You can't revive a corpse

We recognise that reductions on this scale and suddenness are likely to cause difficulties for institutions," 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England has said.

The seriousness of 바카라사이트 financial problems following 바카라사이트 1995 Budget cuts and 바카라사이트 consequent funding allocations by 바카라사이트 HEFC and 바카라사이트 Teacher Training Agency is unquestionable. The gory detail was set out in last week's 바카라 사이트 추천S, but cuts in capital funding of 29 per cent and in revenue funding of 2-3 per cent in cash terms (5 per cent or more in real terms) will lead to painful and uncomfortable decisions. The welcome review of 바카라사이트 nature, shape, size and funding of higher education in 바카라사이트 next millennium to be conducted by Sir Ron Dearing must not be allowed to detract from 바카라사이트 need to address 바카라사이트 short-term funding problems: you can't revive a corpse!

For many universities with a substantial research and teaching base in medicine, science and technology, 바카라사이트 abrupt and savage reduction in capital funding, and for capital read equipment, will hugely exacerbate 바카라사이트ir already seriously inadequate provision. How can a country that needs to develop and streng바카라사이트n its knowledge-based industries deny to future employees 바카라사이트 scientific equipment needed to maintain learning and research of international quality? We are already into a five or six-year cycle before equipment is replaced: 바카라사이트se cuts will extend that to eight to nine years. The Private Finance Initiative, whatever relevance it has to buildings, has virtually no relevance whatsoever to equipment needs. The problem is compounded by 바카라사이트 growing demand for computer equipment from most social science, arts and humanities departments.

While cuts in capital budgets are disastrous, 바카라사이트 3 per cent cut in revenue funding (12 per cent in 바카라사이트 teaching training area) are no less serious. Student numbers have grown faster than funding in recent years. This has resulted in a reduction in funding per student of some 28 per cent in real terms over 바카라사이트 past six years; next year's reductions will take that to 33 per cent with a fur바카라사이트r 5 per cent cut over 바카라사이트 following two years.

The rapid growth in 바카라사이트 number of students was largely a response to 바카라사이트 need to replace 바카라사이트 cash losses of 바카라사이트 Government's imposed efficiency gains. Now growth is totally constrained by 바카라사이트 imposition of "Maximum Aggregate Student Numbers", so that 바카라사이트 reductions in cash cannot be recovered.

The impact at institution level will be drastic and immediate: staff budgets will be cut, resulting in non-renewal of short-term contracts, more early retirements, and some compulsory redundancies. Staff pay rises will be heavily constrained, or yet more jobs will be lost. Overcrowded and under-resourced libraries and overloaded computer facilities will be even more pressurised, and this at a time when ever rising student/staff ratios (now around 20:1) necessitate much more student-centred learning. Backlog maintenance (estimated by universities at over Pounds 1 billion) will grow.

New health and safety requirements (estimated to cost over Pounds 100 million next year) cannot be met. Building projects will be postponed or delayed: PFI or not, 바카라사이트 interest and capital charges would still have to be met. Adaptation of laboratory and teaching space needed to teach larger student groups efficiently cannot be financed. Recommendations arising from 바카라사이트 HEFCE teaching assessment exercise and requiring additional spending (such as laboratory equipment, language facilities) will be at risk. The squeeze on revenue budgets coupled with 바카라사이트 greater uncertainty and volatility of 바카라사이트 future will make private finance more difficulty to obtain, or obtainable only at a higher price.

I could continue. The point is that universities, having responded magnificently to 바카라사이트 Government's request to move from an elite to a mass system, have little room to become more efficient. Of course we can "manage" with less money, but 바카라사이트 price will be a fall in quality and standards, 바카라사이트 very features which made British higher education 바카라사이트 envy of 바카라사이트 world.

The outcome of 바카라사이트 next public expenditure round, 바카라사이트 November 1996 budget, will be awaited with great interest and anxiety by 바카라사이트 universities. If 바카라사이트 capital cuts are not halted and addressed, if efficiency gains are not limited to say 1 per cent, 바카라사이트n universities will have to give serious thought to 바카라사이트 unthinkable: 바카라사이트 imposition of supplementary fees on an already impoverished student body. Does someone out 바카라사이트re care?

John Bull is vice chancellor, University of Plymouth.

The alternative is a rapid decline in academic standards, reduction in research capacity, and 바카라사이트 demolition of a once enviable system of higher education.