...
Failing universities should be allowed to close to free up money for elite institutions, a leading business spokesman said last night. Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, admitted closing or merging the worst-run universities would be 'politically explosive' but was 'probably economically sensible'.
The Observer reports that the government is "considering cutting the number of students going to university as part of a radical shake-up of further and higher education." Cable will launch a national debate to investigate whether the expansion of undergraduate places has come at the expense of quality.
In response to these proposals, Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students warned that these moves would "jeopardise the fragile economic recovery and place us at risk of returning to a higher education system accessible only to a liberal elite."
This week the lecturers' union issued warnings of possible national industrial action over the threat of redundancies and in defence of their pensions. The nightmare in question is that the Browne review says the fee cap should be lifted, the government accepts this and the Treasury then cuts HE funding, but then parliament as a whole defeats the fee hike. Could it happen?
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts held a national meeting on June 5th, with minutes available.
Lecturers have warned they may strike over at least 14,000 job losses at universities across the country. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the lecturers' trade union – the University and College Union (UCU) – said if discussions about redundancies broke down between academics and their employers, there could be a national strike. She did not predict when this could be.
Some students may have graduations delayed because of an escalating row over redundancies and pay freezes at universities across Britain, it is feared. It follows an announcement by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition that £200m will be slashed from the universities’ budget this year.
The business secretary, Vince Cable, has launched a scathing attack on university vice-chancellors over their generous pay packages, accusing them of being "out of step with reality" and having little sense of the "self-sacrifice" needed in the current climate.
Research showed that university heads were paid an average of £219,000 last year, as salaries and benefits rose by almost 11 per cent. This news was followed shortly by a report that the
UCL vice-chancellor takes 10pc pay cut.
Liberal Democrat Sir Menzies Campbell is set to rebel on the party policy of abstaining on tuition fees in England under the new coalition government. The former party leader - who is also Chancellor of St Andrew's University - told the Daily Politics he had never voted against the party before, but he could not go back on a pledge he had signed.
Though the cash value of donations fell, thousands more students gave something to their former university. Oxford and Cambridge universities received more than half (51%) of all cash donations, while other institutions in the Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities took a further 24%.
The chairman of the crisis-hit Student Loans Company has been forced to resign amid “serious concerns” that delays to payments will be repeated this year.
Responding to this morning’s announcement of a further £200 million of cuts to higher education funding in England, Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK said: "Universities are already dealing with the impact of over £1 billion of cuts announced by the previous government since last December. A further £200 million of in-year cuts will make the task of meeting student demand this summer, and not compromising on the quality of the student experience, even harder".
Extra university places and school services in England are to be cut in the coalition government's drive to reduce public spending. Cuts of £200m to the university budget will mean 10,000 fewer extra places than had been announced.
The cuts of £211m in university spending will be in addition to £315m already announced for next year. There will now only be another 10,000 extra places - the number promised by the Conservative party.
The new universities minister has given his clearest indication yet that student tuition fees will rise sharply, pushing up debts for undergraduates by thousands of pounds a year.
Fees, capped at £3,225, have already proved one of the most divisive issues for the coalition. The Liberal Democrat manifesto promised to “scrap unfair university tuition fees”. Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, and Cable have signed National Union of Students pledges to oppose any increase.
At the annual congress of the University and College Union (UCU) taking place this week, a motion will call on all branches to hold ballots for action including a work to rule on all exam marking to oppose compulsory redundancies.
The document "The Coalition: our programme for government" is published by the government, with the final section being on Higher Education. As with the previous coalition agreements that were available on the Lib Dem's website, the toothless clause about allowing "Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain in any vote" on a fee rise remains. NUS have published a briefing available
here.
The Russell Group has plans to raise potentially hundreds of millions of pounds by issuing bonds. This proposal would enable universities to “reduce their deficits and dependency on the taxpayers.” A university would have to pay back with interest the amount it borrows on a specific date in say 30 or even 50 years time.
The Sutton Trust (an educational charity) argues that a bounty fund of "tens of millions of pounds a year" should be greated to "reward" universities in England with extra cash for taking students from poorer families. The charity also suggests that the government should consider giving poorer students a "free" first year at university. These recommendations have been made as the Lord Browne tuition fees review begins a series of public hearings.
During the election campaign, the million+ thinktank asked candidates from the three main parties in England to respond to a "gold standard", which highlighted key policies for universities and research funding to be considered by the new parliament. Following the deal being sealed on a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, the responses make even more interesting reading.
