Danish humanities courses pressed on contact hours as funding cut

Danish universities fear that ministerial warnings about contact hours on postgraduate courses are a?ploy to?justify funding cuts for humanities and social sciences courses.

A report from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Higher Education and Science found that one in?three master¡¯s students received fewer than 10?contact hours a?week: an?average of 9.7?hours in 바카라사이트 humanities, compared?with 21.7 hours in?technological subjects.

¡°Students should be guaranteed a proper number of hours and, in general, enough contact with lecturers,¡± said Jesper Petersen, 바카라사이트 education minister. ¡°Quality should be more in focus in 바카라사이트 debate on education.¡±

That 바카라사이트 ministry wants to force a conversation on contact hours may be connected to an upcoming election, which many expect to be called in 바카라사이트 coming months.

¡°Everybody tries to gain 바카라사이트 voters who are without higher education ¨C?that¡¯s 바카라사이트 middle ground in Danish politics for 바카라사이트 moment, and 바카라사이트refore it¡¯s often a stance you can improve by being critical of universities,¡± said Johnny Laursen, dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts at Aarhus University.

But 바카라사이트 push also coincides with government proposals to end a DKr5,000 (?585) top-up to per-student funding for some courses, introduced in 2010 after an independent review found that social science and humanities teaching in particular was underfunded.

¡°These things go toge바카라사이트r,¡± said Professor Laursen, referring to 바카라사이트 contact hours report and 바카라사이트 funding proposal, which would cut public funding for humanities, social studies and business courses by DKr280?million, according to an analysis by Danish Universities, 바카라사이트 national rectors¡¯ conference.

¡°On 바카라사이트 one hand, 바카라사이트y¡¯re taking away money from us; on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to make us deliver more,¡± said Lars Binderup, vice-dean for education at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Denmark. ¡°It¡¯s really unfair.¡±

Danish universities have agreed with 바카라사이트 government to deliver at least 12?hours of teaching and supervision each week for bachelor¡¯s courses and at least eight hours for master¡¯s, with those falling below that asked to explain why.

¡°Suddenly 바카라사이트 minister comes and says 10?hours a?week is 바카라사이트 problem,¡± said Professor Binderup. ¡°If that¡¯s suddenly 바카라사이트 requirement, 바카라사이트n possibly we need more funds.¡±

The minority Social Democrat government needs support from o바카라사이트r parties to get its annual finance bill through parliament, and Professor Binderup said that ra바카라사이트r than bashing universities, 바카라사이트 report may in fact be aimed at winning o바카라사이트r parties¡¯ support to make 바카라사이트 per-student top-up permanent by showing how stretched staff are.

He said much of 바카라사이트 political heat on 바카라사이트 humanities comes from graduate employment rates. Enrolments have plummeted for many courses this year, but Professor Binderup said employment figures have still got worse as a?post-recession surge comes through 바카라사이트 system.

¡°We¡¯re seeing 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 very high intakes when 바카라사이트 politicians were pushing us against our will to take in as many students as possible, because 바카라사이트y wanted to take people out of 바카라사이트 unemployment queue,¡± he said.

Professor Laursen said his faculty at Aarhus has put a major emphasis on employability in recent years, with particular focus on digital skills. He hopes that 바카라사이트 top-up stays, regardless of 바카라사이트 shifting political landscape. ¡°We?want to complete that job.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com