On the 1st Day of Cutmas ….

Posted by on Dec 9, 2010 in Blog, university, video | 10 comments I have just spent two days in London and, although I missed the rioutous student demo against tuition fees, I did stumble across some festive students yesterday outside Somerset House who were singing their protests with a parody on our favourite carols.  It’s very mild compared to some of the scenes from today, though I feel students have every right to feel angry as they face a future of...
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Why don’t we support young people?

Posted by on Dec 4, 2010 in Blog, university | 13 comments I remain convinced that the tripling of university tuition fees is regarded as an easy option for government to recoup funds towards the deficit, that today’s brightest young people are being unfairly targeted. I was also unconvinced by Danny Alexander’s defence of this massive increase on BBC Question Time, and a superb John Sergeant claimed that our government had coped before when...
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Tuition fees and student unrest

Posted by on Nov 25, 2010 in Blog, university | 5 comments My grave concern about tripling university tuition fees is that it is a flawed business plan. A bank would not lend thousands of pounds on the pretext that it might be paid back ONLY IF the students secures a job with a salary of £21,000. With the proposed changes mature students, for example, can take out a loan to pursue their own academic interests and have no intention of working afterwards....
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Nick Clegg cornered by Oxford graduate over soaring tuition fees

Posted by on Nov 17, 2010 in Blog, university | 9 comments A week after violent protests by students over the proposed tripling of university tuition fees, Nick Clegg was cornered by Oxford graduate Portia Murray who asked him to defend the promise Liberal Democrats made not to increase fees in their 2010 election manifesto. He gives his answer on this video, appearing uncomfortable at times, and states that as his party is not in power, they are unable...
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The great value of university alumni

Posted by on Oct 30, 2010 in university | 10 comments They say it’s not what you know, but who you know, and never has this been more essential than now for our troubled universities facing huge uncertainties over future funding. It means they actively need the support of any influential and glittering alumni – and preferably very rich ones – to act as their ambassadors and generously support fund-raising campaigns, as well as...
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An inspirational woman sold for £20

Posted by on Oct 25, 2010 in university | 4 comments I learned about a very special woman last week during a visit to Girton College, Cambridge.  This was established as the UK’s first woman’s college in 1869 and located two miles north of the city centre to discourage “marauding male” undergraduates and it wasn’t until 1979 that males were admitted. The college has a glittering alumni, including Arianna Huffington,...
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A stabbing, uni visit and ferris wheel ride in Sheffield

Posted by on Oct 19, 2010 in university | 2 comments My younger son James wanted to visit Sheffield Hallam University’s open day to have some back-up in case he fails to get into his first choice, which is Nottingham Trent, a firm favourite with many students I speak to, and well oversubscribed. As we approached the university, I found myself driving down a nearby backstreet as I wasn’t sure where my sat nav was directing me – and...
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Some questions for Lord Browne over soaring university tuition fees

Posted by on Oct 12, 2010 in university, updates | 2 comments The radical review of university tuition fees by Lord Browne will allow universities to charge unlimited fees. It proposes a free market in fees, though universities charging more than £6,000 a year would lose a proportion of the fee to help cover the cost of student borrowing. Not only does this sound complicated, it will also deter many poorer students from applying, and even “middle...
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Universities and business

Posted by on Sep 24, 2010 in university | 2 comments This weekend I’m attending the first of four university open days being held over the next few weeks with my younger son. He wants to study Business & Marketing and has shown an entrepreneurial flair from a young age by selling golf balls on his school bus, as well as sweets when they were banned, but I soon put a stop to that. Even his driving instructor became a customer and bought a...
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Writing a personal statement for university

Posted by on Sep 17, 2010 in university | 3 comments I went to a parents’ meeting at my youngest son’s school last night to advise us about his university application which has to be submitted soon. Yes, how did the years fly by so quickly! This presumably hadn’t been a problem for my eldest son as he was offered a place at his preferred choice, and I didn’t even get to read it before it was sent off via UCAS. I don’t...
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