All entries for Thursday 18 February 2010

February 18, 2010

Things can only get better…

Writing about web page http://www.ucu.org.uk/stayupdated

From the UCU's latest campaigns update:

UCU warns of job losses as record number of students apply to university

Job cuts in higher education hit the front page of the Guardian this week as UCU warned on Monday that 15,000 jobs were at risk across higher education if punitive government funding cuts went ahead. The union said that the government had to understand that widespread cuts would mean serious consequences. Monday was also the day it was revealed record numbers of people had applied to university, which prompted UCU to warn that a whole generation could have their dreams shattered. UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “You cannot make savage funding cuts without serious consequences, despite Lord Mandelson’s insulting efforts to sell the cuts as an opportunity. The government is abandoning a generation who, instead of benefiting from education, will find themselves on the dole alongside sacked teaching staff.” You can read the Guardian piece here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/08/university-funding-cuts-crisis
For the union’s press releases, click here http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4421&from=4404 and here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4422&from=1676. The story was also picked up by the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7190949/University-admissions-students-being-abandoned.html

Higher fees a lazy option says UCU as Mandelson goes on the attack

UCU said yesterday that a report advocating higher fees from the think tank Policy Exchange spectacularly failed to add anything to the debate on funding higher education. Later in the day Lord Mandelson did very little to further his case in the debate by accusing universities of being set in aspic. Sally Hunt accused Policy Exchange of writing a report simply to justify fees and called on Lord Mandelson to listen to academics instead of rudely dismissing them. You can read more here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4429&from=1676 and here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4433&from=1676. The story featured in the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-are-being-alarmist-says-mandelson-1897140.html and the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article7022657.ece