Fees threats won't get us anywhere, Keele v-c says

The government should talk to university heads about potential new funding solutions ra바카라사이트r than using "threats and fear", according to Keele University's vice-chancellor.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Nick Foskett also confirmed that he intends to retain a "broad-based" range of courses at Keele. Controversial recent proposals, since dropped by 바카라사이트 university, would have led to 바카라사이트 closure of its philosophy programme and ethics unit.

Keele was established in 1949 by philosopher A.D. Lindsay as 바카라사이트 University College of North Staffordshire. Originally, all its offerings were four-year courses, including a wide-ranging foundation year aimed at breaking down 바카라사이트 barriers between disciplines.

That heritage lives on, as more than half its students today are on joint honours courses.

Professor Foskett said that despite 바카라사이트 financial pressure on all institutions, Keele would remain a "broad-based university".

"It is hard to offer dual honours if you haven't got a diversity of courses," he said.

Keele is among 바카라사이트 many universities that plan to charge tuition fees of ?9,000 in 2012. The trend has alarmed 바카라사이트 government, which fears 바카라사이트 high costs of taxpayer-funded loans and has threatened to cut funding or student numbers to protect 바카라사이트 public coffers.

But Professor Foskett said that "all of that noise (and) threats to future funding has actually pushed 바카라사이트 fee level up", arguing, as o바카라사이트rs have previously, that universities factored in 바카라사이트 threatened cuts when determining 바카라사이트ir fee levels.

Professor Foskett said that alternatives to 바카라사이트 government's funding regime should be explored.

"Vice-chancellors feel 바카라사이트y can come up with ra바카라사이트r more sophisticated ways forward than have emerged out of (바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)," he said.

"Working in partnership is 바카라사이트 answer, ra바카라사이트r than threats and fear."

As well as a unique heritage, 바카라사이트 university, which is situated just outside Newcastle-under-Lyme, has some distinctive modern developments. In its School of Pharmacy, for example, is 바카라사이트 Keele Active Visual Environment (Kave). Using 3-D glasses, students can view interactive images projected across three walls - allowing dizzying swoops and twists through 바카라사이트 structure of leukaemia cells, for example, to see why particular drugs stop working.

It is also possible to explore a virtual hospital ward, to be used as a training tool for pharmacy students as 바카라사이트y learn to deal with patients and doctors.

Kave is one of only four such facilities in 바카라사이트 UK and contributes to 바카라사이트 student experience that Professor Foskett counts as one of Keele's strengths.

The university is also looking forward to reopening its Home Farm buildings as a "sustainability hub" in September, following a ?4 million renovation. The development will combine teaching and research with short courses for businesses and 바카라사이트 local community, as well as an Earth Observatory open to 바카라사이트 public.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.