pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 116
988k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.972811
| 0.972811
|
Apple Music exclusive 'Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story' trailer arrives
By Mike Wuerthele
Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:52 am PT (01:52 pm ET)
The first trailer for the Apple Music-Exclusive documentary on Bad Boy Records —"Can't Stop, Won't Stop" has been released.
The film is centered around record label Bad Boy's owner Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, the rise of the label during the '90s, and efforts to put together 20th-anniversary shows in 2016. The documentary includes behind-the-scenes moments and interviews with industry executives, such as now-Apple Music head Jimmy Iovine.
"I went to the [Bad Boy Reunion] concert and thought it was incredible," Iovine told Billboard in April. "I think Puff and Bad Boy's story is incredible and one that a lot of people can relate to in any genre or in any business. His story is powerful. He really overcame a lot to get to where he's at today and the documentary shows that."
An advance screening of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" happened at the TriBeCa Film Festival at the end of April. Apple will hold onto exclusivity of the feature for at least a year.
Apple may have up to 10 original shows and documentaries planned for 2017 according to recent reports. Known to be in production are "Carpool Karaoke," "Planet of the Apps," and documentaries about Clive Davis and Cash Money Records.
iTunes,
Jimmy Iovine,
Review: DJI's Mavic Pro is the best iPhone-connected drone you can buy
YouTube TV app update adds AirPlay capability, still no tvOS app
Apple previews 'holding hands,' other emoji updates planned for this fall ~2 minutes ago
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2318
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738665
| 0.738665
|
New Opportunities For India-Sri Lanka Relations
By Gaurav Dixit* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis
NEW DELHI (IDN) - India and Sri Lanka share a long historic relationship. The relation saw a new multi-faceted phase post Eelam War IV in 2009, after the complete elimination of the Sri Lankan rebel group LTTE. The new phase represented extensive economic and political cooperation for the comprehensive development of the Northern and Eastern provinces. India today is one of Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners and has been the first to make foreign direct investment.
Income from Indian tourists forms a large part of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector that is developing its economy. India plays an important role in developing the war torn provinces and has been assisting in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
However, the role of ethnic demographics in Sri Lanka and in India plays a significant role in promoting conflict between the two nations. The domestic Tamil rebellion in Sri Lanka and the same ethnic group in Tamil Nadu in India has been a key factor in conflicting relationship between the countries. Tamil ethnic rebellion is also found to have significantly harmed inter-state geopolitical relations, mutually impacting the regional political affairs. In the recent past, India has been caught in an apparent anti-Sri Lankan stand due to pressure groups in Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, Tamils in Sri Lanka want India to push for their rights and demands. In the new geopolitical set up after the defeat of the pro-Tamil rebellion, the role of India has substantially changed from being an anti- rebellion partner to development and reconstruction partner of Sri Lanka.
On the last day of 2013, Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha announced that India has been working hard to rehabilitate the IDPs in the war-torn provinces. According the high commissioner, the Indian government built around 10,000 houses last year (2013) for IDPs in Sri Lanka and 33,000 more will be constructed in the next two years as part of large-scale assistance programme for housing in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
India is working on various development projects in Sri Lanka in areas ranging from infrastructure and hydroelectricity to agriculture and industry to education and health. Sri Lanka is one of the principal beneficiaries of India's Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programmes.
However, skipping of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh under coercion of Tamil political groups has put a question mark on India’s strong foreign policy under regional political compulsions. India has shown hostile attitude towards the island nation by consecutively supporting the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution against Sri Lanka, and has also put bilateral trade and cooperation at risk by its erring political and business sentiments.
Even the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a powerful Tamil group, had time and again pressurised India to heed the sentiments of Tamil Nadu political leaders over the UNHRC resolution and on India's participation in CHOGM. TNA itself had boycotted the CHOGM conference citing human rights abuses against the Tamils during the war. The recent arrest of a Tamil Nadu journalist by the Sri Lankan police for photographing military camps in Jaffna district triggers apprehension of Indian support to rekindle the Tamil conflict. Such political and diplomatic lapses would only lead to breach of relations.
Meanwhile, the political compulsions of the Indian coalition government have certainly put off the strategic advantage we had over the Indian Ocean due the friendly relations with Sri Lanka. The narrow political trade off with the regional political groups supporting the Tamil cause has created counterproductive relations with the neighbouring country.
Various Tamil groups in Sri Lanka are also hurting our bilateral relationship. At the same time, the changing dynamics of various neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan in pursuing their ties with Sri Lanka has been a matter of concern for India.
According to Bharat Karnad, research professor in the Centre for Policy Research, China's growing influence on Sri Lanka, which is India's back gate, should be a matter of concern for the country. India’s preoccupation with other neighbouring states has also hampered our engagement with Sri Lanka. India is certainly losing to China in the contemporary battle for supremacy over the Indian Ocean.
The end of the ethnic war in Sri Lanka has created huge opportunity for India to invest in Sri Lanka as it is marching towards economic and social development. India, considering the status of its economic clout, can be a significant player in the island. India has initially helped Sri Lanka in its relief and rehabilitation and now is moving towards reconstruction and development of the war-hit areas. India now needs to expand its scope across the country beyond the narrow and limited engagement in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The poor participation of Indian firms during the latest Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) is not going to help India in its long-term vision of being a regional economic power.
Secondly, unwarranted intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation is only going to backfire. At the end of the day, India needs to work out some solution for other problems like Sri Lankan Tamil refugee and illegal detention of Indian fishermen. India also needs to tackle the Kachchatheevu island crisis, which is slowly but surely becoming a bone of contention between the two nations. A long-term solution for all the problems needs intensive cooperation and agreement, which in the current situation seems a pipe dream.
*Gaurav Dixit is an independent researcher on Conflict in South Asia. He can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . This article originally appeared on South Asian Monitor on January 24, 2014 with the heading India, Sri Lanka and changing regional dynamics and is being reproduced with their permission. [IDN-InDepthNews – February 7, 2014]
Image: news.onlanka.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2320
|
__label__cc
| 0.596898
| 0.403102
|
March 7, 2018 armenianbar Uncategorized 0 comment Like
AN UPSURGE OF ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATON PRO BONO ACTIVITIES
One of the Armenian Bar Association’s primary objectives is to facilitate access to justice and to provide related education opportunities by volunteering pro bono legal services to the Armenian-American community and to the broader non-Armenian populace. Just in the past several months, ArmenBar attorneys and law students from the National Armenian Law Students Association have teamed up to offer a series of far-reaching programs.
Pro Bono Clinic at the Hollywood Armenian Center
In October, 2017, the Armenian Bar partnered with the Loyola Armenian Law Students Association, under the leadership of National ALSA President, Sarkis Yeretsian, to hold a pro bono legal clinic at the Hollywood Armenian Center where several participants were assisted with their legal questions. More than a dozen lawyers and law students devoted several hours to the program.
Pro Bono Lecture Series to Help Stop Elder Abuse
Then, later in 2017, when the Armenian Bar learned that vulnerable senior citizens were the target of a fraudulent scheme in which teenagers posing as Armenian school students wrangled donations for a phony library improvement, the Armenian Bar promptly took action to help bring these deceitful acts to an end. With the support and leadership of Onnig Bulanikian, Director of the City of Glendale’s Community Services and Parks Department, the Armenian Bar joined the Department’s Senior Services Division to present “Know Your Rights” lectures, thereby putting our elderly in a better position to protect themselves from such deplorable ruses.
“The elderly members in our community are an especially vulnerable segment of the population who, unfortunately, sometimes find themselves to be the victims of abuse and financial scams designed to take advantage of them,” said Saro Kerkonian, Chairman of the Board of the Armenian Bar Association. “Working with Glendale city officials, we identified the areas of greatest need and developed a program to educate the elderly and their caretakers to heighten awareness of the issues and take steps which will protect them from falling prey to the unscrupulous who seek to take advantage of our senior citizens,” added Lucy Varpetian, Armenian Bar Association Board Member and Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Glendale.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney and active Armenian Bar member, Amy Ashvanian, who has successfully prosecuted numerous defendants accused of elder abuse, was the keynote speaker for the events. The first lecture took place on January 17, 2018, at the Adult Recreation Center in downtown Glendale and was presented in Armenian. This was followed on February 8, 2018, by a second well-received presentation by Ms. Ashvanian, this time in English, at Glendale’s historic Sparr Heights Recreation Center, on February 8, 2018.
In an interview following the lectures, Ms. Ashvanian stated, “I’m so happy that we were able to accomplish the two primary objectives of the partnership with the City of Glendale: An informational brochure, recently translated into Armenian, explains the various forms of abuse to which the elderly may be subjugated and then, of utmost importance, it provides tested methods to avoid victimization and also provides references to social service agencies which may be in a position to assist and intervene. The brochure will be distributed throughout the City of Glendale. The second positive accomplishment of the program is that we engaged directly with and educate the elderly about abuse and financial scams directed at them.”
The Armenian Bar Association’s Know Your Rights pro bono lecture series will continue with the next topic which is in the realm of housing. The featured keynote speaker is noted landlord-tenant attorney, Raymond Hovsepian. “There is a serious housing crisis in Los Angeles and it is imperative that tenants are aware of their legal rights and take the steps needed to prevent those rights from falling into jeopardy,” said Mr. Hovsepian. The Armenian-language program will be presented on March 22, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Adult Recreation Center and the English-language program will be held on April 12, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Sparr Heights Recreation Center.
Proposition 47 and 64 Expungement Pro Bono Clinic—Glendale
On February 2, 2018, thanks to the phenomenal work of NALSA board member and President of the Southwestern University Armenian Law Students Association, Brigitte Malatjalian, and talented Armenian Bar members, Alexandra Kazarian and Vicky Ourfalian, the Armenian Bar held one of its most successful pro bono clinics in recent history.
In a few short weeks, Ms. Malatjalian assembled a top-notch team comprised of 11 of her fellow Southwestern law students (not all Armenian by the way) who then split into sub-groups of working volunteer units, supervised by criminal defense attorneys Alexandra Kazarian, Vicky Ourfalian, and their attorney colleagues Matthew Kay and Jessica Melikian. Approximately 20 diverse members of the community benefitted from professional assistance with their petitions to expunge criminal records of low-level misdemeanor charges. In so doing, many were given a fresh start on life, allowing them the experience the upside of facing fewer obstacles in securing employment and housing. The event was so successful that the initial date’s calendar completely filled up and there were enough requests for appointments for help that could fill an additional day.
“I am so proud of our volunteer attorneys, Vicky Ourfalian, Alexandra Kazarian, Matthew Kay and Jessica Melikian, along with our law students, led by Brigitte Malatjalian. They, essentially, created a fully-operational law office that greeted participants, had them sign a limited-scope service agreement, prepare a complete package for the participants on laptop computers and had the packages printed on a printer generously provided by Southwestern Law School. This coordination meant that all that the public participant had to do is sign, file and serve the documents,” said Chairman Saro Kerkonian.
The participants were so grateful for the assistance they received, each expressing thanks and one participant even bowed in appreciation! The student volunteers included: Sara
Bagdasaryan, Nina Minassian, Matilda Barseghian, Michael Guloyan, Chizitere Nhadi, Brianna Abrego, Syrita Morgan, Tish Pickett, Sarkis Manukyan, and Marissa Fernandez.
ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY SOCIAL SERVICES
In addition, on January 29. 2018, Armenian Bar board members Armen K. Hovannisian and Saro Kerkonian were received by the Board of Directors of the Armenian Relief Society-Western U.S.A. at their headquarters to assess how the two groups may collaborate to meet the ever-expanding needs for pro bono services. Of particular importance is the burgeoning problem of domestic violence in the Armenian community which has drawn increasing public attention as a result of the strength and courage of the victims to come forward and ask for help. Both long-term and immediate potential projects were discussed by the Armenian Bar’s and the A.R.S.’s leadership groups, with a resulting commitment to consider the formalization of volunteer alliances.
Armenian Bar Association’s Michael Amerian and Amy Ashvanian Appointed to the California Judicial Bench
Career Spotlight: Armenian Bar Hosts Seminar on Judicial Clerkships at UCLA
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2328
|
__label__wiki
| 0.844504
| 0.844504
|
Why Was the "Vera" TV Show Canceled?
"Vera" is still on the air; the final episode of the fifth series aired on April 26, 2015. ITV officially renewed "Vera" for a sixth series in April 2015.
Confusion over the possible cancellation of "Vera" may stem from the broadcasting delay of a second series episode, as well as the third series' late premiere. A second-series episode entitled "Sandancers" concerned the death of a British soldier in Afghanistan. Shortly before the episode's scheduled premiere, news broke of the deaths of two British servicemen in Afghanistan, and ITV chose to delay the episode's release in light of the event. The third series, although completed in early 2013, did not air until August of that year.
Related Search: Why Was the "Vera" TV Show Canceled? vera tv show cancelled canceled or not tv shows cancelled tv show my tv show cancelled cancelled or not tv shows list of cancelled tv shows are my shows cancelled
Previous Post What Is "The Bustle in a House" by Emily Dickinson About?
Next Post What Is a Contour Line in Art ?
What Is the Longest Running TV Show?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2332
|
__label__cc
| 0.550465
| 0.449535
|
Some thoughts on theater
On January 27, 2013 By BrettIn Writing
Two weeks ago, I went to a college theater festival in Maryland. Surrounded by crazy
Photo from the festival: a few of us in A Midsummer Night’s Dream costumes, designed by Emily West (Far right)
theater types, plays, and workshops–including one that taught how to use a feather to achieve inner balance–the nine of us who went had theater on the brain–still do, I suppose.
Since ninth grade, when I acted in my first play, theater has remained an integral part of my life. Many of my friends have been actors and techies, and my evenings–sometimes weekends–often get swallowed by it. Whenever I can, I try to see plays.
It’s a fascinating art. Is has the fragility of music and the visual complexity of painting, kinetic and dynamic like dance, yet grounded in the permanence of writing. It uses space and resonance in ways a film never could and the vocalization of everyday poetry.
And it’s immediate, like life.
That said, I haven’t written much for theater. I wrote one act in high school: For Restful Death I Cry, taking the title from a Shakespearian sonnet. In the play, the main character, Matt, finds himself dead, having committed suicide. He meets an Angelical Negotiating Generic Entity Liaison, a.k.a an “angel,” bureaucrat in charge of the suicide subcommittee.
The angel tells him that he must fill out some paperwork before he takes him to heaven. Matt reveals his reasons–his general disgust with the world, his lack of hope, etc.–but as he talks, his girlfriend Wren runs in.
Turns out, he killed himself because he had lost his job, and was going to propose to Wren, but she was cheating on him when he came to do so. As his last hope in this world, she crushed him.
Wren calls the paramedics, creating a choice: Matt can either go to heaven or come back. In the end, he chooses to come back, forgiving Wren and refusing to leave her alone. The angel leaves, saying, “I hope I never see you again, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.”
It’s a darkly humorous play, and I’ve actually seen in performed twice. Once by Syracuse Stage in a playwright contest, and then by one of my friends and a small theater troupe of students at Ithaca.
Seeing the words come alive, the set made physical, and the characters fleshed out into forms with voice and movement, I realized every performance is an interpretation. As in Roland Barthe’s “death of the author,” my interpretation joins a chorus of other ones. I didn’t envision it the way the actors and directors did. At first, I felt irked. Then, I realized the richness of a reinvented text.
