I was asked by Reading University to attend a meeting at Parliament with representatives of the Universities to discuss university funding.
I heard presentations from Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, and from Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, who chairs the UUK Spending Review Task Force. They both talked in general terms about why universities need adequate funding.
I explained that the immediate debate is about the amount of money universities should receive from the state in 2015-16, the subject of the present public spending review. I said I was happy to intervene in this debate, but would need figures from them about how much they were seeking and why. They did not have any proposals at the meeting.
June 7, 2013
If i were a student, i would wish you to ask why the (dis)UK government discriminates against students living in England, by the imposition of £9000/yr fees.
June 9, 2013
It is a sad indictment on those supposed to be promoting the value of our universities, that it did not occur to them that they might get asked “what, specifically, do you want the money for…?” and they didn’t have an answer prepared! That’s the problem with so much of the public sector, it’s too often about “just give us [someone else’s] money…and we’ll decide what to do with it”.
Privatise the lot of them and have Govt step out of the way and let them stand on their own feet…the good will flourish and the bad will be replaced…