An Open Letter to Students from Vice-Chancellor of Huddersfield University

This is an open email sent to all students of the University of Huddersfield by Vice Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan. Admirable and an example to all. 

As Professor Cryan points out, the cuts to teaching funding for the University equate to 80% and this cost is being transferred to the student. As a former Huddersfield student himself and in recognition of the fact that future students will be taking on a 30-year debt, he is creating a student support fund for the University, contributed to by himself so that in effect he pays the University for his education at the new fee rates and benefits future students.

Tuition Fees

The government policy on tuition fees was carried through parliament yesterday with a majority of 21 votes.  It agreed a tuition fee range of between £6,000 and £9,000.  This, taken together with the 80% cut in University teaching funding, represents the biggest change in higher education funding in nearly a century.  We have made it clear that the University of Huddersfield and the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union fundamentally disagree with the reduction in state support for teaching, and in passing on costs to students.  But between 2012 and 2014 we will lose the bulk of our Government funding.  To maintain the quality of our provision, to ensure our students get the very best educational opportunities, and to preserve jobs, we now have little choice but to work with the new system.  We now need to focus our energies on dealing with the practicalities. 

We must begin by ensuring that there is no confusion for our existing students.  Those students that are already with us will not be affected by the changes.  The new fee regime applies only to those students that begin their courses in 2012.  Current students will continue to pay the £3,290 tuition fee.

I am not prepared to allow a change in Government policy, however extreme, to undermine the good things we have achieved together at our University.  We begin this process of change and adaptation in a far stronger position than many other universities.  Our financial strength puts us in the top 25% of the university sector and gives us time to plan the changes we need to make.  We have already put in train a major change programme that will reduce waste, improve efficiency, enhance effectiveness, reduce cost and seek additional income.  I am sure that, by the University and the Students’ Union working closely together, at the end of this process we will be a stronger and fitter institution.

From 2012 our students will have to pay higher fees to compensate for the 80%+ cut in teaching funding that we will receive and they will have 30 years to pay it back.  I cannot ask our future students to do this without being prepared to do it myself.  I have benefitted from an outstanding education at the University of Huddersfield and so, once we have set our fee levels, I intend to take on the same 30 year tuition fee debt as our future students and will set up a standing order to make payments directly to a student support fund for our University.

I would like to finish by paying tribute to the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union for the way in which they have lobbied on the issue and at all times behaved with the utmost professionalism.  They have been an exemplar for other Students’ Unions to follow.

Professor Bob Cryan

Vice-Chancellor

University of Huddersfield