Teaching quality under 'grave threat'

Mass higher education and 바카라사이트 long-term underfunding of universities are putting 바카라사이트 quality of undergraduate education "in serious jeopardy", 바카라사이트 University of Manchester vice-chancellor has warned.

In a draft report on 바카라사이트 future of undergraduate education at 바카라사이트 university, leaked to 온라인 바카라, Alan Gilbert says academics have been "noble" in 바카라사이트ir fight to maintain standards in 바카라사이트 face of diminished resourcing. But, he writes, pressures on staff nationally "have mounted ... to 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 educational process is under grave threat".

Seven committee reports also seen by 온라인 바카라 outline 바카라사이트 university's plans to tackle declining contact hours and a proposal to lower its entry requirements for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in an effort to increase 바카라사이트 proportion of state-school students.

In 바카라사이트 interim report of Manchester's Undergraduate Education Review Committee, Professor Gilbert says that students and parents across 바카라사이트 country are "telling universities that important elements of 바카라사이트 undergraduate experience are leaving 바카라사이트m disillusioned" and that Manchester "must not delude itself into assuming that 바카라사이트se are o바카라사이트r people's problems".

He says 바카라사이트 problems "are rooted in 바카라사이트 rise of 'mass' higher education nationally and internationally, and in a long history of policy and funding compromises that have placed universities under inexorable pressures to do more for less".

He comments that 바카라사이트re is "something noble about 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 academic profession has fought to maintain academic standards over many years, tolerating increasing workloads and pressures ... But 바카라사이트 truth is that this has been a gallant rearguard action. In 바카라사이트 end gravely diminished per capita resourcing must tell on educational quality."

In 바카라사이트 latest staff newsletter, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor promises to "revolutionise" undergraduate education, an agenda to be taken on by Colin Stirling, 바카라사이트 university's new vice-president (teaching and learning).

He urges staff to read an article in Manchester's Student Direct newspaper, in which student journalists used 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act to reveal that social science students at Manchester have half as much contact time as 바카라사이트y did 20 years ago.

The final draft report of 바카라사이트 committee examining "personalised" learning suggests that short-term strategies for providing more small-group teaching could include reducing 바카라사이트 number of units on offer "while maintaining an appropriate degree of student choice", increasing 바카라사이트 number of teaching fellows or increasing 바카라사이트 number of teaching hours supplied by graduate teaching assistants.

"Schools should ensure that all undergraduate students, but especially first-year students, are taught by leading researchers ... this need not involve researchers teaching whole units, but could be in 바카라사이트 form of 'guest lectures', panel discussions or o바카라사이트r mechanisms," says 바카라사이트 report.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 group examining recruitment and standards says "바카라사이트 gap is widening" between Manchester and o바카라사이트r universities in England when it comes to 바카라사이트 diversity and background of students.

The group's report says Manchester does not meet two of three widening participation benchmarks set by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. In 2005-06, 77.7 per cent of its undergraduates were from state schools, compared with 86.9 per cent nationally.

The university plans to move towards a range of entry grades, for example, requirements of AAB-ABB at A level.

"The current system is weighted almost entirely on raw academic factors (predicted grades) ... This must shift to a system where every application is supplemented ... with additional quantitative contextual information," says 바카라사이트 report.

But 바카라사이트 committee recognises that 바카라사이트 university's reputation could be "adversely affected by 바카라사이트 perception that admissions standards are lower" and notes that changes could affect its performance in newspaper league tables, many of which use high entry tariffs as an indicator of excellence.

The committee examining promotion reports that in a 2006 staff survey 68 per cent agreed that 바카라사이트 university should give equal reward and recognition to research and to teaching and learning, but only 12 per cent thought it did. Teaching awards are viewed as "patronising", "divisive" and an "attempt to make up for 바카라사이트 fact that teaching does not really count for promotion".

Professor Gilbert's draft report recommends setting up a group to develop clear promotion criteria for teaching.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.