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Website URL : http://www.ucu.org.uk/2296
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 Fighting privatisation in tertiary educationWe have one of the fastest growing private sectors in Europe and the level of private investment in tertiary education in the UK is already far above the EU and OECD averages. The coalition government is committed to opening up the further and higher education sectors to 'new providers', especially those from the private sector. UCU is opposed to the privatisation of tertiary education. We think that the interests of our members, of the students and parents who are at the heart of education and of the wider society we serve, are best served by an education system that is funded and controlled by the public and that is democratically accountable to the citizens of the UK.Here you can read all about our campaigns against privatisation and download our resources. On this page:
Education is not for profit The coalition government is committed to de-regulating the higher education sector in favour of private companies, creating what it calls a 'level playing field' for profit-making companies. UCU is concerned that this will remove the academic checks and balances that protect standards in universities, allowing companies whose primary obligation is to their shareholders to drive down costs and opening the door to the kind of mis-selling, recruitment and fraud scandals seen in the USA recently. Budget blocks VAT tax break for private education providers UCU has cautiously welcomed news in the March 2013 budget that the government has decided against allowing for-profit providers of higher education VAT exemption: UCU and the National Union of Students (NUS) had earlier written to the minister for universities and science, David Willetts, asking him to block any moves to grant for-profit providers of education exemption from VAT. UCU calls on Cable to halt plans to make BPP a university UCU has written to the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills calling on him not to award BPP university status, following the news that its sister institution, the University of Phoenix had been put on probation by its accrediting agency. Probation is second only to losing accreditation completely, a move that would effectively destroy Phoenix, its parent company Apollo and, its financially dependent subsidiary BPP. Given this and the fact that accreditors raised issued about Phoenix's insufficient autonomy from Apollo, UCU has demanded that the Secretary of State stop any plans to grant BPP university title. UCU demands inquiry into trebling of taxpayers' money for private colleges December 2012: UCU has written to the Public Accounts Committee asking for an inquiry into the trebling of taxpayers' money going to private providers of higher education in just one year. Private colleges now receive over £100m of public money, despite the fact that they are not subject to the same regulation as public universities. Private providers do not have to observe controls on the number of students they recruit, nor do they have to collect information about recruitment figures or completion rates. Amount of money paid to private colleges through unregulated courses has trebled in one year and now exceeds £100m
77% rise in 'unregulated' private HE courses: July 2012: The Times Higher and the BBC both reported on revelations that the government has approved over 400 degree and diploma courses at private universities for taxpayer funding in 2011/12 without checking on the quality of courses offered by providers or student completion rates. Government unveils new plans for private universities: June 2012: The government has said it will limit the number of students private university providers can recruit and that it will review the quality of courses offered by for-profit education companies. Government has no idea on private universities' course completion rates May 2012: UCU has written to the universities minister, David Willetts, calling for urgent changes to the way the government regulates private higher education providers after the government admitted that it is not monitoring course standards or student completion rates despite handing over £33 million of taxpayers' money to private companies in the last year: Government admits it has no idea on private universities' course completion rates UCU raises concerns over standards at for-profit companies UCU said on 23 February 2012 that it had grave concerns after the Quality Assurance Agency admitted to Times Higher Education that it had no knowledge of the teaching quality at two-thirds of private for-profit companies operating with state support. UCU's campaign against the White Paper Read more about UCU's highly successful campaign against the government's proposed Higher Education Bill here. Thanks in large part to UCU and our allies, the government abandoned its planned legislation and is now attempting to introduce as many reforms as possible without democratic scrutiny. Of course, we're fighting them all the way. UCU published reports
Local campaigns against privatisationUCU has a proud history of fighting privatisation of our colleges and universities. This fight is becoming bigger under the Coalition government. The government's cuts to funding, their promotion of competition and their attempts to de-regulate the sector in favour of new for-profit providers are all combining to heighten competitive pressures on institutions. What we are seeing as a result, UCU would argue, is the internal recomposition of our colleges and universities around a privatised model of service delivery - the internal privatisation of our post-secondary education system. As the government hands out subsidies and tax breaks to the private sector, while removing the regulatory checks and balances that underpin quality, it is effectively rigging its quasi-market in favour of those providers with access to the capital markets to fund aggressive expansion. As it does so, it is placing huge pressure on university and college managements to ape private sector modes of delivery and even private sector company forms merely to stay alive. Unfortunately, short-sighted principals and vice chancellors have not yet learnt the lesson that they need to join in the defence of public education.
