- Leeds Metropolitan University endured a hostile reception after revealing plans to change its name. After deciding that it has 鈥渙utgrown鈥 its Met tag, the university鈥檚 options for new names are Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Headingley University and Leeds Ridings University, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported on 29 May. Leeds Beckett, a nod to the university鈥檚 campus in Beckett Park, may also summon up associations with Samuel Beckett among literary types. But unless the university wants students to expect lengthy silences from lecturers and to feel haunted by a sense of the meaninglessness and the utter futility of life, it may not be the best option from a marketing perspective.
- The leading lights of the for-profit higher education sector might be unfairly stereotyped as hard-nosed types. Meanwhile, people from Yorkshire have been unfairly stereotyped as keeping a particularly tight rein on their finances. Luckily, both misconceptions were crushed last week by Carl Lygo, principal of BPP University College. BPP has offered free legal advice to a women鈥檚 football team, Doncaster Rovers Belles, announced the Doncaster-born barrister on 31 May. The Belles have been controversially demoted from the Women鈥檚 Premier League by the Football Association for next season. Weighing in against this 鈥渋njustice鈥, Mr Lygo said he has been 鈥渋nundated with offers of help from our 5,000 law students鈥.
- Sir Richard Branson wishes he had gone to university as a mature student 鈥渨hen I鈥檇 already had a lot of experiences鈥. He made the comments in an interview with the London School of Business and Finance to mark the launch of its School of Entrepreneurship, The Daily Telegraph reported on 3 June. Speaking to former education secretary David Blunkett, a visiting lecturer at the institution, the Virgin founder said that he had planned to start university when he turned 40 but was dissuaded by his wife: 鈥淪he said: 鈥業t鈥檚 a midlife crisis - you鈥檙e just after those young ladies at the university.鈥欌 That may give female students a chill, but vice-chancellors may have warmer thoughts. Sir Richard also said entrepreneurs should be encouraged 鈥渢o stay within the confines of the university鈥 instead of leaving to pursue their business plans.
- David Cameron has promised to look at the 鈥減rocess of radicalisation on our campuses鈥 as he seeks to 鈥渄rain the swamp鈥 that is creating British Islamic extremism, The Guardian reported on 4 June. Giving his first statement on a task force set up after the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, the prime minister said that fresh action would be taken to disrupt groups that incite hatred or violence, including those based in universities, the newspaper said. Mr Cameron鈥檚 pledge coincided with a story in the Evening Standard on 3 June about the involvement of London Metropolitan University鈥檚 Islamic Society with 鈥渁 video that claimed that the Woolwich killing was a Government hoax鈥. According to the newspaper, hours after Drummer Rigby was stabbed to death on 22 May, a video was posted on the society鈥檚 Facebook page. The clip, titled 鈥淲oolwich false flag bullshit. Masses are in a state-sponsored trance鈥, suggested that the murder had not happened and was a fabrication. London Met immediately distanced itself from the story, saying 鈥渧iews expressed by individual students or student societies, including on social media, do not represent those of the university鈥.
- Indian student numbers have fallen again at some institutions this year, according to a Universities UK report published on 5 June. Drawing on interviews with vice-chancellors as well as admissions figures, the paper notes that overall home and European Union student recruitment in England in 2012-13 was 9 per cent lower than institutions had planned. 鈥淭his shortfall may in part be due to institutions鈥 concerns about penalties for under- or over-recruitment,鈥 UUK says. On non-EU students, it says that while overall numbers may have risen in 2012-13, a UUK survey suggests that 鈥渋nstitutions are experiencing significant falls in the number of new entrants in 2012-13 from countries including India, Pakistan and Nigeria鈥. It adds that the percentage of institutions saying that they met overseas recruitment targets fell from 59 per cent in 2011-12 to 44 per cent in 2012-13.
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