Call for clarity on student debt

The coalition's higher education policy ensures that undergraduate students will commonly leave university with debts of over £40,000 ( Report , 20 September). This debt is being imposed on graduates without a democratic mandate and by politicians who have typically benefited from free higher education. As such, it represents an indefensible intergenerational unfairness. The privatisation of university funding risks transforming the vital relationship between students and educators into a cold commercial transaction between consumers and service providers. We find it inconceivable that academic principles of collaboration, critical thinking and pastoral care could survive this process intact. We believe the response from vice-chancellors to these damaging reforms has thus far lacked co-ordination and purpose. Given that these reforms fundamentally alter the character of higher education, we feel it is incumbent on vice-chancellors to definitively communicate their position to their staff and students. We call upon all university vice-chancellors to issue a statement publicly clarifying their support for, or objection to: a) the imposition of debts of over £40,000 for new undergraduates; and b) the removal of public funding for undergraduate teaching. It is our hope that by providing a clear and unambiguous statement of their positions, university administrators, staff and students can engage in greater and more productive dialogue on the future of higher education. Professor Danny Dorling University of Sheffield Professor Thomas Docherty University of Warwick Professor Guy Standing University of Bath Professor Diana Laurillard Institute of Education Naomi Eisenstadt CB University of Oxford Professor Ray Monk University of Southamton Dr Emma Francis University of Warwick Dr Nicholas Lawrence University of Warwick Dr. Clare Saunders University of Southampton Dr Cristiana Olcese University of Southampton Dr Brian Doherty Keele University Dr Dimitris Ballas University of Sheffield Professor Neil Lazarus University of Warwick Dr Rebecca Wallbridge University of Southampton Stephan Price University of Southampton Professor Luke Martell University of Sussex Dr Mario Novelli University of Sussex Dr Omar Lakkis University of Sussex David Rudling University of Sussex Dr B P O'Donohoe University of Sussex Dr Yves Le Juen University of Sussex Jeremy Page University of Sussex Viviana Coston Unversity of Sussex Dr Simon Williams University of Sussex Maria Greco University of Sussex Dr Anna Winterbottom University of Sussex Professor Catherine Pope University of Southampton Melanie Withers University of Sussex Dr Benno Teschke University of Sussex JH Prynne University of Cambridge Susan Blaylock University of Sussex Dr Kanchana N Ruwanpura University of Southampton Dr Andrew Dawson University of Greenwich Dr Simon Boxley University of Winchester Professor Malcolm Wagstaff University of Southampton Dr Alison Sealey University of Birmingham Dr Liz Morrish Nottingham Trent University Dr Danielle Fuller University of Birmingham Dr Suganthi John University of Birmingham Dr Emma Mawdsley University of Cambridge Bob Milward University of Central Lancashire Dr Sara Wood University of Birmingham Martin Findell University of Leicester Dr GK Bhambra University of Warwick Professor Manucha Lisboa University of Cambridge Professor Bob Brecher University of Brighton Professor Eric Alliez Kingston University Dr Debra Benita Shaw University of East London Dr Muir Houston University of Glasgow Chris Downs University of Chichester Duncan Davies West Suffolk College Professor Simon Schaffer University of Cambridge Dr Judith Suissa Institute of Education Angela Lees University of Nottingham Dr Brenda Johnston University of Southampton Professor William Outhwaite Newcastle University Dr Julie Wintrup University of Southampton Dr Kate Tunstall University of Oxford Dr John McTague University of Oxford Dr Priyamvada Gopal University of Cambridge Prof Peter Hallward Kingston University Professor John Holmwood University of Nottingham Dr Mark Newman Institute of Education Dr Harvey Mellar Institute of Education Dr Liz Brooker Institute of Education London Gill Anderson Institute of Education Dr Katy Sutcliffe Institute of Education Theo Bryer Institute of Education Helen Austerberry Institute of Education Teresa Baker Institute of Education Rebecca Rees Institute of Education Dr Marie Lall Institute of Education Dave Baker Institute of Education Dr Daniel Vickers University of Sheffield Dr Liesbeth de Block Institute of Education Charlie Owen Institute of Education Dr Holly Smith Institute of Education Dr Andrew Evans University of Leeds Isobel Urquhart University of Cambridge Dr Matthew Charles Kingston University Dr Nick Malleson University of Leeds Angela Hobsbaum Institute of Education Susannah Bird University of York Dr Christine Oliver Institute of Education Professor Lucy Green Institute of Education Professor B Mayall Institute of Education Dr Hugh Dunkerley University of Chichester Dr Adam Stewart-Wallace University of Cambridge Dr Joel Lazarus University of Oxford Dr Des Freedman Goldsmiths Professor Patrick Ainley University of Greenwich Dr Margaretta Jolly University of Sussex Dr Tristan McCowan Institute of Education Professor Graham Smith University of Southampton Dr Nina Power Roehampton University