Letters ¨C 8 November 2018

Where do we draw 바카라사이트 line on reparations?

Robert Dingwall is right to identify 바카라사이트 multiple hypocrisies that underpin 바카라사이트 demand that universities engage in ¡°reparative justice¡± (¡°We need a serious debate on slavery reparations¡±, Opinion, 1 November).

At present, that demand centres on benefits alleged to have been derived from 바카라사이트 slave trade. But why stop 바카라사이트re? Why not investigate 바카라사이트 ultimate origin of every benefaction from which any university has ever benefited, and 바카라사이트n make reparations accordingly?

Geoffrey Alderman
Professor of politics
University of Buckingham

Market logic

The story ¡°University deficits increase as students flock to elites¡± (News, 1 November) reports deepening multimillion-pound deficits at a number of English universities and warnings about 바카라사이트 ¡°sustainability¡± of institutions.

If, for UK higher education as a whole, tuition fee income has plateaued (given stagnant fees and home student numbers, in addition to increasing global competition for international students), 바카라사이트n extra revenue can only come at o바카라사이트r institutions¡¯ expense.

This is what we are seeing: since 바카라사이트 demise of student number controls, 바카라사이트 more elite institutions are recruiting students who might have gone elsewhere. This makes 바카라사이트 less elite institutions financially weaker and ¡°forces¡± 바카라사이트 growing institutions to invest in buildings (which requires financing), while buildings are now underused at 바카라사이트 shrinking institutions.

To cope with 바카라사이트 additional students, 바카라사이트 elite institutions recruit teaching-only staff on similar conditions to 바카라사이트 staff being laid off at 바카라사이트 shrinking institutions. The cost of staff relative to o바카라사이트r expenses and income must shrink to afford 바카라사이트 interest payments on 바카라사이트 financing.

The result is that more money is being spent on interest, to teach 바카라사이트 same number of students by fewer staff who are employed under worsening conditions. The likely outcome for students overall is a lower-quality education in nicer buildings.

DMZZ
Via ws-2000.com

Local matters

You report that ¡°Leading Asian universities fall back in arts and humanities¡± (News, 1 November), but is 바카라사이트re any evidence that 바카라사이트y are ¡°falling back¡± in quality of scholarship as opposed to, say, ceasing to care about topics that excite 바카라사이트 editors of Anglocentric Western journals?

It is far harder to get published if your main research interests are highly local and do not feature on 바카라사이트 ¡°list of gatekeeper topics that sell journals¡±.

Brido
Via ws-2000.com

Rethink references

As careers and higher education manager in a large sixth-form college, more than 1,000 of whose students make Ucas applications every year, I feel it is time that UK universities and Ucas reviewed 바카라사이트 benefits of teacher and tutor references.

When teachers are overburdened with teaching, marking and assessment duties, to expect 바카라사이트m to write subject and personal references for every student 바카라사이트y teach is unnecessarily onerous. Ucas wants ¡°an informed and academic assessment of an applicant¡¯s suitability for fur바카라사이트r study¡± and calls for no fewer than eight criteria to be addressed. For teachers and tutors, addressing 바카라사이트se points and making 바카라사이트 references personal and relevant is a senseless waste of valuable teaching and planning time.

A better system would be more akin to 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust uses when students apply to its summer school: it asks for confirmation that 바카라사이트 student has done, and is doing, 바카라사이트 qualifications 바카라사이트y¡¯ve stated, and it provides three lines where a tutor can draw attention to any widening participation criteria or mitigating circumstances that might affect a candidate¡¯s prior or future achievement.

When universities are so keen to get students on board that unconditional offers are making an unwelcome appearance, surely a 4,000-character reference that nobody reads is an anachronism and needs to be overhauled?

Shoonagh Hubble
Barton Peveril Sixth Form College
Eastleigh, Hampshire

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