The Russell Group, which represents 20 elite, research-intensive universities, said it wanted the government gradually to remove a cap on fees, currently set at £3,290 for students starting courses this autumn. The group's submission to Lord Browne's funding review sets out how the £3,225-a-year fee could rise to £9,000 without extra costs in taxpayers' subsidies.
Andrew Bradley, president of Warwick Students’ Union, says "We feel sold-out and let down by the Lib Dems on fees, as an increase in fees would price many out of higher education and student debt is an issue which hangs over many people’s heads."
At 8pm on Friday 14 May 2010, Middlesex University management served a High Court injunction to end a twelve-day student occupation of the Mansion building at Trent Park. The occupation began on Tuesday 4 May, when Philosophy students gathered to protest the management’s abrupt decision to close their unique and successful programmes. The injunction came into effect at 8am on Saturday 15 May...
Professor Michael Arthur, chair of the Russell Group and vice-chancellor of Leeds University, and Aaron Porter, president-elect of the National Union of Students, consider the effect of the new recommendations on graduates.
Graduates should pay higher interest rates on their student loans to help avert a university funding crisis, a report says. Although this submission stops short of suggesting higher tuition fees for UK students, it appears to indicate that other solutions may not be fully workable.
Round up recent of national and international news stories.
Students from 20 leading universities are to protest against what they say are "underhand" tactics in the review of tuition fees in England. They are angry that the Russell Group, which represents their universities, is refusing to publish evidence it submitted to the official fees review.
Attempts by students from Oxford University to use freedom of information requests to force publication of Russell Group’s submission were rejected — see
this BBC article for more info.
There is now a real danger of more universities forgetting what their social and educational function is, as their administrators leap on to the commercial caracal of short-term HEFCE policy. With our government itself in flux, surely more than ever we need the thoughtful reflection of those very disciplines that encourage independent reflection on what Coleridge (that well-known fan of German idealism) called "the state of things entire".
Noam Chomsky, Slavoj Žižek and others urge dean to reverse department closure as students occupy campus building.
Reports from a variety of colleges and universities engaged in widespread disruption on Wednesday 5 May, as members of UCU took industrial action over massive funding cuts that are threatening jobs across the capital. See more info on
the UCU website, and read more about the strikes in general in
this Guardian article.
Students and lecturers at Middlesex University (Trent Campus), campaigning to stop the closure of the Philosophy department, were stood up by their Dean this morning – and took matters into their own hands. Some students are staging a sit-in in the corridor outside the Dean’s office, others have locked themselves inside, demanding that the Dean turn up and face his accusers. Visit
their blog, and see a good explanation of their background
here.
Students at the University of Sussex have accused its registrar of exaggeration after he claimed that he had been held hostage during an occupation earlier this year.
On 3 March, students occupied the university’s main administrative building in protest against staff redundancies.
Students are facing rises of up to £1,000 a year in tuition fees under plans being drawn up by an official review that could eventually allow universities to charge the full cost of a degree. Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, wants to remove the current £3,225 limit on fees. Leading research universities could charge students an estimated £7,000 a year while fees for science undergraduates could rise to £14,000.
Recent news that philosophy recruitment at both undergraduate and postgraduate level at Middlesex University will be terminated is a particularly terrible blow, both to the standing of philosophy in the UK and to the future of critical thought in our universities as a whole. Axing Middlesex's top-rated department is a step back to when philosophy meant white men discussing formal logic over sherry, says Nina Power.
Students at Leeds University have voted down a student union referendum titled "Should LUU oppose industrial action on campus that negatively impacts on the education of students?" – in other words, should it scab on lecturers? The vote was 891 to 717.
President-elect of the National Union of Students, Aaron Porter, argues that MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates who fail to sign a pledge opposing any rise in student fees should not expect to receive a single vote from students. Porter argues that the ‘Conservatives’ and ‘Labour’s’ “unacceptable silence” on fees before the election. Porter talked about plans for a national demonstration, as well as “targeted strategies” in campuses across the country.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, says that “Members at Westminster and UCL have the union’s full support. These cuts will have a damaging impact on students and the quality of service they can expect from the institutions.” BBC Online notes that staff jobs and departments are under threat as universities undergo increasing financial pressure.
The Times reports on how more than 3.5 million students and graduates face a “hefty” increase in student loan rates after an unexpected surge in inflation. Interest rates on student loans linked to retail price index (RPI) each March. Official figures published last week show that this measure of inflation jumped to an 18-month high of 4.4%.
