University life — we are all in it together | thearticle

Some years ago I sat on the Opposition Front Bench as shadow minister for Higher and Further Education, a role filled some years later, as a rather more successful political launch pad, by

Boris Johnson. I was there when the expansion of higher education began, the aim being to involve 50 per cent of young adults. Through the Industry and Parliamentary Trust I took the

opportunity of a fellowship with Universities UK. I was the first MP to do so. The aim was to explore the world of higher education in more depth — I still remember the assistance I was

given by the Universities of Bristol, Royal Holloway, Kingston and Imperial, and the information they shared on how they operated, and their hopes for the future of their students. On

October 1st this year I returned to academia, having been appointed the Pro-Chancellor of Lancaster University. It is a very different world to that of even a couple of years back. As in a

number of other areas of life, the Covid crisis will exacerbate situations that were already present. If your company or business is in difficulty, for example, there is little Covid is

going to do to help, whether or not the furlough scheme or similar will tide you over. If the dynamics of your sector are changing, as in high street retail, Covid is shining a merciless

light upon it. For universities, the immediate impact is well documented. Throughout the summer, Universities prepared for the autumn term with whatever information they had. Most, like

Lancaster, have opted for a blended system of tuition, in which face-to-face learning is shared with online teaching. All teaching facilities have been reduced in size and made Covid

acceptable, from labs to lecture halls and tutorial rooms, to the library. As student numbers have increased towards the start of term, there have been well-publicised efforts to protect

students via isolation, with all the disruption that entails. Universities have had to cope with two uncertainties over numbers; firstly the issue of A-levels results means that more UK

based students are eligible for places and must be accommodated. But on the other hand, the number of international students is far from certain. Contrary to concerns over Brexit, there is

little evidence of a drop in EU students at present and the UK remains the world’s most desirable university destination. But those from farther afield are affected by varying travel

restrictions, including isolation on arrival, so the numbers are far from clear. As international students make up around 20 per cent of the student population, and rather more of its fees,

it’s a worrying uncertainty. The economic effects of Covid can be imagined, but they fall on top of other pre-existing pressures. In 2019, the Higher Education Statistics Authority reported

that one in four universities had been in deficit the year before. In July this year, as the impact of Covid was already becoming apparent, the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggested that

losses for 2020/21 would be between £3-19bn for the higher education sector, a huge spread which speaks volumes about the difficulty of prediction. Even so, the underlying message was clear.

Different types of universities face different pressures. The IFS study suggested that those with the lowest reserves and smallest investments would be in the most difficulty. Universities

with an emphasis on teaching, and which have a larger proportion of students from non-traditional backgrounds are most likely to have extra costs associated with retaining students. There

will also be costs arising from the need to make up for the learning and study time lost to Covid. Universities with a greater mix of research and teaching face greater pressure with their

research costs in some areas no longer being fully compensated. Pension pressures may also be greater — that’s an issue that affects the whole sector. With all this going on, the spirit on

campus has been one of resolution and determination to face this uncertain future. The emphasis is on the welfare of students and on their experience, while also understanding the pressures

on those who will teach them, and on the local community of Lancaster with which the University is inextricably bound. Welfare services are working overtime to give reassurance and support.

Student representatives are also finding ways to get through all this in the best possible manner. When it comes to university life, we are all in it together.