Warwick faces modified Vision 2015, says VC

The Vice Chancellor has declared that he would be willing to call for a rise in the tuition fee cap “under certain circumstances”.

In a wide-ranging interview with Warwick student media, Nigel Thrift said that “it had to be shown that it [a rise in the cap] did not have adverse effects on social equity” and that the “jury was still out” on this issue.

However, he also indicated that such adverse effects were not presently being realised at the moment; “they don’t seem to be”, he said.

He denied taking part in the March BBC survey of Vice Chancellors, a majority of whom anonymously said that the cap should rise.

Asked whether he was ambivalent between no fees and a £20,000 contribution, he refused to be drawn on a definite figure.

“We all know that there’s not going to be £20,000 tuition fees […]but I don’t think that it’s a bad thing for students to have to contribute in some way. The point is the amount and I don’t have an answer to that”.

Professor Thrift admitted that it might come to a point after the next election when the University will have to call for higher fees in the face of public spending cuts which would reduce the higher education sector’s funding.

However, he also thought that the, “increase in tuition fees wasn’t simply put there to make up for a shortfall in university funding because of public spending cuts”.

He said that this was another important condition.

The Vice Chancellor’s stance is a marked change from official view as indicated in his past media appearances.

In the past, Professor Thrift had maintained that the outcome of the tuition fee review launched this year would have to be considered before making any judgment at all.

He was also open to other options concerning funding streams, including the NUS’s proposal for a graduate tax.

The Student Union’s Education Officer, Mo Surve, said,”I believe Professor Thrift has made a good decision to keep out of the debate to side one way or another until after the outcome of the fees review is known. I would not call this ‘sitting on the fence’. Instead, I think this viewpoint demonstrates that the review has to be approached with an open mind.”

Emphasising the cuts in grants which are already happening, he warned of a more financially constrained future for higher education:

“One thing that you can know is that there is not going to be increased money coming into higher education […] I don’t think that there is any way that over the next three to four years that higher education will have anything other than in public funding terms, cuts”.

But, owing their lower level of concentration used by the University compared to other institutions, he thought that Warwick was “better placed” to deal with cuts in HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) grants.

However, he admitted that Vision 2015 was a vision “we’re going to have to modify” due to tight finances. He remained unspecific, but said some building projects might have to be deferred.

The Vice Chancellor also remained adamant that his goal of a £12 million surplus was achievable through 5 per cent cuts in each department. He said “Actually, interestingly, quite a few departments will be able to achieve that; there will be difficulties in others.”

He maintained that these difficulties would not involve redundancies: “I mean the first thing to say is that we’re trying to do all sorts of things to prevent us having to go to that particular place.”

The Vice Chancellor consistently emphasised the bleaker future now facing Higher Education, and the need to continue investing, “those institutions which keep investing are that ones that come out in better shape the other side”.

Thrift also voiced his opposition to the government’s cap on student numbers, stating “I am absolutely against the cap”.

In addition, he declined to consider a pay cut in the current economic climate.

Having already decided to reject a pay rise earlier in the year, he refused to consider handing some of his earnings back to the University, claims that his salary was an issue for the University’s remuneration committee.

Questioned on other issues, the Vice Chancellor denied that there was an inevitable tradeoff between the University’s research ratings versus student satisfaction, given the significant recorded cap in the current league tables.

On the topic of international students the Vice Chancellor was clear in his stance on integration. While he said that more integration is, of course, ideal, he said “this is something I throw back to the students” as there is only so much the University can do.

The issue of spying on international students, a government plan to ensure they are actually students, seemed to not be a significant problem. Thrift explained that Warwick is planning on implementing a scheme to monitor students attendance, but that it would apply to all students and that international students would not be singled out.

[The full transcript](/news/2009/jun/23/interview-vice-chancellor-full-transcript/) of the interview with the Vice Chancellor is available.