Too many universities in England have
allowed teaching to become "a poor cousin" to research, Universities
Minister Jo Johnson has warned. Our two weather were discussing higher
education.
Weather Man 1: I see Universities are in trouble again because there's too much emphasis on research and not teaching apparently.
Weather Man 2: And those students pay £9000…they don't get the £9000 worth of teaching.
WM1: Indeed not. One student was complaining that he never saw his tutor. He knocks on his door for help with an essay, and there's no reply.
WM2: Just as long as there's no romantic nudge nudge noises coming from the other side of the door, like that child heard in Swansea.
WM1: No, just silence. He had to chase him down the corridor apparently and catch him on the way to spend a penny. They'll be installing loos in offices next so that lecturers never have to leave their rooms.
WM2: I heard other students were waiting by their lecturer's cars in the car park - and then 5pm was no sure guarantee they could catch them. These guys don't keep regular hours.
WM1: "Working from home", wink wink.
WM2: and we all know what "working from home" means. We couldn't get away with that in our jobs.
WM1: So this "studied and graduated at so and so top flight university" is meaningless isn't it?
WM2: Yes I think it is. The University didn't do anything except say "read this book, write a dissertation on whatever…and see you in the once-a-semester lecture - that will be £9000 please".
WM1: The student takes all the credit, not the institution.
WM2: That's how it should be.
WM1: Yes, employers need to be careful not to upset job seekers. You can imagine it can't you? "So I see you studied at Cantolborough? Fine Instituon" And the student says "well yes, but really it's me, not them, who got the degree."
WM2: And the employer doesn't listen and continues to put his foot in it "fantastic reputation that University" .
WM1: And the student gets exasperated. "I studied. It was me. I did the work, I burnt the midnight oil. I lived in squalid surroundings, racking up debts to get this degree, whilst the academics got fat on my tuition fees".
WM2: You can see his point. The University's defence is that they are busy researching. And it's lucrative.
WM1: Blimey yes.....the research councils fork out more than a billion pounds a year to Universities for research.
WM2: They fund more than 8000 Phds too.
WM1: So that means there's quite a lot of new knowledge and at least 8000 people every year who know quite a lot about something.
WM2: Yes, the trouble is they keep it a secret. They don't tell anyone, because they found it out, so it's their knowledge, and they don't tell that student diddely squat. He has to find it all out for himself….or hope to see an academic unlocking a car and pop a question.
WM1: If he knows what question to ask. That president of Universities UK, Dame Julia, apparently said stable and sustainable funding was the key to teaching excellence. She wants more Government support.
WM2: Ha ha. Since when has £9000 not been stable? And given that most graduates will not repay their loans because the only job they can get is at McDonalds..where a degree in golf management or dress design isn't a prerequisite ...
WM1: ...The government is already funding it.
WM2: Precisely.
WM1: How do you get a job at a University? Sounds more cushy than the met office.
WM2: Might need to start by hanging around a car park and catch that woman from human resources knocking off early.
Weather Man 1: I see Universities are in trouble again because there's too much emphasis on research and not teaching apparently.
Weather Man 2: And those students pay £9000…they don't get the £9000 worth of teaching.
WM1: Indeed not. One student was complaining that he never saw his tutor. He knocks on his door for help with an essay, and there's no reply.
WM2: Just as long as there's no romantic nudge nudge noises coming from the other side of the door, like that child heard in Swansea.
WM1: No, just silence. He had to chase him down the corridor apparently and catch him on the way to spend a penny. They'll be installing loos in offices next so that lecturers never have to leave their rooms.
WM2: I heard other students were waiting by their lecturer's cars in the car park - and then 5pm was no sure guarantee they could catch them. These guys don't keep regular hours.
WM1: "Working from home", wink wink.
WM2: and we all know what "working from home" means. We couldn't get away with that in our jobs.
WM1: So this "studied and graduated at so and so top flight university" is meaningless isn't it?
WM2: Yes I think it is. The University didn't do anything except say "read this book, write a dissertation on whatever…and see you in the once-a-semester lecture - that will be £9000 please".
WM1: The student takes all the credit, not the institution.
WM2: That's how it should be.
WM1: Yes, employers need to be careful not to upset job seekers. You can imagine it can't you? "So I see you studied at Cantolborough? Fine Instituon" And the student says "well yes, but really it's me, not them, who got the degree."
WM2: And the employer doesn't listen and continues to put his foot in it "fantastic reputation that University" .
WM1: And the student gets exasperated. "I studied. It was me. I did the work, I burnt the midnight oil. I lived in squalid surroundings, racking up debts to get this degree, whilst the academics got fat on my tuition fees".
WM2: You can see his point. The University's defence is that they are busy researching. And it's lucrative.
WM1: Blimey yes.....the research councils fork out more than a billion pounds a year to Universities for research.
WM2: They fund more than 8000 Phds too.
WM1: So that means there's quite a lot of new knowledge and at least 8000 people every year who know quite a lot about something.
WM2: Yes, the trouble is they keep it a secret. They don't tell anyone, because they found it out, so it's their knowledge, and they don't tell that student diddely squat. He has to find it all out for himself….or hope to see an academic unlocking a car and pop a question.
WM1: If he knows what question to ask. That president of Universities UK, Dame Julia, apparently said stable and sustainable funding was the key to teaching excellence. She wants more Government support.
WM2: Ha ha. Since when has £9000 not been stable? And given that most graduates will not repay their loans because the only job they can get is at McDonalds..where a degree in golf management or dress design isn't a prerequisite ...
WM1: ...The government is already funding it.
WM2: Precisely.
WM1: How do you get a job at a University? Sounds more cushy than the met office.
WM2: Might need to start by hanging around a car park and catch that woman from human resources knocking off early.
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