The University of Chichester strongly rejects the attempt by the University and College Union (UCU) report to classify the university as at ‘high risk’ of serious impact from the Browne Review proposals.
Professor Clive Behagg, Acting Vice-Chancellor, said: “I trust that people will not be misled by this report which completely fails to gauge the capacity of a university to thrive in the new framework. It fails to take into consideration the current financial position of universities, the impressive track record of institutions in managing change, or their capacity to replace the lost Government funding with fees.
“We do not accept the assumptions, methodology and conclusion which have been arrived at with the sole purpose of influencing the House of Commons vote tomorrow night. The data has been specifically handpicked and conflated to purposely produce a result that sees the maximum number of universities classified as ‘at risk’ in UCU’s self-invented scales.
“It is absurd to list the University of Chichester as being ‘at risk’.
“Chichester’s applications are up by 40 per cent against a national rise of 12 per cent. Student satisfaction scores and completion rates are amongst the highest in the modern university sector. We clearly have a desirable product that students want to purchase and they will do so in the new framework.
“Chichester is financially sustainable, now and in the future. HEFCE stipulates universities should retain 30 days of cash in reserve - Chichester has 104. We achieved a surplus this year of £2.2m over an income of £37m (our highest ever), we have £9.5m in reserves and are currently investing £13m in new capital projects that will make us one of the best placed institutions to deal with the challenges of the future.
“There have been many wild speculations on the future since the publication of the Browne Review. UCU should reflect upon the unnecessary damage it could do to confidence in institutions, that are as successful as they are stable, by its unfounded crystal-ball gazing.”
Posts