A report and analysis of NUS conference 2010, which took place last week, can be found here. The NCAFC held a successful fringe meeting with 35 people, including many new activists keen to get involved in the campaign.
THES reports on suggestions from the Universities and Colleges Employers Associations that the Conservatives if elected could freeze salaries in higher education. The Tory pledge applies to salaries of £18,000 and above for 2011- 2012. David Willetts, Conservative shadow minister for universities believes that institutions “would find it very hard to explain to students and their families if costs were going up because of pay increases much greater than the rest of the economy was enjoying.”
UCEA notes that government wants a 1% cap on new public- sector pay deals from 2010- 2013. Lib Dem policy on public- sector pay is to cap increases at £400 per person in 2011- 12 and 2012- 2013. A UCU spokesman also notes salaries of vice- chancellors. He says that the pay and benefits package has risen by nearly 11% year on year and had “damaged trust between staff and leaders and shown once again that, despite the rhetoric, we are not all ‘in it together.’”
New NUS head, Aaron Porter, has urged students to continue a campaign against a lifting of the cap on fees. More than 700 candidates for the general election have signed an NUS pledge against the rise. Students from England currently pay tuition fees of £3,225/ year.
The Guardian reports on 725 signatories from parliamentary candidates to NUS pledge to vote against fee hike. These candidates will be standing in 437 out of the 533 constituencies in the country. Speaking at the NUS annual conference, Wes Streeting, union president, said MPs and candidates would lose the student vote if they supported a rise in fees.
Streeting argues that “We are determined to hold parliamentary candidates to account, and help students in every constituency to understand which of those candidates in prepared to back student interests.” However The Guardian notes that he admitted that many students who benefit from higher education go on to be wealthy and work in the city.
Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency sahowing that the total income for universities was £25.4 billion in 2008-09 compared to £23.4 billion in 2007-08. The 2008-09 figure includes £7.3 billion from tuition fees and education contracts- an increase of 16%. Universities also earned £938m in 2008-09 carrying out research for external clients.
THES highlights evidence that fast-track two year degrees may not be economically viable. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) financed seven projects to pilot fast- track degrees alongside other forms of courses from 2005-2007. Most of these courses were noted for only being more financially viable after additional HEFCE funding.
University complaints about these courses e.g. suggestion that the institution would be “providing a three-year syllabus in return for two years’ tuition fees.” Universities also noted additional costs of student support as these degrees continued over the summer period. Recruitment was noted to be “below target” for these courses.
A report from the Free Education Campaign details a fully-costed alternative to the clamour for higher student fees and the savage cuts already hitting universities across the countries hard. The report argues that there is no economic case for student fees or cuts, with the government’s own figures showing that investing in Higher Education is one of the most productive ways of restoring economic growth.
The authors accuse the government as well as the NUS leadership of “showing a distinct lack of vision” in not advocating increased state investment to solve university funding gap and instead looking at cuts and charging students more.
Despite funding cuts of £900m which threaten 14,000 academic posts vice-chancellors pay and benefits rose by 10.6% last year. The average university vice-chancellor now earns more than Gordon Brown, with the average VC being paid £207,318 in 2008/09 (excluding benefits or pensions).
Alistair Darling’s announcement of extra places noted to come at the same time as cuts of £900m “threaten 14,000 academic posts.” The UCU notes that “with jobs at risk in universities and colleges, we will inevitably see larger class sizes and increased workloads for staff who survive the cull.”
NUS and Unipol Student Homes have released a new survey of 132 university and private sector landlords that discovers how an average weekly room cost has risen from £81.18 in 2006-07 to £98.99 in 2009-10. NUS blames the private sector for pushing up prices of accommodation. However, the property developed Unite Group argues that the private sector has invested more than £5bn in new student flats.
BBC Online reports on students and academics on Southampton University’s sports studies course that is due to be earmarked closure. The final decision on closure will be made on 25th March. Students featured in article include nineteen-year-old Katie Bird who is worried that a lecturer might leave and the replacement may not have the same expertise on her specialist subject associated with the Olympics.
NEWS –
Student loan delays 'may reoccur' (19 March 2010)
The National Audit Office (NAO) says that England’s student loans and grant system is at a “substantial” risk of occurring similar delays in 2010. The NAO said that Student Loans Company (SLC) provided an “unacceptable” service in 2009, and wonders whether the SLC will be able to cope with a doubling of number of student finance applications.