Since then, I haven’t written many plays, embracing prose instead. Still, with theatre rattling in my bones, the urge to write a play remains. I went to a playwriting workshop at the festival and found that passion invigorated further. But I lacked a play.
Yesterday, I thought of one. I started one three years ago, dividing the acts into courses in a meal. The whole play takes place at a single café table and involves a collection of college friends, including an overly intellectual young man named Blake and the daughter of a hippie, named Willow. They have a mutual friend who speaks in quotes and clichés most of the time.
The play got derailed, although it had some good scenes. I couldn’t find a coherent through line and found myself mired in melodrama and unnatural dialogue.
Now, I want to return. My new plan: Blake and Willow deconstruct the usual symbols and rituals for love, things like roses and chocolates–even the word love itself–because they think the words and symbols have lost their value. They’re empty and meaningless, and therefore, unusable.
Surrounded by the wreckage of their handiwork, Blake suddenly realizes he loves Willow. But he can’t communicate how he feels because they’ve deconstructed everything. So, he must construct a new set of values and symbols and use it to communicate his feelings to Willow.
So, after my current project–a memoir–I hope to attempt a play. What do people think about the idea? Any suggestions?
ArtdramaentertainmentplaysTheaterwritingWriting craft
4 thoughts on “Some thoughts on theater”
Your Favorite SOB
Frankly, I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks, man!
haileyjw
Ah! That’s such a great idea. I don’t want to sound like I’m overly enthusiastic all the time, but I really think it’s got something going for it. I will say that I think every writer has toyed with the idea of the “One single place and the events that happen there over time”, And nine times out of ten it seems to involve a cafe (But that’s just because they’re such a staple in the writers life as well as generally awesome). I really like how that they’ve de constructed these universal symbols that are so ubiquitous, like in saying a word too many times, but then they find they need them, or what they used to be, and are now lost. I’m very interested in what they come up with to replace them. 🙂
Thanks, Hailey,
I appreciate the enthusiasm! I must admit I’m pretty curious to see what they come up with, too.
February 7, 2013 at 10:54 am Reply
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2333
|
__label__wiki
| 0.699352
| 0.699352
|
Dalí / Duchamp @ the Royal Academy
‘To systematise confusion and thereby contribute to a total discrediting of the world of reality’ (Dalí’s aim, stated in his book The Putrefied Donkey, 1930)
This exhibition of around 80 works by ‘father of conceptual art’ Marcel Duchamp, and ‘larger-than-life Surrealist’ Salvador Dalí aims to ‘throw light on their surprising relationship and its influence on the work of both artists.’ It also brings together in one place a number of their classic works; you can either read the story of their friendship in minute detail, or step back and marvel at a handful of works which changed the face of 20th century art (or both).
Lobster Telephone (1938) by Salvador Dali and Edward James. Photo by West Dean College, part of Edward James Foundation/© Salvador Dali, Fundacia Gala-Salvador Dali, DACS 2017
What have they got in common? Well, their surnames both start with D. But they come from different generations (Duchamp born 1887, Dalí born 1904), Duchamp was cerebral, ironic, thoughtful, retiring; Dalí was garish, gregarious, turning himself into a preposterous showman. On the face of it, Tweedleduchamp and Tweedledalí.
But after a meeting some time in 1930 they evidently got on. In 1933 Duchamp visited Dalí in Spain, they worked closely together on the ‘sceneography’ of the 1938 International Surrealist Exhibition, wrote essays and comments on each other’s work and after the war, every summer Duchamp rented rooms in near Dalí’s house at Cadaqués in north-east Spain.
The show displays a number of photos of Duchamp on the beach, along with Dalí and his devoted wife, Gala, as well as chatty postcards the artists exchanged.
One of the interests of the show is the handful of really early works by both artists, showing what conventional beginnings they had. They both did conventional-looking portraits of their fathers, Duchamp’s adopting the flavour of the post-impressionists, Dalí’s showing the impact of post-war neo-classicising Modernism.
Portrait of the artist’s father by Duchamp (1910)
Portrait of the artist’s father by Dalí (1925)
And there’s an interesting cubist work by Dalí.
Cubist self portrait by Dalí
Notice the discrepancy of dates, though. Duchamp was already a practicing artist when the Great War broke out, Dalí still a child. By 1913 Duchamp was fed up of painting. Even as the cubists were inventing new perspectives, Duchamp had concluded the tradition of Western painting was exhausted. In his studio in New York he experimented with alternative ways of making art.
Retinal versus Modern painting
Looking back from 1954, Duchamp wrote that after Impressionism the visual perception required by all art movements stopped at the retina: Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Abstraction they are all kinds of retinal art, meaning that they are concerned only with visual perception. He was impatient with this. A cerebral man, he wanted art with a bit more thought.
Later, in 1966, he recalled that just before the Great War the great thing was what the French call patte, meaning the hand, meaning the direct involvement of the hand in painting, the handiness, the imprint of the artist’s brushstrokes, a testament to the directness of artistic creation.
Again, Duchamp felt he was reacting against this peasant primitivism. He thought there should be a role for mind and reason and intellect in art. This is the context for his experiments with objects picked up in shops and the street, the so-called ‘readymades’. They and his other experiments were attempts to overthrow or go beyond the hand and retina in art, in fact to go beyond the entire Western tradition of the artist as a ‘maker’ or craftsman.
The earliest readymade was Bicycle wheel (1913), assembled from two parts, a bike wheel mounted on a stool. In time he came to call these ‘assisted readymades’ because they did require some intervention, as opposed to pure ‘readymades’ which are presented exactly as found.
Bicycle Wheel (1913, 6th version 1964) by Marcel Duchamp. Photo © Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada/© Succession Marcel Duchamp/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017
The first pure readymade i.e. an unchanged found object, was Bottle Rack (1914), an example of a mass-produced artefact owned by millions of French people. But this one had been selected and purchased by Duchamp, who indicated his intervention with a small inscription.
There’s a big display case in this exhibition which includes Bicycle wheel and Bottle rack and the most famous readymade of all, Fountain.
Fountain (1917 – replica 1964) by Marcel Duchamp. Rome, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. Photograph © Schiavinotto Giuseppe/© Succession Marcel Duchamp/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017
Fountain (1917) is one of the icons of 20th century art, a mass manufactured urinal, placed untouched in a gallery except for the hand-written signature (in fact not Duchamp’s name, but one of his jokey, Dada alter egos, R. Mutt).
This begged the question, ‘What is a work of art?’ which people are still merrily asking to this day and will, forever. The practical answer is, ‘Anything a curator decides is a work of art and is worth buying and installing in a gallery’. Plenty of people think they’re artists and think they’re creating works of art and they and their friends and family might all agree – but only when a curator agrees, buys it, writes about it, displays it – does it enter the canon. Is it validated.
The commentary points out that the basic condition for choosing a readymade object was that Duchamp should remain aesthetically indifferent to it. He didn’t choose them because they’re beautiful. They’re not. The opposite: bicycle wheel, bottle rack, urinal.
The whole idea of the readymade was to get rid of taste, to dispense with the cult of the patte, the Artist’s Holy Hand.
The great irony is that it didn’t, did it? The Abstract Expressionists made a fetish of the visibility of the artist’s every gesture and stroke, and Jasper Johns – subject of a massive retrospective right next door to this exhibition – included hand prints in numerous paintings.
Duchamp’s readymades invented a place where artists (and viewers) can go, and gave rise to vast oceans of Conceptual Art. But it didn’t overthrow conventional art in the slightest. It just added a new wing to the old building.
The curators claim that these readymades ‘operate in a no man’s land between art and life’, which I thought was amusing.
a) Note the grandiose rhetoric – ‘operate’ making them sound like secret agents, ‘no man’s land’ makes the whole thing sound like a World War One battlefield instead of a genteel, upper-class gallery.
b) They emphatically don’t. They are unmistakably works of art. I can tell because they are hanging in an expensive art gallery and, if I touched any of them, I would be warned, if I tried to take a photograph (banned) I would be told off, and if I walked off with one of them I would be arrested.
c) I.e. there can be no doubt whatsoever that they are extremely rare, precious and valuable works of art.
L.H.O.O.Q.
Less imposing is his 1919 work, L.H.O.O.Q. It’s a cheap postcard of the Mona Lisa on which Duchamp drew a moustache and beard.
L.H.O.O.Q. by Marcel Duchamp (1919)
It’s not exactly difficult to copy or reproduce, which is part of the point. Duchamp went on to produce numerous variations and version, including one with no beard or moustache and wittily titled L.H.O.O.Q. shaved.
I didn’t realise that the apparently obscure title has a simple explanation. When you say the French letters out loud they sound like ‘Elle a chaud au cul’, a slang expression literally meaning ‘She is hot in the arse’, or ‘she’s on heat’. The Mona Lisa was one of the jewels in the collection of Western art in the Louvre, venerated by the French bourgeoisie as embodying everything noble about French civilisation. So this wasn’t a small insult but a calculated subversion of an entire set of values.
This kind of shocking the bourgeoisie is what attracted both Dada and Surrealist artists to Duchamp. Dalí later wrote that L.H.O.O.Q was a fitting end-point to Western art. Except it wasn’t. The curators – with a kind of thumping inevitability – claim it is a work which questions ‘ideas of originality and authenticity and gender’.
This habit of schoolboy punning also explains the name he gave to his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy. At various points Duchamp dressed in women’s clothes, put on make-up, attended functions or had himself photographed as this severe Parisian lady.
Duchamp as Rrose Sélavy, photographed by Man Ray (1920)
Again, if you pronounce the name slowly in French it has another meaning – ‘Eros, c’est la vie’, which translates as ‘Eros, that is life’, or more simply, Love is life, the love in question having a strong sexual overtone.
Duchamp’s distance
Although Duchamp spent the First World War in New York, news of his work spread among the Dada movement in Europe. He never joined the group but was admired for his anti-art stance – an admiration carried on into the Surrealist movement, founded by many of the former Dadaists.
However, Duchamp never joined the Surrealists either, though he became friends with many of them, as the photos by Man Ray suggest. He was probably too rational and controlled to join a movement which is all about the irrational and automatic. Nonetheless, the leader of the Surrealists Andre Breton saw Duchamp’s readymades as the first Surrealist objects and included them in an exhibition with that title.
Surrealism didn’t get properly going until the Surrealist manifestos were published in 1924. By that time Duchamp had cultivated the idea that he had abandoned art altogether in order to play chess professionally. This was far from the truth, as he continued making works of art well into the 1960s – but for most of this period Duchamp was the hidden man and when he was tracked down and interviewed, was very quiet, modest and sane.
The opposite of Salvador Dalí. Dalí enthusiastically entered into the spirit of Surrealism and in 1931 came up with the idea of the ‘Object of Symbolic Function’, an object which supposedly epitomises Surrealist ambitions of bringing unconscious dreams, desires, fantasies into the real world. A good example was his Aphrodisiac Jacket (1936), an ordinary dinner jacket with liqueur glasses sown into it.
Dalí wearing his Aphrodisiac Jacket (1936)
Dalí’s discovers the inclined plane
Dalí was young. He came to all this late. He was 10 when the Great War broke out, 12 when Dada was formed, 14 when Duchamp made Fountain, and just turning 20 when the first Surrealist manifesto was written and published by the leader of the group, poet André Breton.
After the early experiments – the father portrait, messing about with Cubism – it was news to me that at the tender age of 24 Dalí considered abandoning painting altogether, declaring that the future lay in photography and film.
He wasn’t wrong but film and photography didn’t work out, so he returned to painting in 1929 with a work which broke with his previous pieces. It introduced an unrealistically smooth, deep, perspective on which he could sit all kinds of incongruous objects.
The First Days of Spring (1929) by Salvador Dali. Collection of the Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida. © Salvador Dali, Fundacia Gala-Salvador Dali, DACS 2017
Apparently, this painting also contains elements of collage and textures included in it. But the blindingly obvious components are the huge, empty, sweeping plain conceived as a stage for realistically depicted figures and objects undergoing strange transformations or caught in peculiar alienated poses.
He had invented an entire aesthetic which he would mine for the next 50 years or so, which led to the production of hundreds of variations, including some later masterpieces included here.
Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1938)
Nonetheless, in a revealing comment his friend Man Ray said that Dalí didn’t really like painting and would have much preferred to be a photographer. Although his paintings are dominated by soft-edged, often melting, forms, it’s worth bearing in mind this comment, and rethinking his paintings as settings of objects which have been arranged and staged as if for a photograph.
Both men were heterosexual men and had lifelong obsessions with sex and the female body, Duchamp in a generally discreet way, Dalí in an unembarrassed, flaunting way.
Here is Duchamp, just before he packed in painting, doing nudes. As you can see he is far more interested in the idea of movement, trying to capture movement in art, than in tits and bums (this phrase is taken from the title of the 1973 Monty Python book, Tits n’ Bums: A Weekly Look at Church Architecture, featuring articles such as ‘Are you still a verger?’)
The King and Queen Surrounded by Swift Nudes (1912) by Marcel Duchamp. Philadelphia Museum of Art © Succession Marcel Duchamp/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017
The curators call this section of the show ‘The Body as Object’, which is a typically curatorspeak way of pussyfooting around the subject. It includes pretty silly works by Duchamp, such as a plaster cast of a woman’s labia, and another sculpture which appears to be a jockstrap. Allegedly, Duchamp was interested in the erotic, but you wouldn’t really have guessed.
Female Fig Leaf
On display are sketches and preparatory work for his last great piece, Étant donnés (Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas, French: Étant donnés: 1° la chute d’eau / 2° le gaz d’éclairage) which he worked on from 1946 till 1966 and wasn’t finally displayed until after his death, in 1969. It consists of a tableau, visible only through a pair of peep holes (one for each eye) in a wooden door, of a nude woman lying on her back with her face hidden and legs spread holding a gas lamp in the air in one hand against a landscape backdrop.
Étant donnés by Marcel Duchamp (1946-66)
Not very erotic is it? More of a disturbing image. I’ve read the suggestion that the body is a corpse and the whole thing is a crime scene, but then how is it holding a lamp up? Certainly the body has a cold, lumpen appearance more like a corpse than a sex object.
Meanwhile, in sunny Spain, Dalí luxuriated in the erotic. He was often at the beach with his smiling wife, Gala. Photos of them at the beach show a handsome couple: she was good looking, but he was gorgeous.
Gala and Dali
Dalí had no inhibitions when it came to showing the erotic, or the pornographic, in art. Thus the show includes several versions of a sketch of Dalí ‘eating’ a figure of Gala while masturbating – which come to a head in a vivid painting titled William Tell and Gradiva. Near to it is a lovely ink-and-pencil drawing of two full length women in billowing gowns titled Gradiva, one among numerous examples here of what a bewitching draughtsman Dalí could be.
Gradiva – Study for The invisible man (1930)
The name Gradiva rang a bell. I knew that Gradiva is a novella by the German writer Wilhelm Jensen which was made the subject of a 1908 essay by Sigmund Freud. Freud used it to give a detailed example of how his theory of psychoanalysis could be applied to unearth buried themes and ideas in literature, beginning the process whereby Freudian psychoanalysis would go on to become a major thread of literary criticism.
