Letter: Course numbers for university centre fail to inspire confidence
The student numbers provided by the University Centre Shrewsbury for the current academic year are precarious.
On undergraduate courses, there are 45 students enrolled on 12 courses, i.e. an average of 3.75 students per course. This is hardly the stuff of a robust, dynamic learning environment. Is this fair on the hardy few?
In 2014, I corresponded with the CEO of Shropshire Council about the partner institution to the University Centre, the University of Chester. Doubtless influenced by the Chester marketing machine, the CEO wrote to me that "The University of Chester is working to build further on (its) ratings, including improving its ranking in the Complete University Guide".
Despite the hubris that was sold to the our politicians at that time this project was initiated, in the Complete University Guide rankings, Chester University has dropped from 68th position in 2013, to 71st in 2014, to 78th in 2015 and 93rd in the latest 2016 rankings, out of 126 altogether.
According to the CEO of Shropshire Council, 22 UC students occupy the 86 or so rooms refurbished by the council and presumably paid for by the ratepayer from the £1 million allocated in 2014, an occupancy rate of 25 per cent. The random rent-free allocation of council properties for this project also comes with a cost in the form of loss of sale or rental income.
The current head of the council has opined on the demise of the similarly ill-informed ip&e project: "As an aspiration it was a good thing to do, but I think the problem was not only us getting into the market but that there were very large companies like Capita out there and we found ourselves in a very competitive market".
Exactly ditto for the University Centre with decisions being made on the basis of whim, vanity, ignorance of UK Higher Education and conflicted interests.
All this at a time when savings of £38 million are being sought by Shropshire Council, when community services benefitting local people (libraries stand out) throughout the county are being closed – and wrapped up in a Big Conversation!
Both the ip&e and university projects were approved nem con by all our councilors as I understand it.
Send us your letters for publication:
Email us at starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk or write to: Readers' Letters, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford, TF1 5HU. Letters MUST include the writer's name, address and telephone number. Letters will only be published anonymously in exceptional circumstances. The editor reserves the right to condense or amend letters.