BLOG POST –
Activist Bulletin 2 updated (19 March 2010)
The "Sussex 6" reinstated after a 900-strong EGM, info on the KCL teach-in, and details of upcoming strikes.
NEWS –
Funding formula rejig benefits 4* researchers (18 March 2010)
THES reports on changes in research funding that was redistributed to newer universities after the 2008 research assessment exercise will be given to traditional research based universities. THES notes that “a handful of members of the Russell Group of large research- intensive universities” as well as specialist colleges are the “biggest winners” regarding 2010-11 research funding allocations.
Half of members of Russell Group to see above inflation increases after changes to favour “world-leading” research. Largest rises are to the University of Oxford seeing total research income increased by £7 million (6% rise compared with 2009-2010 academic year).
Extra £32 million has been added to the total research grant for the year. Russell Group universities share will increase from 62.2 to 62.6%. Some Russell Group universities will lose research income including University of Liverpool down £448.000 (1.2%) and Newcastle University down £170,000 (0.5%)
NEWS –
Teaching and research escape 9% grant cut (18 March 2010)
THES notes that grant allocation is 7.2% less than the total for 2009-2010. Inflation calculated at 2% amounting to real-term cut of 9.2% year on year. Institutions with largest % rises in total HEFCE funding are those given extra teaching cash to cover additional student numbers.
Biggest losing institutions are universities that saw their research grants cut following 2008 research assessment exercise. University of Worcester noted for receiving an extra 23% in teaching grant although institutional research grant to fall 12.6%
NEWS –
Hard work, money worries ... and hopes for a bright future (18 March 2010)
More than one in 10 students (11%) have changed course or career plan as a result of tough economic climate.
Cash constraints are forcing students to make changes to their lifestyles. Nearly six in 10 undergraduates (59%) said they are going out less often because they need to save money and almost half (46%) were choosing cheaper venues.
Debt: Most students still see their debt as acceptable investment in future career.
NEWS –
Salford threatens student with writ (18 March 2010)
Lawyers for University of Salford threatening to sue Damien Shannon who recently stood for election as president of the students’ union. The letter to Mr Shannon concerns a website that criticises the university’s senior management team and the university demands to know whether Shannon is the creator of the site.
Shannon is also accused of posting libellous comments on the vice- chancellor’s blog. Shannon denies creating or contributing to the site which commentators write anonymously or under pseudonyms. Shannon argues that the VC Martin Hall "has encourage students (including myself) to email him with their thoughts on the university since taking up his tenure on 1st August 2009. He cannot credibly invite commentary on the one hand and then complain when some of it is critical."
NEWS –
Strike set to counter redundancy plans (18 March)
First strike over higher education job cuts scheduled at University of Sussex. A stoppage planned at the University of Leeds called off at the last minute. UCU was set to hold a one-day strike at Sussex on 18th March. Members were going to halt their teaching, research and administrative work.
Sussex’s restructuring proposals include 115 redundancies and the end of research and research-led teaching in English social history before 1700 and European history before 1900. Ballots for industrial action are planned or under way at King’s College London, University College London and the Universities of Kent and Westminister. UCU announced on 16th March that a planned strike at Leeds was off after members accepted a deal. The agreement would include steps to avoid compulsory redundancies in the Faculty of Biological Sciences.
NEWS –
Salaries soar for heads of British universities (14 March 2010)
The income of thousands of the most senior British academics has soared over the past decade, far outstripping growth in average lecturers' pay, according to a Guardian inquiry. More than 80 university heads, generally known as vice-chancellors, now earn more than the prime minister, and some have seen their annual earnings double or even triple in 10 years. Some got 15% or 20% pay rises last year alone, compared with a 45.7% rise over 10 years for average higher education teaching professionals. Hear more
by clicking here.
NEWS –
Call to scrap 50% university student target (9 March 2010)
BBC Online reports that the government target of getting 50% of people under 30 into higher education should be scrapped according to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR.) The AGR wants a phased increase in student top up fees by 2020 with safeguards for disadvantaged facilities. AGR’s chief executive Carl Gilleard said that the proposals would help “reaffirm the value of a degree.” The AGR report argues that the 50% target has “driven down standards and devalued the currency of a degree and damaged the quality of the university experience.” The AGR believes that the lift on the cap on university tuition fees is “inevitable.”
REPORT –
Summary of the first calls for evidence (Browne Fees Review, 8 March 2010)
The Browne Review group published all evidence that was submitted in response to their first call for evidence. Evidence was published if the organisation/individual submitting gave their permission for this to go into the public domain. The first call for evidence centred on the pros and cons of the current system, as an analysis of the system currently in place. Clearly this has been significant in determining key battlegrounds for the group to consider.