But I didn’t know that Gradiva was a nickname Dalí gave his wife, Gala – so these Gradiva paintings and sketches are very autobiographical. Nor that other Surrealists featured Gradiva in their paintings and that she became so much of a muse to various Surrealists that, when the Surrealist writer André Breton opened an art gallery on the Rive Gauche, 31 rue de Seine in 1937, he gave it the name the Gradiva Gallery. Nor that the iconic door into the gallery was designed by Duchamp.
That’s a lot of context to take in and appreciate for one painting and a few sketches.
The importance of context
Which leads into one of the biggest conclusions I drew from the exhibition, which is the importance of the intellectual and historical context of these works.
Alongside the paintings and sculptures and readymades are quite a few display cases showing magazine articles, newspaper pieces, manifestos, books, essays, catalogues, letters, notes and sketches and diagrams and post cards relating to them. Dalí wrote essays about Duchamp. Duchamp wrote manifestos and essays about his own work. Dalí wrote lengthy books of theory. That’s jungle enough.
But both of them were also surrounded by complex networks of other artists all clamouring about their own work, jostling for position, launching volleys of provocations and reams of interpretations.
As the hand-out makes clear, Surrealism was to begin with a movement of artists and poets – of writers. It was only later that visual artists got involved, which explains the time lag between the first Surrealist manifesto of 1924 and the dating of many Surrealist art classics to the 1930s.
My point is that all these works were conceived and created amid a tremendous tangle of texts, articles and manifestos, declarations of principles and aims and goals all of which have fallen away like flesh from a carcass, leaving the works stranded in the antiseptic space of these display cases, hanging from the white walls of the gallery like the bare bones of a whale on the beach.
These works have then been reconstituted, rehung, reintroduced and retold to fit contemporary concerns, interests and rhetorics, to reflect the interests, language and rhetoric of the modern world and contemporary academic discourse – the all-too-familiar ‘issues’ of gender, identity and desire, which almost all art – no matter what it looks like – turns out to be addressing in the view of modern curators.
The manifestos and other paperwork, which made sense of the works in their time, are certainly on display here, but you can’t really read them and you certainly can’t turn over the pages. In effect, unintentionally, they are censored. Only the snippets which support curatorial aims are cut and pasted into the curatorial discourse in which the works are embedded.
I think this partly accounts for the tremendous sense of loss which hangs round the works, especially Duchamp’s.
There’s another level of loss or absence, prompted by the obvious thought that all these texts are in French, and all this creative thought and activity took place in French, in France, embedded in the density of French culture and history – all of which are very different from our Anglo-Saxon tradition.
1. Take boobs. The French are not as hung up about women’s breasts as we are (something I realised when my parents took me on holiday to the South of France and I couldn’t believe the number of French women walking about topless as if they couldn’t care less).
Picnic, Œle de Ste Marguerite, France, 1937 Photo by Roland Penrose showing Nusch Eluard, Paul Eluard, Lee Miller, Man Ray, Adrienne Fidelin aka ‘Ady’
Compare and contrast the stress and neurosis surrounding women’s breasts in the Anglo-Saxon world, from the endless arguments about Page Three of the Sun to the contemporary ‘Free the Nipple’ movement to the fuss made about Janet Jackson’s top falling open to reveal her nipple during the 2004 Superbowl interval show.
Despite all efforts to the contrary, there continues to be something prudish, narrow-minded and uptight about the Anglo-Saxon attitude towards the naked human body.
2. France is a Catholic country. From local curés to archbishops its official religious culture is more aggressively conservative and reactionary than our own ineffectual Church of England. This meant that desecration of religious imagery was hugely more significant in the French tradition. It also explains why the reaction to French Catholic culture and politics was that much more radical and extreme. The bitter opposition between Catholics and radicals has run through French politics and culture since the Revolution, through the Commune, the immensely bitter Dreyfus Affair, on into the tremendous power wielded by the French Communist Party during the 1930s and then in the decades after the second World War.
British politics and culture have just never been so polarised: we have an upper-class toff party or the party of timid trade unions to choose between. There have never been significant numbers of fascists or communists in Britain.
To summarise – these works have been subject to at least two translations:
They have been surgically cleansed of all reference to the intellectual support system which gave rise to them
And they have been translated from the intensely intellectual and more openly sexual atmosphere of France into the less reflective and more buttoned-up world of les Anglos
Anyway, back to texts. Duchamp was far the more cerebral of the two. He worked on the obscure and puzzling work, The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even, for eight years, from 1915 to 1923. The original was lost long ago but was reconstructed from photos and diagrams by Pop artist Richard Hamilton, and his reconstruction can be seen in Tate.
The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) (1915, 1965-6 and 1985) by Marcel Duchamp (reconstruction By Richard Hamilton) Photo © Tate, London, 2017/© Succession Marcel Duchamp/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017
It is symptomatic, though, that Duchamp intended this big sheet of glass to be accompanied by The Green Box, a collection of texts, diagrams and explanatory notes. These are here, in a display case, but they aren’t really readable, or very much explained.
I experienced a profound sense of missing the point, as with several other Duchamp pieces in this room. Clearly something intense, carefully planned and important is going on. It took long enough to make, after all. But what and why? I’m guessing that some kind of pamphlet-length explanation is required, hence Duchamp’s wish for accompanying texts and explanations. In the absence of really detailed text or guide these odd works sit abandoned and inscrutable.
This is the exact opposite of Dalí’s paintings. The examples of his mature work in the final room as dazzling in their fluency, inventiveness and power. They were so widely reproduced and available in my boyhood, so much of the poster-world of art’s greatest hits, that it’s easy to take them for granted – but a work like St John is absolutely stunning, a huge towering presence, surely a masterpiece.
Christ of Saint John of the Cross (c. 1951) by Salvador Dali. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
The exhibition suggests they shared an interest in optical illusions. Hence the nude-in-motion paintings right at the start of Duchamp’s career. Hence the clever use of contradictory or paradoxical perspective schemes in the upper and lower part of Dalí’s St John crucifixion.
The exhibition also includes a number of very hand-made, amateurish panopticons or look-through-the-little-slots-at-a-fantasy-landscape pieces which Duchamp constructed, all of which can be seen as preparation for the puzzling final work, Étant donnés which has to be observed through a peephole.
Dalí’s experiments with perspective and other optical illusions are a key element in his paintings, as in another masterpiece in the show.
Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach
Duchamp loved chess. He spread the rumour in the mid-1920s that he had abandoned art altogether in order to concentrate on playing chess professionally (could you really make a living from just playing chess in the 1925?). A display case lingers on his love of the game, and features both the early chess set that Duchamp himself used and a later, surreal one, made by Dalí, in which the pieces are mouldings of fingers, fingertips for the pawns, the whole finger wearing crowns for the king and queen but, unexpectedly, salt cellars for the rooks.
Chess set for Marcel Duchamp by Salvador Dalí
Chess boards and pieces appear in numerous surrealist paintings. Chess is to European art what poker is to American culture, a kind of central reference point which epitomises the culture, thoughtful European intellectuals on the one hand, Wild Western rednecks ready to pull out a gun at the drop of a hat in the violent States.
Apart from all its other elements, chess is a study of time and movement. On reflection you can see that its highly stylised moves continue Duchamp’s abiding interest in movement and motion. In the small room devoted to the chess pieces, as well as related artefacts, there’s a video playing in which Duchamp explains the aesthetic interest of chess.
He declares that a shot of the chess board at any one moment isn’t particularly interesting. What is interesting is that the pieces are locked into moving in a limited number of technically restricted ways. Thus something about the idea of a game, the idea of the movement of a finite number of pieces according to strict rules of movement but through a potentially infinite number of moves – that is beautiful, that can be a work of art.
It’s very winning to see the same anti-art, elliptical, sideways sensibility alive and well in the 70 year-old man as it was in the thirty year-old who created Fountain.
Films and TV
The commentary suggests that Dalí was the first celebrity artist of the TV age. His early interventions may have been in arthouse movies with Luis Bunuel but by the 1950s he was appearing on U.S. gameshows (‘What’s my Line?’) on TV specials, starring in documentaries and news reports made about him, generally milking the apparatus of celebrity for all it was worth. Thus the show includes a very entertaining selection of moving pictures featuring the old shyster, for example in this 1941 newsreel of a party Dalí designed and held in the Bali Room of the Hotel Del Monte, Monterey, California as a benefit for European artists.
The older Dalí appears in a clip titled ‘The Honorary Bullfight’, which appears to be a bullfight held in his honour in his native Spain, for which he had constructed a life-size model bull covered in gold plates. At the climax of the festivities it exploded in fizzing fireworks. Dalí bows grandly to the applauding crowd.
The most dramatic clip is the 90-second dream sequence which Dalí designed for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller about a possibly deranged psychiatrist, Spellbound.
Presence and prescience
The fifth and final room is more like a corridor back out into the main landing of the Royal Academy building. At the 1938 International Surrealism exhibition Dalí and Duchamp collaborated on the design and ‘scenography’. One room featured 1,200 coal sacks suspended from the ceiling over a stove. In this shortish corridor the curators have recreated the effect with 60 or more grubby full-seeming coal sacks bearing down from the ceiling and a row of small stoves lined up along the wall. It is intense and a bit suffocating.
Now, as it happens, last week I was at the Curve, the free exhibition space at the Barbican, to see an installation titled Purple by British artist John Akomfrah. Part of it was a narrow stretch of the gallery where he had suspended several hundred white plastic water cans from the ceiling, with white light beaming down through them. The effect was high, white and light like a sort of cathedral – as compared to the low, dark and oppressive effect of the coal sack ceiling.
The coincidence of a contemporary British artist doing something very very similar to – maybe deliberately referencing – a work created just about 80 years earlier made me reconsider a phrase from the wall label introducing the exhibition. Here are the curators:
What fuelled this seemingly unlikely friendship was deeper than their shared artistic interests – amongst them eroticism, language, optics and games. More fundamentally, the two men were united by a combination of humour and scepticism which led both, in different ways, to challenge conventional views of art and life in ways that seem startlingly prescient today.
‘Startlingly prescient today’ suggests that they anticipated where we are, that their work is good because it anticipates our own wonderful achievements in art and culture, that the real place, the real achievement is here and they were lucky enough to anticipate it.
But there is a completely different way to read that phrase, to the effect that we are still living in the world they created; we have progressed no further in our art and imaginations than the ‘imaginarium’ which these dead artists conceived all those years ago.
Bizarre objects, visionary paintings, experimental films, overt erotica, naked women and masturbating men, objects hanging from ceilings, the unashamed use of celebrity (Warhol, Jeff Koons), blatant commercialism (Damien Hirst), performance art, installations, non-conformist, anti-bourgeois, anti-repressive ‘provocations’ – by pushing their imaginations to the limit, these guys invented all the apparatus of contemporary art nearly a century ago – and it is where we still live, imaginatively.
We are still inhabiting the territory they opened up and repeating the works, ideas and antics they got up to all that time ago.
Installation view of Dalí / Duchamp
In the coal sack ceiling room I chatted to another visitor. She really liked a photo of Duchamp playing chess with a young woman. When I mentioned this to my wife she said, ‘Let me guess – the young woman is naked’. Yes. It is as entirely predictable as that. An old man, fully-clothed, is sitting opposite an attractive young woman, completely naked.
Eve Babitz and Marcel Duchamp play chess, 1963 © Julian Wasser
What my fellow visitor liked was the sense that the photo represented the 1960s with its exciting new world of happenings and love-ins and non-conformity and rebelliousness, and that the quietly spoken, chastely dressed, old man, Duchamp, had lived to see it happen. She thought it was strangely moving that his (artistic) grandchildren were flourishing and developing all kinds of ideas which he had invented. As they still are, today.
There are several videos supporting the exhibition, including this quick snapshot from the RA’s artistic director, Tim Marlow.
Dalí/Duchamp continues at the Royal Academy until 3 January 2018
Newspaper reviews
Guardian review by Laura Cumming
Independent review by Michael Glover
Reviews of other Royal Academy exhibitions
Jasper Johns (November 2017)
Matisse in the studio (November 2017)
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2017 (July 2017)
Intrigue: James Ensor by Luc Tuymans (December 2016)
Abstract Expressionism (October 2016)
In the Age of Giorgione (March 2016)
Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse (February 2016)
Ai Weiwei (November 2015)
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2015 (June 2015)
Rubens and his Legacy (January 2015)
Allen Jones (January 2015)
Dennis Hopper – The Last Album (August 2014)
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2014 (August 2014)
Bill Woodrow (February 2014)
Daumier (January 2014)
Bronze (December 2012)
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2012 (August 2012)
David Hockney: A Bigger Picture (April 2012)
Surrealism-related
Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona
Surrealism by Michael Robinson (2005)
Salvador Dalí: Exploring the irrational by Edmund Swinglehurst (1996)
Marcel Duchamp by Dawn Ades, Neil Cox and David Hopkins (1999)
by Simon on November 7, 2017 • Permalink
Posted in Art, Exhibition, France, French literature, Great War
Tagged Dalí / Duchamp, Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dalí, The Royal Academy
Posted by Simon on November 7, 2017
https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/dali-duchamp-the-royal-academy/
Jasper Johns: ‘Something Resembling Truth’ @ the Royal Academy
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2335
|
__label__wiki
| 0.698687
| 0.698687
|
Progress Fellowship
Alina Leikin
Lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre
Alina Leikin joined the Human Rights Law Centre after almost four years as a solicitor and the Deputy Head of the Human Rights Law Group at King & Wood Mallesons. Alina has extensive experience in strategic litigation, including in a number of recent High Court matters that advanced the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; asylum seekers and refugees; and that promoted protection of democratic freedoms. Prior to commencing with KWM as a solicitor, Alina worked in the Pro Bono & Community team, developing relationships with a broad range of community organisations. In addition to her litigation experience, Alina has also worked with Julian Burnside QC undertaking research and strategic planning in relation to human rights litigation and advocacy.
Alina was previously the General Secretary of the Multifaith Multicultural Youth Network, an advisory body to the Premier of Victoria. She also has experience in the community sector, having volunteered as a lawyer with the Homeless Law Clinic at Justice Connect and at Springvale Monash Legal Service, including in the specialist legal clinic in partnership with the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault.
BACK TO FELLOWS
We love hearing from you by email: info@australianprogress.org.au
Address: Level 2, 673 Bourke St, Victoria, 3000
Australian Progress acknowledges we are living and working on Aboriginal land. We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay respect to Aboriginal Elders past and present.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2340
|
__label__cc
| 0.5839
| 0.4161
|
13. Age of the Sail
by Albatross, January 2016
The Age of the Sail is a science fiction epic set in a distant future long after the settlement and terraforming of Mars along with many other satellites and moons in the neighboring areas. During the terraforming of Mars large tracts of naturally forming Beryllium are found that provide a perfect material for solar sails. The large abundance of the material creates the very affordable ability to build solar sailing ships that can maneuver between Earth, Luna, Mars and her various moons. There have been many wars and Earth isn’t as technologically advanced as one would expect so far into the future. Mars has become a ‘new world’ very reminiscent of the early Americas. Colonies have formed in every possible location as people have used the new affordable ship building to leave their former lives and pursue an existence in a new place with new ideas. Mars is kept by the governments of Earth, but they allow for a certain amount of autonomy in their local governance (with a watchful eye). There is widespread poverty, along with massive wealth owned by a very tiny fraction. Massive trade routes open every two years between the planets, and in that time the space between them teems with ship traffic, trade, and piracy. The ships themselves are not much more than canisters hauled by the sails. Simplicity reigns. They require human crews that can operate the ship, manipulate the sails manually, as power is very limited and nothing is wasted. Ships battle by slinging objects at each other rather than any sort of energy draining advanced weaponry, with crews in suits moving about the ship, repairing, adjusting in the sails, and fighting in zero gravity. Ships are boarded, taken as prizes, and all trade shipments require a convoy for protection.
