Partners or competitors? Commercial Providers of Higher Education John Davies 02/11/12

Competition The implication is that the Commercial sector is competition..... Whereas individual institutions in the HE sector are part of a 'collegiate' body where partnership working is the norm, there is no competition and all accrued revenues are employed for the student good, and not for shareholders..... Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 "...Universities are locked in combat with each other in some form of worldwide competition." What are Universities for? Stephan Collini, p.470

How commercial are HEIs? With individual University marketing budgets in excess of £2million and the tube plastered with HE posters..... With large International operations, International league tables, employer investment, a decline in some HEIs of HEFCE funding as a proportion of income, deals, inducements, business cases, rationalising courses and selling off properties. Pearson College Partners or competitors?12

Competition from within.... Is the biggest threat to the sector the increased commercialisation of HEIs? "....the imposition of commercial priorities and the requirement that Universities serve the needs of business has reflected the growing confidence of those who speak for 'the economy' that they have an unchallengeable legitimacy which they believe those who represent culture, intellect, and education simply cannot match." What are Universities for? Stephan Collini, p.470 Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 "Though private provision is still a tiny proportion of the whole sector...." Dissatisfied customers, Anna Fazackerley, The Guardian, , p.36

Commercial providers, what are they supposed to do? The White Paper proposals The main plan was to remove the regulatory barriers to new providers and allow a speedier route to DAP. The second part of the plan was to abolish Student Number Control, whilst maintaining levels of spend. Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 "This will further improve student choice by supporting a more diverse sector, with more opportunities for part-time or accelerated courses, sandwich courses, distance learning and higher level vocational study" Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System, p.5

Commercial providers Who are they? Laureate and Kaplan are working with various Universities to offer distance learning. BPP and College of Law are linked to various professions. Private Colleges are changing. University of Buckingham and the New College of the Humanities - niche providers. Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 "People are not units and foot soldiers in an economic battle" The Sunday Times Magazine, , p.46

Commercial providers Who are they? Laureate and Kaplan are working with various Universities to offer distance learning. BPP and College of Law are linked to various professions. Private Colleges are changing. University of Buckingham and the New College of the Humanities - niche providers. Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 "People are not units and foot soldiers in an economic battle" The Sunday Times Magazine, , p.46

Pearson College plans We plan to work in partnership with a group of colleges We do not have DAP, so we will work in partnership with a group of Further Education Colleges in order to deliver our qualifications. We will also work with groups direct within Pearson College. We will work in areas that build on HND provision; Business and Enterprise, Engineering and Computer Science. Pearson College Partners or competitors?12 We aim to gain DAP so that we can validate programmes for our partner colleges in the future.

Pearson College Title of presentation3 Questions