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Original poster

new RG uni's

181 replies

betternextlife · 12/03/2012 21:05

Announced today are 4 additions to the RG Group of Unis, Durham, Exeter, Queen Mary, and York. They were all previously part of the 1994 Group.

They all had a good reputation to start with and are not likely to be doing anything differenty at all, but presumably they think this will make them seem better.

So the question remains as to if any 'uni associations' which confer status really based on any actual superiority or just self-imposed hype.

Having taught within a range of institutions (including RG) I think that that it is definately the latter.

OP posts:
retiredgoth2 · 12/03/2012 22:05

And punctuation.

'Uni's'??

Yellowtip · 12/03/2012 22:04

And blimey, on re-reading, also grammar.

Yellowtip · 12/03/2012 22:02

betternextlife ok pedantic but surely if you've taught at a RG your spelling should be better?

Original poster
betternextlife · 12/03/2012 21:47

Whilst the AAB+ students aren't going to be part of the quota, it is not a certaintly that this will increase university incomes.

Whilst grades are improving, there are a finite numbre of students at this level, and it can make recruitment more perilous.

Every uni has had a reduction in their quota places (the places for non-AAB+ students) and so RG uni's have seen the biggest drop. So previously they could have kept their numbers up by allowing students to slipped a grade to attend anyway, from now on they will not necessarily be able to do so. So they could end up with less rather than more students. (This means it is really important, unless they are certain of brilliance of having a less than AAB insurance offer).

In addition, the distibution of AAB+ students is not across all subjects. For example 59% of students studing Physics at uni have AAB+ whilst only 24% of students studying biology have that level of qualification. So whilst it might be tempting for unis to expand courses that attract AAB+ students (and close ones that do not), they will only might not attract any more applicants.

OP posts:
senua · 12/03/2012 21:26

Thanks for that info, didn't know that.
I don't know if it is self-imposed hype or self-perpetuating hype. If certain employers will only interview RG students then it gives the Universities (?perhaps unwarranted?) kudos, which sets up a feedback loop.

timmytoes · 12/03/2012 21:26

Universities believe that being part of the Russell Group will help them attract the higher performing students. This is because from next year universities may recruit an unlimited number of students with 2As and a B or better but will have the number of places cut for students not making those grades. Bigger universities generally means more income.