45. Memorandum submitted by the University
of Wales College, Newport
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The University of Wales College, Newport
welcomes and would wish to endorse many aspects covered in the
White Paper, The Future of Higher Education. In particular, the
University of Wales College, Newport strongly endorses:
(i) the proposed changes in the funding arrangements
which abolish up front tuition fees in favour of a new graduate
contribution scheme;
(ii) the continued emphasis in relation to
increasing participation and raising aspirations in the lower
socio-economic groups;
(iii) development of qualifications such
as Foundation Degrees which provide access to higher education,
and the support for both institutions and individual students
in following this route;
(iv) the restoration of grants for students
from lower income families;
(v) the increased commitment to spending
on research;
(vi) developing new incentives to support
emerging research activity and to improve the quality of research
activity in institutions;
(vii) creating the new Arts and Humanities
Research Council;
(viii) the emphasis on developing closer
links between higher education, further education and business;
(ix) the emphasis on rewarding good teaching
and excellence in teaching activities;
(x) the improved support for those undertaking
part-time study;
(xi) expanding and developing the links between
schools, colleges and universities in order to raise aspirations;
and
(xii) the commitment to funding universities
and colleges at an appropriate level to match the costs in attracting
and, in particular, retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds.
2. The University of Wales College, Newport
is concerned that:
(i) the increased focus on a small number
of research-led universities will actually disadvantage some universities
where emerging and innovative research is taking place;
(ii) the impact that an increased focus of
research activity will have on regional regeneration and knowledge
transfer and the potential negative effect on the economy;
(iii) the higher fees that will be introduced,
as an option, from 2006 in England will discourage students from
applying to higher education particularly from those neighbourhoods
and social classes which the Government, and this institution,
is committed to recruiting. Furthermore, the delay in Wales until
April 2007 may add to the confusion felt by some students and
the long term issues need to be resolved as soon as possible;
(iv) the level at which students start to
repay their fee is still too low at £15,000 and should be
raised to £20,000;
(v) the reintroduction of the grant at a
£1000 is too low and that the family income level for receipt
of this maintenance grant is much too low;
(vi) institutions will be required to draw
up an Access agreement irrespective of their track record in improving
access for disadvantaged groups of students. While we are pleased
to note the changes recently proposed we would not wish to divert
valuable resources into developing an agreement which would add
little or no value to our current activities; and
(vii) the level of recurrent funding for
teaching and learning, for full and part-time students is inadequate.
3. The University of Wales College, Newport
is currently discussing the implications of several aspects of
the White Paper and, in particular:
(i) the content and structure of the information
to be made available to students and the structure and reported
outcomes from the annual student survey;
(ii) the new national body established to
develop and promote good teaching;
(iii) the way in which Centres of Excellence
and Knowledge Exchange Centres will operate, if at all, in Wales;
and
(iv) the new criteria for the award of a
University title.
4. An over-riding issue for the University
of Wales College, Newport is the way in which the Government's
intentions will be applied in Wales. In some areas Wales is in
advance of some of the proposals, with Assembly Learning Grants
for students, from FE and HE, already in place for example. In
other areas the University of Wales College, Newport would seek
to strongly endorse many of the areas noted above in section 1
and wish to see them implemented in Wales.
CONTEXT
5. The University of Wales College, Newport
is a community university serving the needs of South East Wales.
It is a University in the full sense of the term having obtained
excellent results during the last Research Assessment Exercise
in 2001. It also has an excellent track record in teaching excellence,
recently receiving the highest possible outcomes for a Quality
Assurance Agency visit to the School of Business and Management.
6. The University of Wales College, Newport
provides a comprehensive education portfolio across South East
Wales, encompassing access, foundation, certificate, diplomas
and provides masters and research (masters and doctoral) programmes.
7. The University College attracts a significant
majority of its students from across the region known as Greater
Gwent consisting of the counties of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly,
Monmouthshire and Torfaen and the City and County Borough of Newport.
8. Within this area of South East Wales
there are several pockets of extreme deprivation, making some
of the wards the most deprived areas in the whole of the United
Kingdom. In other areas there is much greater affluence with above
average participation rates in higher education being recorded.
