BU Research Blog

This short masterclass will explore the Leader’s Role in Organisational Sustainability and the link to the whole concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. Embedding sustainability in the leadership of an organization requires a new paradigm – viewing one’s organization as a good neighbor, good citizen and a good employer. Participants will explore these dimensions using the World Cafes method and will apply the concepts of the stakeholders’ theory (Freeman, Harrison and Wicks, 2007) to their own institution. At the end of the event, each participant will have a clear understanding on how to embed sustainability practices in its own work to contribute to the overall CSR of the organization.

Thursday 8th May 2014, 15:30-17:00, PG146, Thomas Hardy Suite, Talbot Campus.

For more information and to book on to this event please visit the Organisational and Staff Development Pages on the Staff Intranet.

As previously reported on BU research blog, I was awarded Fusion Investment Funds to explore opportunities for research collaboration and staff and student exchanges with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa. I am posting this blog to report on my exploratory visit to UKZN last week (Tuesday 22nd to Friday, 25th April, 2014).

The first day of my visit was spent in what I would call ‘high level meetings’ with UKZN senior management staff. In the morning I met Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh who is the Dean of the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. He expressed his enthusiasm for the research collaboration and the staff and student exchanges and indicated that he will come over as soon as the partnership agreement is signed. Next I met Professor Stephen Migiro, the Dean and Head of the Graduate School of Business and Leadership. He was also very much in favour of the proposal. He talked about the problems the university was facing especially in finding external examiners for their PhD students and hoped that once the partnership is signed, some BU staff may be engaged as examiners. The final meeting of the day was with the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor John Mubangizi. He was so impressed with the proposal that he instructed the Dean of the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance and the Dean of the Graduate School of Business and Leadership to work with me so that the proposed partnership is signed as soon as possible subject to both BU and UKZN due processes.

On my second day I met the students to gauge their interest in coming over to BU. I made a 20 minutes presentation outlining the nature of the student exchange after which I invited questions. There was quite a lot of interest and excitement about the proposed student exchange judging by the number of questions that I had to answer. At the end of the session I invited the students to indicate by raising their hands if they would be interested. No prizes for guessing that 100% of the students would be interested in coming to BU once such an exchange agreement has been signed subject to financial constraints.

The morning of third day at UKZN was taken up by a meeting with Professor Lesley Stainbank (Professor of Accounting) where we discussed possible research collaboration. I spent my lunch in the company of Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh talking about how the proposed partnership could effectively benefit his School of Accounting, Economics and Finance and ‘catch up’ with the developments in teaching and research in the UK.

My final day involved a 50 mile drive UKZN’s Pietermaritzburg Campus where I presented a research paper entitled ‘The impact of DEFRA guidelines on the reporting of greenhouse gases’. The presentation was attended by about 50 people who appeared knowledgeable about the topic of the presentation. I rounded up my visit to UKZN with a talk to the postgraduate students who expressed the hope that the proposed student exchange could include a summer school for them so that they could also come for a short period and experience the education atmosphere at BU.

My overall impression of the visit is that UKZN is a very good university which has very good teaching, research and student facilities that are equivalent to those at BU. The staff and the students that I met were very friendly and showed commitment to working with BU students and staff once the partnership agreement is signed. I am very grateful to the Fusion Investment Fund that enabled me to visit UKZN. I brought some material about UKZN as a university and also about the research being undertaken by its staff. Feel free to email me at vtauringana@bournemouth.ac.uk if you need any further information.

Dr Ven Tauringana
Associate Professor of Accounting, The Business School.

Due to the Easter break, the first update of last week came on Weds.

Wednesday

The collapse in part-time undergraduate study since 2008-9 does not show that people are turning away from taking degrees part-time, a new HEFCE analysis shows. Part-time student fall ‘mainly due to non-degree courses’ (THE)

‘Grade inflation’

A study from HEFCE has found “significant unexplained variation” in students’ likelihood of gaining a first or 2:1 depending on their chosen university.

• A good degree can depend on where you studied (Telegraph)
• 21 universities that are making it easier to get top-class degrees (Mail)
• Universities face claims of awarding inflated degrees (Times)

Scottish referendum

A large number of universities have chosen to quit the CBI employers’ federation in protest at its decision to register as a formal anti-independence campaign for September’s referendum.

