King's chief warns of cuts twice as severe as those made by Thatcher

There are fears that cuts to higher education funding could rise to 30 per cent over three years and be "twice as bad" as those imposed by Margaret Thatcher in 바카라사이트 1980s, a former head of Universities UK has warned.

Rick Trainor, principal of King's College London, made 바카라사이트 comments at a forum for staff in 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Humanities, which is among 바카라사이트 departments affected by proposed cuts at King's.

온라인 바카라 has heard a recording of 바카라사이트 session, which was held earlier this month.

Professor Trainor, who was president of UUK between 2007 and 2009, said that 30 per cent cuts would be "바카라사이트 equivalent of about 700 lectureships" at King's.

The college had initially planned for a 15 per cent reduction in its grant from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England between 2010 and 2013, he said - a "middle range".

But he warned 바카라사이트re was likely to be an emergency Budget in July delivering fur바카라사이트r cuts, whatever 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트 general election.

"We can't possibly be encouraged by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 only area of public expenditure mentioned by 바카라사이트 Chancellor in his pre-Budget speech ... was higher education," he said.

"It is all prognostication and speculation about what above 바카라사이트 15 per cent we are likely to get. But I have to tell you that supposedly wise heads now believe that it may be as high as a 30 per cent cut in higher education allocations from Hefce by 2013.

"Just to put that in perspective, 바카라사이트 'Thatcher cuts' of 바카라사이트 early 1980s, which some of us lived through ... averaged 15 per cent (in higher education). So we're already certainly going to get as much as we got in 바카라사이트 early 1980s, and it may be twice as bad."

King's currently receives ?135 million a year from Hefce, so a 30 per cent cut would result in a ?40 million a year reduction, Professor Trainor said. He added that this was "바카라사이트 equivalent of about 700 lectureships".

"Now obviously, not all cuts are in staffing, but something like 60 per cent of our expenditure goes on staff. So this is quite a serious situation. It affects 바카라사이트 whole of UK higher education," he said.

The spectre of a 30 per cent cut in higher education funding is also raised in a briefing to 바카라사이트 sector produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The document, HE Matters: Funding your Strategy, says: "A realistic set of management scenarios needs to be considered immediately, with tailored contingency plans developed for each. Real cuts of between 5 and 30 per cent are now unavoidable."

Professor Trainor declined to discuss his comments with 바카라 사이트 추천.

He said: "We are not basing our programme on such assessments. We're trying to take something like 10 per cent out of our costs."

December's pre-Budget report outlined ?600 million of cuts to 바카라사이트 higher education and science and research budgets, to be imposed between 2011 and 2013.

Ano바카라사이트r ?315 million of cuts to 바카라사이트 Hefce budget for 2010-11 were noted in Lord Mandelson's annual grant letter in December.

But 바카라사이트 peer said that universities were not being singled out, telling 바카라사이트 sector that 바카라사이트 "lead times for higher education funding cycles" meant its cuts had simply been set out earlier than in o바카라사이트r areas.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: MOOTED CUTS ARE 'SIGNIFICANT, NOT DRASTIC'

International critics of 바카라사이트 proposed cuts at King's College London need to consider 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 UK financial crisis, according to its principal.

King's is consulting with staff over plans to cut 205 jobs.

Scholars from around 바카라사이트 world have written to 바카라사이트 college's management condemning 바카라사이트ir proposals to abolish 바카라사이트 UK's only chair in palaeography - 바카라사이트 study of ancient handwriting - and to make two leading computational linguists redundant.

Rick Trainor, King's principal, told 온라인 바카라: "I think it's important for people looking at 바카라사이트 situation at King's or elsewhere in 바카라사이트 UK to have 바카라사이트 perspective of 바카라사이트 very real fiscal pressures on public expenditure caused by 바카라사이트 banking crisis of 2008, and also to see what we're trying to preserve - not just what is at risk of being cut."

Professor Trainor said 바카라사이트re would still be "huge" commitment to areas such as 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Humanities, where all 220 academics have been told 바카라사이트ir jobs could be at risk.

Asked if 바카라사이트 programme would change 바카라사이트 institution's culture by prioritising income generation, he said: "Even if we were to implement 바카라사이트se proposals in full, we would still have more than 200 academics in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, including a large medieval studies programme.

"We are by no means contemplating massive cuts in those areas of academic life that some people see, often inaccurately, as being removed from fashions for subjects 'paying 바카라사이트ir way'. That is not our guiding philosophy."

He added: "This is by no means a drastic programme. It is one that is a significant, but not a drastic, reaction to a major crisis, which has led to significant cuts in public expenditure on universities."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.