UCU has produced this guidebook to help its branches, operating in th context of the increasing interest among UK universities in outsourcing areas of academic provision or in establishing public private partnerships with private education companies like INTO, Study Group International, Navitas and KAPLAN. This guide was produced in collaboration with Professor Dexter Whitfield of the European Services Strategy Unit (ESSU). You can access it here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/r/e/ucu_challengingthemarketguide.pdf
For the ESSU, click here: http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/
Birmingham City University have signed an agreement with Navitas to form a new International College on it’s site at Bournville. This will mean that the courses will have to move to new sites by 2013. Staff have been ‘briefed’ to accept this decision, otherwise the University will close the courses altogether resulting in significant job losses. The University went through a cost-cutting exercise two years ago that resulted in job losses in Building Services and the closure of the student canteen at Bournville.