• Scottish independence: More members quit CBI (Scotsman)
• Scottish independence: Scottish universities leave CBI (BBC)

Course changes

Institutions making last-minute changes to courses have prompted an inquiry by the competition authorities. Are universities breaking consumer protection laws? (Guardian)

Thursday

Higher education policymakers in the UK should pay much closer attention to Australia’s funding system, which is “often ahead” of England’s, Libby Hackett and Nick Hillman argue today. This is to launch a joint University Alliance and HEPI report, ‘HELP from Down Under? – ‘It’s not only on the cricket pitch that we can learn from Australia’’

• Hepi director: we could learn from Australian funding system (THE)
• Retention-based funding could add up (The Australian)

Student fees

Concerns over current funding system: The trebling of UK university tuition fees has resulted in a “highly uncertain” future for higher education funding and produces just a 5% saving for the taxpayer, research shows. A report, published by IFS, calculated that for every £1 loaned by the government to students to cover fees and maintenance, 43p will not be recouped. The study calculates that each student will be lent an average of just over £40,000, meaning the amount not recovered will be about £17,000 a student.

• Trebling university tuition fees cuts taxpayer costs just 5% (FT –  
• University tuition fee rise may not save taxpayers any money, says thinktank (Guardian)
• IFS: rise in student fees ‘will not save taxpayer money’ (Telegraph) 
• University tuition fee rise may not save taxpayers any money, says thinktank (Guardian) 
• Hated tuition £9,000 tuition fees might not save any money, says report (Independent) 
• University tuition-fee change savings ‘uncertain’ (BBC)

Review of university funding: UUK have announced a sector-wide panel of experts is to look at ideas for reforming England’s university funding system. Panel to review student funding model (THE)  

Universities role in financing students: Ryan Shorthouse argues that institutions should play a greater role in financing undergraduate students. He says that, “a graduate tax is a solution to a non-existent problem.” Universities, lend a thought to funding (THE)

International

Rising numbers of students are considering taking courses overseas, driven by an increase in tuition fees in the UK and the need for “travel and adventure”, study by the British Council finds. British students ‘being driven overseas by fees hike’ (Telegraph)

Future thinking

Pundits predicting that an “avalanche” of technological and competitive change will sweep away “traditional” higher education are wrong and often have a commercial motive for making such comments, according to UUK. Sector traditions can survive ‘digital avalanche’ (THE)

Equality

Universities should not acquiesce in a system that perpetuates inequality – they must take a stand against it, argues Thomas Docherty. Whose side are we on in this moral contest? (THE) 

Friday

Moody’s has predicted that “weaker regional universities in England could struggle for survival in the wake of a brutal US-style beauty contest for students and their tuition fees”. The report’s forecasts suggest the changes in funding and removal of the cap are likely to affect universities in England through “the imposition of market-driven strategies” in the same way as their peers in the US and Canada. Moody’s predicts gloomy future for weaker universities throughout UK (Guardian)

Tuition fees

In a blog for the Telegraph, Jenny McCartney argues that the current problems with the RAB “could easily have been predicted – event by the class dunce”. In their efforts to make tuition fees fairer, the Coalition has created a financial mess (Telegraph).

8 May 12.15-1.15pm, B126 Bournemouth House Lansdowne Campus

All interested in interdisciplinary education research are invited to a seminar hosted by the School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University.

This presentation describes the core components of realist evaluation and argues for the integration of the realist evaluation cycle during programme design to ensure that the outcomes collected determine not only if the programme works, but what works, for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects, and why.

This seminar highlights some of Barbara’s current doctoral study thinking in her US, UK comparison of inter professional clinical education in the UK and USA.  She is a physiotherapist, Professor & University Director of Interprofessional Education & Collaboration at A.T. Still University, Arizona, US.

Monday

Libby Hackett featured in the Guardian over the weekend calling for intelligent reforms of the student loans system. Intelligent reforms of student loans (Guardian)

International

University Alliance’s call for a return to post-study visas is highlighted in a piece in the Guardian. The article looks at the House of Lords report which claims that an “unwelcoming UK” has seen a drop in the number of international students studying STEM subjects. Fewer international science students come to ‘unwelcoming’ UK (Guardian HE)

Employment

Starting salaries for graduate jobs have fallen overall over the past five years, according to new analysis. Research for the Complete University Guide says graduate starting salaries in professional posts dropped 11%, to £21,702 in real terms, in 2007-12.