In this setting the story follows our hero as she leaves Mars for the life of a sailor. She works on Mars making solar sails for very little wage and lives in poverty with her Grandmother. She also works a meager pub in the evenings. Here she comes into contract with pirates and accidentally learns of the location of treasure hoard hidden in an asteroid field. As her situation becomes more dire on Mars, the treasure becomes very alluring. She becomes a sail mender on a ship that harvests asteroids, hoping for a chance to get closer to the treasure. Becoming a sailor she gets pulled into this adventurous world, entangled with pirates, betrayed by comrades, fighting her way to what she hopes will be something to save her grandmother and improve the lives of those she loves.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2345
|
__label__wiki
| 0.97897
| 0.97897
|
Listen for the Ticking in the Eerie First The House With a Clock in Its Walls Trailer
By Mike Mudano | March 27, 2018 | 1:08pm
Images via Universal Pictures Movies News The House With a Clock in Its Walls
“Things are quite different here,” Jack Black tells his young nephew in the first trailer for The House With a Clock in Its Walls. That’s a bit of an understatement.
Based on the 1973 children’s gothic horror novel of the same name, The House With a Clock in Its Walls follows orphan Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro, Daddy’s Home), who comes to live with his uncle, Jonathan Barnavelt (Black), in Michigan after his parents die. His uncle, along with his best friend and neighbor Mrs. Florence Zimmerman (two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett), recruit Lewis to help locate a missing clock with the power to destroy the world that is believed to have been hidden in the house.
Actor and horror director Eli Roth (Hostel, The Green Inferno) directs the film for Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures. The film costars Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) as the evil wizard Isaac Izard, along with Coleen Camp (Clue), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Altered Carbon), Vanessa Anne Williams (Dynasty) and Sunny Suljic (The Killing of a Sacred Deer).
Enjoy the bizarre trailer and check out the fantastical poster below. You can listen for the ticking on Sept. 21 in theaters nationwide.
More from The House With a Clock in Its Walls
The House with a Clock in Its Walls By Andy Crump September 25, 2018
Watch the New Trailer for Jack Black Fantasy The House with a Clock in Its Walls By Ellen Johnson June 28, 2018
Listen for the Ticking in the Eerie First The House With a Clock in Its Walls Trailer By Mike Mudano March 27, 2018
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2346
|
__label__cc
| 0.726282
| 0.273718
|
Tag Archives: Li
5 Profound Pieces of Kung Fu Panda Wisdom (That May Seem Dumb)
Posted on April 8, 2019 by B Gourley
5.) Po’s Wu Wei: In his fight against Tai Lung at the end of the first film, Po takes a hard hit from his Snow Leopard nemesis, and through ripples of undulating flab returns a devastating strike that sends Tai Lung flying. While I wouldn’t recommend one try it at home as demonstrated in animated form, the idea of not resisting, but rather redirecting forces is an old school approach. It also reflects the ancient Taoist wisdom of wu wei, effortless action.
4.) “But I realized having you in Po’s life doesn’t mean less for me. It means more for Po.” In the third movie, there’s a scene in which Mr. Ping (Po’s avian dad by adoption) explains to Po’s panda dad, Li, how he came to grips with Li’s presence (which at first made Mr. Ping insecure and envious.) The lesson is to be careful in assigning a situation zero-sum status (one person’s gain requires another’s loss) without having reason to believe it reflects the reality of the situation.
3.) “There is just news. There is no good or bad.” This bit reflects an old Taoist story about a farmer and his neighbor. One day the neighbor sees the farmer has a beautiful new horse. The farmer tells the neighbor that it’s a wild horse that the farmer found at the back of his property. The neighbor says, “That’s good news.” The farmer says, “Good news? Bad news? Who’s to say?” The next day when the neighbor stops by the farmer tells him how his son got a broken arm trying to break in the wild horse. “That’s bad news,” says the neighbor. “Good news? Bad news? Who’s to say?” The next day the army comes by, conscripting young men, but the farmer’s son is not forced to go to war because the young man has a broken arm. The story goes on like that.
2.) “If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be more than you are.” In the third movie, after Master Shifu explains to Po how he knew that Po would fail on his first day as a teacher, the Master utters this bit of wisdom. It’s a warning to avoid loitering in one’s comfort zone.
1.) “The secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup…. The secret ingredient is … nothing… To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.”: For some reason, people love to get attached to trappings and secret wisdom, even to the point of losing sight of what’s important.
It reminds me of a story about Dr. Herbert Benson. Benson famously wrote a book entitled, “The Relaxation Response“ about the effects of relaxation on health. Back in the sixties, students of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (famously, the Beatles’ guru) asked Benson to do a study of the health effects of their teacher’s system of meditation. The Maharishi taught transcendental meditation, an approach in which students focused on mentally repeating a mantra that is “given” to them personally by the teacher. (I put the word “given” in quotes because the Maharishi actually charged a significant amount of money for these mantras.) Anyhow, after much badgering, Benson agreed to do the study. One has to realize that, while today such a study would be considered quite respectable, in those days a study of the effect of meditation on health would have been akin to a study of voodoo.
So, Benson conducted the study and — lo and behold — he found that patients who practice meditation do have better recoveries and less ill effects. The Maharishi and his people now love Herbert Benson. They sing his praises. But Benson is interested in science and couldn’t care less whether any particular guru’s system of meditation is validated. So he repeats the study with all participants using the word “one” as their mantra, and he gets the same result. Subsequently, other forms of meditation are studied, and with similar outcomes. Needless to say, the transcendentalists love affair with Dr. Benson was short-lived.
Posted in cinema, film, movies, Philosophy, Taoism, wisdom | Tagged Daoist, kung fu, Kung Fu Panda, Li, Master Shifu, Mr Ping, Oogway, Po, quotes, Taoism, Taoist, Wisdom, Wu wei | 2 Replies
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2351
|
__label__cc
| 0.609324
| 0.390676
|
Home Big Opinions What is Wrong With SA Rugby
What is Wrong With SA Rugby
I have been involved with rugby for a very long time. Around 50 years, at a guess.
My introduction to rugby was something of a shock. I was sent to boarding school as I moved into my first year of high school. At junior school we had played soccer, rugby was reserved for the giants up at our high school campus, an area we did not dare visit for fear of some unspecified retribution from those gigantic seniors we saw in the distance from time to time. At boarding school, at one of South Africa’s biggest and oldest rugby schools, named after Paul Roos, a famous Springbok Captain and with a host of Springboks on the Honours Board, I was introduced to the game. A big, somewhat chubby, very clumsy youngster with very little natural ball skill, I was told that I would be a forward and would play lock.
I had no idea what a lock forward was, in fact, I had no idea of the difference between forwards and backs. I had no idea at all about the basics of the game itself. Who did what, and why? I quickly figured that I was not going to get the ball passed to me too often, I was very likely to make a grab for the ball and drop it…. The only thing I could do well, really well, was shove in the scrums. I was big, and I was strong. So I shoved as hard as I possibly could in each and every scrum.
I also eventually learned to catch the ball in the lineouts. Those furious scrabbles for the ball that passed for a lineout in the U/14 E&F teams were something of a lottery anyway, and I was just a little taller than some of the other forwards, so I could sometimes grab the bobbing ball and hold on to it.
And that was about it! I had no running skills, no handling skills, and no idea what the object of the game was in any case. I wandered around from scrum to lineout, actively avoiding getting involved in some of the other stuff that was happening out there. This was not difficult. Down in the E’s and F’s most of the other participants were doing the same. For our twice weekly pratices we were allocated the most distant field in all of rugbydom. Our school was allowed to use the hallowed rugby fields of Stellenbosch University for practices, and ours was the least hallowed of them all. Right at the foot of the mountain that towers over Stellenbosch University’s Coetzenberg sports complex.
The field was so far away from where the senior teams plied their trade that we would often only arrive at the field with a scant 15 minutes or so of practice time left before we had to troop our way back to civilization. This distant field suited most of us just fine, rugby was not really that important in any of our lives, and some of the more rebellious members of our squad would nip off into the river bed near the fields for their experiments at being grown up, sucking down the smoke of a Lucky or a Texan cigarette before rejoining the squad for practice, reeking of smoke and often just a little green about the gills.
And our coach, a mild-mannered pipe smoking science master who had been allocated the extra-mural job of coaching the U/14 leftovers, was quite happy to leave us alone to wander around the field, occasionally blowing his whistle and telling us to scrum down. He had never played the game himself, and he was certainly not going to get involved with any attempt to communicate any of the intricacies of the game to bunch of disinterested youngsters who were playing rugby only because school rules demanded that you participate in a winter sport.
One day a minor miracle occurred. The coach from the C&D squad came across to our distant field and spoke to our coach. After a couple of moments the C&D man pointed at me, crooked his finger to indicate that he required my immediate presence. I was informed that I had been promoted to the D team, with immediate effect. I was a little surprised, mildly excited, and just a little sad that I would be leaving my fellow E&F’ers behind.
The rugby played in the C & D team squad was a whole lot different to the rambling shambles of the E&F squad. Some of these guys had aspirations! They wanted to earn the right to play in the A&B squad! The coach, one of the school’s PE teachers, was still actively playing rugby for the Van Der Stel club, the club that provided a home for those not associated with the famous Stellenbosch University rugby club. He knew something about the game, and for the first time I was told what I was supposed to do with the ball after I had caught it in the lineout.
I was not much good at the game, but I was doing my job as a scrummer and lineout catcher well enough to slowly find myself elevated to the “C” team once or twice during the remainder of that first season of rugby. The next year, my U/15 year, found me firmly entrenched as a lock in the “C” team. I scrummed behind a somewhat disinterested youngster who did not really take rugby very seriously. He laughed a lot and seemed to enjoy crumpling his opponents into the dirt. Hempies du Toit would become one of South Africa’s foremost prop forwards! Back then he was still unrecognized for the powerhouse he would one day become. I like to believe that my unlimited scrumming power behind him contributed largely to his being recognized as a great prop in later years.
I left Paul Roos Gymnasium a year later, never having risen above “C” team ranks, I still had no idea how to catch or pass a ball, and had even less idea how to run with the ball. I was, I guess, a somewhat below average rugby player.
I returned to the school of my youth, now one of those mythical seniors of the upper campus, the Top Field area. We were a small private school under the auspices of the Irish Christian Brothers movement. Our teachers were hugely enthusiastic Irish monks who loved the game of rugby and adored the ethos of the game; they lived for the on-field confrontation, though they were essentially clueless about the intricacies of the game itself. We were taught to play the game with huge enthusiasm, but with scant regard for skill or tactics. It was something of the old “Bugger the ball, let’s get on with the game!” ethos….
We did not receive much coaching in the essential skills of the game. We received almost zero instruction or practice in the tactics and methods of rugby, but we did play with that Irish enthusiasm. By the time I returned from Stellenbosch I had grown a bit. I had left as a slightly taller than average chubby kid, I came back three years later as a 2m tall young giant who wore size 14 boots! And I could scrum and jump in lineouts. I quickly found myself in the 1xt XV. It was easy to be a Big Fish in a very small pond, and I had been to one of the biggest rugby schools in the world, so I had to be good!
My tenure in the school First XV clashed quite seriously with the dark and terrible storms of teenage angst and rebelliousness! I was far more interested in Woodstock, Bob Dylan, Led Zepplin, and the Anti-Establishment ethos of the times. I was an angry young man. I am not sure what I was angry about, but boy, was I angry! I smoked, I experimented with alcohol, I bunked classes, and generally glared at the world.
Rugby was something we had to do, and I did what I had to, but with no real interest in the game. I played the game, but my mind was elsewhere.
It was in the years immediately after school that I discovered rugby in a way that has made it one of the loves of my life. Initially in my first year in the army and subsequently at university I suddenly discovered the game of rugby. We played a lot of touch rugby, and it was on the touch-rugby fields that I started to learn how to catch the ball, how to pass it and offload it and run with it! I realized that I needed to be fitter and faster; I had to concentrate on what was happening on the field. I had to banish that Deep Purple soundtrack from my mind until the game was over!
I was enjoying rugby! I was mildly surprised by my own enthusiasm, and did not realise how long the game would stay in my life. I was also gradually starting to get better and better at the game. I played with a new-found understanding of the tactics and methods of the game, I was learning more and more with every game and every practice. And I was rising up the ranks as a player too!
I played the game until an injury in 1976 brought my playing days to a premature end. I did try and make a come-back, but medical science in those days had not yet figured how to repair the damage I had suffered to my knee and even a mechanical brace did not work for me. Today that injury requires reconstructive surgery and six months out of the game, and you can play again. Back in the 70’s my game was over.
While recuperating from that injury I started to coach a university residence team. The coaching bug bit, though it was still just a mildly infectious bite back then. For the next couple of years, I would help at a local school as an enthusiastic but still somewhat clueless assistant coach. I then helped at the club where I played cricket and squash and avidly supported the rugby teams. I was nothing much more than a general skivvy doing all the shitty little jobs coaches hated to do themselves. I carried bags of balls, collected dirty jerseys and hauled them to the local laundry; I held the 1st XV players watches and wallets in a canvas bag during games; I eventually also served as match secretary; I did the warm-ups and the stretching exercises before practice started. Baby steps, but I was learning!
We had a couple of retired Springboks in the club ranks, we had some current provincial players and a couple more retired provincial players. We had coaches who had played the game at the highest levels, we had club management of the old-school type, men who had played the game, coached the game, and still retained their love of the game enough to stay on in administrative and management roles.
And I was learning from them all. I worked in a bank in those bad old days, and banks still closed on Wednesday afternoons. Instead of spending Wednesday afternoons sleeping or simply being lazy, I hauled myself off to one of the most famous rugby schools in South Africa, Grey College in Bloemfontein, where I would sit in the shade of a handy pepper tree and watch one of the most famous rugby coaches of the time, Stoney Steenkamp, working with his 1st team squad. I observed, and I learned.
I was a sponge, soaking in as much as I could about the intricacies, the tactics, the strategies, the methods, the drills, the skills, everything I could learn about the game of rugby. It was a valuable time in my life as a young coach taking my first, my baby steps, in the world of rugby coaching.
I moved back to the Western Cape and joined False Bay Rugby Club’s coaching squad. I had the pleasure of working with even more coaches who knew the game backwards, the likes of Clive Jordaan and the late great Basil Bey. in 1985 I passed my Level One coaching course at the old WP Rugby Bureau. I attended back-line clinics and forward clinics and scrum clinics and lineout clinics. I listened to the likes of Prof Hannes Marais teaching us about the minutiae of scrumming in the front row. I listened to refs and visiting coaches, I watched the successful coaches at work.
