S. Fallows and G. Symon
International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 14, 2000, p. 308-314
Describes a UK government funded pilot programme at the University of Luton to extend the academic year. Covers the programme, its organisation and management and the outcomes of evaluation exercises. Discusses the implications of extended provision for the higher education sector as a whole.
L. Hodges and J. Judd
Independent, Oct. 6th 2000, p. 10
Five red-brick universities (Bristol, Exeter, Reading, St Andrews and University College London) and two new universities (Oxford Brookes and the University of Western England) have been exposed as failing to attract enough students form poor backgrounds by figures produced by the Higher Education Funding Council. The figures also show that drop-out rates are higher at the former polytechnics than at established universities because their students often have poor A-levels and are financially stretched.
(See also Financial Times, Oct. 6th 2000, p. 6; Daily Telegraph, Oct. 6th 2000, p. 15; Guardian, Oct. 6th 2000, p. 14; Times, Oct 6th 2000, p. 11)
Financial Times, Oct 31st 2000, p. 25
US universities use income from their endowments to finance a needs-blind admissions policy, to pay faculty competitive salaries, and to invest both in their infrastructure and in new projects. Underfunded UK universities cannot compete, and need to be allowed to raise money by increasing tuition fees.
Financial Times, Oct. 10th 2000
Reports plans by the Higher Education funding Council for England to launch an internet-based global university. Courses would be aimed at postgraduates, businesses, governments and corporate universities. The Electronic University would provide quality assurance and would help conventional universities to create, develop and distribute online courses with students' fees split between the "eU" and the providers of the online material.
(See also Guardian, Oct. 10th 2000, p. )