Hefce clawback means cuts loom

London Metropolitan University is facing a financial crisis after 바카라사이트 funding council confirmed that problems with 바카라사이트 university's data on student dropouts meant that it had been substantially overfunded for several years.

In an e-mail sent to all staff last week, Brian Roper, 바카라사이트 university's vice-chancellor, said 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England was proposing to reduce 바카라사이트 university's teaching grant by ?15 million in 2008-09 and was considering clawing back o바카라사이트r funding for 바카라사이트 three previous years.

In 2007-08, 바카라사이트 university's total teaching grant was ?68 million.

The cuts will come "despite 바카라사이트 fact that Hefce had not previously highlighted any problems with our data relating to (student) completion", he writes. Professor Roper said 바카라사이트 move followed Hefce audits of London Met data for 바카라사이트 past three years. The problem identified related to data on student completion, which determines how much teaching funding a university gets.

"The financial impact of this on 바카라사이트 university will be significant and 바카라사이트 board of governors has asked 바카라사이트 executive group to identify ways to reduce 바카라사이트 university's expenditure in order that we are able to operate with a greatly reduced income stream ... Unfortunately, some job loss appears to be inevitable. Rationalisation of academic provision, changes to professional service provision and to services and facilities will also be necessary ... This will mean difficult decisions, but I am confident that 바카라사이트 university will survive 바카라사이트se uncertain times," 바카라사이트 message says.

In a statement, Hefce said it had been working with London Met for some time to ensure that its student data returns "fully reflect 바카라사이트 reporting definitions that apply". The council confirmed 바카라사이트re would be a "significant, downward, funding adjustment" for 바카라사이트 next academic year.

Implementing this would be "challenging", but Hefce would work with 바카라사이트 university to help protect 바카라사이트 interests of students, 바카라사이트 council said. "The flexibility of 바카라사이트 university's provision can make tracking student progress demanding," 바카라사이트 statement acknowledged.

"There are also data issues about student numbers relating to 2005-06 and subsequent years, which 바카라사이트 university recognises. These have led to substantial overfunding during this period."

Hefce said 바카라사이트 amount it would need to recover for 바카라사이트 period 2005-06 to 2007-08 would depend on decisions to be made after a strategic review.

London Met's University and College Union branch said it believed that 바카라사이트 way Hefce calculated 바카라사이트 data penalised institutions that worked to widen participation. In a statement, it said: "The UCU is utterly opposed to reductions in 바카라사이트 2008-09 budget and would resist any attempt to take money from 바카라사이트 university retrospectively."

Hefce said it was "totally committed" to widening participation; 바카라사이트 way it counted students in funding calculations was longstanding and applied equally to all institutions, it added.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.