Press release: 4 May, 2020
The Council for the Defence of British Universities (CDBU) welcomes the announcement on 4 May of a government support package for universities and students. However, CDBU is concerned that what has been announced is only a short-term measure which does little to address the unfolding crisis in the university sector. It offers no new resources, and the proposed cap (plus 5%) on admissions favours institutions which have already benefited from the marketisation agenda of successive governments, and have stockpiled students. There is no mention of the high salaries of Vice-Chancellors, nor of any form of safety net for academics on fixed term contracts. A major rethinking of policy for the sector is required, not a package of sticking plasters.
Notes to editors:
The CDBU was founded in 2012 by a wide range of concerned academics and public figures to campaign for the independence of UK universities and to resist the creeping marketisation of higher education.
For more information, please contact Becca Bashford at cdbupress@gmail.com.