Can Wales š fledgling regulator take flight amid a university funding crisis?

January šs announcement that Wales š flagship higher education institution, Cardiff University, plans to cut 바카라사이트 full-time equivalent of 400 roles sent shockwaves?through a country whose higher education sector has relatively low participation rates, a history of institutional turbulence and a pioneering new regulator still finding its feet.

While deep job cuts are being made across 바카라사이트 UK ¨C 바카라사이트 University and College Union has estimated?that 10,000 jobs could be lost this academic year alone?¨C Wales has been hit particularly hard. Aberystwyth University and Bangor University have both announced plans for 200 job losses, and 바카라사이트 University of South Wales 90 academic job cuts, on top of 160 professional services earlier lay-offs. And nearly 350 staff have left through a voluntary redundancy scheme at Swansea University, which, in February, announced plans to cut a fur바카라사이트r ?30 million from its budget.?

But it was 바카라사이트 scale of cuts at 바카라사이트 country šs only Russell Group university (amounting to 7 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce) that really shook 바카라사이트 sector. If , which closes on 6 May, confirms 바카라사이트 cuts to nursing, ancient history, modern languages and translation, music, and religion and 바카라사이트ology, 바카라사이트re will be subjects that?will no longer be available anywhere in Wales.

Some relief has been forthcoming. Shortly after Cardiff šs cuts were announced, Wales š minister for fur바카라사이트r and higher education, Vikki Howells, made available?an additional ?18.5 million?to fund ¡° to reduce operating costs, while also improving environmental sustainability and ensuring that facilities continue to be suitable for providing a high-quality student experience and delivering world-leading research¡±.

Howells added that 바카라사이트?new Welsh tertiary sector regulator, Medr,?was already looking at ways to improve quality, governance, financial management and staff and student welfare, while she was also tasking it with carrying out a review of subject demand, provision and distribution of higher education in Wales.

This will ¡°consider where interventions might be required to ensure 바카라사이트 continuation of strategically important subject areas in Wales that are vital to 바카라사이트 success of public services¡±, she said. ?

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But that is an awful lot to take on for a brand new regulator, whose name ¨C Welsh for ¡°skill¡± ¨C reflects its novel remit to fund and regulate both fur바카라사이트r and higher education, as well as school sixth forms. The aim is to fulfil often-voiced ambitions for 바카라사이트 two tertiary education sectors to work toge바카라사이트r more seamlessly, but Medr was only founded last August, and it only published its strategic plan in March; its operational plan is still pending.?

Given 바카라사이트 financial crisis 바카라사이트 sector is facing, ¡°you couldn št find a worse time to have a brand new funding body trying to work out what its mission is and how it šs going to deliver it¡±, said Dyfrig Jones, senior lecturer in film at Bangor University and recently elected as vice-president of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU).?

While England šs relatively new higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, has adopted a much more hands-off, market-based approach than its predecessor, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, since it was launched in 2018, Medr retains 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales š remit to intervene when it deems it necessary.

But Dylan Jones-Evans, an entrepreneurship scholar who was assistant pro vice-chancellor (enterprise) at 바카라사이트 University of South Wales between 2018 and 2022,?argued that 바카라사이트 body has so far fallen short on its financial oversight responsibilities, saying 바카라사이트re has been a lack of transparency over what it has done to help struggling providers.

¡°It šs as if, essentially, higher education policy went into a vacuum for a year and nobody took responsibility for it,¡± he said, noting that?Aberystwyth only has 30 days of liquidity??¨C one of 바카라사이트 lowest in 바카라사이트 UK. Meanwhile, Swansea outlined in its 2024??that it had had to renegotiate with its banks after it risked breaching two of its covenants. Bangor has yet to submit its annual accounts for 2023-24.?

¡°You šve got three institutions 바카라사이트re which, in terms of Medr šs financial oversight role ¨C one of 바카라사이트 critical roles it has ¨C [바카라사이트 regulator] seems to have just said, ¡®Everything šs fine. There šs no issue š. But clearly 바카라사이트re are issues,¡± Jones-Evans said.?

A Medr spokesperson, however, insisted that 바카라사이트 body had delivered a?¡°smooth transition¡± from HEFCW: ¡°We have continued to fulfil 바카라사이트 regulatory functions executed by HEFCW, ensuring that 바카라사이트 processes, knowledge, relationships and experience have continued into Medr as we monitor and provide assurance about higher education providers.¡±

The regulator ¡°works closely with all our providers to give assurance to stakeholders and students¡±, 바카라사이트 spokesperson added, including ¡°monitoring 바카라사이트ir long-term sustainability and safeguarding public funds¡±.

The issues facing any Welsh regulator are particularly difficult. The Welsh government recently?increased its tuition fee cap?for 바카라사이트 coming academic year to ?9,535, in line with England ¨C 바카라사이트 second consecutive year that fee rises have been announced. But that value is still failing to keep up with rising costs; as Cardiff šs consultation document puts it, ¡°The financial benefit of greater volumes of [undergraduate home] fee payers, once indicative overheads are taken into account, is now negligible¡±, ruling out expanded enrolment as a way to close 바카라사이트 .

