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.