NEWS –
Bid to axe academics to implement Mandelson’s spending cuts sparks global protest (7 March 2010)
Sunday Times reports on worldwide protests by thousands of scholars regarding plans by two leading universities dismissing renowned academics implementing Lord Mandelson’s spending cuts. Kings College London has caused greatest outrage with a proposal to sack Britain’s only professor of palaeography. A facebook group campaigning to save this professor has attracted 6,273 members. Separate petition has 7,493 signatures.
Plans at the University of Susses to shed 115 jobs including cutbacks in languages, history and science sparking student occupations of campus building and international anger led by Princeton.
NEWS –
Cap on tuition fees 'should be scrapped' (BBC News, 4 March 2010)
The Adam Smith Institute argues that the cap on university tuition fees in England should be scrapped by the government. The Institute’s James Stanfield believes that ministers are "retarding the natural development of higher education" with the current cap. The Institute does not think it is enough to raise the cap.
NUS condemned the proposals. Wes Streeting (NUS President) believes that "at a time where students are leaving university with record levels of debt, and graduate job prospects are at an all time low, it is offensive to argue that the cap on fees should be raised at all , let alone lifted entirely."
REPORT –
Scrap fees and fund university through business tax (3 March 2010)
Proposals from University and College Union says corporation tax should be raised to the G7 average – 32.87%% with extra cash ring-fenced to higher education. The union also believes that tuition fees should be abolished, and a new business education tax should be introduced to fund universities.
UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt believes that their proposals are "based on fairness", and that "the future for the UK is as a high-skilled knowledge economy and that required business to pay its fair share towards something which benefits us all".
BLOG POST –
Demonstration at UCL: students and staff surround Provost's office (3 March 2010)
At 1PM on the 3rd of March, over 200 students and staff at University College London began a demonstration at the Gower Street Campus. They were demonstrating against cuts that the management of UCL, one of the richest universities in the world, is planning to make. Although jobs and services across the university are at risk, the heaviest cuts are currently aimed at Life Sciences and Modern Languages.
"To the cheers of staff we met on the way, the demonstration marched up through the corridors, to the office of the Provost, Malcolm Grant, and demanded that he come out and explain to staff and students why a university that made a huge profit last year should be making vicious cuts. He declined to come out, and instead had security keep students and staff from his door. Around 100 students sat down outside for over an hour and chanted and discussed what the campaign should do next. At this point it was announced that students at Sussex had occupied while staff announced a 76% vote for strike action, and the Vice Chancellor at the Univesrity of East Anglia was besieged by students demanding transparency and negotiations. At around 4PM the protesters left, vowing to come back soon. Organising meetings are ongoing, and the UCU’s strike ballot is still being prepared."
BLOG POST –
Stop the Cuts – Defend Sussex (3 March 2010)
Students at Sussex occupied part of their university following a campus carnival in aid of the
National Day of Action Against Fees and Cuts – but were attacked by riot police armed with dogs and pepper spray. As the occupation was going on, the lecturer’s union UCU at Sussex announced an overwhelming 'yes' vote, in favour of strike action.
NEWS –
Widening participation will be the first victim of funding cuts (The Guardian, 2 March 2010)
The Guardian notes that funding cuts are taking places associated with widening participation by HE institutions. Concern over cuts has cause the Association of Colleges to assess extent to which partnerships between HE and FE colleges are under threat including FE degrees validated by university. The report notes previous government initiatives including the 'Higher Ambition' policy paper and the Milburn report on social mobility had expressed the need for greater widening participation.
BLOG POST –
Students occupy VC's office at Westminster (01 March 2010)
"Over 200 staff and students at the University of Westminster have protested, stormed the board of governors meeting and are currently in occupation, vice-chancellors office, in regard to recently proposed tutoring and administrative job cuts."
NEWS –
Growing outcry at threat of cuts in humanities at universities (Observer, 28 February 2010)
A group of leading academics and cultural figures have a written a letter to the Observer highlighting that funding cuts and a national decision focus on sciences. The letter is signed by directors of major arts institutions and a number of university vice-chancellors. This letter believes that subjects including "philosophy, literature, history, languages and art facing 'worrying times'" in terms of funding and support. Lord Mandelson, responsible for the HE sector had been recently forced to deny allegations that "he was pursuing a 'utilitarian' agenda in which academic institutions were seen as a production line dedicated to delivering graduates to meet industry’s need". Mandelson had expressed his disappointment at the view and argues that "I would be very disappointed if people say it in that way. There is public value in every subject and academic discipline provided by universities".
