For-profit universities will lead to success being measured by overpricing, warns UCU

Commenting on the UUK report, 'Private universities and public funding: models and business plans', UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'UCU has warned before of a creep towards style over substance when private firms become involved in higher education. Aesthetic makeovers with the aim of attracting fee-paying students to institutions are already happening; however, flashy buildings can never compensate for poorly-funded courses or excuse shortcuts when it comes to delivering education.
 
'Education is about learning and scholarship, not marketing fads. The development of courses, for example, must be a long term, not a short term, process. Next year's fees review is an opportunity to take a serious look at what direction higher education in this country will take. If we move towards more private involvement in higher education then successful universities of the future will be the ones that can flog cheap courses for the most cash.'
 
In May UCU released 'Marketisation and the growth of the private sector in tertiary education', which explored the challenges universities and colleges face in safeguarding quality teaching, research and standards in the face of the privateers:

• Challenging the market in education - Marketisation and the growth of the private sector in tertiary education: a preliminary report, Jul 10 [255kb]