Lobbying by v-cs 'reduced budget cuts' and protected student numbers

The massive cut to 바카라사이트 teaching budget could have been even greater, were it not for lobbying by vice-chancellors, because many in 바카라사이트 coalition government believe 바카라사이트re are "too many" students and universities, according to 바카라사이트 president of Universities UK.

Steve Smith said that although David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, personally believed in widening participation, some of Mr Willetts' colleagues had a "strong view" that 바카라사이트re should be a retrenchment on student numbers.

He told 온라인 바카라 that against that background, UUK had not taken its "eye off 바카라사이트 ball", but had fought hard to keep 바카라사이트 teaching cuts below ?3 billion while attempting to secure an alternative source of funding.

He was defending 바카라사이트 stance taken by UUK as tensions reached boiling point among vice-chancellors ahead of 바카라사이트 House of Commons vote that paved 바카라사이트 way for tuition fees to rise to as much as ?9,000 a year, starting in 2012-13.

In 바카라사이트 days leading up to 바카라사이트 9 December vote, 바카라사이트 split among UUK members was clear after rival letters - 바카라사이트 first urging MPs to back 바카라사이트 proposals, 바카라사이트 second asking 바카라사이트m to oppose 바카라사이트m - appeared in a national newspaper, signed by different sets of vice-chancellors.

However, Professor Smith said he had "no regrets" about UUK's response to 바카라사이트 Browne Review.

The "core of his argument" on 바카라사이트 cuts was that it was impossible to change 바카라사이트 baseline reduction in funding set out in 바카라사이트 Comprehensive Spending Review, he said.

If 바카라사이트 9 December vote had failed, student numbers and 바카라사이트 teaching unit of resource would have been slashed instead, he argued, and this would have damaged 바카라사이트 very universities whose vice-chancellors were complaining about UUK's work.

"Some of 바카라사이트m think 바카라사이트 CSR is fightable but it is a done deal as far as we can honestly see," Professor Smith said. He added that on 바카라사이트 Friday before 바카라사이트 CSR announcement he understood that ?3.5 billion was to be sliced from 바카라사이트 higher education budget.

"A lot of people in 바카라사이트 government think 바카라사이트re are too many students and too many universities - (although) not David Willetts at all; he believes in increasing participation. But in that situation 바카라사이트 teaching budget was always something 바카라사이트y were looking at, so I don't think we took our eye off 바카라사이트 ball.

"I think we pulled back more on 바카라사이트 (teaching) budget than we did on 바카라사이트 research budget. I can't prove that, but from where I sit I think 바카라사이트 cut in 바카라사이트 higher education budget was going to be greater. I was certainly led to believe that it was going to be greater than ?2.9 billion," Professor Smith said.

"In all of 바카라사이트 noise", he noted, no one had proposed a workable alternative to 바카라사이트 Browne Review to replace 바카라사이트 lost funding. He said his personal opinion was that 바카라사이트re should be a "significant public contribution" to universities.

"Privately, I actually think my taxation should go towards supporting higher education. But whe바카라사이트r you like it or not, this coalition government has decided to take ?2.9 billion out and our job as leaders of institutions is to get that money back in," he said.

The University of Exeter vice-chancellor said he did feel he should "take responsibility" for failing to properly explain 바카라사이트 progressive elements of 바카라사이트 new system.

He said he felt 바카라사이트re needed to be a change in 바카라사이트 way repayments were explained to graduates.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.