League table of Ex Poly's ?

[Gunznroses]

I have no dc of university age, but i've been wondering, its been a few good yrs now since all poly's were upgraded to Uni's. Does anyone think that we might be seeing the emergence of a few climbing up the hierarchy ladder of status, maybe even entering Russell Group in future ? Oxford Brooke's in particular seems to be coming up a lot with youngsters who couldn't get into Oxford or Cambridge.

Even if RG is not on the card's which ex poly's would you say are higly rated at the moment ?

[lemaladeimaginaire]

Well, I do hope my alma mater is still at the very bottom of all known leagues. Thames Valley Uni, since you ask.

[Gunznroses]

up TVU!

[Bunbaker]

My old one - Leeds Poly, now Leeds Metropolitan is at number 95 on here

[Gunznroses]

Bunbaker - cause for celebration ? poor old Bolton . The Positions of most of the ex poly's on that table is so bad you can't cry even.

[Gunznroses]

Also noticed Leeds is vying for that special position with the University of Creative Arts blimey who are they ?

[titchy]

U creative arts are an amalgamation of Surrey and Kent institutes of art and design. TVU is now university of west London. Some ex poly in middle of table, Manchester met, uni of west of England, Oxford brookes.

[Gerrof]

My local university (loucestersire) used to languish at the bottom of the scale, but has improved now I see.

How are these crappy universities going to survive in the age of tuition fees? Nobody will waste money on a degree from a poor institution will they? DD made some mumblings about Gloucestershire and I told her to forget it.

[wineoclocktimeyet]

YAY - go Plymouth 63rd - and no I didnt go there just because the ratio of men to women was 7:3 and it was by the seaside

[titchy]

U arts London, Oxford Brooke's and Herts all better than goldsmiths (94 group)!

www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings

[Southeastdweller]

Does anyone know who and what decides what institutions can be a R.G university?

gerrof Some former poly's aren't 'crappy'

[PhyllisDoris]

Birmingham City 66

[titchy]

RG - institution / vice chancellor makes it known they're interested in joining. RG committee decides whether to offer them an invitation. In theory anyway! In reality the VC's influence who theyre mates with decides!

[wonderingagain]

Oh that's good to know that RG means bog all and is just a random hierarchy!

PCL no.73 this year

[creamteas]

The RG group were formed after the VCs of some of the biggest universities started meeting in the Russel Hotel (hence Russel Group) in London about collective lobbying of Government about potential cuts to research funding. The informal meetings later became a formal organisation.

They nominated themselves and membership has never had included any assessment of quality either of research or teaching!

[Gerrof]

southeast no I know not all former polys are crap - some of them are great (dd considering UWE for instance) but some of them are rubbish. What would be the point of forking out for a degree in Football Studies at Southampton Solent for instance (I know someone who did and has regretted it).

[Portofino]

I went to Newcastle Poly - now Northumbria Uni. It seems that it has the best Student Union in the country . Also interesting to find from that link that I was there at the same time as Jonathan Ive who designed the iPhone. He seems to be doing considerably better than me

[Gunznroses]

Creamteas that's very interesting. However Durham only joined recently didn't they ? wonder what the criteria was for them.
since its now a formal organisation, they must have a constitution.

[Gunznroses]

Gerrof -aha! but it would still be 'crap' even if they forked out for Football Studies at Oxford! but I suppose crap course and crap uni is a double whammy.

[ArbitraryUsername]

The RG is just a lobbying group. There are plenty of great universities that aren't in it.

Tbh, it's a bit pointless talking of universities as a whole anyway as the different departments and degree programmes within them will be very different. Not all departments are equal and pretty much every university has some duff departments and some better ones (although the duff departments in high ranking universities are probably better than the duff departments in the universities at the bottom of the tables). Even low ranking universities might have some really great degree programmes or research groups; they're just pulled down by the rest of the university.

So, I'd say it really depends on what they want to study and what their particular interests within that are.

[ArbitraryUsername]

And universities come in more than just RG and ex-polys. There are all manner of ways to group them, and other ways that they group and position themselves for their own nefarious purposes.

There are plenty of decent universities out there that aren't RG branded.

[Gunznroses]

Arbitraryy - Yes i totally agree.

[Lilymaid]

However Durham only joined recently didn't they ? wonder what the criteria was for them.

Didn't Durham fail to turn up at the original meeting that set up the Russell Group (at the Russell Hotel in London)? Perhaps someone turned up this time? Exeter also admitted at same time as Durham. Originally RG was only for the large research based universities, so many good universities weren't large enough - e.g. St Andrews, York etc.

[titchy]

Originally large research intensive - yes (plus the LSE!!!)

[titchy]

Oh and Warwick was both RG and 94 group for many years!!!

[iseenodust]

Sticking up for Southampton, I know someone who studied sports science there, secured a related paid job overseas each summer and has been accepted for PGCE so at least some head on in a positive direction.