UCU survey reveals concerns over starting university or returning to campus in September
Almost a quarter of prospective students worry that their university could go out of business as a result of the financial fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, a University and College Union survey has suggested.
The UCU poll, carried out by YouthSight between 7 and 12 May, canvassed the views of more than 500 applicants to UK undergraduate higher education courses. It found that 23 per cent feared that the institution at which they wished to study could go bust because of the coronavirus crisis.
Almost half of those surveyed (49 per cent) said they feared that cuts made by universities as a result of the Covid-19 crisis would have a negative impact on their education, while more than two-thirds (71 per cent) said they supported delaying the start of the next academic year in order to allow more face-to-face teaching to take place.
In April, a London Economics report for the UCU warned of a £2.6 billion funding ‘black hole’ as a result of a drop in the number of students going to university in September, while polling by the union in May revealed that around 17 per cent more students than normal were already considering deferring their university place this year.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said it was “hardly surprising” that students were anxious about “what the future holds for universities”.
“Given the impact this uncertainty is having on students, it is now critical that government agrees to provide increased financial backing to the sector,” she said. “Students need to be confident that they will get a high-quality education, despite the hugely damaging impact of the pandemic.”
Grady added that “no university should jeopardise the safety of staff or students to try and offer a more traditional university experience in the current climate” in order to bring money in.
“Government needs to guarantee funding so institutions are able to make decisions which put the welfare of their staff and students first, and plan for a delayed start if this is the safest course of action,” she said.
Claire Sosienski Smith, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said it was “no surprise that university management would like to continue as if it is ‘business as usual’ for fear of losing out on the income students provide”.
“Bringing students and staff members back onto campuses too early could result in deaths that are entirely preventable,” she said.
Asked about the survey results, Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of Brunel University London, said the UCU had surveyed “a very small number of students”.
“I think this is a very exciting time for students to go to university and I would be encouraging students to think very strongly about the opportunities that a university education provides,” she added.