Twenty new campuses planned to combat university overcrowding

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Westminster has announced £150 million plans to build twenty new university campuses over the next six years.

The plans will accommodate 10,000 students, and are designed to help ensure access to higher education in all regions while boosting economic regeneration of deprived areas.

John Denham, Universities Secretary, has invited local and regional authorities and development agencies to enter a ‘university challenge’ to bid for funding for the new further education centres.

Mr Denham said: “Communities should have the chance to show they can make the most of the power of higher education, to help unlock the talent of their local people and help make them better off.”

The new campuses may be linked to existing institutions, or entirely new establishments could be created in areas that suffer from high unemployment.

The scheme is intended to improve access to those from impoverished backgrounds who are deterred from studying at a degree level by the prospect of student loans and the costs associated with living away from home.

David Eastwood, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), said: “Such developments can have a profound impact on economic regeneration as well as transforming the lives of students with no previous experience of higher education.”

The HEFCE will lead the consultation, arguing that over six million adults who have no qualifications past A levels standard or equivalent will be encouraged to enroll in degree level courses because of the increased convenience of local institutions.

Mr Denham agreed, arguing that an increase of one per cent of the population educated to university level would benefit GDP growth by six percentage points.

The higher education sector currently supports approximately 600,000 jobs, contributing £50 billion to the economy. In comparison to those without university qualifications, graduates enjoy considerably lower rates of unemployment - 2.9 per cent as opposed to six per cent.

Scotland already has in place a system that allows students in geographically disparate areas to study at university.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland Institute offers vocational courses, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and research opportunities to those living in North Scotland.

The institute oversees a partnership of colleges and research institutions associated with network and outreach learning centers, varying in size, that maintain an individual approach to student learning.

James Alexander, President of National Union of Students in Scotland, likened the Institute's initiative to Westminster’s plans for campus expansion.

Mr Alexander told The Journal: “The Institute operates a whole network of small colleges scattered around remote areas of Scotland.

“It allows a small number of students on the Shetland Islands, for example, to video link with a larger institution in Perth, so effectively 50 people spread over 100 miles are connected.”

Mr Alexander said that although decisions made at Westminster do not affect Scottish universities directly, he welcomed the planned changes.

He said: “This is a positive development; it is important to improve access at a local level, so that facilities are available to all regardless of geographical locality.

“Even though local programmes have proved successful, the Scottish government should take into consideration the measures introduced by the UK government in order to continue to widen participation.”

However, a spokesperson for Universities Scotland emphasized the importance of Scotland focusing on Scottish issues.

He told The Journal: "Devolution is about allowing different parts of the UK to pursue the strategies that the devolved administrations think will work best.

“In Scotland we are maintaining a strategic approach which has served us well and which we think will continue to do so.

“The developments in England are a response by the government to what it believes are the challenges facing it. We are not making our policies as a response to England but as a response to Scottish needs.”

At the same time as Westminster attempts to widen access to education through the creation of new campuses, the government is facing criticism for cutting funding allocated to widening access at the Russell Group of elite universities.

The funding was designed to assist universities in recruiting and retaining students from poorer backgrounds by providing them with increased pastoral and academic support.

Millions of pounds that were assigned to leading research intensive universities have been re-allotted to former polytechnics.

Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union, said: "This kind of flip-flop funding policy can only undermine widening participation.

“Changes this year to the way money for widening participation is allocated appear, intentionally or otherwise, to have created a situation where institutions with a poor record on widening participation receive less money and newer universities with a better record receive more.”

An investigation by The Guardian has revealed that although the government has increased the budget for widening access from £15 to £364 million, 50 out of 90 universities are facing cutbacks and 10 out of the 14 universities in the Russell Group will sustain losses.

Cambridge and Oxford suffered a decrease of 44 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively, in funds aimed at widening participation. Bristol, Manchester and UCL are all facing cuts of between 6 and 22 per cent.

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