I qualified as a referee, not to carry the whistle so much as to learn about the laws of the game. I continued with my formal rugby qualifications, Level Two, Level Three… I am not sure what the modern equivalent of those old Level qualifications are, but they were as good as it got in those olden days.
I moved provinces, first to the old South West Africa and then to the Transvaal, and in both those provinces I had the good fortune to become involved with really top level rugby clubs. I coached at First team level, with teams full of provincial stars, a couple of Springboks too. I served on various rugby committees at provincial and club levels, I served as a selector, and I was especially honoured to be elected Club Captain at Pirates Rugby Club.
In the middle 1990’s, somewhat reluctantly, I started to back away from too many rugby related commitments. I had reached a position of national management in my work, a job that required me to visit our branches across the country from time to time and to attend functions and make speeches in distant country towns and agricultural regions. I had a family that also required my undivided attention, a new daughter had arrived.
After more than 20 years of involvement as a coach, the time had come to retire from the ranks. Rugby had become a professional sport, but a club coach was not paid enough to live on and many of my priorities had changed.
I remained involved with the game in a somewhat distant manner. I helped draft a new coaching programme for a provincial union, I “consulted” to a couple of schools, identifying issues and problems that I could communicate to team coaches with advice on how to fix the problem. I was no longer coaching, but I wandered around on the fringes.
And I started to write about the game.
Which, in a long and convoluted way, brings me to today.
I watched this weekend’s Super Rugby games with my usual interest. I watched with a critical coach’s eye too. I watch to see how teams are developing, I watch to see what they are doing about their strengths and weaknesses, I watch to see how they deal with problems, I watch to see how they build on those parts of their game that are working well, and how they work to eliminate the mistakes and problems from their game.
And I watch with special interest to see what South African rugby teams are doing to improve on their game. I watch to see whether they have learned the lessons that this game of rugby teaches us.
Sadly, for the most part, I do not see much evidence of any learning at all.
I see teams playing the same, archaic, unenterprising, unexciting, dour style of rugby weekend after weekend. I see at least two South African teams that persist with a style that revolves around pods of forwards meandering around in the midfield, with every ball cycled from broken play, rucks or mauls simply popped straight to a pod of forwards and then lurched into contact, taken to ground, and recycled for the same play to be repeated again and again. The Sharks are the masters of the art of forward-pod rugby, while the Bulls are wannabe lurchers.
This style of rugby has resulted in a batch of scrumhalves with zero enterprise or vision on the field of play. Their job has become one of simply pop-passing the ball to the next forward in line. He no longer has to make any decisions about the direction of play or tactics to be adopted, he simply follows the ball, secures it from the feed on the ground, and then looks around for someone to pop it to. Watch the difference between a Fourie du Preez, TJ Perenara, Georgie Gregan, or an Aaron Smith and the current batch of South African Super Rugby scrumhalves. The former all had the sense to make up their minds about where they will be taking the ball before they get to the ruck, maul, or loose ball. When they get to the ball they already know what they are going to do with it. The next play is quick, almost instantaneous.
Watch the likes of Rudy Paige, Cobus Reinach, Faf de Klerk, or any other current scrum-half in South Africa. They all get to the ball fairly quickly, but only then decide what they are going to do with it. More often than not the decision is taken from them by a team strategy of playing the ball to pods of forwards as the default option. It is very predictable, and very slow.
That extra second or two before a decision is made allows defensive alignment by opponents, and it slows or even loses attacking opportunity. (De Klerk is perhaps slightly better than the other two as he has a quicker pass and is more likely to do something unpredictable with the ball in hand. He sometimes makes his mind up before he gets to the ball. He has the makings of a very good scrumhalf, but I am not sure that he is being coached correctly.)
This archaic style of forward-pod rugby is incredibly static rugby. The forwards waiting for the ball are static and take the ball into contact without any momentum or purpose, they simply crash into contact and fold to ground to protect and set up the ball for the scrumhalf. There is no enterprise, no thought about moving the ball around, nobody takes the ball through the tackle and releases it to a supporting runner.
Huge, bully boy loose forwards reign supreme as they are preferred by coaches as “ball carriers” with their physical attributes more important rather than their enterprise and thinking play. If ever there are two loose-forwards that fit the mold of crashball thugs it is the two Du Preez brothers. They were born twins, and they play exactly the same style of rugby football. And it is that simple, bully boy muscularity without any enterprise style that makes the Sharks so boring!
Yep, it can and does win games, especially against mediocre teams, but the quicker, more enterprising teams, like the New Zealand based franchises, simply take the game away from the forwards and contact points, and run them ragged.
One of the saddest things of all is to see how this archaic rugby style has stopped players from running onto the ball at speed.
When I was learning the ropes of coaching I was taught about the Three S’s of Rugby: Speed, Surprise, and Space. Playing the game at high speed, seeking to surprise your opponents, and seeking out the open spaces on a rugby field. This is the very basic of good rugby!
Popping the ball to pods of forwards is none of those things!
We were taught about the Four P’s too – Precision, Pace, Power, and Position. Playing the game with absolute precision of passing, kicking, offloading. Playing the game with pace, all the time. Playing the game with power, driving on and through a tackle, driving on and through the ruck or maul, power in every move. And then playing to gain an advantageous position in the field. Playing to take the ball to a position on the field where you can release your strike runners to head for the goal line.
Popping the ball to a pod of forwards is none of those things.
One of the very tenants of the game of rugby is to run onto the ball at speed. When the scrumhalf passes the ball from the base of the scrum or from a ruck, it should be aimed a meter or two in front of the receiver, who should be running onto the ball with some speed. (Watch the New Zealanders do it, they do not take a ball standing still!) That initial movement before receiving the ball gives the recipient momentum into and through the tackle, but also gives the player the advantage of being able to target an inside or outside shoulder at pace.
Watching the Bulls shovel the ball down a backline to a winger who is standing still when he gets the ball and two tacklers at the same instant is as heartbreaking as it gets! The only player who has any idea of running onto the ball appears to be Jesse Kriel. Sadly, none of his team mates have any idea how to pass a ball in front of the receiving player.
The Sharks are not much better at running onto the ball either. There is some hope, though: The Lions do it fairly well, the Stormers are learning to do it consistently, and the Cheetahs are prepared to run from anywhere.
Part of the problem is fairly evident. The backlines are lining up flat and shallow, even on attack. We were taught to play, and coach, the “Numbers Game” – You must be able to see the number of the man with the ball all the time and in any movement. Firstly, you cannot be offside. This also means you are not going to be getting a forward pass, and it definitely means you will have to run onto the pass when he lets it go. It is one of the basics of the game!
The flat standing backline tactic finds its roots in that great Australian Wallaby team of 1984 that won the Grand Slam of victories in their tour of The United Kingdom and Ireland. They had Mark Ella at flyhalf, and developed the theory that a flat standing backline that launched attacks from close to the advantage line (called the gain line today) had more chance of scoring if they broke the defending line quickly and before cover defenders could get into position. It was a great theory at the time. Backlines traditionally lined up in a deep vee or slant across the field, depending on the position of the set pieces, and then ran onto the ball from some distance back.
We used to talk about the “advantage line” and the “tackle line” with the latter being where a line of defenders would meet the line of attackers with the ball. The “tackle line” was frequently some distance behind the advantage line. This distance was enhanced when you had a flyhalf that liked to stand very deep in the pocket. Naas Botha was one such deep standing flyhalf who often stood almost ten meters further from the advantage line than most of his contemporaries. He did have the advantage of a siege gun boot which allowed him to kick his team back onto the front foot, but when he decided to run with the ball his backs were frequently caught ten or twelve meters from the advantage line.
The Aussies figured that starting the attack with a shallow lying backline meant that they would cross the advantage line before the tacklers had the chance to get to them. They effectively shifted the tackle line over and beyond the advantage line. Their support players, especially loose-forwards would be running onto the ball going forwards, rather than having to turn and wait for the backs to come level with them. This tactic worked very well if you could transfer the ball from player to player quickly and accurately. Handling skills were paramount. If you fumbled or dropped the ball, you were in all kinds of trouble as your fellow backs would have to turn to defend. It was high pressure rugby and required quick thinking, quick hands and quick feet. However, if you broke through the defence of your opponents quickly, you could run into clear space, as their cover defenders had not had the chance to get across to defend behind their own backs.
Modern rugby figured out this tactic. The Rush defence gets to the oncoming attackers extremely quickly and negates their advantage of surprise. Defenders insert themselves between the attacking backs to prevent the quick passes and rapid offloads. Some of the defenders even specialize in intercepting passes and counter attacking immediately. South Africa’s Jean de Villiers became a master of the art of interception. Thinking coaches and players have negated the flat backline tactic.
The flat lying attack also requires supreme ball skills and it has slowly fallen from favour for a preferred hybrid somewhere between the deep and the flat attack. But this hybrid is still focused on the aforementioned “Numbers Game” – You still have to see the number of the man from whom you expect to get the ball.
This is simple stuff, though, and to see a Bulls or Sharks backline standing static as they pass the ball down the line is as wrong as it gets.
Quite simply, this is a coaching issue! Any coach worth his salt will quickly spot the problem and sort it out with a few choice words. It is not rocket science.
Which brings me to the next issue:
Watching some South African (and Australian) teams play I am seeing a sad neglect of many of the basics of the game of rugby. The very core skills required of every rugby player, be he in the U/8s, the Super Rugby squads, or in the Springboks/Wallabies appear to have been very badly neglected.
Think on these:
The most basic of Core Skills: Picking up and Holding the Ball. A rugby player must be able to pick up the rugby ball in almost any circumstance. It is the first of all the handling skills. The rolling ball, the bouncing ball, the static ball, a player must be able to pick the ball up. And then he must hold onto the ball. How many times have you seen a Super Rugby player stripped of the ball, how many times have you seen a Springbok back or loose-forward stripped of the ball. It happened an awful lot last year, the visiting Irish rugby team actively targeted stripping the ball off Springbok backs, they had spotted the weakness and exploited it. It is happening again in Super Rugby 2017.
Catching the Ball. Another core skill that has become something of a mystery to many South African and Australian rugby teams. The Bulls have made 231 handling errors in 2017, the Sharks 319, the Stormers 277, the Lions 304, the Kings 266, and the Cheetahs 288. By anyone’s reckoning that is an awful lot of handling errors. Consider too that some of the teams have had less than 50% of possession in most of their games. (I will not give you the Aussie stats, but rest assured that they are even worse that the SA stats!)
Passing the Ball. Passing the ball is one of the very basic parts of the game of rugby. If I look at the stats for South African teams in Super Rugby, I am seeing an average of 14% of all passes going astray. The New Zealanders are much better at around 9%, while the Aussies should be blushing at more than 21% of passes going astray.
Kicking the Ball. I do not want to talk about the poor kicking that has invaded our game in the last couple of years! The inaccuracy in tactical kicks, the pointlessness of simply hoofing it up-field, the missed touch-finders, the aimless box-kicking, the up-and-unders to nowhere, the chips and grubbers charged down or into an opponent’s legs are legion. The ball is a gift, why are you kicking it away? And if you cannot kick accurately, then you should never ever kick the ball!
Moving With The Ball. Any player must be able to carry the ball, he must be able to run with it, he must know which hand or arm to hold the ball in, and how to protect the ball while he is carrying it. A wing must know how to run with the ball under one arm, a midfielder must be able to run with the ball in both hands, getting ready to pass it, lift it over a tackle, take it away from grasping hands. A prop must know how to carry the ball into contact and protect it. This is Core Skill stuff.
Moving Without the Ball. A player must also know how to move without the ball. He needs to know where to run in support, he needs to know where to run on defence, how to step up an attacking or a defensive alignment. He must know when to run onto the ball, when to run close to the ball carrier, and when to run off the ball. He must learn to run into space and look for attacking opportunities. He must, conversely, know how to shut down attacking opportunities and running spaces. He must know how to run to set himself to make a tackle. More Core Skill stuff. I did see a brief moment of this skill when Jan Serfontein ran a perfect line off the ball to collect a pass and score the Bull’s final try on Saturday. It was one bright glimmer in an otherwise dire day.
Getting Away From Tacklers. Do you recognize this skill? It is absolutely one of the Core Skills! It is about stepping and sidestepping, it is about elusive running, it is about beating the opponent on the outside and on the inside. It is about bamboozling and breaking defences. It is about AVOIDING contact. It is what the All Blacks and all the New Zealand franchises do so very very well. Their entire game is built on this Core Skill.
And it is a Core Skill that is completely and utterly ignored by any game plan built on pods of forwards who take the ball into contact to set up the ruck and recycle process, over and over again. It is a Core Skill that is completely ignored when your midfield focusses on crashball running and taking the ball to ground to recycle it. It is a Core Skill that is completely ignored when forwards play the pick-and-go game all afternoon. It was a Core Skill ignored by Heyneke Meyer at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. It was a Core Skill ignored by Allister Coetzee in most of last year’s Test matches. It was a Core Skill ignored by the Junior Boks in 2016.
Yet, look at the Blitzbokke and watch how they make sublime use of this very Core Skill.
These individual Core Skills are the most important part of playing rugby at any level of the game. What`s the point if you can`t catch the ball every time, or make the catchable pass? What’s the point if you are going to trundle into tackle after tackle? What’s the point if you are going to hoof the ball up-field without any clear intent or purpose.
And it is these very Core Skills that seem to be missing in South African and Australian Rugby at the moment.
Beyond these Core Skills there are the basics of the game itself.
Attacking Skills, controlling the ball, treasuring it and not kicking it away aimlessly, running with the ball in hand, taking the ball through tackles, looking for space, looking for weaknesses, trying something different, taking a risk for high reward. These things seem to have been ignored.
Defending Skills, the number of missed tackles, the fruitless lunge with arms outstretched, the half arm tackle. Defending is a skill that used to be a South African strength, but we are seeing far too many slipped tackles at the moment. Some teams (Stormers) have no defensive strategy or plan at all, or so it seems.
Backing up. Rugby is a team game. It is all about the 15 men on the field supporting each other at all times. The ball carrier must know where his support is, he must know where his pass or offload must go, he must have absolute confidence that someone will be there to take the ball further.
Those who do not have the ball in hand must know where to run and how to support the ball carrier. They must understand how to run close support and how to run off-the-ball. South Africa has one of the finest running fullbacks in the world in Willie le Roux, yet he was frequently man alone as he took the ball up, and then found his support runners missing in action. To many unthinking fans Willie le Roux was thus a poor rugby player when the reality is that his support players are very poor at backing up!
Thinking Ahead. Sometimes this is called “vision” and it is something that can be learned by most rugby players. You can learn to predict with a certain amount of accuracy where the game will go from any given situation, and this will allow you to be in the right place at the right time, depending on your on-field specialty. It is good for a prop to know where the ball will go if the flyhalf looks as if he will kick it, but it would be a little silly if he decides to position himself as an extra fullback. That is not his job, he needs to consider where the ball will land if one of his teammates kicks it back!
Of course there are those special players who have a better feel for the game and better “vision” than others, they are blessed with an extra talent, but almost every rugby should have the skill to read the game and think ahead.
A good style of rugby. I do consider this one of the basics of the game of rugby. There are some very important issues in this basic of rugby. The ball is a gift, do not waste it. The ball must never be allowed to die, it must be kept alive as much as possible. And it is here where we revert to those Three S’s that are at the very heart of the game. Speed, Surprise, and Space. A great style of rugby knows how to exploit all three.
