A.C. Grayling, Dawkins and more Launch Private University

[Santa_Claus]

That'll almost be like doing something...........

[PsychoSerenity]

The Facebook page, created by Oxford students Rachel Elizabeth Fraser and Eloise Stonborough, urges people to "apply to the new college of humanities as if you were a rich idiot!" The blurb continues: "The application form asks how you plan on paying them £54k - tell them you plan on laying golden eggs, extorting leprechaun gold, selling the organs of small children."

(continued)

Read more: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/80134,peo ... z1Onn3IyUz

Genius

I wonder if it'll make them change their direction at all?

[klr]

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/80134,peo ... plications

Grayling uni faces flood of fake applications

Interesting. That article also links to an earlier article:

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/79981,peo ... rd-dawkins

AC Grayling's new 'private university', announced on Sunday amid great fanfare as a rival to Oxbridge, finds itself mired just two days later in allegations of plagiarism and elitism - with one of its star professors, Richard Dawkins, taking time to distance himself from it, and a student protest planned for later today.

It was no surprise that the New College of the Humanities, due to open its doors in central London in September 2012, would enjoy extensive media coverage, given a professoriate that includes - besides Dawkins and Grayling - historian Niall Ferguson, geneticist Steven Jones and many more stars.

Unfortunately, the media and rival academics have chosen to concentrate on the facts - in particular NCH will charge its students £18,000 a year. This means that the University of London degrees it is offering will cost at least double those available from more established - some might say more august - London colleges such as Goldsmiths and Birkbeck.

To add insult to injury, students have begun pointing out that even the titles of the syllabuses have been apparently plagiarised from those of other University of London Colleges.

One Twitter user - a professor of journalism - points out the similarity between the titles of history modules at Royal Holloway and NCH, where you will be able to study 'The rich tapestry of life: A social and cultural history of Europe c. 1500-1780' for significantly more than the going rate.

Justin Champion, a senior historian at Royal Holloway, told the Guardian he felt "quite insulted" because Royal Holloway syllabuses had been written using taxpayers' money. "If the University of London didn't exist and public money hadn't been used to draw up these syllabuses, they wouldn't have been able to do this, or they would have had to invest a lot of money," he said. "Here we have a whole degree programme being plagiarised."

Other University of London professors have waded in, with Professor Colin Jones of Queen Mary college saying: "Despite a light scattering of international stardust, this seems to be a somewhat cynical repackaging operation."

Grayling has hit back, saying he has been misunderstood. "We offer University of London international programme degrees, so that is the syllabus we are preparing the students for. It is reductive to describe it as repackaging... There is a quarter more content, contact with some rather distinguished people, and preparation for professional life."

That has done nothing to pacify students, who are planning a protest this evening at a lecture Grayling is due to give at a Foyles bookshop in London's West End.

Mark Bergfel, a member of the National Executive Council of the NUS, attacked NCH as "the most elitist attempt ever to privatise higher education".

And Grayling hasn't exactly enjoyed a ringing endorsement from the starriest of his star NCH professors, Richard Dawkins.

On Sunday evening - the day the news broke - he told commenters on his website: "This is the brainchild of A C Grayling, NOT me. I have no idea why the BBC chose to use my face [in an article]... I accepted the invitation, partly because I liked the idea of lecturing to non-scientists after reaching Oxford's compulsory retiring age, partly out of respect for A C Grayling, and partly out of respect for the other professors from around the world who had already agreed to lecture."

So they're "borrowing" existing syllabi and other areas .... from less expensive programs! Hardly surprising, but it does highlight again one of the basic flaws in the entire undertaking.

Interesting as well to see RD's less than whole-hearted commitment.

[Svartalf]

Well... is a good syllabus protected against plagiarism? If that program is good, and students reading it will be better at their discipline from it, borrowing it is giving credit where due.

Better borrowing a good syllabus from another established program than the prof setting up a vanity syllabus of just his own books.

[klr]

Well... is a good syllabus protected against plagiarism? If that program is good, and students reading it will be better at their discipline from it, borrowing it is giving credit where due.

Better borrowing a good syllabus from another established program than the prof setting up a vanity syllabus of just his own books.

Yes, but charging twice as much (or something like that) for basically the same thing? Where's the added value?

And if they are largely borrowing from something else, shouldn't that help to keep costs down?

[Svartalf]

added value? it's not just the books, it's who teaches them and what additional insight they can bring to the course.
I can certify you that the personality of the prof can make all the difference between being able to grasp the subject in depth and being thoroughly disgusted of it.

[klr]

added value? it's not just the books, it's who teaches them and what additional insight they can bring to the course.
I can certify you that the personality of the prof can make all the difference between being able to grasp the subject in depth and being thoroughly disgusted of it.

So can I ... I work in a university, and spent the first few years as a lecturer.

But if what you're saying is right, then it's a case of Grayling et al demanding a huge premium for their expertise. Not only is that elitist on a couple of of levels, it still seems very hard to justify when the main "opposition" - Oxford, Cambridge, London, Edinburgh, etc., - are charging less. And they are recognised as being the very best in terms of quality. And the likes of Grayling, Dawkins, Steve Jones and Niall Ferguson having already been lecturing in institutions of those calibre for many years. How can they justify the price hike?

[charlou]

Having read all the arguments so far, one that stands out to me is that this private university seems to be exploiting and possibly validating (for government) the current trend of reduced governmental expenditure on higher education.

[Svartalf]

added value? it's not just the books, it's who teaches them and what additional insight they can bring to the course.
I can certify you that the personality of the prof can make all the difference between being able to grasp the subject in depth and being thoroughly disgusted of it.

So can I ... I work in a university, and spent the first few years as a lecturer.

But if what you're saying is right, then it's a case of Grayling et al demanding a huge premium for their expertise. Not only is that elitist on a couple of of levels, it still seems very hard to justify when the main "opposition" - Oxford, Cambridge, London, Edinburgh, etc., - are charging less. And they are recognised as being the very best in terms of quality. And the likes of Grayling, Dawkins, Steve Jones and Niall Ferguson having already been lecturing in institutions of those calibre for many years. How can they justify the price hike?

Well, it's not like these people were your heroes and exemplified all that is best in mankind, is it? As has been said, this looks like a vanity project, not a humanitarian effort.
It looks like those folks have egos the size of a gas giant and think they can do as well or better than major universities, or at least pretend to do so for the benefit of the extremely well heeled and make away like bandits.

Maybe their teaching will have plus compared to that of others (whether it will really be worth the extra ££ is another matter), maybe not.

[Santa_Claus]

Although no expert on the workings of Universities etc, as a broad rule in business - if the competition is whining like a small child then you are likely onto a winner.

[klr]

Although no expert on the workings of Universities etc, as a broad rule in business - if the competition is whining like a small child then you are likely onto a winner.

In this case, I think it's more the target market is whining, and then some.

[Svartalf]

if potential students or their families are whining about the tuition cost, that alone is proof they are actually not part of the target market.

[klr]

if potential students or their families are whining about the tuition cost, that alone is proof they are actually not part of the target market.

Not necessarily ... it might also be that the business model has not been worked out properly.

As a rule, career academics should not be let organise anything more ambitious than a staff dinner, and even then they'd probably royally fuck it up unless their administrative staff lent a guiding hand.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

It seems a lot to pay to get taught by Steve Jones. I mean, a few lessons and you could pick up all of the Pistols's songs in an afternoon - they were hardly complex. I suppose A.C. Grayling's John Lydon impression is worth seeing though - and we all know Dawkins does a great Sid!

[charlou]