BU Research Blog

Monday

Graduate Debt

The UK Graduate Careers Survey carried out by High Fliers Research, revealed that students leaving university this summer, who were among the first to pay £9,000-a-year tuition fees can expect much higher debts (an average of more than £30,000) than their predecessors, who had an average debt of £20,400 in 2014, £20,300 in 2013 and £19,400 in 2012. Graduates ‘now £30,000 in debt but more upbeat’ (The Daily Telegraph).

Value For Money

Four in 10 of the first students to pay higher fees do not believe their courses have been good value for money a survey carried out by ComRes reveals. The survey found there were differences of opinion between students doing different types of courses. Two-thirds of those studying science, technology, maths and engineering (subjects that require a lot of practical teaching and staff time) said their courses had been good value. 44% of humanities and social science students, which tend to receive less direct teaching time, said they felt their courses represented good value. Four in 10 students say university not good value – survey (BBC News).

Tuesday

Response to Anthony Seldon

A number of letters have been published in response to an opinion piece from Anthony Seldon (who becomes VC of Buckingham University in September) in the Times on Saturday saying that universities are lazy and ‘an ocean of complacency exists in the sector’. Respondents/defendants include David Willetts and Nicola Dandridge from UUK. Letters: Do UK universities need to raise their game? (The Times).

Wednesday

EU 

Both academics and UUK are warning that leaving the EU would mean the UK would lose access to research funding provided by the European Union, and would also make it harder for academics to collaborate on international projects. They have also warned that it could lead to a decline in student numbers, as EU students would be recruited on the same basis as overseas students, leading to a rise in their tuition fees and inclusion in immigration figures. Leaving the EU would ‘damage’ UK universities (The Daily Telegraph).

Teacher Training

University initial teacher training (ITT) providers will be able to recruit as many students as they want under radical new plans being introduced by the government for the next academic year. Teacher training recruitment uncapped for universities (THE).

Thursday

International Students

A new survey commissioned by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) reveals that students believe they benefit in many ways from studying alongside people from other countries. However, the benefits are clearer to international students, the survey also suggests that international students work harder than British students. The Daily Telegraph has turned the survey on its head to say that one in three students believe international students detract from learning. Overseas students considered hardest workers, survey finds (THE).

Size of Research Groups

The trend among research funders to give out fewer but larger grants may not be the best use of resources, a study of scientific productivity suggests.  Chasing big bang for bucks might be poor use of cash (THE).

Vocational Degree Awards

The government could be poised to rekindle a polytechnic-type model for awarding vocational degrees that could pitch them in direct competition with further education colleges. The plans which are outlined in a government consultation cites the role of the former Council for National Academic Awards, which awarded degrees when post-92 universities were polytechnics. This is said to have grabbed the attention of Jo Johnson, the new Universities and Science Minister, who is set to outline his major priorities for higher education in a speech this week. Polytechnic-type proposals alarm post-92 group (THE).

Friday

Value of HE

A critical article looks at the value of higher education in the Telegraph. It states that amid the austerity of government cuts, higher education is in fact witnessing a boom. Booming universities take taxpayers for a ride (The Daily Telegraph).

Destination of Leavers from Higher Education

HESA has published the first release statistics from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education study. The top line figures show a slight increase in the numbers of graduates in work/further study six months after graduating.Graduate employment and salaries up, but gender pay gap remains (THE). Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education in the United Kingdom (HESA).