AIBU to have submitted 2 fake applications to The New College of Humanities today?

[ManateeEquineOhara]

Namely Agnes Nitt and Draco Malfoy.

Am considering doing Bart Simpson in a sec. I hate elitism.

Libeulle unlike 3k for a surfing degree or a cruise management degree

I am pretty sure that I would not want my child to go there. ACG says that he expects all applicants to have a minimum of AAA, but I'm not sure that he will get that quality of student. As others have said, it takes years to build a university library, and people will want good facilities.

However, I do think that universities need to change if they are going to charge 9k a year. I understand that arts students need to spend a lot of time reading, but many students get 5 hours a week or less contact time. I did science and was in from 9 to 5 every day and still had to do independent research (20 years ago).

My friend was a pt lecturer on a course, and has resigned because she was expected to give students 10 minute individual tutorials. She says if she cannot give quality work then she will not do it. She had students in tears because their parents were making sacrifices for them to be educated in London (from abroad) and the courses were so poor (fashion degree).

peppapig - in that case you surely don't think that any academic will be party to 'bought' degrees? and you must be aware that most academics worth their salt are invited (and paid) to give lectures and/or deliver courses in universites other than their own.

your point that 'The whole point of a university education is to encourage free thinking, critical analysis, independent study etc' is a wonderful vision but for many students in newer universities, their learning experience is confined to lectures delivered to vast numbers. Students need direction, encouragement and some individual stimuli, to develop their critical analysis. They also need the cut and thrust of debate in order to develop these skills and sadly many are not getting any of this in the Arts and Humanities.

I also take issue with the suggestion by one of the posts that there will be no facilities for academics in this New humanities college to carry out research or obtain research grants, as, unlike the sciences, where a lab is usually required, Arts and Humanities research can be carried out anywhere, including reference libraries. Added to this, these academics have as much right to apply for the pitifully small number of research grants available and to publish in top ranking journals.

futile exercise - the software will weed them out - all organisations get loads of nuisance applicatiions like that from people with nthing better to do -stuff like that that never gets thru the spam filters.

I don't get the problem with this, its not instead of the existing universities so surely any attempt to broaden the number and types of higher education is a good thing. No-one is being forced to go.

Alpine Pony - I work part time as a Uni Administrator, as I am also a student, but finished with that for the summer - possibly forever as I struggle with fees. Am I bitter? yep. Does this make me feel better that I may not be able to continue to further my education - yep.
I won't be submitting fake applications to private schools, although we have private schools, luckily we are not being forced to take out mortgage-sized loans to get an education up until 18.

This is puerile in the extreme, haven't you got anything better to do. They wish to increase the number of HE institutions and seem to be doing this by setting one up, using private investment. State funded universities aren't going but what the people who have set this up is increase the number of students who recieve university education which is a resounding positive.

Shudaville - It takes 5 mins to register my disgust. Don't worry about my time :)

Manatee, I love you.

Anyone who isn't disgusted about this needs their bumps felt. If A.C Grayling, Dawkins et al are so concerned about tertiary ed. then they should be talking/campaigning about widening participation and removing the current fee structure.

Instead they are offering what is the equivalent of the olden days when the rich got to go to europe and complete their classical education thus ensuring that only 'the rich' then got the opportunity to be educated and then educate the next generation of rich people.

This is just the tip of an enormous (and admittedly odd shaped) iceberg. It will be intersting to see just how many sign up to it.

YANBU - wonderful! Thanks for the link

I'm going to apply as Galileo, my supporting statement would include being rather good at astronomy. I'd have to dodge any catholic lecturers though...

I think they're all atheists alistron, you'd be safe.

I agree that this is purile behaviour. Have any of the posters bent on causing difficulties heard of the luddites?

Thanks Alistron :)

Cheers Crystal, am now going to apply as Mr Lud Ite. Speciality, frame smashing. And after that I think Mr Hugh Jass should apply too.

Manatee, are you on twitter - I reckon you could get this trending!! Honestly, it's an epic idea!!!

Please someone get this trending on twitter!!

I wonder if we can get them under something. Is it a misrepresentation that it is a genuine application? The institution relies on that to its detriment and incurs 30 mins of admin time worth £50 or something on each wasted application and then brings a small claim against these time wasters for damages for that sum?

Would they not be better going out there and earning enough to send their children to institutions like this? Is that not where their duty to their children lies as women in earning a good living?

Xenia, you're an evil genius

How many posters on this thread who are so happy to knock the new college have neither DC's at private school nor any form of private healthcare? To us northern lasses, parts of this thread kinda whiff of Highgate Hypocrisy...

There is no reason why all basic social functions of a state have to be provided by the state - actually, state provided functions often operate more effectively if "threatened" with a bit of competition (Ask the good old Soviet Union, where the only field where competition was mandated was the arms industry!)

And to all of the Camden Comics so busy making bogus applications with oh, so funny names (Dontcha know, daahling...): ACG is never going to get to see them; but some poor person (almost certainly female, a mum & glad for the job), is going to be working unpaid overtime taking you seriously (coz she wants the college to succeed & her job to last).

at oxbridge the 3 hr/week is supervisions (ie tutorials, with 3-4 students and a fellow) - many arts subjects will have around 10-15 hr of lectures on top and science subjects much more. Some like History do have fewer lectures but is that really surprising - students are meant to be reading more in those subjects.

Hear hear thesparrow.

Have any of these wags considered putting in false applications to UWA (Aberystwyth)? It strikes me that what with them having the National Library within spitting distance (and free use of), that students there are at a distinct and unfair advantage over other welsh-university attending students.

OP - you don't need to justify your stance to me, it's your employer you need to explain yourself to. You might wish to think where this is leading because you've identified yourself as both a uni admin person and a criminal - I'm sure a quick root around these boards would indicate which university you're employed at. Or maybe your boss is "down with the kids". If I were attempting to sabotage our competitors it would be a legal matter.

Xenia I agree that making silly applications is not just silly but a totally ineffective way of 'protesting'.

No chance that NCH would sue, even were there grounds: you're confusing (or fusing) civil and criminal law.

But please don't start up again on this mothers have a duty to work to earn school fees lark, there really is no such duty and you've never substantiated the claim. And please don't make another mistake in thinking that all those who don't have a particular problem with the setting up of the NCH would be OK with sending their children there. I don't have a particular problem, but I'd never want any of mine to go anywhere near any institution like that. It sounds dire.

FGS go out and do something constructive with your own life OP.