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Acronyms surround me
Dec. 10th, 2007 11:24 amAs a worker in HE (indeed in an HEI) I'm confronted daily with a plethora of TLAs (and, in deference to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
flippylip, ETLAs and OETLAs).
I deal with HEFCE, HESA and the TDA (recently transformed from the TTA). OFSTED and QAA loom over some of my colleagues, while others deal with the FECs and with UCAS, now encompassing NMAS and with the GTTR due to be in there soon. The dread RAE was submitted (in a number of UoAs) a week ago, I've just uploaded our HESES (ensuring that we're above our ASNs once we've removed the part of the submission that relates to the LLN) and the RAS is due in on Wednesday.
Worst at present is ELQ. This stands for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications. The government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to withdraw funding for students doing one. In other words, with a few exceptions (medics!), if you've got a degree the university won't get funding for you to do another one - or any other qualification up to that level. The upshot will be that we'll have to start charging much higher fees to such people. The government line is that they should give opportunity to those who have not had one, rather than further subsidise those who've already had one chunk. They appear blind to the fact that most of the same level work is retraining or professional development rather than old-fashioned liberal adult education and to the fact that many courses are made viable for those who haven't had a past opportunity because there are people on them who have (not enough bodies and it won't run). Consultation is being run on how to do this and whether there should be more exemptions, but not on the principle. That's a government fiat.
I'm opposed to this, naturally. Don't just take my view though. There's a good set of articles at the Guardian's Education site. Go have a read and a think and then if, like me, you'd want to stop this then there's the small chance that a Number 10 petition may at least show the weight of opinion.
( Glossary - if you really want to know )
flippylip, ETLAs and OETLAs). I deal with HEFCE, HESA and the TDA (recently transformed from the TTA). OFSTED and QAA loom over some of my colleagues, while others deal with the FECs and with UCAS, now encompassing NMAS and with the GTTR due to be in there soon. The dread RAE was submitted (in a number of UoAs) a week ago, I've just uploaded our HESES (ensuring that we're above our ASNs once we've removed the part of the submission that relates to the LLN) and the RAS is due in on Wednesday.
Worst at present is ELQ. This stands for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications. The government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to withdraw funding for students doing one. In other words, with a few exceptions (medics!), if you've got a degree the university won't get funding for you to do another one - or any other qualification up to that level. The upshot will be that we'll have to start charging much higher fees to such people. The government line is that they should give opportunity to those who have not had one, rather than further subsidise those who've already had one chunk. They appear blind to the fact that most of the same level work is retraining or professional development rather than old-fashioned liberal adult education and to the fact that many courses are made viable for those who haven't had a past opportunity because there are people on them who have (not enough bodies and it won't run). Consultation is being run on how to do this and whether there should be more exemptions, but not on the principle. That's a government fiat.
I'm opposed to this, naturally. Don't just take my view though. There's a good set of articles at the Guardian's Education site. Go have a read and a think and then if, like me, you'd want to stop this then there's the small chance that a Number 10 petition may at least show the weight of opinion.
( Glossary - if you really want to know )
