Clegg Slams Cambridge Fee Decision

The Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper 11th February 2011 Issue No. 735 ESTD 1947 ANDREW GRIFFIN A sticky end: Fitzbillies closes Clegg slams its doors after 90 years (cont. page 4) Cambridge OPINION fee decision The Debate: Should Deputy PM says Oxbridge plan to charge Valentine’s Day maximum tuition fees is “not up to them” be forgotten about? TRISTAN DUNN BBC debate between students and the political correspondent Deputy Prime Minister. One of the p6 students said to Mr Clegg, “You are Nick Clegg has criticised Cambridge either stupid, or you are mad, or you and Oxford for considering tuition fees are malicious.” of £9,000, stating that the decision “is In the debate, Clegg stated that not up to them”. Cambridge and Oxford would only be Mr Clegg’s comments came after an able to charge fees of £9,000 if they internal University document revealed “dramatically increase” access for stu- on Tuesday that the University is plan- dents from deprived backgrounds. ning to charge the maximum fees Universities also face fines of up to allowed under the Government’s new £0.5 million from the Government if higher education proposals. they fail to meet such access targets. The document makes a number of The Cambridge working group recommendations to the University paper does show, however, that the Council on fees, bursaries and wid- University will be making an active ening participation. Its main point is attempt to support those students from that a flat-rate fee of £9,000 should poorer backgrounds. be charged to all UK and EU students One proposal states that students CULTURE irrespective of course or College. whose family income is less than One section of the report says: “The £25,000 will only be applicable for The history of level of tuition fee charged from 2012 tuition fees of £6,000. In addition, a entry should be the maximum permis- bursary of £1,625 will be offered to that hallowed sible, i.e. £9,000 per annum with any students whose parents earn less than subsequent adjustment for inflationary £25,000. This bursary falls to zero once place: the bed. increases.” family income rises over £42,000. Academics at the University of The report also recommends that the Oxford convened on Tuesday to con- University should attempt to increase sider the same issue; it seems likely that the proportion of students from state p9 they will also look to charge the maxi- schools to between 61 and 63 per cent mum fees permissible. from its current level of 58 per cent. Reacting to Mr Clegg’s comments, CUSU president Rahul Mansigani Edward Couzens, an undergraduate commented, “Cambridge offers a fan- of Downing College, told Varsity, “Nick tastic educational experience: with a Clegg’s naïvety appears to know no tripling of the standard fee to £9000, bounds. the need for proactive Access work Given the spending cuts to higher from the University is more important education, how can the University of than ever.” Cambridge expect to maintain its aca- Preservation of ‘proactive’ access- demic reputation without charging the may be an issue given that the current maximum fees?” cash bursary of £3,400 is being cut A University spokesperson refused to £1,625 under the new proposals. to comment on Mr Clegg’s statement, The fee waiver of £3,000 does how- saying that they were “waiting for the ever make up for the fall in the cash University Council to consider the bursary. working group’s proposals.” The University is said to be limiting SPORT However, a section of the working use of the maintenance bursary due to a group paper says: “To charge less than “shortfall between costs and income”. Town downs £9,000 might raise questions about All universities in England and Wales our commitment to excellence since must send proposals for fees, financial Gown in bloody a reduced fee in the long term could support for students and access provi- battle. only be sustained by reducing costs and sions to OFFA by 31st March. A final hence quality.” decision is expected from Cambridge The comments were made in a in the coming weeks. p15 Have an opinion on porn? 06 > Take Varsity’s online pornography survey 9 771758 444002 Comments to make? [email protected] 11th February 2011 2 Old Examination Hall, Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3RF Telephone 01223 337575 Fax 01223 760949 ESTD 1947 Issue No. 735 www.varsity.co.uk EDITORIAL DIGITAL DIGEST VULTURE Your conversation partner has ou may notice a small disconnected change in Varsity this Yweek. Look to the Dan Brooks goes stranger-surfi ng to try bottom right of this page. and foster genuine debate about last Where for many years we have year’s best records, but discovers