At the very top of all these Core Skills and the Basics of the Game of Rugby rests the issue of coaching. For any country to produce a national side of quality, the coaching of Core Skills and the Basics of the Game must start at the very foundations of the game, be they 6 years old or 16 years old. Coaching is critical, and that is where South Africa and Australia seem to be failing.
Pity the franchise coach who has a batch of players who are not well versed in the Core Skills. Pity the coach who should try and build a winning team with players who cannot execute the basics properly. Pity the national coach who must labour to produce a winning team with faulty materials.
The fault does not lie with the coach. It lies with the system.
And that is what is wrong with South African Rugby at the moment.
Previous articleSuper Rugby 2017 Post Mortem Review : Week Eleven
Next articleSuper Rugby 2017 – Thoughts on Week 13
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2355
|
__label__wiki
| 0.748192
| 0.748192
|
India lags behind neighbors on key health measures
24 April 2012 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Bangalore: Indians are living longer lives, but illness and disability of a very high order and relatively early death remain severe health care challenges. What should cause concern to health care planners and providers is that India appears to be lagging behind many of its South Asian neighbours as well as China on key parameters of health.
These are some of the findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010), a collaborative project led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Country-specific findings, including for India, will be announced at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, by IHME Director Dr Christopher Murray and Foundation Co-chair and Trustee Bill Gates.
These findings detail the causes of death and disability - across age groups and genders - for 187 countries around the world. GBD 2010 encompasses researchers from 303 institutions in 50 countries. The work, which generated 1 billion estimates for health challenges large and small, was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In addition, IHME is releasing a brief summary of the findings for all 187 countries as well as a report on GBD methods and findings called The Global Burden of Disease: Generating Evidence, Guiding Policy.
"Our goal is to help governments and citizens make well-informed decisions about health policies and investments by arming them with information that is up-to-date, comprehensive, and accurate," said IHME Director Dr Christopher Murray. "With these new ways of making the data understandable, people everywhere for the first time can see the incredible progress being made in health and the daunting challenges that remain."
Indians are living longer for sure. Life expectancy at birth was 58.3 in 1990; it went up to 65.2 in 2010. However, most of India's neighbours were ahead on this measure in 1990, when life expectancy was 58.8 years for Nepal, 58.8 for Bhutan, 58.9 for Bangladesh, 62.3 for Pakistan, 69.3 for China, and 72.3 for Sri Lanka. All of these countries remained ahead of India in 2010. Life expectancy at birth in 2010 was 65.7 years for Pakistan, 69.0 for Bangladesh, 69.2 for Nepal, 69.4 for Bhutan, 75.5 for Sri Lanka, and 75.7 for China.
In terms of age-standardised death rate, per 100,000 population, India ranked 155 out of 187 countries in 1990. Bangladesh (at 143), Nepal (at 142), Bhutan (at 141), Pakistan (at 123), China (at 92), and Sri Lanka (at 45), were all ahead of it.
Between 1990 and 2010, there was significant improvement in India in terms of death rates. The number of deaths per 100,000 had come down, in 20 years, from 1,447.43 to 1,096.92. Its neighbours had a mixed record, but they remained ahead. India was ranked 139 out 187 countries in terms of death rate in 2010. Pakistan was ranked 127, Bangladesh 113, Nepal 108, Bhutan 107, Sri Lanka 68, and China 63. All had lower death rates than India.
Much of the illness and death in India is caused by a short list of ailments. GBD researchers examined more than 300 diseases, injuries, and risk factors and found that a limited number of distinct causes account for the bulk of the Indian health burden, measured as the number of years lost to disability and premature death. The top cause of death in India, as measured in 2010, was ischaemic heart disease, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, preterm birth complications, self-harm, road injury, and diabetes.
The presence of road injury in the list of top causes of death is not surprising, given that Indian roads are among the most dangerous in the world with more deaths due to road accidents recorded here than in any other country.
India has had great success in driving down the number of young children who die of communicable diseases. The top causes of death of children ages 1 to 4 in 1990 were diarrhoeal disease, lower respiratory infection, measles, malnutrition, and meningitis. These top five held relatively steady in terms of rankings over the next 20 years, but the number of deaths due to these ailments decreased by more than 60% for each illness. In terms of sheer numbers, more than 800,000 Indian children ages 1 to 4 died in 1990. By 2010, that number was down to 300,000. India has made specific progress in tackling diarrhoeal diseases. No longer the nation's number one killer; in 2010, it was number four.
Indian women are suffering from other distinct health threats. Suicide rates for women ages 15 to 49 are on the rise; in 1990, deaths of young Indian women attributable to self-harm was under 5%, and by 2010 it had reached nearly 10%. Interpersonal violence - usually men assaulting their female partners - also accounts for a rapidly growing portion of health burden for young women in India.
Noncommunicable diseases and injuries are creating more strains on health as communicable diseases and maternal health problems become less threatening. Illnesses such as diarrhoeal disease, lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, preterm birth complications, malnutrition and neonatal sepsis, and neonatal encephalopathy are all decreasing in terms of rankings and number of lives that they claim each year. Ischaemic heart disease is showing an opposite pattern, growing in terms of number of deaths and relative rankings of diseases. Heart disease was the number four killer of Indians in 1990; it was number one in 2010. The rise of stroke as a cause of death is a matter of concern, as is an increasing number of suicides.
In terms of risk factors for death, four of the top five in 1990 remain in the top five risk factors in 2010, though the rankings have changed. In 1990, the top five risk factors were household air pollution from solid fuels, dietary risk factors, childhood underweight, smoking, including second-hand smoking, and high blood pressure. In 2010, dietary risk factors became number one, followed by high blood pressure, household air pollution from solid fuels, tobacco smoking, including second-hand smoking, and ambient particulate matter pollution. The impact of malnutrition has been greatly reduced.
"Over the past two decades risk factors leading to the major disease conditions in India have changed significantly, which has crucial implications for how we should plan to improve population health in India," explained Lalit Dandona, Distinguished Research Professor, Public Health Foundation of India and Professor of Global Health at IHME. "The relative contribution of risk factors associated with lifestyle changes - higher consumption of unhealthy foods, physical inactivity, blood pressure, blood glucose, and alcohol use - to the disease burden has almost doubled. In addition, tobacco use and air pollution continue to be major risk factors. Effective inter-sectoral strategies to address these risk factors are needed for improving health across the population in India."
Evidently, while much had changed in 20 years, a lot remained the same - an observation that applies across the board to life in India. The rise of ambient air pollution and hypertension as risk factors can be linked to increased urbanisation and poor lifestyle choices. On the other hand, remarkably, childhood underweight has been pushed down from being the number three risk factor for death in 1990 to number 11 in 2010. And for all the efforts, across platforms, to fight smoking it remained the number four risk factor for death, the very same slot it held 20 years earlier.
In terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which have been described as a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill health, disability, or early death, the top five causes in 1990 were diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, preterm birth complications, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tuberculosis. But in 2010, the top five causes for DALYs were preterm birth, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, ischaemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"India is facing a difficult set of health challenges. While we have made substantial progress against some diseases and hunger, we still have significant work to do in combating major infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, as well as diseases of the newborns. At the same time, we must prepare to grapple with the dangerously increasing burden of noncommunicable conditions like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obstructive lung disease, depression, and road traffic injuries. Making lasting health gains in the face of this variety of challenges will require wise planning for universal health coverage in India," said Dr. Srinath Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India.
The release of the country-specific data visualizations follow the Dec. 15 publication of GBD global and regional findings in The Lancet, the first time the journal has dedicated an entire triple issue to one study. The seven scientific papers and accompanying commentaries provide a new platform for assessing the world's biggest health challenges, and then finding the best ways to address them.
GBD 2010 provides the evidence for a range of new research projects and targeted policymaking in India and beyond. It also opens the opportunity for countries to conduct detailed burden studies of their own populations.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington that provides rigorous and comparable measurement of the world's most important health problems and evaluates the strategies used to address them. IHME makes this information freely available so that policymakers have the evidence they need to make informed decisions about how to allocate resources to best improve population health.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2356
|
__label__wiki
| 0.949925
| 0.949925
|
Team North America lives up to the hype
Jack Eichel gained confidence playing for Team North America.
By Mike Harrington|Published Mon, Sep 19, 2016 |Updated Tue, Oct 18, 2016
TORONTO -- For once in our sporting lives, hype proved to be right. On their first night in the tournament, all the curiosity was answered and Team North America quickly became the rage at the World Cup.
Team Canada is wondrous to watch and we pretty much knew the Flying Sidney Crosbys would be. The kids, however, have got the it factor. Air Canada Centre was buzzing at times during Team North America's dominant 4-1 win over Finland Sunday night and the anticipation quickly started for Monday night's game between the under-24 team and Russia, which is desperate for a win after losing to Sweden.
You want some perspective on how good Team North America was Sunday? Detroit senior vice president Jimmy Devellano had some mammoth praise for the young guns while talking to the Hockey News between periods.
Seaid Devellano: "You give me Team North America and I’d win a Stanley Cup with them within two years. They’re better than 20 teams in the NHL right now.”
That's heady stuff indeed but the kids were that impressive. On their own, it's probably no suprise when you consider a lineup featuring five of the last six No. 1 overall picks plus the likes of Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, Jonathan Drouin and Stanley Cup winners like Brandon Saad and Matt Murray.
But this performance probably exceeded expectations. Ten players had points and defenseman Colton Parayko was the only player with two, both assists. Fifteen of the 18 skaters had at least one shot on goal. The shots on goal in the game were 43-25 and the attempts were 77-40. It was domination at times over the final 40 minutes.
"I think it's just everyone thinks the game pretty well," said Connor McDavid, who had a couple of Mario Lemeiux-style rushes to the net. "We've been juggling the lines quite a bit and everyone has been trying to play with everyone but tonight it clicked."
"They're the youngest players in the tournament but they've been in the limelight and the spotlight their whole careers," said coach Todd McLellan. " ... I think they understand the whole presentation of the game itself and how to behave. When you mix their skill level and their ability to come together as a group, now you have a team."
McLellan was careful with the minutes knowing there was another game Monday. But it was still weird to see only one forward (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) over 16 minutes. The big names weren't even over 15.
"If we tried to run 82 games with these guys, we'd probably have a few trade requests whether it was agents or the player himself," McLellan joked. "There's just not enough minutes to go around. Fourteen- something would be a real bad night in Edmonton for Connor. It was a real good night for him and his line. Fourteen minutes is how it goes through."
When adversity struck, Team North America didn't shy away. It lost two potential goals in the first period, one swept away at the goal line and the other wiped out on video review after it was ruled Finnish goaltender Pekka Rinne was pushed into the net with the puck under his skate. No matter. The kids piled up an 18-6 bulge in shots in the middle period and scored three times.
"Those two goals were pretty close," said Eichel. "Instead of a 3-0 game, it's 1-0. We were able to open it up a bit in the second with some big goals. We did a lot of things we talked about before the game, which is good. We started to realize what was going to work against them and that's what made us successful. We kept the puck away from Rinne, put it behind their defenseman, used our speed. That's how we're going to win games."
Perhaps the biggest revelation to Team North America has been the play of Auston Matthews, who has gone from 13th player at the start of camp to McDavid's wing by the first game and made it quite clear why he was the No. 1 overall pick.
Matthews was a flat-out stud Sunday, tying for the team lead in shots on goal with five and setting up Eichel's goal by driving the wall past Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen in the kind of play that a defender looking for a big-money, long-term deal has to be better on.
"That's a pretty good feeling to go out there and contribute," said Matthews, who got a huge roar from the Toronto crowd during pregame introductions. "All four lines really brought something tonight. Everybody is out there doing their part. We utilized our strengths and put them on their heels."
McLellan was blown away by Matthews' play.
"I thought he was going to have a helluva game and he did," McLellan said. "There was no fear at all of playing him. He just hasn't played his first game yet. He's an NHL player. I know that. everyone here knows that. He's that good a player. He belongs where he is right now. He fits where he is.
"There's no 'hey, let's babysit him and make sure we're protecting him.' You let him play. He's got all the skills and he's playing the right way. You can't ask any more of him."
On the scoresheet, the play read Eichel from Matthews and McDavid. The first goal in Team North America history. Pretty appropriate given all the hype, I'd say. Hockey fans seem pretty unanimous about this group: More please. A lot more.
email: mharrington@buffnews.com
Mike Harrington – Mike Harrington has covered the Sabres, MLB, the Bisons, college basketball and high schools since joining The News in 1987. He is a National Baseball Hall of Fame voter, a 2013 inductee into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame and the chairman of the Buffalo chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2358
|
__label__cc
| 0.685988
| 0.314012
|
Buffalo Niagara had a good 2015, but not as good as other metro areas
By David Robinson|Published Thu, Sep 22, 2016
By local standards, the Buffalo Niagara economy had a good year in 2015, growing faster than it has in all but one of the past five years.
By national standards, it wasn’t so great, with a growth rate that was, on average, about two-thirds slower than the country’s other metro areas.
Not surprisingly, new federal data shows that 2015 was a great year for financial services and a good one for construction and real estate.
It was a rough year for manufacturing, educational services and government.
If you put it all together, the Buffalo Niagara economy is the 53rd biggest among all of the nation’s metro areas and the largest in upstate New York, about 2 percent bigger than Rochester, which ranks 54th.
But the data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis also shows that the modest growth the rest of the country has enjoyed has been even more muted in the Buffalo Niagara region and across upstate, said E.J. McMahon, the president of the Empire Center, an Albany think tank.
Since the recession ended in 2009, growth rates across upstate have lagged well behind the rest of the country. Across the country, growth has averaged 1.9 percent since 2009. The only upstate areas that were even able to grow half as fast as the national average were Albany, at 1.1 percent, and Buffalo, at 1 percent, McMahon noted. Binghamton’s economy has shrunk, while Syracuse, Utica and Rochester all have grown at an anemic pace of between 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent a year.
Here’s a closer look at the ebbs and flows within the Buffalo Niagara economy during 2015.
Private employers, which includes everything except government entities, have been the driving force in the Buffalo Niagara economy for most of the last five years, and 2015 wasn’t any different.
Economic activity from private businesses grew by 1.4 percent, double the growth rate in 2014 and the second-fastest since 2010.
Over the last 15 years, the private sector has slowly carved out a bigger piece in the region’s economy. Private employers now account for a little more than 84 percent of all economic activity in the region, up from just under 83 percent in 2001.
With all of the building going on around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and the SolarCity factory, it’s not surprising that construction was one of the driving forces in the Buffalo Niagara economy last year, growing by 3.9 percent. It was the biggest uptick in activity since 2008 for an industry that has struggled mightily since the recession.
The gains last year pushed construction activity back to the levels it was at in 2010-11, but the increase locally was well below the 5 percent rise across the country.
Just when it looked like the Buffalo Niagara region’s factories were back on the right track, they took a step back in 2015. Manufacturing activity declined by 3.1 percent last year, the first drop in three years, despite modest improvement nationwide.
The decline threw cold water on hopes that local manufacturing had turned the corner after decades of decline. Since the recession began nine years ago, manufacturing activity in the region has dropped by almost 17 percent.