The government's de-regulatory agenda and UCU's responseThis powerpoint presentation gives an overview of the government's de-regulatory agenda and indicates the impact of de-regulation on the way in which universities and colleges will behave. It also maps out UCU's national and local response. For more on local campaigns around privatisation see UCLan below: UCLan privatisation protestsMarch 2013: Opponents of plans to privatise the University of Central Lancashire protesting on campus on Thursday 22 March. There was a lunchtime rally, followed by a privatisation 'teach-in', where staff and students discussed the privatisation plans, before protestors lobbied the board of governors' meeting. UCU and UNISON handed in their petition opposing the plans. You can see coverage of the day of action here:
Sussex: Occupation and demonstrationMarch 2013: At the University of Sussex, the occupation by students in support of the 235 staff facing outsourcing to a private company continues. Find out more about the occupation here. The students have called a demonstration on the campus on Monday 25 March. Find out more on their Facebook site. Falmouth FX March 2013: About 130 employees at Falmouth University, are set to be transferred to a company jointly owned by Falmouth and the University of Exeter known as Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus). UCU and GMB are campaigning to protect the staff employed at this shared services company and you can support them by signing the petition here: www.ucu.org.uk/fxplusrecognition Read more about Falmouth FX here. Campaigns at Sussex and UCLAN move up a gearFebruary 2013: Many of you will have seen that the campaign against outsourcing at Sussex has accelerated in the last week. The unions issued a call for the University Council to convene an emergency to subject the proposals to proper scrutiny before it's too late and on 7 February, following a demonstration on the campus, a group of students occupied Bramber House conference centre. UCU General secretary Sally Hunt issued a statement calling on the University to exercise restraint and focus on talking to the unions and the students: Sally's statement: 'The University administration is attempting to unilaterally drive through a deeply unpopular and flawed reform, without proper consultation or assessment of alternative solutions. We stand with our members in their struggle to safeguard the working conditions of staff at Sussex and to uphold the idea of a public university. Read the union's call for an emergency Council here: Send a message of support to the students by emailing jstephens@ucu.org.uk and we will forward it on. Meanwhile at UCLan, the unions have also stepped up their campaign against the proposals to change the university into a private company, lobbying the university's governors and local councillors. Read their briefing document below: Sign their petition here: UCLan privatisation fightDecember 2012: UCU members at the University of Central Lancashire are fighting management proposals to dissolve the university as a higher education corporation and reconstitute as a company limited by guarantee. The union fears that the institution could become a for-profit enterprise selling off university assets and inviting investment from private equity funds.
Protests at University of Sussex in privatisation row19 November 2012: Staff and students at the University of Sussex are protesting at plans to privatise the university's catering, facilities and estates department. Members of UCU, Unite and UNISON joined students to demonstrate against changes that will result in 235 members of staff having their jobs outsourced. See: UCU news story and www.theargus.co.uk
INTO not welcome at the University of Gloucestershire16 November 2012: The University of Gloucestershire's decision to embark on a partnership with the private company INTO has been labelled unnecessary and too risky by UCU. See: London Metropolitan University shelves major outsourcing plan25 October 2012: London Metropolitan University has shelved a major outsourcing and shared services project in the wake of the loss of its licence to recruit overseas students, as internal papers reveal fears of financial instability. Under the shared services/outsourcing contract, worth £74 million over five years, all London Met services bar teaching would have been provided by an external company: Outsourcing plan hits the wall, THE London Metropolitan University in talks to privatise support services Privatisation under the spotlight at De Montfort UniversityNovember 2011: After months of management secrecy over a proposed joint venture with private company INTO University Partnerships, UCU activists at De Montfort University put privatisation under the spotlight with a public intervention at the Mayor's visit to campus on 8 November. Staff spoke directly to the Mayor and local councillors and distributed leaflets explaining the union's concerns about a deal with INTO and the threat it poses to the quality of education at DMU. This latest action is part of the branch's fantastic campaign against privatisation at the university which also saw a mass lobby of the board of governors meeting last month.
Private companies in post-secondary educationCompany profiles
Private company storiesNew College of Humanities only recruits 60 students 21 September: AC Grayling's £18,000-a-year New College of Humanities has not filled any of its courses ahead of next week's opening. Only 60 students, less than a third of NCH's original target, are expected to take up places this term. See the Guardian for more. A4e to be investigated over education and skills contracts May 2012: The beleaguered welfare-to-work company A4e is to be investigated for potential fraud over the running of its skills and education contracts. Sally Hunt, repeated her calls for A4e to be disqualified from running new £30m prison education: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6241750 Private equity firm Montagu Private Equity buys charitable College of Law April 2012: UCU has said the government needed to act urgently to protect UK universities and public assets from private equity firms after the College Of Law was sold off to Montagu Private Equity. The union warned that the sale of the charitable College of Law - one of only five private providers in the UK with degree-awarding powers - could see more private equity firms move in and attempt to purchase UK universities: Private equity firm buys right to sell university degrees Remove scandal-hit A4e from prison contract process March 2012: UCU calls on the government not to award A4e new prison education contracts in London and the east of England as fresh revelations of potential fraud risk bringing offender learning into 'disrepute': A4e must not be awarded new prison education contracts BPP boss admits class sizes will rise as it looks to expand The head of UK for-profit group BPP has admitted that class sizes will rise as it looks to expand across the country. In an interview with this week's Times Higher Education, Carl Lygo said some student:staff ratios could reach 30:1. UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'BPP's belief that student:staff ratios of 30:1 are acceptable shows the pressure their American owners Apollo are now putting them under to deliver big profits from UK higher education.' Read more in the Times Higher. 'Fighting Privatisation' campaign pack'Fighting Privatisation: A branch activist's guide' is a cross-sectoral resource aimed at helping activists to combat any attempts to outsource educational services or to establish public-private partnerships with private sector education businesses. The guide is divided into three parts with sections on how to campaign against privatisation proposals, what to do if privatisation goes ahead and how to campaign proactively to prevent privatisation in your college or university. This guide has been produced in close collaboration with the Professor Dexter Whitfield from the European Services Strategy Unit (ESSU), an indispensable resource for trade unionists.
UCU is updating the text to take account of recent developments. Related documents
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![[image depicting] UCU - University and College Union logo](./images/common/toplogo.gif "UCU - University and College Union's Logo")
SUCCESS: The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) announced on 22 April that it will not be proceeding with a proposal to convert the university into a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG): 