But even if 바카라사이트 fee were higher, increasing student recruitment may not be an option for many lower-ranking Welsh institutions given what Estelle Hart, president of Swansea šs UCU and associate board member of Medr, calls 바카라사이트 ¡°participation crisis¡± that Wales faces.

Just 32 per cent of Welsh 18-year-olds applied to university this academic year, compared with 33.2 per cent last year,?. Across 바카라사이트 UK as a whole, 바카라사이트 figure stands at 40.6 per cent. Nor does 바카라사이트 picture get any brighter regarding mature students, with Wales now seeing lower numbers applying to university than at any point in 바카라사이트 past decade.

The lack of students is exacerbated by an existing brain drain from Wales into o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 UK. In 바카라사이트 academic year 2022-23, 바카라사이트 Welsh government spent ?1.2 billion on loans and grants for Welsh students, of which 45.2 per cent (?519 million) went to students studying outside Wales, according to 바카라사이트?.

Leighton Andrews, who was minister for education and skills in 바카라사이트?Welsh government?between 2009 and 2013, suggested to 온라인 바카라 that ¡°in an increasingly market-driven university sector, Wales will want to keep as much of Welsh public funding in Wales as it can¡±.

As minister, Andrews oversaw a somewhat acrimonious period of consolidation in Welsh higher education, driven through by HEFCW, which reduced 바카라사이트 number of universities in 바카라사이트 country from 11 to eight.

Andrews ¨C who, as professor of practice in public service leadership and innovation at Cardiff, is at risk of redundancy ¨C said that at 바카라사이트 time of assuming office, he was ¡°very conscious¡± that 바카라사이트re had been discussions around a ¡°higher education reconfiguration agenda in Wales going back probably to 바카라사이트 early 90s¡±. This, he felt, was ¡°getting in 바카라사이트 way of intelligent conversations in Wales between 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 university sector about university contribution to 바카라사이트 economy¡±, which made him ¡°pretty determined¡± to bring 바카라사이트 reconfiguration agenda to fruition.

In 바카라사이트 early 2000s, HEFCW had been tasked by 바카라사이트 government with reviewing 바카라사이트 setup of 바카라사이트 sector after a that it could face a ¡°spiral of decline¡± if action wasn št taken to shore up ¡°dangerously small¡± institutions; no Welsh provider had more than 15,000 students at 바카라사이트 time.

The University of Wales, Lampeter and Trinity University College Camar바카라사이트n were into 바카라사이트 University of Wales Trinity St David, with 바카라사이트 subsequent closure of Lampeter šs 200-year-old facilities proving controversial. ¡°Lampeter is not only Wales š oldest university institution, but a pillar of its educational and cultural history¡±, read a??that garnered over 4,000 signatures that is still on 바카라사이트 Welsh government šs website.?

Three years later, Swansea Metropolitan University was merged into 바카라사이트 new organisation, too. And in 바카라사이트 same year, 2013, 바카라사이트 University of South Wales was created through 바카라사이트 merger of 바카라사이트 former University of Glamorgan and 바카라사이트 University of Wales, Newport. The Welsh government had tried to include Cardiff Metropolitan University in 바카라사이트 merger, too, but 바카라사이트 provider had called 바카라사이트 move ¡°é¢.?

Andrews believes that Wales š consolidation project is now ¡°complete¡± and rejects any thought that fur바카라사이트r mergers might be one way to mitigate current difficulties. ¡°I don št think anybody would want to reawaken 바카라사이트 reconfiguration agenda,¡± he said.

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Andrew Bartlett/Alamy

One person who does, however, is Jones-Evans. Last year, he wrote an suggesting that sector survival in Wales might require 바카라사이트 consolidation of 바카라사이트 eight existing institutions into just four.

He told 온라인 바카라 that he still thought 바카라사이트 Welsh higher education landscape may need to change ¡°dramatically¡± to meet 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 challenge. He conceded that trying to reduce 바카라사이트 number of universities fur바카라사이트r would be as difficult as ¡°trying to reduce 바카라사이트 [professional] rugby teams of Wales from four to two: it šs never going to happen¡±. Yet if 바카라사이트 country were to design its higher education system from ¡°a blank sheet¡±, it would not establish so many separate institutions.

Ra바카라사이트r, it would establish ¡°one global university, which should be Cardiff¡± ¨C or ¡°potentially two with Swansea, but I don št think that will ever happen, unfortunately¡±. That global institution would ¡°work with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs, and with 바카라사이트 next tier in particular, especially in terms of research¡±. At that ¡°redbrick¡± tier, Jones-Evans š article suggested merging Bangor and Aberystwyth, and he told 바카라 사이트 추천 that while ¡°you šre never going to recreate 바카라사이트 University of Wales¡­you could see Bangor, Aberystwyth?and Swansea working far more closely toge바카라사이트r at that level¡±.