Trade has been the Steady Eddie of the economy, with slow but steady growth over the past five years. Most of the growth has come from the retail side, despite the rise in the value of the Canadian dollar that has cut into the savings for shoppers coming across the border.
The retail sector had its fastest growth since 2010 last year, expanding at a 3.1 percent pace, while activity on the wholesale side, which had been more robust coming out of the recession, grew at its slowest pace since 2009.
No sector was hotter last year than financial services. With Geico steadily growing in Amherst, homegrown banks like M&T Bank pushing into new markets and beefing up their headquarters staff, and financial services firms like Citigroup building up their back office operations, financial services grew by nearly 6 percent last year.
That was a turnaround after two modestly down years for a sector that now accounts for more than 18 percent of the region’s economic activity, making it the biggest part of the Buffalo Niagara economy.
While professional and business services has been a solid performer throughout most of the recovery, the sector, which ranges from management and scientific services to temporary help, has struggled locally.
Thanks to solid growth during the mid-to-late 2000s, the sector is playing a more prominent role in the local economy, accounting for just under 12 percent of all economic activity. It’s the region’s fifth-biggest industry sector.
Education and health services has been a steady part of the Buffalo Niagara economy, growing by 1.3 percent last year. The sector, the sixth-biggest part of the local economy, has been powered by growth in health services as the region’s population has aged.
The sector has been steadily expanding, now accounting for about 10 percent of all economic activity in the region, up from 9 percent in 2001. It has grown faster than the overall economy during each of the past two years.
No sector has struggled as much as the public sector as tight budgets have led to cutbacks at all levels of government. While government still is the second-biggest part of the local economy, accounting for just under 16 percent of all economic activity, its post-recession struggles have diminished its importance. In 2001, government accounted for more than 17 percent of all economic activity in the region.
It’s been a steady decline, with government activity shrinking during four of the past five years.
Local hotels and restaurants, which grew rapidly coming out of the recession, had a nearly average year during 2015, with their growth rate falling just shy of the region’s overall gain.
The highly visible segment doesn’t pack much of an economic punch, accounting for less than 3 percent of the overall economy. Growth has lagged behind the nation for three straight years.
email: drobinson@buffnews.com
David Robinson – David Robinson is the deputy business editor for The News, where has worked since graduating from Syracuse University in 1985. A New Hampshire native, he started out in the News' Tonawanda bureau and moved into the business news department in October 1987, exactly a week after the stock market crash.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2359
|
__label__cc
| 0.725131
| 0.274869
|
BND Institute of Media & Culture
Learning. Growing. Thinking. Doing
A Master Class with Miko
January 21, 2017 January 22, 2017 / B.N. Davis
Miko Branch, Founder & CEO, Miss Jessie’s
The BND Institute of Media and Culture and The Center for the Study of the Urban Child at Virginia Union University are proud to present “A Master Class in Entrepreneurship with Miko Branch,” the co-founder and CEO of Miss Jessie’s LLC, the company behind the premium hair care product line, Miss Jessie’s. The class will take place February 11, 2017 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon in Wall Auditorium at Virginia Union University.
Participants will find this exciting class to be intriguing and inspiring as it chronicle s the life and work of Ms. Branch and her late sister, Titi Branch, who launched their successful multi-million business in 2004. The sisters, daughters of an African-American father and a Japanese mother, wanted a quality product that would allow them to wear their curly hair naturally. After several trials and errors, they eventually developed a product that proved effective. Since then, the business, which is named after the sisters’ beloved and fiercely independent grandmother, Jessie Mae Branch, has thrived. Miss Jessie’s hair care products, designed for all textures and curl patterns, are sold at major retailers such as Walmart, CVS and Target.
In 2015, Ms. Branch wrote a best-selling memoir, “Miss Jessie’s: Creating A Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally.” The book is dedicated to Miss Jessie’s co-founder Titi Cree Branch, who died in 2014. It will be rel eased in paperback on Feb. 17, 2017.
NBC 12’s Karla Redditte will facilitate the class by posing questions to Ms. Branch that will cover all aspects of starting and sustaining a business. Following this valuable lesson, audience members will participate in a question-and-answer session.
Donations are welcome for this FREE program. Registration is required by emailing bonnienewmandavis@gmail.com or via Eventbrite
← Enlighten
A Master Class in Entrepreneurship (and Life) with Miko Branch →
Elle Pea
BNDIMC
Bonnie's Whirl: Articles and Insights by Bonnie Newman Davis
B.N. Davis
Follow BND Institute of Media & Culture on WordPress.com
Here & There
Near Cape Town, South Africa-December 2016
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2361
|
__label__wiki
| 0.796325
| 0.796325
|
Tag Archives: Summoner Wars
Boardgames in the News: The Past, Present and Future of Z-man Games
The summer is now here which means conferences and take-overs. Last summer, Asmodée acquired Days of Wonder and then followed it with Fantasy Flight Games, Ystari Games, Asterion Press and Pearl Games. Last week, Canadian company F2Z Entertainment announced the purchase of the U.S. company Plaid Hat Games (who are responsible for Dead of Winter and Summoner Wars). Most people in the UK will have no idea who F2Z Entertainment are, however, they are the parent company of Pretzel Games, but perhaps more significantly, they also own Filosofia Éditions who in turn bought Z-Man Games four years ago.
– Image by BGG contributor mikehulsebus
Z-Man Games was created in 1999 by New Yorker, Zev Shlasinger, for the sole purpose of reviving Shadowfist, the multiplayer Collectable Card Game. From then on, the company produced a number of other American style games, including Grave Robbers from Outer Space and Ideology: The War of Ideas. The company had a much more significant impact on Euro-games, however, by introducing many German games to the United States. Z-man was one of the first companies to do this by actively engaging with the original European manufacturer and providing English translations. The first game to receive this treatment was Ursuppe (a.k.a. Primordial Soup) designed and produced by Doris & Frank. At the time, this was a very highly regarded game and the success of this reproduction quickly led to English editions of games like Santiago, Saboteur and No Thanks!.
– Image used with permission from BGG contributor samoan_jo
In 2007, Agricola was released in Germany to great acclaim, but as the cards are very text-heavy, it was essentially unplayable by non-native speakers. The problem with this game was the huge number of wooden pieces adding to the expense of producing a new edition. At the time, heavy Euro-games were perceived as a niche market and nobody was prepared to risk the capital outlay for such an expensive game. Z-Man were only a small company and were already engaged on their own projects including the production of what was to become another hit, Pandemic, and could not take the risk either. In the end, amid much controversy, Zev Shlasinger decided to gauge the interest of the community with one of the first boardgame pre-orders and the rest, as they say, is history. So the impact of Z-Man on the history of modern boardgames highly significant, and arguably, they were the forerunner of the current KickStarter Craze.
– Image by BGG contributor Simulacrum
In 2011, Z-Man Games was taken over by the French-Canadian distributor, Filosofia Éditions. With the take-over of Plaid Hat Games last week, the company now has the “cradle to grave” of the boardgame market: creation, publishing and distribution. So in that sense, the deal is clearly a sensible one. However, Z-Man Games used to be a by-word for exceptional customer service and following the take-over by Filosofia, this reputation was tarnished. Although it seems to be picking up again, this demonstrates one of the downsides of this streamlining of the market. More serious however, is the potential loss of innovation that comes from agglomeration, particularly on a large scale. That said, so far at least, all the “studios” that are part of the Asmodée group have kept their identity – the boardgamer in the pub would have no idea that Fantasy Flight Games and Days of Wonder are part of the same company. Only time will tell whether we have seen the pinnacle of the golden age of boardgames or whether there is even better still to come.
– Image by marshallgames.co.uk
This entry was posted in News and tagged Agricola, Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game, Grave Robbers from Outer Space, Ideology: The War of Ideas, No Thanks!, Pandemic, Saboteur, Santiago, Shadowfist, Summoner Wars, Ursuppe on August 4, 2015 by nannyGOAT.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2362
|
__label__cc
| 0.715043
| 0.284957
|
Carrier wholesale
Channel/Reseller
Innovation Blog
Testimonials & case studies
A subsidiary of Econet Global, Liquid Telecom began life as the satellite and voice operator Econet Satellite Services, which was founded in 1997. Rebranding to Liquid Telecom in 2004, we went onto launch our high-speed, cross-border fibre network linking southern Africa to the rest of the world in 2009. And now we've grown to provide services to more than 50 global wholesale carriers operating in eastern, central and southern Africa, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, as well as the national and international enterprise market.
Operators and users alike are seeing the benefits of our reliable, cost-effective communications infrastructure. We set out to challenge the status quo. Today, we're changing the African telecoms industry, the lives of millions and even the continent itself.
Escalation | Report abuse
© Copyright 2019, Liquid Telecommunications Holdings Limited. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2366
|
__label__cc
| 0.507923
| 0.492077
|
Catholic health/Charities position on health care debate
Recently, there has been an attempt by some bloggers and others to distort the position of Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Health Association and the St. Vincent de Paul Society on their and the Church’s position on the current health care debate.
The Catholic Bishops have been calling for reform in health care since they published a Pastoral Letter on health care.
For a clarification and articulation of the Church’s position see comments by Sr. Carol, the President of Catholic Health Association of the US in a CNS article.
Filed under: Catholic Charities USA, Church-State, Economic Policy, healthcare, Medical Ethics, morals, Social Doctrine
Cardinal Says Moral Education Needed To Fight AIDS
Notes Contributions of Religions in Senegal
DAKAR, Senegal, MARCH 26, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Dakar is emphasizing that in order to combat AIDS in Africa, education in values is the most important necessity.
Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr explained Tuesday to Vatican Radio that since 1995, at the request of former President Abdou Diouf, Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in the struggle against AIDS.
He noted: “We said we could preach and exhort in favor of abstinence and fidelity, and we have done so, both Christians as well as Muslims. And if today the rate of AIDS infection in Senegal is still low, I believe it is thanks to the religious communities, which have emphasized morality and moral behavior.”
“Given that I don’t think that condoms can eradicate AIDS,” he affirmed, “I believe our appeal for abstinence and fidelity, in other words, for moral values and the observance of sexual customs, continues to be truly valid.”
The cardinal acknowledged that there could be difficulties in some countries of the continent “because there are different customs.” However, he stated “that it is necessary to know that Africa is very varied and that there are African societies that know the concept of abstinence and fidelity very well and cultivate it” and that it “is necessary to help them to continue to cultivate it.”
Speaking about Senegal’s situation, he expressed the fear that “if they start to distribute condoms massively to our young people, this will not help them and it will be very much more difficult for them to control themselves and to remain faithful until marriage.”
“I think that to help people through education to make the effort to control themselves continues to be a valid contribution for the prevention of AIDS,” he noted.
Papal visit
Cardinal Sarr observed, “It is a pity that instead of reflecting on how the Pope was received and especially all that he experienced with the peoples of Cameroon and Angola, some of the media put the accent almost exclusively on the question of condoms and abortion.”
“There were beautiful things on this trip that must be transmitted,” he continued. “Instead some found nothing better to do than fuel controversies which, moreover, were magnified, excessive as regards the rest of the content” of the Papal visit.
The cardinal asserted that “it is increasingly necessary that the West and Westerners stop thinking that they alone are the depositories of truth, that only what they conceive as the way of seeing and behaving is valid.”
Making a personal reflection on the Papal trip, the prelate said that “if the Pope put these two problems on the table, that of abortion and condoms, perhaps it is to remind us Africans, and especially Africa’s bishops, that it is better to think with our own heads and for ourselves; to live the Gospel and its values and to promote them for ourselves, to foster those values that don’t always seems to be our own.”
“In any case,” he concluded, “I have committed myself to work so that we can express ourselves and demonstrate that we have ways of seeing and acting that are valid, even if they are different from those that some propose to us.”
Filed under: Culture, healthcare, Medical Ethics, Social Doctrine
Concerns about Sebelius HHS Nominations
More from Archbishop Naumann on the Sebelius HHS nomination
Posted on March 5, 2009 by Dennis Sadowski
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., has been questioning Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic, for her support of legalized abortion for a year and a half now, and he has asked her on at least two occasions not to present herself for Communion in Kansas.
In his latest public comment, he now says her nomination by President Barack Obama as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is “troubling” because of her abortion stance. The archbishop offered his most recent comments about Sebelius — summarized in a Catholic News Service report – in his column in the March 6 issue of The Leaven, the archdiocesan newspaper.
In an interview with Our Sunday Visitor, he further explains his stance.
While calling Sebelius a gifted leader who represents Catholic social teaching well when it comes to concerns such as the development of affordable housing and increasing access to health care for poor children, Archbishop Naumann strongly takes the governor to task for her long-held support for abortion. In the interview the archbishop said he can understand why Sebelius was nominated to the federal post but reiterated that he finds it troubling.
An excerpt: “But I think from the church’s point of view, it’s sad because it places another high-profile, pro-abortion Catholic into national leadership along with Vice President (Joe) Biden and Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and a raft of others that are in the Congress. And so I think it makes our job as bishops more challenging, because we have to be even more clear that this is not acceptable for a person in public service to say that they are Catholic and then to support these policies that are anti-life, you know go against the most fundamental of all human rights, the preservation of innocent life.”
Filed under: healthcare, Medical Ethics, Social Doctrine
February 17, 2009 • 4:08 pm 0
NEW FRONTIERS OF GENETICS AND THE DANGERS OF EUGENICS
VATICAN CITY, 17 FEB 2009 (VIS) – In the Holy See Press Office this morning, a press conference was held to present a forthcoming academic congress entitled: “New frontiers of genetics and the dangers of eugenics”. The congress, promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life for the occasion of its twenty-fifth general assembly, is due to take place in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall on 20 and 21 February. Participating in today’s presentation were Archbishop Rino Fisichella and Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, respectively president and chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and Bruno Dallapiccola, professor of genetic medicine at Rome’s “La Sapienza” University. ”
The congress will be attended”, Archbishop Fisichella explained, “by scientists from a number of universities, who will examine the question from various points of view: from the strictly biomedical to the legal; from the philosophical and theological to the sociological”. “Thanks to the great work undertaken over the last ten years, above all that of Francis Collins on the Human Genome Project, it is possible to map thousands of genes and thus achieve an understanding of various types of disease; this often offers a real possibility of overcoming heredity ailments”.
“The aim of this congress is to verify whether, in the field genetic experimentation, there are aspects that tend towards – or effectively implement – eugenic practices”, said the archbishop. Such practices “find expression in various scientific, biological, medical, social and political projects, all of them more or less interrelated. These projects require an ethical judgement, especially when it is sought to suggest that eugenic practices are being undertaken in the name of a ‘normality’ of life to offer to individuals”. “Such a mentality, which is certainly reductive but does exist, tends to consider that some people are less valuable than others, either because of the conditions in which they live, such as poverty or lack of education, or because of their physical state, for example the disabled, the mentally ill, people in a ‘vegetative state’, or the elderly who suffer serious disease”.
“Not always do the requirements of medical science meet with the approval philosophers or theologians”, said the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. “If, on the one hand, certain people frequently succumb to the temptation to consider the body in purely material terms, on the other, a concern to ensure the fundamental unity of each individual … is something that must not be marginalised or overlooked”. “Of course research aimed at alleviating individual suffering must increase and develop”, he concluded, “yet at the same time we are called to ensure the increase and development of an ethical conscience, without which all achievements would remain limited and incomplete”.