that been in the happy position not being 16 and a girl is a handicap in of o ering our readers a free the chatrooms... Hilarious results are co ee or Chelsea bun from one interspersed with his (uncontested) fa- Cambridge’s most venerated vourite records in a double gift to you. institutions, unfortunately we can no more. EMAILS, LETTERS & TWEETS VETEMENTS Fitzbillies, the stalwart of the Big Look: The Ancient World Cambridge cake scene, shut its doors on Friday evening for the A CHARITABLE UNION? teaching budgets by £2.9 billion. While fi nal time. No more the array of the Labour Party has a positive alternative cupcakes tantalising generations Dear Editors, of slower and more sensible budget cuts and For Claire Healy (of ‘Young Shield’s of cyclists en route to lectures I feel that it may be necessary to remind the a graduate tax, Dr Huppert has constructed fashion blogosphere fame) it’s or the famously (or perhaps Union Society of its obligations as a chari- a complete volte-face from the arguments all about Egypt at the moment...on the infamously) sticky Chelsea Buns. table organisation, considering the way it has he made at the election. By providing lobby catwalks. Cleopatra’s coming Where else are generations of acted in relation to the CUSU Shadowing fodder for the Tories, he has betrayed those back atcha. Cambridge students going to Scheme, one of Cambridge’s largest and most progressive students who put him in o ce. take Granny for tea? important Access initiatives. The President’s It is the closing of the small initial decision to charge shadows for entry Ashley Walsh VOYEUR businesses like Fitzbillies which to last week’s debate and ban them from the Chair, Cambridge Universities Labour Night at the (Fitzwilliam) allows chain-run conglomera- main chamber (presumably because they are Club Museum tions like the ubiquitous Costa a ‘members’ club’) is disappointing. She later via email to keep popping up, a rash reversed the decision, allowing the shadows Varsity was out and about on Thursday along our high streets – there to “come into the building on a debate night, LIBEL LIBERAL night at the Fitzwilliam’s evening drinks are now six in Cambridge alone, which [she] wouldn’t normally say to non- party. Head to our website to see if you not a metropolis by any stretch members ever”. Until recently the Union Dear Editors, made it into our photo album. of the imagination. This is not policies were improving its inclusivity, having Libel tourism is a grossly exaggerated only indicative of our hot-footed previously given shadows free entry and par- problem. If only 30 people in this jurisdiction culture – co ee to go, takeaway ticipating in the scheme for several years. read the Kyiv post article, then you may expect paninis, no time to stop for tea The Union Society’s status as a charity the case to get struck out asap. If, on the other – but also shows that a lot of provides substantial tax benefi ts even though hand, thousands of people in this country had VULTURE the recent fashion for the locally many would consider it a private business. As read the article, the article was defamatory, Blair Waldorf: Feminist Icon? produced and run is simply hot registered by the Charity Commission on 20th and Firtash’s reputation was genuinely dam- air. May 2010, the Union has accepted clear obli- aged here, why on earth should he not sue to In the second of a ‘lecture series’ on Next time we delve into our gations relating to its operation by which it protect it? the Philosophy of Gossip Girl, Christi- pockets for a Starbucks mu n must abide to maintain its charitable status. In any case, I cannot imagine that dona- ana Spens deconstructs the girl with the we should stop for a moment Statement 3.2.5 reads that one of the society’s tions to Cambridge will have added any best one-liners, hair accessories, and and consider where our money charitable objects is “assisting CUSU with signifi cant weight to Firtash’s reputation, powers of social manipulation on the is going and what we are get- the organisation and promotion of events whatever his legal team may be intending to Upper East Side, and asks what we can ting for it. Where it is going: the aimed at widening access to the University argue, and certainly not enough to justify that all learn from her. larger pocket of a company that of Cambridge and the promotion of higher headline. has 15,000 outlets globally and education more generally”. counting. What we are getting: a Clearly the proposed fee for shadows would Edward Parkes mu n shipped in and re-heated have been in breach of these terms and con- via website YOU, THE COMMENTATOR on the premises.

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