• University does not pay after graduates see wages plummet (Independent)
• Degrees cost more but are worth a third less (Telegraph)
• Graduate starting salaries ‘drop 11% over five years’ (BBC)

Tuesday

Higher education policy

Students at the recent NUS conference have voted in favour of a policy of free education. No to Ukip and yes to free education: NUS conference votes for surprisingly radical policies (Independent)

Widening participation
We need to ensure there is diversity in HE, to fit the needs and approaches of people from non-traditional student backgrounds, says Alison Wride. ‘Universities remain bastions of middle class culture’ (THE)

Wednesday

Community

Cambridge is becoming increasingly polarised between town and gown as large parts of its university are “cut off” from the public, according to Mary Beard, the classicist and television presenter. Cambridge is a ‘divided city’ as university tightens security and shuts the public out (Times) 

LEPs

Local enterprise partnerships for the North East and Teesside have joined forces in efforts to create a “Jeremie 2” investment programme, potentially ploughing a further £160m into the region’s businesses. North East LEPs come together for £160m ‘Jeremie 2’ plan (Journal)

Research funding

The bias in favour of men in the peer review process ultimately leads to women being turned down for promotion argues an anonymous academic. Securing money for research is hard for everyone – but then there’s the sexism (Guardian HE)

Thursday

The THE’s annual financial health check, looking at university finances in 2012-13 using figures by accountancy firm Grant Thornton, points to possible emerging trends in the first year of the new fees regime. University financial health check 2014 (THE) 

Quality

A report has revealed which universities are awarding more first and upper second class degrees than would be expected based on their students’ backgrounds, raising questions about the comparability of exam standards across the sector. ‘Good’ degree awards not always in line with intake (THE)

Postgraduate

NUS’ new vice-president for HE has vowed to put improving access to postgraduate education at the heart of her term of office. New broom to put postgrad study at heart of NUS policy (THE)

Part-time

Introducing part-time degrees delivered over just three years has revived the fortunes of Birkbeck, University of London and could do the same for other institutions, its head has claimed. Study nights: shorter part-time degrees appeal to Generation Y (THE)

Graduate employment

Almost two in five parents expect that a university degree will increase their children’s income earning potential and enable them to get ahead in the workplace, a report by HSBC has shown. Parents expect a university degree to increase their children’s income (Guardian)

Open access

Research Councils UK’s open access policy poses “serious dangers for the international standing of UK research in the humanities”, a report by the British Academy has warned. British Academy fears for humanities in open access world (THE)

Modern foreign languages

The numbers of students studying languages degrees is at its lowest in a decade – universities must make their academic study more pertinent, argues Katrin Kohl. Universities must make languages relevant (THE)

Australian fees policy

Australia’s demand-driven university system has been a success and should be extended to private universities, further education colleges and sub-degree programmes, a government-commissioned review has concluded. Uncapped system: support for expansion in Australia (THE)

Monday

International

Universities across the world fear the “commodification and commercialisation of education”, according to a new survey. “They express concern about equal access to international opportunities for all students and about the commodification and commercialisation of education,” the IAU’s report says. 1,300 universities, one shared fear: the commodification of education (THE)

While Camille Kandiko Howson argues that as “global competition for international students is growing – the UK needs to start treating them as people and learners, not numbers.” Drop in foreign student numbers: are UK universities too complacent? (Guardian HE)

Fees

The Telegraph are a little late in covering this ongoing story. Six in 10 students will have their debts written off (Telegraph)

HE expansion

David Willetts unveils plans to create new university campuses in areas identified as higher education “cold spots” such as Shrewsbury. New universities could revive county towns, says minister (Telegraph)  

Discrimination

Nearly 60 per cent of black and minority ethnic higher education staff and students questioned for a survey feel they have been discriminated against. Race discrimination in universities still a problem, reports survey (THE) 

Tuesday

The Financial Times and City AM have today criticised the Government immigration policy saying that they are ‘closing the door’ on international students. The FT argues, “cutting back student visas as a quick fix to an arbitrary migration target hurts the economy and will ultimately increase costs for domestic undergraduates. This is an act of national self-harm that Britain can ill-afford.”

• Editorial: Closing the doors to foreign students (FT) 
• It’s a national scandal that Britain is driving away foreign talent (City AM)

Disabled students’ funding

NUS’ national conference has got underway today by claiming that David Willetts is “arrogant and out of touch” in seeking “unfair” cuts to disabled students’ funding. NUS blasts David Willetts over changes to disabled students’ support (THE)

Discrimination

More than half of black and ethnic minority lecturers and staff believe they have suffered racial discrimination at university, according to new research. Universities are racist, say ethnic minority staff   (Independent)

Wednesday

Ed Miliband is to promise to put powerful “city-region” government at the heart of a Labour attempt to rebalance growth in the UK, claiming his plan represents “the biggest economic devolution of power to England’s great towns and cities in a hundred years”. Miliband is to write to the leaders of every council, university and LEP asking them to draw up joint plans to boost growth and private sector jobs in their regions. Ed Miliband: Labour will use English devolution to rebalance UK growth (Guardian)

