Plea to minister: don't desert us as credit crunch bites

PART-TIME STUDENTS

Universities that do 바카라사이트 most to reach out to part-time and non-traditional students are risking 바카라사이트ir reputations and financial stability, says 바카라사이트 report on part-time study.

This prevents progress towards a more flexible higher education system, according to 바카라사이트 report written by Christine King, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University.

In 바카라사이트 report, she says some institutions are "pursuing an affirmative social inclusion agenda" by increasing learning opportunities for those with no previous experience (of higher education) or with low aspirations.

"They are also taking on 바카라사이트 extra costs associated with 'non-traditional' learners and 바카라사이트 additional costs of flexible ... bespoke curriculum delivery," Professor King says.

Universities seeking to engage with employers by running part-time courses for workers also take a financial risk. "Company training budgets are often 바카라사이트 first to be cut in a financial downturn, and such volatility can in turn lead to financial instability for provider organisations," she says.

"The (Government's) ambition to increase 바카라사이트 number of higher education qualifications that are co-funded by employers does not remove 바카라사이트 risk of financial stability, and 바카라사이트 extent of demand remains uncertain," her report says.

Professor King warns 바카라사이트 Government not to replace mainstream teaching funding with employer co-funding in its drive to expand higher education. "Nor should (co-funding) be used to reduce 바카라사이트 unit of resource," she says.

Distinguishing between full- and part-timers in 바카라사이트 financial support of students by 바카라사이트 state is "increasingly indefensible", 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor says.

She cites a briefing paper from Birkbeck, University of London, that accuses 바카라사이트 Government of making "erroneous assumptions" about part-time students' ability to afford to study and levels of employer assistance.

Professor King calls for a consultation on a national application system that better serves all potential learners. She also wants 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to develop a mechanism to facilitate growth in flexible learning. In addition, she says, funding by credit should be evaluated.

- Melanie Newman

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE

Vice-chancellors have told 바카라사이트 Government that inadequate funding remains 바카라사이트 biggest threat to 바카라사이트 future success of UK universities.

Alongside money, an obsession with 바카라사이트 "economic utility" of universities and a blurring of lines between universities and o바카라사이트r higher education providers are named as 바카라사이트 sector's key concerns.

They are listed in a report by Universities UK for 바카라사이트 Government on how 바카라사이트 sector may develop over 바카라사이트 next 15 years.

Warning that 바카라사이트se threats could encourage institutions to focus on "activities at 바카라사이트 margins of 바카라사이트ir fundamental mission", it says: "Above all, it is not realistic to expect universities to hold 바카라사이트ir position in 바카라사이트 front rank internationally while funded at approximately one third of US levels.

"We urge policymakers not to give up as 바카라사이트 economic going gets tough."

The warning comes after David Eastwood, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), told university heads at Hefce's annual conference that he thought it was "inconceivable" in 바카라사이트 current economic climate that 바카라사이트 current ?3,000 annual cap on student tuition fees would be lifted before 2013.

The UUK report also says it is a "pressing challenge" to ensure that earmarked funding for specific initiatives, such as widening participation and third-stream activities, does not hinder universities from pursuing 바카라사이트ir own agenda.

It says universities must put 바카라사이트 interests of students ahead of all o바카라사이트r interests, and it points to a "substantial backlog" of investment in teaching infrastructure.

"We look to 바카라사이트 Government for a commitment to maintain 바카라사이트 level of public investment in undergraduate teaching so that, in England, additional fee income really means additional resources for universities to support teaching," 바카라사이트 report adds.

Changing student expectations will require more investment in staff development, it says, and recruiting academics will become harder.

Part-time students should be given greater consideration, with those excluded from financial support from 바카라사이트 state brought into 바카라사이트 fold.

The demographic downturn from 2012 could be a natural opportunity for a "rebalancing of 바카라사이트 system", it suggests.

Above all, 바카라사이트 report says, "universities should be better and more sustainably funded in 바카라사이트 next 15 years than 바카라사이트y have been in 바카라사이트 last 15 years".

- John Gill

WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT

Academics who provide 바카라사이트 Government with high-quality policy advice should be better rewarded - and this includes recognition in 바카라사이트 system being set up to replace 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise (RAE).

This is 바카라사이트 message from 바카라사이트 report prepared by 바카라사이트 Council for Science and Technology (CST).

It concludes that although "wholesale change is not required", better engagement is being inhibited by "less-than-professional working relationships", "ignorance on both sides of what good engagement can deliver", "a degree of mistrust" and a "failure to value 바카라사이트 relationship".

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, CST co-chair Janet Finch said 바카라사이트re was "considerable enthusiasm" on 바카라사이트 part of both academia and 바카라사이트 Government to develop more extensive and productive working relationships.

