07.12.09
86% of UK public back investment in universities to maintain quality of teaching and research
A ComRes poll, commissioned by the 1994 Group of leading universities, shows that 86% of the UK public back further investment in higher education to maintain the quality of teaching and research.
Speaking at a policy roundtable debate today, Professor Paul Wellings, Chair of the 1994 Group and Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University said:
"This overwhelming support for further investment in our universities highlights that the public understand high quality universities are vital to individuals, our economy and society. Universities need long-term sustainable funding to maintain a high quality student experience, deliver world-class research and develop the highly skilled graduates our nation needs. In an environment with tight financial resources the public is opting for continued investment in higher education."
"With clear public support for further investment, the difficult question of where future funds will come from has to be a central question for higher education policy in the next 12 months. The challenge is to find a system which is fair and sustainable, while balancing the relative contributions made by those leaving university with a degree and other taxpayers. This poll suggests that a higher proportion of those polled agree with the proposition that a greater contribution should come from graduates benefiting financially from their university experience."
Sean O'Shea, Chief Executive of UPP, added:
"As the leading on-campus provider of student accommodation and campus infrastructure we, at UPP, believe it is imperative that Universities are appropriately funded and that we need to be flexible and forward thinking about sources of funding. We work in long-term partnerships with universities and have drawn £1 billion of private investment into the sector, including £250 million over the last three months. It is clear that investment is crucial to the ongoing success of the Higher Education sector, which has a critical part to play in the future of the knowledge based economy."
Today's (Tuesday 1st December) policy roundtable entitled ‘The Future of Quality Higher Education: How can we secure sufficient funding at a time of recession?' was organised by the 1994 Group of leading research-intensive universities, in partnership with the University Partnership Programme (UPP), a leading provider of student accommodation and campus infrastructure. Speakers included David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Universities and Skills; Professor Paul Wellings, Chair, 1994 Group and Vice-Chancellor, Lancaster University; Sean O'Shea, Chief Executive, UPP; Richard Wainer, Head of Education and Skills, CBI and Anna Fazackerley, Head of Education Unit, Policy Exchange.
Notesrnto Editors
1. ComRes telephoned 1,001 adults across the UK on 25th to 26th November, asking their views on the current system of funding for universities, given the pressure on government finances and the increasing numbers of undergraduates. The results of the poll are summarised below.
Q: "Given the pressures on government finances and increasing undergraduate numbers, the current system of funding universities is not sustainable. There are several options for tackling this, but which one of the following statements do you agree with most when it comes to responding to this situation?
§ 45% of people agree that "The quality of university teaching and research should be maintained and it should be funded by a greater contribution from graduates once they are benefiting financially from their university experience
§ 41% agree that "The quality of university teaching and research should be maintained and it should be funded by a rise in overall income tax rate for everyone
§ 7% of people think that "no investment in universities should be made even if it means a deterioration in the quality of teaching and research."
§ 7% said that they "Don't know"
Data were weighted to be representative of all adults. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full tables at www.comres.co.uk (from Tuesday morning)
2. The 1994 Group represents 19 of UK's leading student-focused research-intensive universities. It was established in 1994 to promote excellence in University research and teaching. 7 of the top 10 universities for student experience are 1994 Group Universities (2009 National Student Survey) 1994 Group members include 10 of the top 18 universities in the UK in The Guardian University Guide League Table published on the 12th May 2009.
3. Thern1994 Group represents: University of Bath, Birkbeck University of London, Durham University, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Exeter, Goldsmiths University of London, Institute of Education University of London, Royal Holloway University of London, Lancaster University, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, Queen Mary University of London, University of Reading, University of St Andrews, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, University of York.
4. UniversityrnPartnerships Programme (UPP) is the trading name of the UPP Group of companies. It specialises in funding, developing and operating student accommodation schemes. It has invested £1 billion in the higher education sector and plans to invest a further £1 billion over the next two years. UPP is engaged in long-term partnerships with universities, including a number of universities that are members of the 1994 Group.
5. Press Enquiries, please contact Alistair Jarvis, Director of Communications, 1994 Group. Tel: 07779 232731. Email: alistair.jarvis@1994group.co.uk