The new President of Universities UK (UUK) has said that the
sector must do more to engage and to explain the role of
universities and 'fight back against negative and inaccurate
commentary', if it is to win back the public’s trust.
Giving her first speech as President of Universities UK,
Professor Janet Beer, President of Universities UK and
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, also called for
changes to be made to the undergraduate funding system in England
to ensure it is 'better understood' and that it feels 'fairer to
our students and their families'.
In her keynote speech to university leaders at Universities UK’s
annual members’ conference, she said: “Universities make a unique
contribution to our society wherever they are in England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They change the lives of
individuals, they improve livelihoods and opportunities in
regions, and they contribute to the peace, prosperity and
productivity of our nation.
“We need to make these positive attributes more visible, to be
louder and prouder about our achievements – and those of our
students and staff – to drown out the often-ill-informed noise
about the sector.
The Universities UK annual conference, taking place this year at
Brunel University London, is the largest annual gathering of
university vice-chancellors, with over 100 university leaders and
other key figures from the university sector in attendance.
Universities Minister MP also addressed delegates
during the same conference session on Thursday morning.
Professor Beer said that engaging with the public also included
being open and transparent on the issue of vice-chancellors’ pay.
She said: “It is understandable that high pay is questioned and
it is right to expect that the process for determining pay for
senior staff is rigorous and the decision-making process is
transparent. It is also reasonable to expect that decisions are
explained and justified.
“I understand that our colleagues at the Committee of University
Chairs are considering what further guidance could be shared with
our governing councils to support them in meeting these important
expectations.”
Addressing the issue of tuition fees and loans in England,
Professor Beer said: “Let me start by saying that I believe the
current undergraduate funding system in England is not broken.
Indeed, the OECD described the English system as ‘one of the few
countries to have figured out a sustainable approach to higher
education finance’.
“The strong system we have in England provides sustainable
funding for universities, promotes access for students from all
backgrounds, provides employers with the skilled graduates our
economy needs and is highly progressive. But it needs to be
better understood and, crucially, it needs to feel fairer to our
students and their families.”
Based on agreement at the Universities UK board, she said that
“UUK therefore would like to work with government to consider the
option of providing targeted maintenance grants for those most in
need of this support”.
She said that government should also “consider reducing the
interest rate payable, not for all, but specifically for low and
middle-income earners through changes in earning thresholds to
which interest rates apply”.
