19.03.07
1994 Group Welcomes the Publication of the Prime Minister's Policy Review 'Building on Progress: Public Services'
The 1994 Group welcomed the publication today of the Prime Minister's first policy review document 'Building on Progress: Public Services'.
Responding to the publication, Paul M. Marshall, Executive Director of the 1994 Group, said:
'The 1994 Group welcomes the Prime Minister's statement today. The Prime Minister had quite rightly identified the increased pressure for the delivery of a high quality student experience that universities have faced following the introduction of the new variable fee system.
As students assume more and more financial responsibility, this is undoubtedly affecting the choices they make as they start life at university. Inevitably, attitude and expectations are shifting.'
One of the major aspects that distinguishes the 1994 Group from other parts of the sector its commitment to the student experience. So that we can continue to attract the best students, we must appreciate and understand the changes in their attitudes towards higher education, and the expectations they have of their universities.
Through the Student Experience Policy Group, and in active partnership with the NUS, and other key sector stakeholders, the Group is engaged in a project to enhance the student experience at member institutions. This project, the first stage of which is due to be completed in October 2007, will have a number of key outputs, the potentially most exciting of which is a set of common values around the student experience which can be used to promote the Group.
'The Higher Education sector in the UK is not a homogenous blob,' said Mr Marshall. 'We believe the identification and promotion our institutions joint values will provide applicants with a greater understanding of the sector and will make student choice easier with the rapidly diversifying market.'
Notes for editors
Building on Progress: Public Services, was published on 19 March 2007 and was launched by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Tony Blair, this morning. Section 6: 'Opening Up Supply' includes the following statement: 'In several areas, greater contestability is being introduced - such as in higher education (HE) and further education (FE). For example, in HE the introduction of tuition fees has led to increased pressure from universities to perform and to clarify the respective responsibilities of the university and the students.' (Paragraph 6.18, page 48)
The 1994 Group is consistently the best performer in the National Student Survey compared to other mission groups and the sector. In the 2006 National Student Survey, the four top rated universities belong to the 1994 Group. Beyond that, its members make up six of the top ten and ten of the top eighteen universities across the UK. Of the 42 subject groupings in the survey, 1994 Group universities received the most student satisfaction in eighteen, compared to six at the Russell Group and three at the CMU.
Established in 1994, the 1994 Group brings together nineteen internationally renowned, research-intensive universities. The Group provides a central vehicle to help members promote their common interests in higher education, respond efficiently to key policy issues, and share best methods and practice.
The 1994 Group represents nineteen of the most research-intensive universities in the UK. Our members tend to be campus-based, small- to medium-sized institutions. They operate on a scale which allows them to respond rapidly and flexibly to student needs whilst having sufficient size to make a substantial contribution to high-quality research.
Our members make the research and teaching experience more personal, maximising contact between staff and students. The majority of the top 1994 Group academics who achieved outstanding results in the Research Assessment Exercise also teach. The Group's aggregate performance in the National Student Survey substantially exceeds the sector as a whole.
Members of the 1994 Group are Bath, Birkbeck University of London, Durham, East Anglia, Essex, Exeter, Goldsmiths University of London, Lancaster, Leicester, Loughborough, Queen Mary University of London, Reading, Royal Holloway University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies University of London, St Andrews, Surrey, Sussex, Warwick and York.
Press Enquiries: Paul M. Marshall, Executive Director, 1994 Group, 0207 164 2095
1994 Group: www.1994group.co.uk