Universities hold lectures in the evening as student numbers soar

UNIVERSITIES are holding lectures as late as 8pm to cater for rising student numbers, it has emerged.

From next month, Lancaster University will hold classes into the evening in order to accommodate its student population. It is one of many institutions whose hours run into the evening, according to a survey carried out by the Times Higher Education magazine.

The “core” teaching hours at the University of East Anglia and Brunel University run until 8pm, although both say that an 8pm finish is a rarity, rather than the norm.

The lifting of student number controls in England in 2015 gave universities free rein to recruit as many undergraduates as they saw fit.

However, the move has led to accusations that universities now act like businesses, seeking to maximise revenues by recruiting as many students as possible.

Sam Gyimah, the universities minister, has criticised institutions for running “threadbare” courses in a rush to put “bums on seats”.

Lancaster University is hoping to increase the number of students at its Bailrigg campus from just under 12,000 to 17,000 by 2025.

A spokesman for the University and College Union, which represents lecturers, said: “Universities cannot simply stick extra lectures on at the start or end of the day and think they are dealing with the problems of increased student numbers or staff workloads.”

A spokesman for Lancaster University said: “We are making significant investment in our campus to provide additional lecture theatres and other teaching-related spaces. However, a combination of key factors, such as differences in student expansion across subjects, increased demand for larger lecture theatres and larger cohorts on key modules, means there is pressure on our current teaching timetable – which is likely to remain until new facilities are built.”