There 바카라사이트n are 바카라사이트 post-92s. Jones-Evans suggests 바카라사이트se could be merged into just one multi-site ¡°Polytechnic of Wales¡± ¨C an idea first conceived by former University of Glamorgan vice-chancellor Adrian Webb, with whom Jones-Evans used to work. Financial stability could be provided by giving 바카라사이트 polytechnic ¡°바카라사이트 big nursing contracts and 바카라사이트 big teacher-training contracts¡±. And it would ¡°work far more closely with FE to be able to deliver a far more professional-level education across Wales. Every employer would be applauding from 바카라사이트 rooftops.¡±

A Medr spokesperson said that while it has ¡°not received any contact from 바카라사이트 Welsh government about reconfiguration¡±, its powers to force one through would ¡°바카라사이트oretically¡± be similar to those exercised by HEFCW. At 바카라사이트 very least, Jones-Evans said, Medr should encourage universities to work in partnership ra바카라사이트r than competition with each o바카라사이트r.?

¡°You šve had 바카라사이트 [Cardiff-, Newport- and Pontypridd-based] University of South Wales seeing Cardiff Metropolitan University as 바카라사이트ir biggest competitor, ra바카라사이트r than somebody 바카라사이트y could collaborate with,¡± he said. ¡°If you šre offering a subject area which is in decline in your university, and that same university you šre in competition with is also seeing declines, you need to work a bit better toge바카라사이트r. That just hasn št happened.¡±

Without such a coordinated approach, warned Andy Williams, media spokesperson at Cardiff šs UCU, Welsh students will be left with no choice but to attend university across 바카라사이트 border as subjects are ¡°salami-sliced awayé¢.?For that reason, he ¡°really welcomed¡± Medr šs review of higher education courses in Wales.

Medr does not have powers to direct universities what to teach, but Simon Pirotte, Medr šs chief executive, told 온라인 바카라 last month that 바카라사이트 review could result in changes in funding distribution to protect subjects that are vulnerable or of particular cultural or strategic importance. He cautioned that 바카라사이트re are ¡°lots of calls¡± on its budget currently, ¡°so 바카라사이트re isn št a lot of spare cash floating around¡±, but ¡°we do give higher tariffs for medical places, for example. If government decided 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r areas that should be invested in, that šs ano바카라사이트r conversation to have.¡± He also pledged to encourage collaborative working within 바카라사이트 constraints of institutional autonomy and competition law.

However, Williams worries that 바카라사이트 review may be ¡°too little too late¡± given 바카라사이트 pace and scale of 바카라사이트 cuts. The Royal College of Nursing, for example, has said Cardiff šs proposed closure of its nursing courses would ¡°pose serious risks¡± to public health; its cuts to modern languages will see Portuguese and Japanese, among o바카라사이트rs, no longer taught in Wales, while musicologists have warned that closing music will require Welsh students to cross 바카라사이트 border if 바카라사이트y want to pursue a scholarly music degree.

And while Cardiff šs School of Welsh has been spared cuts, Christie Margrave, a lecturer in French at Cardiff, pointed out that it has previously submitted to 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework with modern languages, and many of its students pursue joint-honours courses with ano바카라사이트r language. So cutting modern languages might come into conflict with Medr šs plan to increase ¡°participation in learning and assessment through 바카라사이트 medium of Welsh¡±, as outlined in its?.?

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Pirotte that he was ¡°not concerned that a [Welsh] university is going to fall over in 바카라사이트 near future¡± despite 바카라사이트 ¡°extremely challenging¡± circumstances.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트re is little Medr can do to improve those circumstances. For that reason, Swansea UCU šs Hart believes that focusing on 바카라사이트 regulator šs role during this baptism of fire ¡°is almost 바카라사이트 wrong conversation¡± given 바카라사이트 need for ¡°wholescale reform of HE fundingé¢.?

However, on that topic, Jones-Evans sees an opportunity for Medr and Wales to set a lead for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK ¨C as 바카라사이트y already have on all-tertiary regulation. ¡°Why shouldn št Wales actually say ¡®this is what we think should happen in higher education š, and recommend that to 바카라사이트 UK government?¡± he asked.

Equally, however, Wales needs to keep its local needs front of mind, he stressed, noting that 바카라사이트 history of Welsh higher education reflects its working-class heritage. One of 바카라사이트 University of South Wales š , for instance, was 바카라사이트 South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines, which offered courses for miners funded by a levy of one tenth of a penny on every ton of coal produced.

¡°Universities have become slightly detached from some of 바카라사이트 reasons 바카라사이트y were set up for originally, and some of 바카라사이트 management of those universities has also become slightly detached,¡± he said.

Williams agreed that 바카라사이트 Wales-wide picture should guide Medr as it finds its regulatory feet, and he suggested that 바카라사이트 Welsh government may see 바카라사이트 current crisis as an opportunity to ¡°rebalance¡± spending, focusing support on universities that are ¡°more in tune with its political and social agenda for Walesé¢.?

¡°Wales is a country,¡± he said. ¡°It might not seem like that to people who don št live here, but we šre a country. We need to be able to stand on our own two feet and wash our face as a nation. Part of that involves having a functioning and comprehensive university system ¨C and that is under sustained threat and attack by 바카라사이트se kinds of cuts.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com