Times Higher Ed Leader: "Good work that needs to continue"

Times Higher Ed followed their coverage of our demo last week with a Leader Comment:

London Met has taken on the difficult job of widening access - it deserves support and backing in this tumultuous climate

The two Mets - Leeds Metropolitan University and London Metropolitan University - are going through tumultuous times. The former has seen the resignation of both its vice-chancellor and chancellor in the past couple of weeks, and the latter is facing the loss of up to 500 jobs as it tries to meet a funding clawback.

At both institutions, the atmosphere is tense and everyone is on edge.

(...)

If as a community we truly believe in the concept of widening participation, we should all support London Met as it faces probably the most difficult challenge of its existence. Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, the main constituency in which the university is sited, has put forward an early day motion calling on the Government to fund London Met adequately and on management not to cut jobs. We should remember that the university is doing a difficult job in the toughest of circumstances. Those who denigrate the institution should remember that they do so at the expense of loyal and hard-working staff and diligent and bewildered students.

As for those who argue that public funds are ill spent on institutions that they believe to be mismanaged, they should remember the position British banks are in. They made mistakes, and we as a nation bailed them out. There can be no excuse for not doing the same for London Met.

Read the rest here:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=405265