International

Ministers’ efforts to increase education exports comes at a time of intense scrutiny over the appeal of UK universities and schools  to overseas customers, says the FT. Visa rules in the spotlight as overseas student numbers fall (FT) This follows the news that UK skills providers have won contracts, worth more than £1bn, to run 16 further education colleges in Saudi Arabia helped by a government unit designed to boost exports of UK education. Saudis pay over £1bn to enrol British further education expertise (FT)

Moocs

Online university providers, which offered people the chance to study from home, are turning full circle by creating a network of learning centres where students can meet and study together. Online students can’t help being sociable (BBC)

Thursday

Libby Hackett features in today’s Financial Times calling for a return to post-study work visas for international students. She says that, “we are losing international students to competing nations, such as Canada and Australia, due to the UK’s restrictive policy on post-study work visas.” Letters: Bring post-study work visas back (FT)
Yvette Cooper, the shadow Home Secretary, will set out her “progressive” vision for immigration to the UK today, pledging that Labour would safeguard growth sectors such as higher education from any immigration cap. Labour to leave students out of immigration cap (FT)

Student loans

Repayment: The majority of undergraduates now at university will be paying off their student loans well into their 40s and 50s, with three-quarters of them unable to clear the debt before it is written off after 30 years, according to an analysis published today by the Sutton Trust and IFS.

·         Three in four graduates will be paying off student loans until their 50s (Daily Mail)

·         Most students will still be paying off their loans when they are 50 (Guardian)

·         Professionals will be paying off tuition fees for decades (Times)

·         Thunderer: Middle earners will pay most in this student loan mess (Times)

·         73% of today’s students will still be paying off their tuition fees in their 50s  (Independent)

·         Students will be paying off loans into their 50s, study warns (Telegraph)

Change to budgeting rules: The government has changed the budgeting rules for student loans to allow for unpredictability in forecast repayments, saying the change is designed to “incentivise” control over loan spending. One expert suggested that the development showed spending rules could be tweaked, potentially offering scope for a major change such as the introduction of a graduate tax. Budgeting rules adjusted to manage costs of student loans (THE)

Politics

Michael Gove: The minister hopes to sink his teeth into higher education but his political stock is falling, argues Christopher Prendergast. Michael Gove: the wolf of Whitehall (THE)

Sector

Higher Education Academy: The future of the HEA looks uncertain after the UK’s funding councils decided to withdraw support for the champion of university teaching. HEA future unclear as councils cut off the cash (THE)

Marketisation: The THE looks at whether UK higher education is any closer to a genuine market and concluded, not really. There’s still no such thing as a higher education market (THE)

Referendum: Ferdinand von Prondzynski ponders possible outcomes should Scotland opt for independence. Countdown to the Scottish referendum (THE)

Recruitment

Student: Volatile student recruitment in England has benefited more selective universities and “disadvantaged” others with lower entry standards, HEFCE has said. Recruitment trends favour the selective (THE)

Leadership: Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, features in this THE piece looking at the recruitment of university leaders. Beyond naked power (THE)

Connecting research and growth

Research excellence: UK academics could have their research assessed alongside scholars from Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong under plans being considered by HEFCE. Hefce looks at overseas links for research excellence (THE)

Employability and skills

Higher apprenticeships: The growth of higher apprenticeships – where people taken on by employers can simultaneously study to bachelor’s and master’s degree level – could be a “major opportunity” for universities if they grab the initiative but could be a threat if they do not. Universities risk missing out on higher apprenticeships (THE)

Education system: The UK education system has become too focussed on youngsters automatically being channelled towards going to university, the Duke of York told a conference of newspaper editors. Duke of York says education system has become too centred on university degrees (Independent)

Friday

The Science and Technology Committee have released their report into internal STEM students. They have accused the Government of taking a “contradictory” stance towards encouraging international students to study in UK universities. On the one hand, the Prime Minister says there is a need for net migration to “come down radically from hundreds of thousands a year”. Yet, on the other, it has stated that “it is realistic for numbers of international students in higher education to grow by 15 to 20 per cent over the next five years.”

• Government under fire for contradictory stance on international students (Independent)
• Universities using ‘extreme measures’ to meet visa requirements (THE)

In addition Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, has said yesterday that businesses were unable to access the skills they need and thousands of fee-paying foreign students were being deterred from going to British universities.

• Labour to look at migration targets that do not include students (THE) 
• Labour’s Yvette Cooper pledges to deport more immigrants who commit crimes (Standard)