The Student Newspaper of Imperial College Issue 1244 A Turnip. Reprenseting Felix Film makes a Turnip Henry, back for comeback with oceans one night only- Eleven. Page 21 Page 11 S> On Monday 14th October, Felix published the news that Imperial College was planning to merge with University College London and, seperately, to charge its students £10,000 top-up fees. Rector's UCL Plan After the initial publication, Felix has since announced in January 2000. learned that Imperial College's Rector Sir If Imperial College and University College do Richard Sykes was UCL's first choice to replace merge successfully, Sir Richard will ultimately Sir Derek Roberts in the post of UCL Provost become head of one of the largest institutions in during Sir Richard's days at the helm of the world. GlaxoWellcome, before the company merged Sir Richard has certainly expressed an inter- with SmithKline Beecham. est in influencing the country's research in the Sir Derek Roberts, now in charge of UCL past - particularly in biomedical sciences - once again as caretaker after the forced resig- though whether this merger is part of some nation of Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, said of Sir grand plan is unclear. However, the merger will Richard "When I first retired four years ago, provide an excellent stage to direct policy on Richard Sykes was the first choice for provost. Was UCL Sir Richard Sykes' plan all along? how universities are run, not just about their We have been waiting for four years to get his research, but the whole of the British higher services." SmithKline Beecham collapsed in February education system. AW Sir Derek also commented that Sir Richard 1998, after which Sir Richard elected to remain was days away from accepting the UCL position with GlaxoWellcome. The successful merger Full details of the UCL merger can be found on when GlaxoWellcome's merger talks with which formed GlaxoSmithKline was re- page 3; a Union statement is on page 4. College Denies Top-up Fees Sen (Union President) explains | Despite the planned presentation level of fees that Imperial would £2,800 per year on each student. what the hell is going on. of a paper to College Council on hope to introduce, but £10,500 Pending a government white Friday backing the payment of was used only as an example in a paper, the contents of which the I (Will, Felix Editor) also try and top-up fees by Imperial students, calculation representing the College administration did not explain what the hell is going the College has told the BBC that advantages to top-up charging. "officially know", he indicated that on. But perhaps not quite so it was "absolutely not true" that Regardless, there certainly top-up fees "will be an acceptable effectively. the introduction of top-up fees appears to be a disparity between way forward." would be discussed. the papers published for Council Fees are unlikely to be intro- Alex makes absolutely no This seems directly contrary to and the impression College duced before the next general attempt to explain what the hell the paper, which asks Council to sources are giving to the national election, nor will any currently reg- is going on. agree that the College should pub- media. In an interview with the istered students be expected to licly announce its wish to intro- Union media, Director of Strategy pay top-up fees. AW This being a science university, duce top-up fees for its students and Communication Chris Towler we thought we should have a should the Government remove said "it's very clear what the Be informed. See inside for the science page. What's going on? the £1,100 cap on tuition fees. deficits in university funding are", full story of the top-up fee pro- 18th October 2002 The paper does not specify the stating that Imperial College lost posals and what they mean. "I'm knee-deep in Union shit!" / "If it hasn't got a penis, I'm not interested" http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/felix/ [email protected] NEWS FELIX Analysis: The Top-Up FELIX Issue 1244 Fees Proposal Editor Will Dugdale Deputy Editor Alisdair Wren Last Wednesday there was an Science Rosie Chandler Emergency General Meeting of Music Sajini Wijetilleka the Imperial College Union Nightlife Patrick Hoar Council to discuss the paper that Film Simon North the Rector had produced advocat- Web Jenny Lewis ing top-up fees for Imperial Coffee Break Mike 'n' Jim Students. Sports Alex Coby At the meeting, the paper that Council's permission is just part of the authorisation required for fees was to be brought to the College Council was effectively leaked as Loss Per Student Colleges "of similar standing" were Felix, Beit Quadrangle, Prince copies were distributed to the large The motivation for the paper to follow suit. It's certainly true, Consort Road, London crowd of students attending Union seems to be the disparity between however, that Imperial seems to SW7 2BB Council, despite being marked the cost of educating each student, want to take a lead in modifying "Confidential". While first reports, which College claims is £10,500, the way in which higher education Tel: 020 7594 8072 even from your trusty copy of Felix, and the amount received from is funded. This will doubtless go E-mail: [email protected] down well with the Government, • .. have sfaoM that it costs! which backs a "free market" for Felix is a registered universities including, presumably, newspaper: the ability for institutions to set ISSN 1040-0711 their own prices as well as compe- Copyright © Felix 2002 tition for research grants and You're costing College £2,800 per year exploitation of intellectual property. Printed by Witherbys, EC1 i. — — — — — — — — — — — — J indicated that top-up fees of HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Government Support scheme the Government has in £10,500 per year were to be intro- Council for England) and current Given recent noises from the mind, but it's certainly possible to duced, the paper is actually much tuition fees paid by students, Government, including an appear- imagine how the grants may be less specific. which total around £7,500 ance by Minister for Higher reallocated to universities with, for according to the Rector's proposal. Education Margaret Hodge on the example, a lower number of stu- Student Protest Few can argue that this loss, BBC's Newsnight programme on dents from independent schools. The Emergency Council meeting which in fact totals around eventually evolved into an £28million each year, has to be Emergency General Meeting, met from somewhere but some do where all the students of Imperial argue that a university should College are entitled to debate and spend more on its students than vote on the issue on the table - in what they're explicitly given for this case, how the Union should teaching. Indeed, in the end-of- respond to the top-up fees propos- year accounts published by No amount als. There was an unusually high Imperial in July 2001, there was a turn-out and there was an enthusi- real operating loss of £1 million. Wednesday, it seems likely that Informed Argument astic discussion, mandating the College only remained in the black approval will be forthcoming which However this proposal is interpret- allows universities to charge top- ed, the Emergency Council meet- teaches. Similar nsotts wotAl <Wbto ° dwtobepubndwli up fees as they see fit. Officially, ing stressed how the importance of however, no statement has been an intelligent and informed argu- made but there is little doubt that ment from the student body oppos- the next General Election at I the Rector is sure of his ground, ing top-up fees was vital if either following given the College management's the College or Government are to t are such that it seems that the OovefflmenTwould probably onl vmsl wishoda to dt „ * here „ pubhc support from a number of higher eduearton J^T "** " contacts with policy-makers. take notice. Even protest could let Governmental support is key to College's plan Additionally, for the numbers College know that the students are presented by the Rector's paper to watching. Part of this must be the President to strongly condemn top- by selling off over £16million of add up, current funding from realisation that this particular pro- up fees regardless of any conces- assets, which is far from a sus- HEFCE for each student must con- posal paves the way for, but stops sions. The meeting eventually taintable source of income. tinue unchanged even after top-up far short of, committing the College passed the motion that the stu- fees are introduced. This money, to charge top-up fees or to set any dents should organise a protest Imperial Will Not Act Alone claims the paper, will be used to level. Instead, the reasons for the outside the 170 Queen's Gate, One of the key points restricting provide poorer students with bur- release of this paper now, pre- where the Rector's proposal would the immediate introduction of top- saries to cover the extra cost of empting any Governmental be made. As Felix went to press, up fees is the caveat attached to their degree. Again, we have to announcement and possibly giving this protest was scheduled to the end of the proposal, specifying hope that the Rector has informa- carte blanche to the Rector on occur outside the residence during that Imperial College could only tion indicating that this will be pos- fees, are prime targets for exami- Friday morning. afford to charge top-up fees if other sible under any new finance nation by the student body.