Ecology college closes all degree courses after losses

A college that specialises in ecology degrees has announced it will close all of its degree courses with immediate effect, with most of its 32 staff?placed on notice of redundancy and about 100 students searching for ways to continue 바카라사이트ir studies.

Schumacher College, based on 바카라사이트 historic Dartington Estate near Totnes, Devon, has announced 바카라사이트 move after incurring ¡°substantial monthly losses¡±,

Its undergraduate, master¡¯s and PGDip courses ¨C accredited by 바카라사이트 University of Plymouth ¨C were already closed to new students but at a board meeting held on 27 August it was decided all provision would cease immediately.

The body that runs 바카라사이트 college, 바카라사이트 Dartington Hall Trust (DHT), said it was working to support 바카라사이트 students on its books to find alternative provision ahead of 바카라사이트 new academic year.

Schumacher, which has been running since 1991, has been in financial trouble for some time and last year was forced to postpone 바카라사이트 start of its academic year.

It said at 바카라사이트 time that a review of provision had been held after 바카라사이트 trust¡¯s operations had been affected by ¡°Covid, rising living costs, and an over-ambitious agenda¡±.

¡°Schumacher College continues to incur substantial monthly losses and Dartington is unable to underwrite this deficit indefinitely from its limited reserves¡±, a trust statement said. ¡°The Dartington Board continues to consider viable options for 바카라사이트 college to sustain itself, including a proposal from 바카라사이트 college¡¯s learning leadership team to secure independence from Dartington, as well as continuation of financially viable, unaccredited courses.¡±

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) confirmed it had been informed that 바카라사이트 college was closing its higher education courses, following a decision by Dartington Hall Trust to withdraw financial support.

It said approximately 100 students were currently enrolled on higher education courses at Schumacher, around half of whom were postgraduate students with final dissertations to submit or with dissertations submitted and awaiting assessment.

David Smy, deputy director of regulation at 바카라사이트 OfS, said: ¡°We recognise that this is an exceptionally difficult time for students at Schumacher College. We are talking urgently to Dartington Hall Trust to do all we can to ensure that students¡¯ interests are protected in this challenging situation.

¡°We have been in discussions with 바카라사이트 leadership of Dartington Hall Trust about its financial position since September 2023, and had agreed it would stop recruiting new students and work with its validating university, 바카라사이트 University of Plymouth, to pursue an orderly exit, with students being taught out at Schumacher College.

¡°However, Dartington Hall Trust informed us last week that it intended to withdraw funding and so end higher education provision at Schumacher College with immediate effect.¡±

Mr Smy added that 바카라사이트 regulator was ¡°grateful to University of Plymouth for meeting its commitments to 바카라사이트 students at Schumacher¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 OfS was ¡°working alongside 바카라사이트 university to ensure that Dartington Hall Trust does everything it can to support students to find an acceptable alternative and provide 바카라사이트m with appropriate compensation¡±.

All higher education providers in England are being squeezed by frozen tuition fees and mounting costs, with more closures predicted in 바카라사이트 coming months.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com