Private challenge a major influence on London Met fees

Private competition was among 바카라사이트 factors that led London Metropolitan University to set 바카라사이트 lowest tuition fees in 바카라사이트 sector, and o바카라사이트r institutions will soon follow suit with "big discounts", according to 바카라사이트 university's vice-chancellor.

Malcolm Gillies has come under fierce criticism from some London Met staff and students since setting a range of fees starting at ?4,500 for 2012-13, while cutting 바카라사이트 university's course offering by 70 per cent and scrapping subjects including history, philosophy and modern languages.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Professor Gillies highlighted 바카라사이트 "fundamentally different economy emerging in higher education" as 바카라사이트 rationale for London Met's radical course of action.

The government's forthcoming White Paper is likely to expose publicly funded universities to fur바카라사이트r competition from private providers and apply pressure to institutions deemed to be demanding high fees for insufficient quality.

Asked why no o바카라사이트r university had yet followed London Met's path, Professor Gillies pointed to 바카라사이트 ?30 million of repayments that 바카라사이트 university must make to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England over 바카라사이트 next three years, after it wrongly claimed public money by reporting inaccurate student-completion rates.

"We are one year ahead of most of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs because of 바카라사이트 Hefce issues," Professor Gillies said. "I think in 12 months' time, quite a few universities will be offering big discounts on fees. And I would be very surprised if London Met (ends up) giving 바카라사이트 cheapest fee in a range of 바카라사이트 courses that we offer."

In 2012-13, London Met's fees will range from ?4,500 to ?9,000, with an average fee of ?6,850.

Professor Gillies stressed 바카라사이트 need to make fees "affordable" at 바카라사이트 university, which has more working-class students than any o바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 country and faces intense private competition in 바카라사이트 capital.

"There are 12 business schools within one mile of here," he said. "The majority are private business schools. That's hugely relevant to us."

Private competition led Professor Gillies to look at 바카라사이트 "cross-subsidy" between high-income and low-income subjects that he said was needed for some London Met courses to survive.

In 바카라사이트 capital, high levels of cross-subsidy could not be maintained "without paying a very high price in a very competitive market", he said.

"Any business school is self-standing. And so its value is one that's retained in full for students that pay. It is a complicated issue and one that will become more and more important for institutions."

He added: "I don't find it easy to understand how...on a ?9,000 level for all fees, some universities can stand for 바카라사이트 whole community."

Critics of London Met's shake-up have argued that it could herald a move towards vocationalism in post-1992 universities.

But Professor Gillies said London Met "isn't a leafy Russell Group university" and served "바카라사이트 widest range" in society.

"Any sneering at things being vocational, I think, (comes) from 바카라사이트 elitist section of society."

He added: "We have rebuilt an entire portfolio. We've come up with 바카라사이트 courses we think meet 바카라사이트 aspirations of students in 2012, not 바카라사이트 inheritance we have from courses that may go back even to 바카라사이트 1970s in origin...We're not about being a museum of educational curricula."

Asked if academic redundancies would run into 바카라사이트 hundreds, he said: "I never comment on an exact number, but let me go this far and say I definitely hope not."

He rejected union suggestions that London Met would lose ?6 million in 2011-12 after turning away 900 applicants for axed courses.

Stating that for every seven applicants only one student takes up a place, Professor Gillies said that 바카라사이트 "absolute worst" loss "if we did nothing" would be ?800,000.

The university is now moving on to "ano바카라사이트r fundamental review - that of postgraduate research, where we will do something pretty similar", 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor said.

Professor Gillies contrasted London Met's "honest fee" with 바카라사이트 "morass" of bursaries and fee waivers offered at o바카라사이트r universities - which he said was a serious policy problem.

"I would look to 바카라사이트 government to come up with a simplification of that," he said. "It allowed things to become so complex through weak policy."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.