Warwick praised for use of tuition fee income

In a recent report entitled Where Student Fees Go by Universities UK, the University of Warwick was praised for helping students become “successful scholars and employable graduates”.

In the report, it stated: “[the study] describes the way universities are responding to changing student expectations in the light of these higher fees, and the shifting external environment.”

The report suggested that with higher fees, there was a “strategic change driven by student views”. It stated that between 2005, before variable fees were introduced, and 2013, overall satisfaction rose from 80 to 85 percent.

However, it stated that “universities are adapting to students’ increased expectations, often within tightly constrained resources.”

Investment in employability was one of the strongest themes to emerge from the responses of universities, the report said.

It pointed out that Warwick University coordinates helpful work experience opportunities with Unitemps, Warwick Volunteers, academic contacts and the Placement Learning Unit – helping students in their realisation that it took more than just a good degree to do well in today’s jobs market.

Recently in 2013, Warwick has also tried to make students competitive and with the topping of the High Fliers report.

Rather encouragingly, Warwick has introduced modules which tend to both academic scholarship and employability at the same time. An example of this, the report pointed out, is The Making History core module for first year history students.

The report also praised Warwick University for its cuts to recruitment budgets of employers.

It stated that the University was “working differently with universities to attract and source the best graduate talent.”

With regards to campus facilities, “investment in university estates has been a visible outcome of the higher fee regime,” the report suggested.

Between 2010 and 2011, nearly 80 percent of institutions maintained or increased the quality of their non-residential estate.

At Warwick, there are visible developments on campus with the new Rootes Building learning grid, the new WBS building and the new NAIC (National Automotive Innovation Campus) campus to be completed by 2015.

Rachel Wenstone, NUS Vice President for higher education, commented: “It is encouraging that UK universities are able to tell a positive story about how they are investing in improving facilities, taking innovative approaches to learning and teaching, expanding access and educational opportunities and working in partnership with their students’ unions to ensure students can thrive”.

“It is essential to hold up good examples of where these things are going well, while remembering that the overall level of investment is similar to that before the higher education funding overhaul.

“…It is essential that as the university sector responds to the new environment that all higher education providers govern themselves effectively and responsibly: working with students’ unions, listening to students and acting in the student interest.”

The report also suggested that universities have invested more on improving access to higher education, particularly for those in low income families.

In 2012-12, UK universities spent a total of £431.3 million, a 23 percent of their fee income, on access measures. Following the 2012 fee reforms, it is estimated that expenditure on access measures will grow substantially to 27 percent of their fee income in 2014-15.