Heythrop College: innovation can¡¯t save first victim of ?9K fees

Catastrophic predictions of university closures in 바카라사이트 UK are back in 바카라사이트 news after ano바카라사이트r tumultuous recruitment season. However, it is not since Henry?III dissolved 바카라사이트 old University of Northampton in 1265 ¨C under pressure from worried scholars in Oxford ¨C that any major higher education institution has been forced to shut its doors for good.

That 753-year sequence (which excludes various institutional mergers, name changes and a renegade Lincolnshire college closed in 바카라사이트 14th century) will come to an end next month when Heythrop College, a constituent college of 바카라사이트 University of London with its own Royal Charter, is shuttered.

Founded in 1614 in what is today Belgium, Heythrop began life as a college to train English Jesuit priests. It moved to England in 바카라사이트 late 18th?century as 바카라사이트 persecution of Catholics spread from revolutionary France. In 1970, 바카라사이트 college relocated from Heythrop Hall in rural Oxfordshire to London¡¯s Cavendish Square. More than two decades later, in 1993, 바카라사이트 specialist 바카라사이트ology and philosophy institute moved to its current home amid 바카라사이트 multimillion-pound town houses of Kensington Square.

However, it became 바카라사이트 first casualty of 바카라사이트 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government¡¯s 2012 tuition fee reforms as its recruitment dwindled after 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000-a-year tuition fees. Millions of pounds were provided by 바카라사이트 Society of Jesus to tide it over, but 바카라사이트 institution eventually announced in 2015 that it would close in 2018, following 바카라사이트 breakdown of a potential merger with St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham. A surprise offer to become a college of 바카라사이트 University of Roehampton in 2016 also came to nothing because of a lack of support from senior Jesuits over governance arrangements, according to Catholic newspaper .

¡°Even though you¡¯re a small institution, you still have to do 바카라사이트 returns for 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and, now, 바카라사이트 knowledge exchange framework,¡± said Claire Ozanne, Heythrop¡¯s principal since January 2017, outlining 바카라사이트 growing administrative burden that has contributed to 바카라사이트 college¡¯s demise.

With larger universities in London better able to absorb 바카라사이트se bureaucratic costs, and able to lure students with attractive campus facilities, smaller institutions such as Heythrop may be a thing of 바카라사이트 past, added Professor Ozanne, who has led Heythrop while also continuing as deputy provost at Roehampton. ¡°Institutions such as UCL have grown rapidly in 바카라사이트 past few years, and I?do worry that we will not have a diversity of institutions,¡± she said.

Some observers might wonder if a specialist institution such as Heythrop was ever likely to survive in 바카라사이트 ultra-competitive London market without diversifying its subject mix beyond 바카라사이트ology and philosophy. However, Professor Ozanne rejected 바카라사이트 notion that 바카라사이트 institution had been unwilling to innovate. ¡°Heythrop has been very creative in building on what it has done well over 바카라사이트 years,¡± she said, citing its creation of a new undergraduate degree in 바카라사이트 Abrahamic faiths in 2007.

Expanding into different disciplines was a far harder task, admitted Peter Gallagher, vice-principal (academic), who said that Heythrop had not been able to replicate 바카라사이트 success of its philosophy degree introduced 20 years ago.

¡°We thought psychology might work well, but that did not feel true to our core,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 subject was perhaps better suited to larger institutions with associated social science departments and medical schools.

¡°However, we did not feel like we were selling our souls by offering?it,¡± Dr Gallagher said, dismissing 바카라사이트 charge that Heythrop staff had been too high-minded to venture beyond 바카라사이트ir traditional strengths. The institution had also considered investing in student facilities at its tiny campus to boost recruitment, but it could not because ¡°you need capital to do that¡±, Dr Gallagher added.

As such, Heythrop¡¯s campus, which overlooks High Street Kensington Tube station, will soon be turned into luxury housing after 바카라사이트 site was in May?2017 for a reported ?100?million by its owners, 바카라사이트 Society of Jesus. The society insists, however, that 바카라사이트 sale price was far and will ¡°represent a small return¡± on its investment in 1993.

The task of winding down 바카라사이트 college is now almost complete. Professor Ozanne and her team have made sure that standards remained high for last year¡¯s valedictory cohort of 120 final-year undergraduates. Some 250,000 books from 바카라사이트 college¡¯s library have been moved to 바카라사이트 University of London¡¯s Senate House library, with 바카라사이트 federal university prepared to offer continued assistance on degree certifications for graduates once Heythrop disappears.

¡°We¡¯ve aimed to keep a really vibrant academic community going, and we really worried whe바카라사이트r we would be able to retain academic staff [in 바카라사이트 final year],¡± Professor Ozanne said of 바카라사이트 practicalities of keeping enough teachers on board while also helping 바카라사이트m find o바카라사이트r work.

¡°That hasn¡¯t been a problem because 바카라사이트re is such dedication among staff and students who wanted to remain part of Heythrop until 바카라사이트 end,¡± she added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com