Universities (UK) warned over 'snowflake' student demands
Universities warned over 'snowflake' student demands


	
	

	

		
		






	

	
	
	
	    
		
	


	

		
		

		

     
     

	

	
	
	

	
	
	

	




	
		





	

	
	

	
	















	

	
    

	




	
	
		
	






	
	

	
		




	

	
	

	
	





	
	
	
		
	
	

	





	

	
		
	


		
			
		

		
	












		
		

		
		

		
		









		
		




	
	

	

		





	

	
	

	
	









	
	

	



	
	

		

			
			

				
				

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				

				

				
	
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
		
	

			

			

			
			
	

	


		

		
		

	
	
	
	
	
	
	

	
	
	

	
		
		
			
				Jo Johnson is championing the controversial Higher Education and Research Bill
			
		

		
		
	



	

	
	






	







		

						
							
							
						   
			
				
				
				
				
				
				

				

				
					

	
	
		
		
		

		
		

		
		
        
        

		
		

		
		

		

			

				
			
				
				
					
                        Education Editor
                        
                        
						
						
					
				
                
                    
		08 January 2017 9:44am GMT
	




                    
                
			

			
			
				
	
		
	

			

		

	


				

				

			
            
		
	




							    
							
							
							
						

						
                        

				

				
  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    Universities will be forced to pander to the demands of "snowflake" students if controversial changes to the ranking system are approved, education leaders have warned.
The Government faces a cross-party revolt in the Lords this week over proposed reforms to higher education, which include placing student satisfaction at the heart of a new ranking system.
It is feared that this will lead to a "fantastically dangerous" culture where authorities will give in to student demands, however unreasonable they may be.
"Safe space" and "no platform" movements have swept across campuses including a campaign to ban Germaine Greer from giving a speech over her "offensive" comments.
  







	

	
	

	
	









	
	

	



	
	

		

			
			

			
				
				

	
	
	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	
	
	
	
	
	


	

	

	

	


	
	

	
	
	
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
		
	




			

			
			

		

		
		

	
	
	
	
	
	
	

	
	
		
	
	

	
		
		
			
				Germaine Greer speaks on stage at The Hay Festival 2016
			
		

		
		
			
				
				    Credit: Clara Molden for The Telegraph
			   
			
		
	



	

	
	




  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    Baroness Wolf, a professor at King’s College London (KCL), warned:  “Universities are increasingly nervous about doing anything that will create overt dissatisfaction among students because they are being told that student satisfaction is key.
“It has had a real effect on the willingness of universities to stand up to student demands which in the past have been removing statues, safe spaces and no-platforming. This whole movement is a direct threat to academic standards and the ability of universities to stand up for freedom of speech.”
She added: “The student satisfaction measure is fantastically dangerous. The way to make students happy is not asking them to do any work and giving them a high grade.
  






“This will reduce standards and undermine quality.  I just think this is totally mad, and destructive of everything universities stand for.”



  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    
Professor Julia Black, interim director at London School of Economics, Baroness Wolf, Baroness Deech, a former senior proctor at Oxford University, and Gill Evans, an emeritus professor at Cambridge University told The Telegraph of their concerns.
The Higher Education and Research Bill, championed by Universities Minister Jo Johnson, will reach committee stage in the Lords on Monday, where is expected to be subject to a barrage of criticism.
  







	

	
	

	
	









	
	

	



	
	

		

			
			

			
				
				

	
	
	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	
	
	
	
	
	


	

	

	

	


	
	

	
	
	
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
		
	




			

			
			

		

		
		

	
	
	
	
	
	
	

	
	
		
	
	

	
		
		
			
				The Higher Education and Research Bill is championed by Jo Johnson
			
		

		
		
			
				
				    Credit:  Oli Scarff
			   
			
		
	



	

	
	




  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    Sir Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sheffield told The Sunday Telegraph: “It is clear that members of the House of Lords are deeply concerned about the long term future and sustainability of universities, and this is true across parties.”
The bill outlines the proposed Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), where universities will be awarded gold, silver or bronze medals on the basis of a range of factors including student satisfaction, teaching excellence and preparation for the world of work. Universities are currently ranked based on quality of research output.
Gill Evans, emeritus professor of Medieval Theology at Cambridge University, said the new criterion will lead to an attitude among university authorities of “bother the kids but we had better give in as we stand to suffer more for fighting it out”. It will lead to a feeling of “if in doubt, give in”, she added.
  







	

	
	

	
	









	
	

	



	
	

		

			
			

			
				
				

	
	
	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	
	
	
	
	
	


	

	

	

	


	
	

	
	
	
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
		
	




			

			
			

		

		
		

	
	
	
	
	
	
	

	
	
		
	
	

	
		
		
			
				Last year Oxford student campaigned for the Cecil Rhodes status to be torn down as he was an imperialist
			
		

		
		
			
				
				    Credit: Eddie Mulholland
			   
			
		
	



	

	
	








Baroness Deech, a cross-bench peer who formerly held the highest office dealing with student complaints, has tabled two amendments to the bill dealing with free speech, which she said are “integral to academic freedom”.



  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    
“One is requiring universities to protect freedom of speech within the law, so that lecturers on unpopular subjects are not shut down, so that "safe space" and "trigger warnings" do not impede scholarship,” she told The Telegraph.
“The other amendment requires universities to take steps to stop illegal speech, for example invited extremist speakers calling for discrimination and worse against gays, women and Jews, or inciting terrorist activity.” She said that while provisions for both already exist in the law, they are “widely flouted”. 
  


  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    Professor Julia Black said that the National Student Survey, the basis on which the student satisfaction will be measured, should be treated with caution.
“You should always engage with students, but their experiences change the whole time,” she said. “Universities do have to challenge students and students may find that to be an uncomfortable process. It is beholden on universities to make sure students feel supported through that challenge.”
  







	

	
	

	
	









	
	

	



	
	

		

			
			

			
				
				

	
	
	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	
	
	
	
	
	


	

	

	

	


	
	

	
	
	
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
			
		
		
	




			

			
			

		

		
		

	
	
	
	
	
	
	

	
	
		
	
	

	
		
		
			
				The bill reaches committee stage in the House of Lords on Monday
			
		

		
		
			
				
				    Credit: OLI SCARFF
			   
			
		
	



	

	
	




  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    Vice chancellors have been accused by senior academics of being “needlessly spineless” in their opposition to the bill. In order to raise tuition fees in line with inflation and recruit international students, they must sign up to the proposed teaching excellence framework (TEF).
One Vice Chancellor told the Sunday Telegraph that in terms of opposing the bill, this “leaves universities between a rock and a hard place”.
  



  
  

	

	
	

	
	



  
  
    
A senior academic said: “They are terrified at the idea that they might lose fees. They did not need to be so needlessly spineless. ”
A Department for Education spokesman said: "We want more young people to have the opportunity to access a high-quality university education, and the measures proposed in the Higher Education and Research Bill are critical to making this possible.
"The new Teaching Excellence Framework will help raise the quality of teaching and almost all English universities, including those in the Russell Group [24 leading UK universities], have confirmed that they intend to take part in the second year."
  





				

				

			

		
		

	
	
	

	
	
	

	
	
	

	
	
		
			
				
			
	

	


	

