By TOM MARSHALL Wednesday, April 20, 2011 2:02 PM
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LONDON Metropolitan University is slashing the number of courses it runs by more than 70 per cent – putting jobs and students’ education at risk.
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The university, based in Holloway Road, Holloway, announced on Friday that it would be drastically reducing the number of courses it offers from 557 to 160 – and most arts and humanities departments are to be scrapped altogether.
There were desperate scenes when the news broke, with scores of angry students flooding the offices of the students’ union, and many breaking down in tears at the prospect of having to change courses or even universities to complete their degrees.
Claire Locke, communications and campaigns officer at London Met Students’ Union, said: “We were expecting cuts, but these are not cuts – this is an absolute massacre. It’s going to have a catastrophic impact on the students at London Met. We had 100 students in the office who were crying and devastated.”
The announcement was made shortly after the university revealed the fees it will be charging from autumn 2012. Unlike many similar universities, which are charging at or near to the maximum level of £9,000 a year for all courses, many programmes at London Met have been set at £4,500, while the average will be less than £7,000.
Ms Locke added: “Cutting the courses to such an extent and charging rock bottom prices will affect the value of former students’ degrees. Having the London Met stamp on my degree is not going to help me get a job.”
Departments that will be closed include history, philosophy and performing arts. The university is already in the process of making 130 jobs redundant, and these cuts are expected to increase that figure to hundreds.
The university has said the transition to the new course portfolio will begin in September, and it is expected to be complete by the following year – casting a shadow of uncertainty over the education of many students who started this year.
Cliff Snaith, secretary of the London Met branch of the University and College Union, said some undergraduates may have to change programme or even university because their subjects will be discontinued - and that he expects there to be more than 100 further job losses. He added: “The Vice Chancellor has argued that there is no demand for these courses, but that is total rubbish. History already has 32 applications for enrolment in 2011, and performing arts has 65. There’s no reason to cut these programmes at all.”
Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn took to twitter to vent his anger at the cuts on Friday, saying he was “appalled and disgusted”. Speaking later, he added: “Obliviously this puts a large number of jobs at risk, and students currently on courses about to be abolished are going to get a short deal. London Met brings in students who might not otherwise go into higher education, but these cuts will narrow their opportunities – which is wrong.”http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Professor Malcolm Gillies, Vice Chancellor of London Met, said: “Our new curricular focus will help us to target our resources much more keenly. A more uniform cohort size also gives more equitable distribution of teaching effort.
“The transition to this new curriculum will cause some pain, as we adjust to the new courses, but it underscores the university’s commitment both to quality education and social responsibility.”
(資料來源)
2011年5月10日 星期二
【新聞】教育部：大學自主治理明年試辦
（中央社記者倪國炎金門3日電）教育部高教司司長何卓飛今天表示，教育部推動國立大學自主治理，預定明年由成功大學、金門大學試辦，目的是要讓大學有更大權限、自主性，以及提升競爭力。
國立金門大學舉辦國立大學自主治理試辦方案政策說明會，由校長李金振主持，邀請何卓飛率高教司人員向金大教職員工和學生代表說明試辦方案。
何卓飛說，教育部3月推出的「中華民國教育報告書」，針對未來黃金10年教育發展規劃，其中大學自主治理為高等教育改革的政策之一，預定明年起試辦。
他表示，過去推動國立大學自主過程中，遭遇一些大學反彈，憂心大學法人化後，教職員身分改變為非公職體系，影響退撫權益；因此，教育部規劃由成功大學、金門大學試辦，做為全面推動大學自主的參考。
依據教育部的國立大學自主治理試辦方案，在不修法、現有人員權益不變前提下，分階段推動試辦，由試辦的大學成立「大學自主治理委員會」，可決策學雜費調整、招生名額等重大事項，逐步落實大學自主。
何卓飛指出，大學自主治理試辦的預期效益，包括提升學術競爭力、強化績效責任、促進專業管理、鼓勵外部資源及參與、解決爭議政策、轉型大學系統，希望大學有更大的競爭力。
說明會中，除了教育部做試辦方案政策說明外，金大、成大則提報自主治理籌辦過程，並且邀請清華大學、陽明大學、交通大學等校多名副校長提出經驗分享。1000503
出處：中央社
國立金門大學舉辦國立大學自主治理試辦方案政策說明會，由校長李金振主持，邀請何卓飛率高教司人員向金大教職員工和學生代表說明試辦方案。
何卓飛說，教育部3月推出的「中華民國教育報告書」，針對未來黃金10年教育發展規劃，其中大學自主治理為高等教育改革的政策之一，預定明年起試辦。
他表示，過去推動國立大學自主過程中，遭遇一些大學反彈，憂心大學法人化後，教職員身分改變為非公職體系，影響退撫權益；因此，教育部規劃由成功大學、金門大學試辦，做為全面推動大學自主的參考。
依據教育部的國立大學自主治理試辦方案，在不修法、現有人員權益不變前提下，分階段推動試辦，由試辦的大學成立「大學自主治理委員會」，可決策學雜費調整、招生名額等重大事項，逐步落實大學自主。
何卓飛指出，大學自主治理試辦的預期效益，包括提升學術競爭力、強化績效責任、促進專業管理、鼓勵外部資源及參與、解決爭議政策、轉型大學系統，希望大學有更大的競爭力。
說明會中，除了教育部做試辦方案政策說明外，金大、成大則提報自主治理籌辦過程，並且邀請清華大學、陽明大學、交通大學等校多名副校長提出經驗分享。1000503
出處：中央社
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