Huge drop in students is a 'wake-up call' (From Salisbury Journal)
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The University of Southampton will have 600 fewer students this year
2:16pm Saturday 8th September 2012 in Education
By Jon Reeve, Education Reporter
University of Southampton vice-chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam
The University of Southampton will have 600 fewer students starting later this month compared to last year’s intake.
The vice-chancellor has described the slump in numbers as a “wake-up call”.
The university has been unable to find enough high-performing students to fill gaps on courses and was forced to turn away hundreds of bright candidates because they did not get the right grades.
A Government cap, which has been placed on all higher education institutions, meant it could only recruit around 1,500 undergraduates with A-level grades lower than AAB.
Although Southamp-ton was able to enlist an unlimited number of top-performing students, it only managed to sign up 200 through the clearing process for those without places once results are announced.
With the proportion of A and A* grades awarded dropping for the first time in 20 years, vice-chancellor Don Nutbeam said the pool of elite students simply “dried up”.
He revealed the situation in an email, seen by the Daily Echo, sent to the 5,000 staff employed at the Highfield-based institution.
The intake slump comes as students are faced with vastly increased tuition fees of £9,000-a-year, introduced by the Government as it drastically cuts central grants for higher education.
Southampton’s funding fell by eight per cent this year, with a £9.3m reduction in the cash for teaching softened by a £1m rise in its grant for research.
And although there has been a drop in the number of British undergraduates re-cruited, the 600-student drop on the usual intake of between 5,000 and 5,500 has been cushioned slightly by an increase in those coming to study from abroad, who pay even more in tuition fees.
Prof Nutbeam said the situation must not be repeated next year, but promised not to “over-react”, and insisted the university, which has an annual turnover of £435m, would cope.
Prof Nutbeam said: “This has been a cruel year for the 2012 intake who have had to deal with increased fees, tough A-level marking, and a one-year artificial set of controls on university access.
“Fortunately, because of the efficiencies we have worked so hard to achieve in the past two years, the university is able to cope financially with the consequences of this downturn in intake in this year.”
Comments(14)
southy
says...
10:07am Sun 9 Sep 12
MBHants
says...
11:07am Sun 9 Sep 12
southy wrote:Yes, Universities must be finding it hard, as a nation we seem to be failing even at the basic literacy level.
Next it be Universitys goning bankrupt.
loosehead
says...
11:48am Sun 9 Sep 12
southy wrote:That should be good for you then Southy.
Next it be Universitys goning bankrupt.
Less students less private rip off capitalist landlords should be heaven to a socialist like you shouldn't it?
jonnyx
says...
12:46pm Sun 9 Sep 12
loosehead wrote:Fewer. Not less.
southy wrote:That should be good for you then Southy.
Next it be Universitys goning bankrupt.
Less students less private rip off capitalist landlords should be heaven to a socialist like you shouldn't it?
georgetheseventh
says...
2:27pm Sun 9 Sep 12
use they are thick ?
MGRA
says...
2:53pm Sun 9 Sep 12
loosehead
says...
9:29pm Sun 9 Sep 12
jonnyx wrote:Sorry Fewer.
loosehead wrote:Fewer. Not less.
southy wrote:That should be good for you then Southy.
Next it be Universitys goning bankrupt.
Less students less private rip off capitalist landlords should be heaven to a socialist like you shouldn't it?
loosehead
says...
9:35pm Sun 9 Sep 12
I went down to get my student ID card on Friday.
On Saturday I received a letter telling me it was postponed with no start up date & no offer of a repayment & it had in Solidarity comrade on it?
I phoned up reception & asked to have my money back so I could look elsewhere ( Learn Direct) the receptionist couldn't believe I wasn't offered a refund & told me it was a course done with the Union.
I think the students ought to be aware of such courses & steer well clear
HerbertC
says...
9:39pm Sun 9 Sep 12
Unfortunately, a large proportion of higher education is still based on prestige and ego. So'ton Uni gives massive emphasis to its membership of the Russell Group. That means that one of its main priorities is getting research papers and publications judged as being of world class standard. Absolutely nothing to do with the standard of teaching the students receive. In my experience, some of the teaching at So'ton Uni is pretty poor.
Surely it's only a matter of time before a "top" UK university creates a two year undergraduate degree course. Much cheaper for the students and much more efficient all round - how are the long vacations justified at £9k per year?. Yet will it happen? I doubt it. Too many vested interests from the Uni and its staff (quiet summers, long holidays, conferences in exotic locations, flexible working days, "working from home", etc.)
chavfreezone
says...
8:20am Mon 10 Sep 12
Georgem
says...
10:00am Mon 10 Sep 12
HerbertC wrote:> Surely it's only a matter of time before...
I think most universities, including Southampton, are still living in cloud cuckoo land. Frankly, they don't have a clue how to run a lean and efficient organisation.
Unfortunately, a large proportion of higher education is still based on prestige and ego. So'ton Uni gives massive emphasis to its membership of the Russell Group. That means that one of its main priorities is getting research papers and publications judged as being of world class standard. Absolutely nothing to do with the standard of teaching the students receive. In my experience, some of the teaching at So'ton Uni is pretty poor.
Surely it's only a matter of time before a "top" UK university creates a two year undergraduate degree course. Much cheaper for the students and much more efficient all round - how are the long vacations justified at £9k per year?. Yet will it happen? I doubt it. Too many vested interests from the Uni and its staff (quiet summers, long holidays, conferences in exotic locations, flexible working days, "working from home", etc.)
> Yet will it happen? I doubt it
Make your mind up!
Shoong
says...
10:49am Mon 10 Sep 12
xenolizes
says...
2:39pm Mon 10 Sep 12
chavfreezone wrote:Not only that they are building another 16 story student accommodation block on the corner of west park road. for about 1000 students, how can the council justify this with a drop of 600 students this year....
and still they will inflict the 14 story towerblock student village in swaythling where homes for locals and families are needed. 2 other big applications in high road swaythling for student only flats as well. No parking for any of them.
http://planningpubli
caccess.southampton.
gov.uk/online-applic
ations/applicationDe
tails.do?activeTab=s
ummary&keyVal=M3FYN3
OZ04800
Huffter says...
6:58pm Sat 8 Sep 12