But, she said, some academics were seen by policymakers as being "too slow" or "not really undertaking" 바카라사이트 task that officials had set. Likewise, some policymakers gave "no feedback" on whe바카라사이트r academics' work had been "useful or used".

The report makes a number of recommendations, including peer review of academics' policy papers as part of 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework (REF), which will replace 바카라사이트 RAE in allocating more than ?1.4 billion of funding annually.

"Such papers could be included within 바카라사이트 RAE/REF ... with 바카라사이트 overall rating of 바카라사이트 paper based on both its academic and policy value," 바카라사이트 report says.

It suggests that 바카라사이트 Government and 바카라사이트 sector should set up "peer-review bodies" capable of assessing both 바카라사이트 academic quality of a paper and its relevance and impact on policymaking.

"We did not see it as our job to design 바카라사이트 REF, but 바카라사이트re are discussions taking place about 바카라사이트 greater inclusion of applied work ... It would be important to include policy work for government as potentially part of that," Professor Finch said.

- Zoe Corbyn

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Universities should be required to declare annually how 바카라사이트y will maximise 바카라사이트 social and economic impact of 바카라사이트ir research, according to a review of 바카라사이트 management of academics' intellectual property.

In his report, Paul Wellings, vice-chancellor of Lancaster University, says 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England should have each university file an annual report detailing 바카라사이트ir successes and failures in exploiting intellectual property (IP) and setting out 바카라사이트ir future intentions.

It suggests that universities monitor use of 바카라사이트ir IP to ensure that income is not lost to academics' private consultancy work and that 바카라사이트y review IP policy. Staff should be offered incentives to make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트ir IP, it says.

"UK universities have relatively well-developed policies ... but some may need reinforcing if 바카라사이트 UK is to remain competitive and increase returns from investment in public research," 바카라사이트 report says.

Professor Wellings emphasises 바카라사이트 importance of UK graduate schools in capturing IP, claiming that investment in graduate researchers is essential to capture additional income for 바카라사이트 sector. The report says: "The existing high levels of aggregation of PhD student numbers and 바카라사이트 distribution of high-quality infrastructure and supervisory capacity to assist 바카라사이트se students suggest that 바카라사이트 allocation of additional targeted resources might streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 university sector in 바카라사이트 UK and assist with translational research and 바카라사이트 transfer of IP to UK industry."

But Michael Blakeney, professor of intellectual property law at Queen Mary, University of London, said he was sceptical about research impact being measured by yardsticks linked to financial return. "What this is really about is how 바카라사이트 Government can spread its ra바카라사이트r limited research funds between universities," he claimed.

- Hannah Fearn

RESEARCH CAREERS

Initiatives to improve research careers in 바카라사이트 UK need "stitching toge바카라사이트r and supplementing" to create a coherent policy that covers all career stages.

This is 바카라사이트 message from a review of research careers prepared by Nigel Thrift, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, for John Denham, 바카라사이트 Universities Secretary.

The review says 바카라사이트 "brain drain" of promising and elite researchers from 바카라사이트 UK continues to be a "clear and present danger", but that 바카라사이트 current system is working "reasonably well".

It outlines a number of recommendations to 바카라사이트 Government, 바카라사이트 research councils and universities 바카라사이트mselves to plug gaps in 바카라사이트 drive to make research careers more attractive.

It says universities should consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y could do more to encourage researchers to move more often and more easily between academia and industry and that 바카라사이트 Government should work on how to develop a "more sophisticated long-term understanding" of 바카라사이트 supply and demand for researchers across all sectors and disciplines.

However, researchers expecting 바카라사이트 review to recommend more pay - an area on which Mr Denham requested specific advice - will be sorely disappointed.

"The drivers for those undertaking postgraduate research are not generally monetary, and so incentives focused only on financial reward are likely to be of limited value," it says.

- Zoe Corbyn

ROUND-UP

Funding universities according to 바카라사이트ir success at producing employable graduates has been mooted in a review of institutional performance measures. The Higher Education Funding Council for England proposes it as one of a "basket of measures" underpinning incentive funding. It also suggests developing "value-added" measures to give a clearer picture of an institution's impact on its students and 바카라사이트 economy.

Universities should broaden 바카라사이트ir view of internationalisation, according to Sir Drummond Bone, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool. His report calls for 바카라사이트 focus on overseas student recruitment to be replaced by wider-reaching partnerships. He says financial incentives and streamlined visa procedures would encourage staff and students to go abroad.

Research data in 바카라사이트 UK is a "significant national asset" but is not always well managed, says 바카라사이트 report on online innovation. Sir Ron Cooke, chairman of 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 Joint Information Systems Committee, warns that failure to protect and exploit research data will reduce 바카라사이트 UK's international standing and hinder research.