TEACHING AND
LEARNING
9. The University of Wales College, Newport
welcomes the emphasis placed on teaching and learning and rewarding
excellence in teaching in the White Paper. Moreover, it acknowledges
the need to recognise, retain and reward excellence in teaching
staff. In the light of this it is developing a comprehensive human
resource strategy (not a requirement in Wales and not funded in
Wales as a separate initiative) to cover all of its teaching,
administrative and support staff.
10. We welcome, therefore, the notion that
funding should be made available for retaining and rewarding staff
and developing those staff who have demonstrated excellence in
their teaching and learning. In this respect, we would wish to
see parity in funding with other institutions across the UK.
11. The University of Wales College, Newport
welcomes the emphasis on growth and notes that Foundation Degrees
is one area for future growth but remains concerned at the lack
of publicity and marketing that has accompanied Foundation Degree
development. We welcome the additional support for institutions
and for individuals following Foundation Degree routes and recognise
that these qualifications must be delivered in partnership with
further education colleges and employers.
12. We welcome the improved support mechanisms
put in place for those students undertaking part-time study as
the University College currently has over 5,000 part-time students
(and just over 2,500 full-time students). We would like to see
a movement towards parity between full-time and part-time students
since the distinction, in real terms, becomes less meaningful.
13. The University of Wales College, Newport
is currently discussing the implications that the new national
body established to promote good teaching will have on institutions
and is awaiting other announcements from the Welsh Assembly Government
in relation to Centres of Excellence and Knowledge Exchange Centres.
14. This institution remains concerned at
the level of core funding. Its range of activities, and particularly
its success in creating opportunities for students from deprived
backgrounds and low participation neighbourhoods places a real
and significant burden on the learning and teaching activities.
We believe that the current funding for teaching and learning,
for full-time and part-time students is inadequate and should
be addressed.
STUDENT FUNDING
AND FINANCING
15. The University of Wales College, Newport
strongly welcomes and endorses the proposed changes in the funding
arrangements which abolish up front tuition fees in favour of
a new graduate contribution scheme. However, we are concerned
that the higher fees that will be introduced in England in 2006,
and the confusion brought about by a delay in the decision in
Wales until 2007, will discourage students from applying to higher
education. We believe this will particularly affect institutions
such as UWCN since it will have the most noticeable impact on
those neighbourhoods and social classes from which the Government—and
this institution—is actively committed to recruiting into
higher education. We also believe that clarification associated
with cross-border student movements is needed as soon as possible.
16. We do not believe that the reintroduction
of the Maintenance Grant at £1000 is sufficient to offset
this. While we welcome the reintroduction of a Maintenance Grant
we believe that £1000 is too low and, in particular, at the
family income level for receipt of this maintenance grant is much
too low and should be raised immediately.
17. Furthermore, this University believes
that the level at which students should start to repay their fee
should be raised to at least £20,000 from the suggested level
of £15,000.
18. There are issues of concern and a need
for further clarification in relation to the UK-wide approach
and the manner in which the devolved administrations will deal
with the potential tuition fee differences.
RESEARCH
19. While the University of Wales College,
Newport welcomes the increased commitment to spending on research
it is disturbed that the increased focus on a small number of
research led universities will actually disadvantage some universities,
including UWCN. This University recorded the highest outcome for
any university, higher education institution or specialist art
college in the RAE (2001) for Art and Design. The Grade 5 was
a good indication of the international excellence within the School
of Art, Media and Design at the University of Wales College, Newport,
but also an indicator that this institution, and the staff concerned,
can grow this area of research. Indeed, as one of the top rated
Art and Design facilities in the United Kingdom the University
of Wales College, Newport would wish to pursue the new top rated
category of 6*. It will achieve this through growing the current
staffing base and through collaboration and as a leader in the
pan-Wales Art and Design developments.
20. The University of Wales College, Newport
also recorded two 3A ratings in the RAE (2001) and its intention
is to build on this expertise in Engineering and in Archaeology.
21. Research in the United Kingdom is already
highly structured and stratified with a focus on a very small
number of institutions and it would be inappropriate and counter
productive, in our view, to seek to deprive funding from those
institutions which are developing innovative and emerging areas
of research. This leads directly into and is supportive of the
regeneration agenda. There is a need, and a strong desire by UWCN.,
to engage in research, learning and teaching, business development
and economic regeneration as a package of activities. We do not
support the notion of a more specialised and differentiated sector.
