Universities coalition looks to Westminster

The Coalition of Modern Universities, a group of former

polytechnics, has appointed Westminster Strategy to help it lobby the

Government on higher education policies.

Westminster Strategy is advising the coalition on its response, due to

be submitted this week, to the Dearing report on the structure and

funding of higher education.

The coalition is a group of 26 of the 30 new universities incorporated

in 1992. The group has been meeting for two years but came together

formally in June.

The group will attempt to influence the Government’s forthcoming White

Paper on Lifelong Learning, which will lead to legislation to implement

some of Dearing’s recommendations, including the suggestion that all

students should pay university fees. The coalition wants the Government

to recognise that a majority of its students are part-time or come from

abroad and therefore already pay fees.

’The model that (Dearing) came up with looked to be based on the typical

18 year-old school leaver entering university,’ said Geoffrey Copland,

chairman of the coalition and vice chancellor of Westminster University.