Tuesday April 3 2012 | Week 11
LIFESTYLE - P15
S I N C E 1887
T H E U K ' S O LD E S T S T U D EN T N EW S PA P ER
S cott ish S t udent Ne wspaper of the Year 2010
Uni drop out rate highest in Scotland
JOSH MELTZ
Stephen Maughan
Sunny Days
Students bask in early arrival of summer >> News P5
DROPOUT RATES for undergraduates have soared in the past year, according to a report from the the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Scottish universities in particular have shown a considerable decrease in the number of students completing their degrees. Current estimates suggest that, at some under-performing universities, more than one in five undergraduates choose not to complete their first year and some four out of ten students will fail to finish their courses, either dropping out or transferring to a different institution. The overall drop-out rate has risen above 30,000 for the first time since records began in 1992, with the total number of students dropping out increasing from 28,210 to 31,755 – a rise of nearly 13 per cent. In Scotland, the drop-out rate was 9.4 per cent compared with nine per cent in Wales, 8.4 per cent in England and 8.3 per cent in Northern Ireland. Despite efforts made by Scottish universities to discourage students from abandoning their degrees, little progress has been made. At the University of the Highlands and Islands, drop-out rates exceeded a third of students and only 48.6 per cent of students are expected to graduate. A quarter of students at the University of West Scotland were rebuild more affordable self catered ported to have dropped out. accommodation instead of the In addition, more than one in seven expensive halls that the University students at the universities of Bolton, has built in recent times.” West London, London Metropolitan, Swansea Metropolitan, Middlesex, University Campus Suffolk and SalStudent halls ford left before graduating. The worst results were those of the should be used for University of Bolton, where an estistudents first and as mated 45 per cent of students opted not to complete their degree at some hotels if they can't be point during their university career. filled. This rise in drop-out rates comes Peter McColl, University of despite the £1 billion initiatives introEdinburgh Rector duced by the Government designed to encourage students to continue their degree through to graduation. Similarly, McColl told The Liz Smith, the Scottish ConservaStudent, “Accommodation Services tive Spokeswoman for Education, argue that it would be unfair to said, “[The statistics] tell us that much allow students to stay in Masson more has to be done to tackle the House at self-catered rates, but the problem of higher drop-out rates in impact of sending students to live in some Scottish universities compared Musselburgh is much more unfair.” with elsewhere in the UK.” “Part of what makes Edinburgh The president of the National University great is being able to Union of Students Scotland, Robin enjoy the city itself. Parker said, “It’s simply unacceptable for Scotland’s universities to be worst Continued on page four» in the whole of the UK for drop-out.”
University defends Masson profits University’s profit from conversion of Masson House to a hotel revealed Alasdair Drennan
THE UNIVERSITY of Edinburgh is forecast to make £216,000 profit from Masson House this year, The Student has learned. Last year, the conversion of the halls of residence into a hotel brought in £81,000 profit. The University has faced criticism over closing Masson House whilst some students have been placed in accommodation at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh because of a self catered accommodation shortage. However, as it was located in Pollock Halls, Masson House only offered catered accommodation. Masson House is operated as a
hotel by University of Edinburgh Accommodation Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh and all profits of this enterprise are giftaided back to the University.
“
The decision to convert Masson House to a hotel was made due to the falling demand for catered accommodation." Assistant Director of Accommodation Services In the response to the freedom of information request made on behalf of The Student, the Assistant Director of Accommodation Services said, “The decision to convert Masson House to a hotel was made due to the falling demand for catered accommodation for students.” They also said that the conversion
brought a number of benefits to accommodation provision at the University. They said that operating Masson House as a hotel made it easier to “accommodate both visiting part year undergraduate students and provide temporary accommodation for any student arriving in Edinburgh with no accommodation.” They continued, “Thus we are able to provide a secure and supportive environment whilst we help non-guaranteed students find accommodation via our Advice Centre.” Both the new Rector of the University, Peter McColl, and the president-elect of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, James McAsh, were critical of the University’s decision to close Masson House to students. McAsh told The Student, “It is no surprise that demand for catered housing has fallen given the rents charged.” “A better response to this change in demand would have been to
“
"