This week’s Policy Summary

Uncategorized

Monday

University funding/philanthropy 

Universities targeted more than nine million of their former students with cold calls and spam emails over the past year as they increasingly adopt US-style tactics to raise funds.

Universities resort to cold calling ex-students (Independent)

Interesting piece in the FT (Money) on Saturday – How to…invest in university knowhow  It looks at a number of ways to invest including Buying into commercialisation specialists, choosing a fund and Venture capital trusts and enterprise investment schemes.

 

Tuesday

Student loan book

David Willetts has written a comment piece for the FT saying that we should give universities the opportunity to buy the debt that their graduates owe. To do so would be to give the universities a direct financial interest in ensuring their graduates secure well-paid jobs that enable them to pay back more of their debt sooner.  He was also interviewed on Newsnight last night with his comments (including that the policy is being considered by ministers and officials)

Let universities buy debt, says David Willetts, (FT)

COMMENT: David Willetts – Sell the student loan book – and let the academy buy, (FT)

Let universities underwrite student loans to reduce burden on taxpayer (Guardian)

Student debt should be ‘bought’ by universities, say ministers (Telegraph)

Student loan change ‘will put jobs in focus,’ says Willetts (BBC Newsnight – 28 July)

Scottish Independence 

Greg Clark has used one of his first speeches as Universities and Science Minister to warn Scottish researchers of the disadvantages of leaving the UK. He said that a vote for independence in September “is a vote to leave the UK’s institutions, such as the research councils”.

Greg Clark issues warning on Scottish independence (THE)

 

Wednesday

Data published on demand and supply in higher education subject areas

HEFCE has published a large amount of interactive data on the current and future supply of graduates and postgraduates in all subjects. For individual subject areas the data show:

  • numbers studying at A level
  • numbers accepted to, and studying in, higher education at undergraduate level
  • numbers studying at postgraduate levels.

Each subject area can be reviewed individually, which means the recent and potential flow of graduates in different subject areas can be considered. To read this item in full visit: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/newsarchive/2014/news87870.html

 

Thursday

More students are staying on after their first year at university

The percentage of full-time students remaining in higher education after their first year is at an all-time high according to HEFCE figures published today. Low non-continuation rates have been a consistent feature of English higher education since the mid-1990s. The latest information shows that retention rates have improved, even though numbers entering higher education have increased and there are more students going to university from disadvantaged backgrounds. Successful participation for all students in higher education is critical to social mobility. While the overall figures are encouraging, the findings for 2011-12 reveal very different rates between particular groups:

  • Gender Women were less likely to leave HE during their first year than men: 5.9 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively in 2011-12. But men and women transferred to a different institution at similar rates: 2.1 per cent and 2.0 per cent respectively.
  • Ethnicity Black entrants had the highest rate of non-continuation of 9.4 per cent in 2011-12, and Chinese entrants had the lowest of 5.2 per cent in 2011-12.
  • School A higher percentage of state-school entrants were no longer in HE after year one than entrants from independent school: 6.5 per cent compared with 3.5 per cent in 2011-12.
  • Age Mature entrants were more likely to have left HE one year after entry. In 2011-12, 10.4 per cent of mature entrants left after one year compared with 5.7 per cent for young entrants.
  • Subject Computer science had the highest percentage of entrants no longer in HE in 2011-12 compared with other subjects at 11 per cent in 2011-12. Medicine and dentistry had the lowest rate at 1.9 per cent in 2011-12.
  • Disability Non-disabled entrants were less likely to remain in HE at the end of their first year, with 7.8 per cent not continuing in 2011-12, compared to disabled entrants at 6.2 per cent in 2011-12.
  • Social background Entrants from areas with low participation in HE were more likely than entrants in high participation areas to no longer be in HE at the end of year one: this is the case for both young and mature age groups.
  • Location London and the North West region had the highest percentage no longer in HE, while the South West had the lowest: in 2011-12 the percentages were 9.0, 7.7 and 5.3 per cent respectively. London had the highest percentage of entrants transferring, while the North East had the lowest.

To read this item in full visit: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/newsarchive/2014/news87871.html

 

Friday

No specific update, but there are two current Government inquiries that might be of interest:

  1. All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration inquiry into the impact of the closure of the Post Study Work (PSW) visa route.
  2. Media, Culture and Sport Select Committee inquiry into Tourism – further information available here.

 

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