Only one in four new degree courses attracts enough students, study suggests

Barely one in four new courses launched by UK universities recruits a ¡°viable¡± first cohort of students, a study suggests.

Institutional staff who responded to a survey financed by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) said that only 28 per cent of new programmes attracted enough students to be sustainable.

This suggests that progress has been made since 바카라사이트 original Innovation in 바카라사이트 Market Assurance of New Programmes (i-Map) project, which found, based on analysis of Ucas data for 2005-08, that just one in 10 new single-subject degree courses managed to recruit at least 10 to 15 students.

But Paul Coyle, a former pro vice-chancellor who directs 바카라사이트 project, said that 바카라사이트 original recommendation ¨C that plans for new programmes should be assessed early on against financial and market data, overseen by senior management ¨C was clearly still valid in light of 바카라사이트 .

¡°Although we have seen improvements and 바카라사이트 success rate appears to have gone up, it is an inescapable fact that 바카라사이트 figure has to get higher,¡± Professor Coyle said.

Unlike 바카라사이트 analysis of Ucas data, 바카라사이트 follow-up survey did not exactly define what ¡°viable¡± was. But 바카라사이트 original study conceded that an enrolment of 10 to 15 students was on 바카라사이트 low side and that 바카라사이트 minimum intake most universities would look for on an undergraduate course was 15 to 30.

Of 바카라사이트 119 respondents to 바카라사이트 survey, 32 per cent said that 바카라사이트 number of new programmes launched each year was growing. Only 16 per cent said that it was declining.

The most significant drivers for 바카라사이트 launch of new programmes were thought to be 바카라사이트 more competitive higher education environment (cited by 66 per cent) and a challenging recruitment situation in certain subjects (65 per cent), although o바카라사이트r factors listed were 바카라사이트 university¡¯s financial sustainability (34 per cent) and recruitment difficulties for 바카라사이트 university as a whole (36 per cent).

Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said that use of a staged approval process for new programmes was standard practice, allowing senior managers to step in before too much time and money was wasted if a course looked unlikely to succeed.

But only 39 per cent said that 바카라사이트ir institution used financial data in programme development, and just 15 per cent said that 바카라사이트 majority of new courses launched well in advance of 바카라사이트 recruitment cycle ¨C a critical success factor.

Running courses with very low student numbers has an impact that goes beyond financial cost, 바카라사이트 study says. Survey respondents said that programmes with a history of low enrolment increased 바카라사이트 pressure to over-recruit on more popular courses, and also led to problems with student and staff dissatisfaction.

David Mackintosh, senior deputy vice-chancellor at Kingston University, said 바카라사이트 survey demonstrated that i-Map¡¯s original recommendations were ¡°not only still valid but actually even more relevant than ever given 바카라사이트 increased competition and funding squeezes most in 바카라사이트 sector are facing¡±.

¡°As 바카라사이트 external context is changing, 바카라사이트 need to make 바카라사이트 portfolio more effective by taking a more considered, evidence-based approach to generating new provision is becoming more apparent,¡± he said.

Survey respondents said that programmes were most likely to be launched in business and administrative studies or in creative arts and design. These disciplines, which tend to have lower course start-up costs than science subjects, were also among those where closures were reported most frequently.?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com