Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2002): Education - UK - Higher
THE CASE OF THE MISSING PROFESSORS
S Court
Public Finance, July 25th-Aug 1st 2002, p.26-27
Reports that spending cuts affecting university medical schools are leading to redundancies amongst academic staff as teaching and research posts are cut back. In addition there are hundreds of unfilled clinical academic posts because of recruitment and retention difficulties in medical education. This means there will be insufficient staff to train the extra doctors needed to improve services and cut waiting times in the NHS.
FOR A RADICAL HIGHER EDUCATION: AFTER POSTMODERNISM
R Taylor, J Barr and T Steele
Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education, 2002
This book explores current policy development for higher education in the UK based on postmodernist ideas. It considers postmodernist approaches through social and political theory, philosophy, cultural studies and feminism and proposes radical alternatives.
LIBRARY RESOURCES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Education and Skills Committee
London: TSO, 2002 (House of Commons papers, session 2001/02; HC 804)
Welcomes the collaborative approach which the British Library and the funding councils for higher education have used in developing a strategy to provide researchers with access to world class information resources. Supports the digitisation of British Library resources to widen access and the creation of a national electronic research library as envisaged by the Research Support Libraries Group (RSLG).
PARENTS INSURE AGAINST THE RISK OF STUDENT DROPOUTS
G Owen,
Times, Aug 1st 2002, p.7
Reports that parents are taking out insurance to cover the costs of wasted tuition fees and repayment of student loans if their children drop out of university courses. These policies are likely to become common-place if government carries out its plans to increase fees charged to students from affluent backgrounds.
PERCEPTIONS OF THE CONTEMPORARY ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP
G Benmore
International Studies in Sociology of Education, vol. 12, 2002, p.43-58
Study investigated the impact of managerialist approaches on a small group of academic staff in a UK college of higher education. Identifies four responses to managerial attempts to intensify work and reduce professional autonomy: exit, reinterpretation of the effort-reward bargain, self development and conformity.
STUDENT GRANTS RETURN TO STEM CAMPUS ANGER
T Baldwin
Times, Aug 8th 2002, p.1
Predicts that the government will reinstate means-tested maintenance allowances of up to £30.00 per week for university students from 2004. They will be conditional on students attending lectures and completing courses. Universities may also be allowed limited freedom to set higher fees for expensive or elite courses.
(See also Daily Telegraph, Aug 8th 2002, p.11)
UNIVERSITY PAYS OUT £30,000 TO DISSATISFIED LAW STUDENT
L Lightfoot
Daily Telegraph, July 31st 2002, p.1+2
Reports that a mature law student has sued Wolverhampton University for misrepresentation and breach of contract at the end of the first year of his degree course. He complained of exam errors, overcrowding and poor teaching. He has been awarded £30,000 in an out of court settlement.