For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1842998
Exactly that.

In 1992 John Major, who had never attended either, decided that polytechnics could become universities if they wished, and they all tripped over themselves in the rush to do so.

But culturally what are known in the higher education industry as post-92s remain somewhat distinct. Their staff are mostly still members of teachers unions and pension schemes, and in the majority the focus is far more on pure teaching than the traditional university mix of teaching and research. They also often hang onto job titles and management structures more like FE colleges than universities.

Not that some haven't become actually very good universities - usually the ones who were exceptional polytechnics before such as Hertfordshire or Kingston, Some others sadly have done less well.

G
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1843003
Genghis the Engineer wrote:
Not that some haven't become actually very good universities - usually the ones who were exceptional polytechnics before such as Hertfordshire or Kingston, Some others sadly have done less well.

G


There is also an ongoing national drive to reduce the huge numbers of 'Mickey Mouse' degrees that sprang up post 1992 in these 'Universities'.
#1843126
Personally I am a lot more relaxed on that topic than I was. If you look at some of the degree courses that get labelled as "ladies basket weaving", you should also think about the size of those industries.

Media Studies - well just consider the sheer size of the media in the UK, and the fact that clearly that needs a proportion of people working in it who understand its working. Ditto the movie industry.

Golf course studies? Again, it's a large business sector in the UK, and does need a proportion of well educated people who deeply understand how it works, from taxes to regulations to grasses.

You could after-all say similar things about air transport management degrees.


Where there's room for (considerable) criticism is where these things become just an exercise in bandwagon jumping, and the universities delivering those courses really don't have anybody with genuine deep knowledge, and they just tell some staff with tangential interests to offer a course, as there seems to be a demand and they want the money. That sort of behaviour is definitely not constrained to the post-92s alone.

But some of those courses, delivered well, are providing real value to the people who have studied them. A good example is Bucks New University - on the face of it a prime delivery of ladies basket weaving degrees, but actually it has just about the highest graduate employability rate in the country. That isn't happening by accident, it's happening because they're delivering relevant courses taught by people who genuinely understand the material.

G
Dusty_B, kanga liked this
#1843127
Bill McCarthy wrote:There goes young Collins sent packing with his tail between his legs with loads of “encouragement” , never to darken these pages again. I’m quite taken aback by the shocking treatment of him by senior members who could have offered some tech assistance and advice a bit more professionally perhaps.


He needs encouragement from his backers in the first instance.
I am always happy to fill in questionnaires if I am able and get some kind of encouragement from the person asking the questions.

Especially if the subject matter is relevant.

Dozens of us on here will remember a decade or so ago helping by filling in questionnaires from a well known weatherman on his way to his richly deserved doctorate.

Peter
#1843149
A boat buddy of mine did an OU degree in “pure maths” but when the time came for his final exam we were to be at sea chasing Ivan. Permission was given for his test papers to be held in the “Important Safe” on board until the the moment when others ashore would be taking theirs. He had to be invigilated by an off watch officer in the torpedo compartment. The completed papers were returned to the safe then despatched to wherever when we returned to harbour. He passed. He had been studying Russian, but was told to pack it in.
He had been teaching (25 years) ever since he left the mob, in Spain. I made contact with him recently and he praises the Spanish health service as he has bone cancer and they are doing everything they can for him. He’s had his AZ too.
#1843338
Bill McCarthy wrote:A boat buddy of mine did an OU degree in “pure maths” but when the time came for his final exam we were to be at sea chasing Ivan. Permission was given for his test papers to be held in the “Important Safe” on board until the the moment when others ashore would be taking theirs. He had to be invigilated by an off watch officer in the torpedo compartment. The completed papers were returned to the safe then despatched to wherever when we returned to harbour. He passed. He had been studying Russian, but was told to pack it in.
He had been teaching (25 years) ever since he left the mob, in Spain. I made contact with him recently and he praises the Spanish health service as he has bone cancer and they are doing everything they can for him. He’s had his AZ too.


How come he was told to stop learning Russian? I’d have thought it a useful tool for intercepted communications. Or was it fear that he’d become sympathetic to the Soviets/Russians?
#1843388
Genghis the Engineer wrote:Personally I am a lot more relaxed on that topic than I was. If you look at some of the degree courses that get labelled as "ladies basket weaving", you should also think about the size of those industries...


ISTR a news report from soon after the last of our 3 left Oxford (all with STEM subject degrees, all who went on to and are still in pertinent employment :thumright: ), which discovered that the full-time employment rate a year after first degree graduation was better for graduates of Oxford Brookes than for Oxford :wink:
#1843658
kanga wrote:
Genghis the Engineer wrote:Personally I am a lot more relaxed on that topic than I was. If you look at some of the degree courses that get labelled as "ladies basket weaving", you should also think about the size of those industries...


ISTR a news report from soon after the last of our 3 left Oxford (all with STEM subject degrees, all who went on to and are still in pertinent employment :thumright: ), which discovered that the full-time employment rate a year after first degree graduation was better for graduates of Oxford Brookes than for Oxford :wink:


Of course a good proportion of the chaps and chapesses who leave Oxford don't actually need a job, having loads of family money...
;)
(Edit: I came back to put the smiley in)