SUBJECT: future of higher education , feedback welcome I 'm being asked to offer feedback through the royal academy of engineering , on government policy on HE . ( see below ) I 'd appreciate any comments anyone has ( I nearly missed this as the &NAME Lock in the original subject line below triggered a high level of spam ... &SMILEY - ------ Forwarded Message To : ' ' &EMAIL '' ( &EMAIL ) Subject : THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION - From Dr &NAME &NAME , &NAME &CHAR Manager Engineering Policy &NAME : Wed , &NUM &NAME &NUM &NUM : &NUM : &NUM &NUM The Future of Higher Education The government recently released its White Paper on the ' Future of Higher Education ' , an extensive document detailing its proposals to restructure and fund the HE sector over the next &NUM years , building up what it claims to be a ' radical picture of a freer future ' . The report can be accessed on the website of the Department for Education and Skills at &WEBSITE Although media attention has focussed on deferred financial contributions from graduates and allowing institutions to set their own course fees , the paper also covers many other areas regarding the expansion , funding , and assessment of higher education institutes . There are many points that could be made about the proposed reforms , but the most important issues are presented in the attached annex . It is believed important that The &NAME &NAME of Engineering should comment on the White Paper , and I am writing to a number of Fellows seeking views from which a response may be prepared . The attached outline should be used as a guide , although please do not feel that it is necessary to comment on all areas , as we are aware that it is extensive . Any additional points you have to make regarding the White Paper would be most welcome . I would appreciate if any responses could reach me by Monday 17th March , and look forward to hearing your opinions on this matter . Yours , &NAME &NAME &NUM Expansion a. Must the sector expand any further ? Are there benefits in having &NUM of the population aged &NUM undertake a University degree ? b. The government 's initiatives to promote fair access include : reforming the funding scheme , providing grants for students from lower income families , and appointing an independent Access Regulator to oversee admissions . Are these measures enough ? What should the government do to promote fair access to higher education ? c. Is the appointment of an independent Access Regulator welcomed ? d. The bulk of expansion will be towards more two-year work-focused foundation degrees . Are these a good idea ? &NUM Education and the Business Economy a. The report makes much of ' harnessing knowledge to wealth creation ' . Is the present government 's focus on the financial benefits of a university education , and financial returns from university research damaging ? Can the benefits of academia , whether research or teaching , be measured in purely financial terms ? b. In order to encourage the transfer of knowledge and technologies between academia and business the government is setting up a network of ' Knowledge Exchanges ' , and increasing the funding to the Higher Education Innovation Fund . Are such initiatives worthwhile , or would the funding be better spent in other ways ? &NUM Funding of Infrastructure and Teaching a. The government is aiming to ' undo the years of under-investment ' in higher education . This is to be accomplished by increasing the funding available by more than &NUM percent over the next &NUM years , developing incentives to support and improve research , investing more in leading research departments , and increasing spending on research . Are these measures enough ? Are the figures the government provides enough to reverse the trend of under investment in this sector ? b. Should universities be allowed to set their own fees ( or ' Graduate Contributions ' ) per course ? Is it fair to tie such fees to an Access &NAME ? &CHAR . Can the government do more to encourage the creation of endowment funds ? &NUM Student Finance a. Are the proposals for student finance fair ? Is it reasonable to ask students to contribute to their education by paying fees ? Is a deferred contribution the best way to administer this ? b. &NAME the current proposals to increase student debt act as a deterrent to students contemplating entry into higher education ? Is the introduction of higher levels of student debt at odds with the governments aim to increase access to universities ? c. The proposals for student debt do not take into consideration the fact that a large proportion of women take career breaks to raise a family . With the average salary for women graduates lower than that of men , this would mean that most women would take longer to pay back their student debts than their male counterparts . Does the governments proposals for deferred contributions disadvantage women ? &NUM Research Assessment a. The government aims to develop criteria to assess the strength and quality of research . Is this necessary , or welcomed ? Should the government be directly involved in the choice of the type of research that is funded ? b. Is creating a new ' &NUM * ' category in the Research Assessment Exercise necessary ? &NUM . Teaching a. The government has proposed new national professional standards for teaching , and a new body to develop and promote good teaching - the &NAME &NAME &NAME . Are these welcomed ? b. The government has proposed a national training programme for external examiners . Is this necessary ? c. The University title will be made dependent on teaching degree awarding powers , meaning it will no longer be necessary to have research degree awarding powers to become a university . Is it wise to divorce teaching and research in this manner ? Should a ' University ' have to award research as well as teaching degrees ? d. Is there a demand for the establishment of an independent adjudicator to deal with student complaints ? Should government provide legislation for this ? &NUM Are there any other points that you think should be raised regarding this paper ? - ------ End of Forwarded Message