‘Quality learning and student support must be protected’
Universities are drivers of the Welsh economy and redundancies announced last week should concern us all, says Simon Dunn, Unison organiser for higher education
The mass redundancies announced last week at the University of South Wales (USW) and University of Wales, Trinity Saint David should concern us all.
As centres of local learning and culture and as drivers of the Welsh economy, these universities are vital assets to be nurtured.
We want the Welsh government to consider whether intervention is necessary.
The 139 job losses at USW and news all staff at Trinity St David have been asked to consider voluntary redundancy have, in part, been painted as a consequence of Brexit.
Whilst it is true a decline in applications from EU students is significant, it is one of several factors and it is important to understand the UK Conservative government has actively sought to substantially reduce foreign student numbers.
This, coupled with the Conservatives’ forced marketisation of universities in England has created severe financial challenges for the Welsh higher education sector.
The contribution of foreign students to Wales was valued by Oxford ONE of my first engagements as the new vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University was a question and answer session at the Students’ Union (AUSU) annual council meeting.
It came at the end of my first day in post and followed a big staff meeting but I didn’t want to miss this early opportunity to engage directly with students.
Ahead of the event, the union had asked members what their top three priorities would be for me as their new VC.
More than 170 questions came in covering academic issues as well as accommodation, student well-being and sports facilities. I didn’t get round to answering them all on the night in what was a lively, democratic forum and the sort of meeting which no doubt led to Aberystwyth Students’ Union being voted the best in Wales at last month’s annual NUS Wales conference in Llandudno. Economics in 2011 at £237m, equivalent to 0.5% of the Welsh economy. According to Ucas, numbers applying to study at British universities have decreased by 5% and EU applicant figures decreased by 7%. Domestic applications to study in Wales have fallen by 7%.
Demographic change means we have fewer 18-year-olds going to university.
UK government immigration policy changes introduced by the then Home Secretary Theresa May have contributed to the fall in overseas students attending our universities.
I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to life at Aberystwyth University than meeting those who are the primary reason for our existence and our success as an institution. Students must be at the heart of everything we do as leaders in the higher education sector and I am committed to ensuring that their voice is heard at the highest level of decision-making at Aberystwyth.
As well as regular meetings with student representatives, Aberystwyth University has a range of effective mechanisms and initiatives for students to have their say. The ultimate aim of gathering such feedback is to improve the quality of teaching and provide students with a positive learning experience.
It gives a powerful voice to the
In December last year, The Guardian newspaper reported the Home Office is considering cutting international student numbers at UK universities by nearly half in an effort to meet the Prime Minister’s immigration targets.
Not surprisingly, a 2014 NUS survey of foreign students reported over half felt that the Government was hostile to them and 19% would not recommend the UK as a place of study.
Wales’ distinctive approach towards lowering costs for students and a less market-driven model is under pressure from the English student body and it’s one of the reasons for our exceptional performance in the 2016 NSS, which saw Aberystwyth ranked fourth of all broad-based universities in the UK for overall student satisfaction.
Listening to the student voice has always been important and it will continue to be so. Much has been written in recent years about a shift in the relationship between students and universities since the introduction of tuition fees. Students now directly contribute the largest part of income for any HEI and coupled with the lifting of the cap on student numbers in England and other factors, there is now increasing competition for applicants across the sector.
As institutions, we are having to operate on a more commercial basis but we will not lose sight of the fact that students are so much more than customers in a mrket-driven, knowledge economy.
Choosing to study at university is trend towards marketisation and huge student debts. In reality this has led to aggressive marketing by universities to increase student recruitment.
Previously, universities received most of their money from governments and research bodies. A significant proportion of their funding is now linked to student fees, and therefore a fluctuation in student numbers can lead to serious financial shortfalls.
If savings need to be made, it should not be at the cost of frontline workers. Unison members play a crucial role in delivering high quality not about paying tuition fees and buying a degree in return. We want to be sustainable but, as with any charity, we are not driven by profit. Any surpluses we generate are re-invested into the operation improving facilities. Higher education is a pathway to enlightenment and a preparation for employment as well as a focus for ground-breaking research.
For many, it is also an introduction to independent living and a place where friendships are forged for life.
I caught a flavour of Aber life when I visited the town back in the autumn, shortly before applying for the position of VC. As I walked from Old College’s seafront location up to Penglais campus, looking at the old and the new while seeing lots of sporting activity and the community using the Arts Centre, I could see what people meant when they referred to Aber as a special place. Based in a unique location, the university education, whether in the laboratory, library or making sure students have a safe and clean environment to study in. Universities should start by looking at the balance of senior management posts compared to staff teaching and supporting students.
Unison has been highlighting the stark difference between pay at a senior levels in universities compared to the majority of their staff.
Universities say their executive pay is comparable to that at English universities but a better comparison is to measure Welsh university pay against local authorities’ executives in Wales.
No council chief earns the £222,000 or the £218,000 the USW and University of Wales vice-chancellors receive.
The excessive remuneration of Welsh vice-chancellors is in stark contrast to the squeezed wages of the lowest paid employees. Trinity St David has more than 180 members of support staff on zero hours contracts and 267 staff are paid below the Living Wage and in addition USW spent nearly £500,000 using agency staff in the last year, according to a Freedom of Information disclosure to Unison.
Universities are not in immediate trouble, USW for example, has significant reserves, and they could use resources they have banked to protect and invest in staff.
There is a clear role for Welsh Government to examine how universities respond to the current financial challenges, and Unison will continue to fight to defend our members’ jobs because the quality of learning and student support must be protected. has a proud history as an important national and international academic institution firmly rooted in its community.
As I approach the end of my first week here, I am very much in listening mode. My meeting with students on Monday marked the beginning of a lasting dialogue. In the coming days, weeks and months, I will also be meeting more staff as well as alumni and members of the local community.
My aim as vice-chancellor is to position Aberystwyth University firmly in today’s changing higher education landscape, ensuring that it serves its students and community to the best of its ability as both a teaching and research institution. By working together, we will forge a stronger, sustainable university for the future.
Professor Elizabeth Treasure is vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University