WIDENING PARTICIPATION
IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
22. As indicated in the context to this
response, this University has an excellent track record in widening
participation of higher education. For example, 99% of our students
come from state schools or colleges, the highest in Wales; 38%
of our students come from social classes IIIM, IV and V, second
only in Wales to the North East Wales Institute; the institution
attracts 24% of its students from low participation neighbourhoods
and is one of three institutions singled out because its performance
is significantly better than its benchmark. In addition, 92% of
our part-time entrants are mature students and 47% of our part-time
students have no previous higher education experience. This is
an institution that takes its community university mission very
seriously.
23. In the light of this we would oppose
a need to draw up any further access agreement for this institution
and be subject to any further scrutiny by the Office for Fair
Access. This will only divert valuable resources from the current
practiced and successful activities into further monitoring and
policy development. This university has both a regional strategy
and a widening participation strategy and reports progress in
these areas through its strategic plan on an annual basis as well
as extensive monitoring by the Higher Education Funding Council
for Wales. It does not see the necessity for the new body to be
applied as an extra layer of bureaucracy.
24. As indicated above the University strongly
welcomes the improved support for those students undertaking part-time
study and the restoration of grants for students from low income
families although, as noted above, we believe that this is both
too low and set at too low a level in terms of the means testing
associated with it.
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
25. The University of Wales College, Newport
welcomes the emphasis on developing regional consortia between
business, further and higher education institutions. Indeed, the
University of Wales College, Newport is actively discussing the
feasibility of closer integration between UWCN and Coleg Gwent,
a major further education provider in Greater Gwent with over
30,000 students. It is likely that this feasibility study will
lead to much closer working relationships and possible integration
of many activities across the two institutions.
26. We believe that many of the aspirations
outlined in the White Paper, and previously articulated in other
reports such as Reaching Higher (the Welsh Higher Education Strategy
paper, March 2002) and in the Dearing Report, can only be met
by much closer working relationships between further and higher
education institutions. Again, the University of Wales College,
Newport has a long tradition in delivering higher education in
collaboration with further education college partners.
ECONOMIC REGENERATION
AND BUSINESS
LINKS
27. The University of Wales College, Newport
attaches great importance to knowledge transfer and is pleased
to note the emphasis placed on higher education and business links.
We believe that the contribution of universities to economic regeneration
via a wide range of activities, including commercial activity,
spinout initiatives, entrepreneurship development and consultancy
are worth emphasising.
28. We fully support the notion of a single
funding stream to institutions which provides for flexibility
in an institution's response to local, regional and national needs.
The rigidity and narrowness of some of the current funding activity
are not suited to supporting the range of activities and the strategic
agility and flexibility that is needed and the swiftness of response
that is required in today's climate.
29. This will also allow universities to
take an holistic approach to lifelong learning, on or off campus,
in the workplace, providing opportunities for learning through
a variety of different routes and modes, and ensure educational
opportunities are provided at a time, place and delivery mode
that suits the individual.
UNIVERSITY TITLE
30. The University of Wales College, Newport
believes that there should be further discussion on the use of
the University Title. It welcomes the intent behind the proposal.
Institutions which have an excellent record in teaching and learning
but do not yet have sufficient research activity to be titled
University should be seen as being of "University" standard
in relation to that teaching and learning. Nevertheless, we believe
that research and learning and teaching are inextricably linked
and that there should be some demonstrable research activity taking
place in institutions before they are able to use the title University.
31. Research is an integral part of a university's
activities helping to define the vitality and credibility of the
institution. Research active staff provide role models for undergraduate
students in relation to scholarship, excellence and innovation
which are the hallmarks of university education internationally.
32. A University without any research activity
is in many ways an educationally deprived environment. It would
be inappropriate and compounding the levels of deprivation to
recruit students from deprived backgrounds into a deprived higher
education environment. Some research and high levels of scholarly
activity underpin the notion of a University Title, although we
fully agree that the award of Research Degree Awarding Powers,
which is restrictive, should not be a prerequisite for such a
title.
This response is based on discussions which
have taken place at the Board of Governors, Academic Board, Management
Board and Directorate and is sent on behalf of the University
of Wales College, Newport.
April 2003
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