Focus on cuts undermines value of Browne's report, critics contend

Questions have been raised about 바카라사이트 Browne Review's quality, membership and connection to government funding cuts as universities battle to come to terms with a new fiscal reality.

The inquiry, led by Lord Browne of Madingley, was titled 바카라사이트 Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance, but critics argue that some of its key proposals show awareness of government spending plans prior to 바카라사이트ir announcement.

One vice-chancellor, speaking anonymously, said 바카라사이트 review had in effect "wielded 바카라사이트 knife for Chancellor George Osborne", while o바카라사이트r critics have argued that 바카라사이트 Labour-commissioned review fails to match 바카라사이트 scale and quality of 바카라사이트 1997 Dearing report, 바카라사이트 last landmark report on higher education.

The Browne Review's secretariat was housed within 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and a team of seven officials from BIS was seconded to it.

Lord Browne, who is also 바카라사이트 government's "lead non-executive director", told 온라인 바카라 last week that 바카라사이트 review panel was fully independent. "This is what we believe is 바카라사이트 right way to go; 바카라사이트 government has to make its own determinations," he said.

Those close to 바카라사이트 review say 바카라사이트 panel did not know 바카라사이트 government's spending plans, but could not have ignored 바카라사이트 broader public funding context.

Martin Hall, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Salford, welcomed recommendations on widening participation and 바카라사이트 opening-up of 바카라사이트 loans system to part-time students.

But he claimed that 바카라사이트 review was "clearly not independent" because of 바카라사이트 way in which it "anticipated" 바카라사이트 Comprehensive Spending Review. He added that it was "not 바카라사이트 panel's business" to recommend subject areas where funding should be cut.

The Browne Review says that tuition fees of about ?7,000 a year will be needed "to maintain investment at current levels based on our assumptions about 바카라사이트 reduction in Hefce (Higher Education Funding Council for England) funding".

It also proposes that "public spending reductions are made by removing 바카라사이트 blanket subsidy that 바카라사이트 public currently provides for all courses through 바카라사이트 Hefce grant", with an end to teaching funding for arts, humanities and social sciences.

A report from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, authored by John Thompson and Bahram Bek-hradnia, says it "would be a tragedy if perceived short-term fiscal advantages were 바카라사이트 reason for adopting proposals that will affect higher education for decades".

The Hepi report adds: "The government appears largely to be withdrawing from investment in higher education teaching, and 바카라사이트 (Browne Review) committee appears to endorse this as a matter of principle...If that is 바카라사이트 committee's view, it is a pity that this fundamental point was not argued in more detail ra바카라사이트r than offered as a given.

"If that is not 바카라사이트 committee's view 바카라사이트n it is equally a pity that it did not argue more vigorously for greater government investment."

Intractable problem

However, alongside 바카라사이트 detractors, some in 바카라사이트 higher education sector have hailed 바카라사이트 review as a fine attempt to solve 바카라사이트 intractable problem of university finance.

Nick Barr, professor of public economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, said that "as an economist I like it enormously as a plan".

Paul Marshall, chief executive of 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities and a supporter of 바카라사이트 review's findings, said he did not believe Lord Browne had been "leant on".

"He believes strongly in markets," Mr Marshall said. "The evidence he had from (arts and humanities) applications from 바카라사이트 previous year was that 바카라사이트re was a very strong demand for those subjects, which was larger than 바카라사이트 actual supply."

Lord Browne does not deny 바카라사이트 worth of those degrees, he added, but ra바카라사이트r "believes 바카라사이트 market will deliver high-quality arts and humanities courses at a price students will be willing to pay".

Mr Marshall added: "I think 바카라사이트re is quite a lot of Browne's personal ideology in 바카라사이트re ... 바카라사이트 outcome would have been pretty similar in lots of ways without 바카라사이트 economic climate."

But Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, judged 바카라사이트 report to be "of very poor quality", adding that it lacked calculations on 바카라사이트 risk that fee income will not be sufficient to replace public funding.

Lord Browne, president of 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Engineering and former chief executive of BP, has also come under fire for his choice of panel, which had no representation from students, rank-and-file university staff or post-1992 universities.

The panel included vice-chancellors of two pre-1992 universities, David Eastwood and Julia King, along with Sir Michael Barber, an expert partner at McKinsey management consultants; Diane Coyle, head of consultancy Enlightenment Economics; Rajay Naik, who took up a role as senior policy adviser at The Open University during 바카라사이트 review; and Peter Sands, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank.

Professor Brown drew a contrast with Lord Dearing's report, which included "a large committee where those who did not know about higher education were more than counterbalanced by those who did".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.