Government funding gimmicks only highlight damaging cuts, says UCU
26 May 2011
UCU said today that £600m earmarked for universities working with businesses was little more than a 'gimmick' when put alongside the 'deep and damaging cuts' that universities will face in the next few years.
The £600m being made available through the higher education innovation fund (HEIF) in 2011-2014 represents less than 10% of the money that is being cut from just universities' teaching budgets over the same period of time.
The government has reformed the fund to focus on 98 universities with an established track record of working with business. The union argued that, as one of the key beneficiaries of higher education, business should be forced to meet more of its costs.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We need proper sustained investment in our universities, not gimmicks. Today's announcement reminds us just how deep and damaging the cuts to higher education funding are. The £600m being made available to some universities will replace less than 10% of just the teaching funding money being taken away from our institutions over the same period.
'Some universities do have a good track record of working with business and that should be encouraged. Business certainly has a track record of benefiting from higher education through links with universities, research and the pool of talented graduates that enter the job market each year. It is high time that business made a greater contribution towards the costs of university.'
The government has reformed the fund to focus on 98 universities with an established track record of working with business. The union argued that, as one of the key beneficiaries of higher education, business should be forced to meet more of its costs.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We need proper sustained investment in our universities, not gimmicks. Today's announcement reminds us just how deep and damaging the cuts to higher education funding are. The £600m being made available to some universities will replace less than 10% of just the teaching funding money being taken away from our institutions over the same period.
'Some universities do have a good track record of working with business and that should be encouraged. Business certainly has a track record of benefiting from higher education through links with universities, research and the pool of talented graduates that enter the job market each year. It is high time that business made a greater contribution towards the costs of university.'
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