Jonathan Bate, professor of English at Warwick University and a Shakespeare expert, said "I believe universities are about education, developing the person and the citizen. There is more to citizenship than business, innovation and skills". Bate said that the value of the arts was not always measurable in the same way as other research.
NEWS –
University of Leeds strikes suspended after talks (BBC, 24 February 2010)
BBC Online reports that three one-day strikes by staff at University of Leeds have been cancelled after the immediate threat of compulsory redundancies was withdrawn. The UCU had announced strikes for 24th Feb and 2nd and 4th March.
UCU said plans restructuring the university’s Faculty of Biological Studies would lead to hundreds of staff losing jobs. A UCU Leeds membership had voted in favour of industrial action. A joint university and union statement said that that a review process of Biological Studies will be extended to the end of January 2011 "and that no compulsory redundancies can be proposed before the end of that process".
NEWS –
Universities hiring managers at 'three times the rate of academics' (Telegraph, 23 February 2010)
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) from 2003/2004 to 2008/2009 demonstrates that there has been a 33% rise in number of staff in managerial positio, against an increase of less than 10% for academic professionals. This is the sharpest rise of any job category in Britain’s HE sector.
The Telegraph also notes that "the true number people working in management jobs is likely to be higher because those who also qualify as academics, such as vice-chancellors, are not listed as managers".
NEWS –
Middle-class students face cuts to loans (Times Online, 21 February 2010)
Oxford University proposals for middle-class students to lose their right to subsidised loans to cover tuition fees. Grants associated with their living costs could also be cut. The university has told the tuition fees review that the student support system is costing too much money for taxpayers. The institutions believe that subsidies should instead be concentrated on the poorest.
Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group backed the stance by Oxford saying that "the system of student support in England remains one of the most generous and expensive in the world. This subsidy is effectively targeted towards better-off graduates who receive an estimate subsidy of almost 30% on their combined tuition fee and maintenance loan."
BLOG POST – Update from
Defend jobs at Leeds, defend Education group (20 February 2010)
Click here to show/hide update
"In Viv Jones's letter to students of 19 February, she states that the "three one-day strikes have been called in support of UCU's campaign against cuts." We presume she knows this to be untrue. The strikes have been called as a result of the University's believed breach of employment law, international law as regards academic freedom, trade union law, and believed breach of its own regulations, and failure to consult, and failure of numerous statutory duties, including the statutory duty to mitigate against redundancy and the statutory duties as regards equality impact assessments. To deliberately misinform students, and to attempt to indicate that the UCU is striking directly against cuts is seemingly disingenuous. We do, of course, recognise that this is the deliberate tactic of the University management, given the repeated use of this misinformation in their news items. Of course the HE cuts do form part of the landscape here, and yes, of course, the UCU oppose them, but they are very clearly not the reason for our ballot or our strike. We find it remarkable that, knowing this, Professor Jones opts nonetheless to mislead students about the precise cause of and reason for the strikes."
"Spread the word - we are striking against the University's behaviour, not the cuts. We will oppose the cuts in all appropriate forums, including the demonstrations connected to the strikes. Students are clever enough to see through the University's propaganda."
NEWS –
Hefce chief baffled but unbowed by cuts (18 February 2010)
Langlands argues that “at some point, we’re going to have to discuss the £600 million. I for one am not willing to concede that HEFCE funding suffers disproportionate pain.” Langlands believes that these cuts will probably mean that universities will reduce costs, jobs and develop new ways of working. He believes that "We must establish without doubt, in the eyes of the public and our political masters present and future, that higher education is a fundamental part of the solution to economic challenges, not part of the problem."
BLOG POST –
Funding cuts: what they're going to mean (08 February 2010)
What these funding cuts are going to mean for Higher Education Institutes.
BLOG POST –
University cuts: the Russell Group speaks (12 January 2010)
The scary amounts that HE budgets are going to be cut in the not-too-distant future are answered by the Russell Group.
BLOG POST –
Cuts, cuts and more cuts (23 November 2009)
Closure of the Sociology department at Birmingham.
Explore me...
Useful links
National Campaign against Fees and Cuts
NUS' funding model for Higher Education
Education Activist Network
A useful NUS page on how HE is funded at the moment