The Human Genome Project “is one of the great undertakings of the beginning of this new millennium”, said Msgr. Carrasco in his remarks. “If for medicine, and not only for medicine, a knowledge of the human genome is absolutely essential, it is equally important to identify its ethical, legal and social consequences”, he added. “Today”, said the chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life, “eugenics represents the principal discriminatory utilisation to which the discoveries of genetic science can be put. This is what the congress aims to examine. Obviously, the main objective is to call people’s attention to the considerable benefits we may obtain from genetic research if, as seems correct and appropriate, it attracts the efforts of researchers and public and private investments, while overcoming any temptation to follow the deceptive shortcuts presented by eugenics”. In his comments Professor Dallapiccola indicated that “the proliferation of genomic analyses is destined not only to make people’s lives more dependent on medicine, but also to transform the role of doctors. … The post-genome era risks producing a further involution of the figure of the doctor, who is perhaps destined to become a ‘genomicist’, in other words a specialist in interpreting the sophisticated data emerging from some highly-technological instrument”.
“We must”, he concluded, “take a critical stance, both towards ‘reductionists’ who believe the sequence of the human genome is sufficient to clarify the meaning of human life, and towards ‘determinists’ who hold that they can predict people’s biological destiny, simply be examining their DNA”.
OP/CONGRESS GENETICS EUGENICS/FISICHELLA VIS 090217 (710)
Filed under: healthcare, Medical Ethics
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2369
|
__label__wiki
| 0.521405
| 0.521405
|
The Grandchildren of John and Jeanette Nusbaum: First Cousins, Four Times Removed
Posted on January 30, 2015 by Amy
When I last wrote about the direct descendants of my three-times great-grandparents, John and Jeanette (Dreyfuss) Nusbaum, I left off saying that I would return to their surviving grandchildren in a later post. Having already written about the children of their daughter Frances Nusbaum Seligman, Eva, James, and Arthur, there were four other grandchildren to discuss: the two children of Gustavus and Miriam Nusbaum Josephs, Florence and Jean, and the two children of Simon and Dora Rutledge Nusbaum, Nellie Rogers and John Bernard Nusbaum. I was hoping that I’d be able to find answers to some remaining questions before posting, but I’ve run into a few tough ones.
Florence Joseph’s story is still incomplete as I hit a brick wall around 1925, but I will share what I do know. Florence married Louis Siegel in 1903 when she was 23 years old. Louis, the son of Abraham Siegel and Minnie Rosenthal, was born in Philadelphia on January 11, 1870, making him ten years older than Florence. In 1910, Florence and Louis were living in New York City, and Louis was working as a traveling salesman, selling athletic goods.
Sometime thereafter, Louis must have become ill. He died on September 30, 1915, at the State Hospital for the Insane in Norristown, Pennsylvania. According to his death certificate, he had been ill for three years and had been hospitalized since November 19, 1913. His cause of death was general paralysis of the insane or paresis. He was only 43 years old.
Although I only have one document to support this, it appears that in 1913, Florence and Louis had had a child, a daughter Marion. On the 1920 census, Florence Siegel was living with her father Gustavus Josephs and her brother Jean Josephs, both of whom were working at a mill as manufacturers, presumably of fabrics, as discussed in an earlier post. Included in the household was a seven year old girl named Marion Siegel. Although she is described as the daughter of the head of household, it seems apparent that Marion was Florence’s daughter, given her age and her surname.
When her father Gustavus died in May 1924, Florence continued to live in the home at 2020 North Park Avenue; she is listed as a dressmaker in the 1925 Philadelphia directory residing at that address. Unfortunately, that is the last document I have for Florence. I cannot find a marriage record or a death record for her, nor can I find any definitive document for her daughter Marion.
There were two other Marion Siegels in the Philadelphia area, but after tracing them both, I had to accept that neither was the right Marion. One, Marion Siegele, even had a mother named Florence, but that Florence was married to Harry Siegele and that Marion was born in 1918. The second Marion Siegel seemed more likely, but I was able to find her parents and brother, and they were again not Florence and Louis Siegel. Maybe my Marion died outside of Pennsylvania before 1930 (she would have been about 17 years old at the time of the census), maybe her mother remarried and Marion took the new husband’s surname. But I have searched for every Florence and Marion living together as mother and daughter on the 1930 census, and I’ve come up empty.
In searching for Florence and Marion Siegel, however, I did find this obituary of Gustavus Josephs that reveals more about his military service in the Civil War as a musician:
Philadelphia Inquirer May 25, 1924 p. 18
Although I did hit some roadblocks researching Florence, I had better luck with her brother Jean. Jean was much younger than his sister Florence. He was born in 1893 and presumably named for his recently deceased grandfather, John Nusbaum. In fact, Jean’s middle initial is N, perhaps for Nusbaum. As noted above, Jean worked with his father Gustavus as a mill owner and listed himself as a self-employed manufacturer on his World War I draft registration in 1917. He married Ruth Breidenbach on March 4, 1920. Ruth was the daughter of Lazarus and Sophia Breidenback, and her father was an engraver in Philadelphia. Ruth was born on March 11, 1900, in Pennsylvania.
By 1930, Ruth and Jean had two children, Janet and Jean, Jr. Jean was still a manufacturer, and the census report for 1930 is more specific as to what he was manufacturing: draperies. The family was living at 1531 Lindley Avenue in Philadelphia. The following year Jean and Ruth had a third child, Jay.
In 1940, Jean and Ruth were still living at 1531 Lindley with their three children, and Jean’s occupation was recorded as general manager, textile manufacturer. Less than a year later, on February 4, 1941, Jean Josephs died from an intestinal obstruction and peritonitis. He was 47 years old, and his children were still living at home. Jean’s widow Ruth was 40 years old
Ruth remarried in 1946. Just six years later, Ruth was widowed once again when her second husband died from heart failure at age 47 on October 3, 1952. By that time her children were grown.
As for the two children of Simon and Dora Nusbaum, Nellie Rogers Nusbaum was Dora’s daughter from her first marriage. In about 1921, Nellie married Ellis B. Healy, who owned the Santa Fe Book and Stationery Company. Nellie’s life was cut short on May 9, 1932, when she died giving birth to her daughter.
The Santa Fe New Mexican, May 9, 1932
In 1940, Nellie’s widower Ellis and her young daughter were living in Santa Fe with a servant and a lodger. Ellis listed his occupation as an office supply merchant. By 1942, Ellis must have remarried as he is listed as “Healy EB (Mildred)” in the 1942 Santa Fe directory, indicating that he had a wife named Mildred. He still owned the Santa Fe Book and Stationery Company. He and Mildred were still listed together in 1960.
Although Nellie was not the biological child of Simon Nusbaum, and I do not know whether he ever adopted her legally as she was still listed as his stepdaughter on the 1920 census, she must have adopted his name since her name on her headstone is Nellie Nusbaum Healy. She is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Santa Fe.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=110240814&ref=acom
Simon and Dora’s other child, John Bernard Nusbaum, was only sixteen when his father died in 1921. In 1930, he married Esther Maltby. They settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where John was the vice-president of the Albuquerque Stationery Company. John was listed as the manager of the stationery store in 1940 and continued to be associated with the company at least as late as 1954. John and Esther had two daughters. John died on July 25, 1976, in Albuquerque, but is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Santa Fe where both of his parents are buried. His wife Esther died in 2002 and is buried there as well. I have tried contacting some of their descendants, but have not had any responses.
So I am going to focus on finding a descendant of these four cousins of mine in order to fill in some of the gaps and tie up those loose ends.
This entry was posted in Genealogy, Nusbaum, Pennsylvania and tagged Albuquerque, civil war, genealogy, Josephs, New Mexico, Nusbaum, Philadelphia, siegel by Amy. Bookmark the permalink.
4 thoughts on “The Grandchildren of John and Jeanette Nusbaum: First Cousins, Four Times Removed”
currentdescendent on January 30, 2015 at 9:36 am said:
Isn’t it frustrating when you follow the leads of other people with the same name? It makes it so difficult. I had that for a long time with some of mine. What I have found in the earlier generations is that if they had the same name and were in the same area, sometimes they had an ancestor in common (thus names repeated–such as children being named after grandparents). That that is less likely when you have relatives who have been in this country for a long time.
Amy on January 30, 2015 at 10:26 am said:
Yes, I’ve had a number of those also, and it’s great when those identical names provide clues. But this time it just let me on a wild goose chase. Not as bad, however, as the time I had to figure out which of 13 Abraham Rosenzweigs was the right one!
Pingback: Final Chapter: The Dreyfuss Family in America « Brotmanblog: A Family Journey
Pingback: One New Database, A Whole Lot of Answers: The Social Security Applications and Claims Index « Brotmanblog: A Family Journey
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2371
|
__label__cc
| 0.543106
| 0.456894
|
Stewardship Is About More Than Money
by Joseph Sunde • January 9, 2015
“Stewardship is far more than the handling of our money. Stewardship is the handling of life, and time, and destiny.” –Lester DeKoster and Gerard Berghoef
Stewardship as a term is tossed around rather widely and routinely, and even (or especially) in church settings, its presumed definition is often surprisingly narrow. Though often used in reference to tithing, fundraising, or financial management (and rightly so), we mustn’t forget that at a more basic level, stewardship is simply about our management of God’s house. All of his house.
“God makes man the master of his temporal household,” write Lester DeKoster and Gerard Berghoef in Faithful in All God’s House. “Like all stewards, man is not the owner. He is the overseer…The quality of stewardship depends on obedience to the Master’s will.”
As Evan Koons learns in Episode 1 of For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles, our various earthly economies— or the “modes of operation that God has designed us to work within” — include our families, jobs, governments, schools, charities, and institutions. Each area has its own distinct role, its own distinct “sound,” its own mode of operation. But each was meant to played in harmony with others. God calls us to be stewards across all of life, and assuming that responsibility begins with expanding our imaginations.
Over at Oikonomia, the Acton Institute’s new blog at the Patheos Faith and Work Channel, the first chapter of Faithful in All God’s House is offered in full, helping lay a basic foundation on how we might consider the reach of these things.
Although DeKoster and Berghoef highlight several areas, they conclude that the “basic form of stewardship is daily work, no matter what that work may be.” Whether digging ditches, analyzing data, caring for kids, volunteering in the community, or engaging in scholarship, the work of our minds, hearts, and hands is not our own, and must be rendered in obedience to God. (Our play, not just our work, must be rendered to God as well. But more on that in the excerpt.)
For kicks, an excerpt of the excerpt:
Work is the fundamental form of stewardship because:
God himself works: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17), the Lord says. It is not recounted that God plays, but he works. That is to say, God is ever-busy making provision for our existence. Work is that which serves another. Play is that which serves ourselves.
Work knits the fabric of civilization. We take for granted all the possibilities which work alone provides. And we become aware of how work sustains the order which makes life possible when that order is rent by lightning flashes of riot or war, and the necessities which work normally provides become difficult to come by…
…It is of the nature of work to serve the community. Whether work is done in the home, on the land, or in the countless forms of enterprise developed across the centuries, work is doubly blessed: (1) it provides for the family of man, and (2) it matures the worker.
Work matures the worker because it requires ethical decision. Merely to rise to one’s daily tasks requires an act of will, a decision to serve the community, however reluctantly, however unaware the worker may be that such is the case. Such willed acts of service not only make and sustain the fabric of civilization and culture, but also develop the soul. And, while the object of work is destined to perish, the soul formed by daily decision to do work carries over into eternity…
…The forms of work are countless, but the typical one is work with the hands. The Bible has reference to the sower, to the making of tents and of things out of clay, to tilling the fields and tending the vine. Handwork makes visible the plan in the mind, just as the deed makes visible the love in the heart. While the classic Greek mind tended to scorn work with the hands, the Bible suggests that something about it structures the soul…
…Seen in this light, which is the light shed by the Bible on work, it is easy to understand why work is the primary form of stewardship. To work, most of us give the largest unit of our lives. By work, we together raise the level of our culture, keep its order, supply its needs, and point to its promise of better living for more of the world’s peoples.
For the believer; then, stewardship begins with the day’s work. Done well, as unto God, in the full knowledge that by work the world lives, work serves God and man and the self.
For more, see Faithful in All God’s House and other titles on stewardship from the Acton Institute and Christian’s Library Press.
Joseph Sunde is an associate editor and writer for the Acton Institute. His work has appeared in venues such as The Federalist, First Things, The Christian Post, The Stream, Intellectual Takeout, Foundation for Economic Education, Patheos, LifeSiteNews, The City, Charisma News, The Green Room, Juicy Ecumenism, Ethika Politika, Made to Flourish, and the Center for Faith and Work. Joseph resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and four children.
Posted in Bible and Theology, Business, Economics, Faith and work, VocationTagged creativity, energy, Gerard Berghoef, Lester DeKoster, Religion/Belief, resources, stewardship, Time
5 Basic Principles of Christian Stewardship
Surrendered Unto Stewardship: Darrell Bock On Money That Matters
Work and the Two Great Love Commandments
Aslan’s Song of Stewardship
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2375
|
__label__cc
| 0.5115
| 0.4885
|
ICON Aircraft is offering one of its new amphibious light-sport aircraft for auction at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association‘s Gathering of Young Eagles during this year’s AirVenture.
The July 28 Gathering of Eagles is part of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the 64th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, which will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The Gathering of Eagles fundraiser usually attracts more than 1,000 people to support EAA’s youth aviation education programs.
The ICON A5 was first announced as a 2016 auction lot at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 by ICON officials as well as EAA CEO/Chairman Jack Pelton and Sean D. Tucker, legendary air show pilot and chairman of EAA’s Young Eagles program.
“I had the opportunity to fly this airplane last year, and ICON has given us a flying machine that is superb for flying adventure and excitement,” Pelton said. “As EAA aims to grow participation in aviation, innovative aircraft such as the ICON A5 will inspire more people to be part of the world of flight. We’re very excited to have this airplane as part of the Gathering of Eagles auction on July 28.”
Bidding on the airplane will take place live at the auction, as well as through telephone bids. It will be part of an extensive auction lineup that in past years has included one-of-a-kind collector Ford Mustangs specially built by the Ford Motor Company, as well as flying experiences with aviation personalities. Additional auction lots are currently being accepted through EAA’s donor relations office.
This article is from General Aviation News.
Unknown Web Developer
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2376
|
__label__wiki
| 0.507426
| 0.507426
|
5 Best Meditation Apps to Get Your Om On
By: Alison Moodie
Meditation sounds simple enough, but it’s not so easy to quiet distracting thoughts.
That’s where meditation apps come in. They’re like a little guru in your pocket, guiding you into a state of zen.
Meditation carries all kinds of benefits. If you’re feeling anxious, down, or in pain, meditation can help — dozens of studies show that it works.
The best meditation apps on the market: Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, The Breathing App, and 10% Happier. Discover the pros and cons of each.
Meditation sounds simple enough — find a quiet place, cross your legs, and breathe. But if you’ve ever tried it, you probably know that it’s not as easy as 1-2-3 Ommm. Those pesky thoughts start crowding in, and before you know it you’re planning dinner and wondering whether to buy those black jeans you’ve been coveting. That’s where meditation apps come in. They’re like a little guru in your pocket, guiding you into a state of zen.
Related: This Yoga Nidra Routine Will Make You Feel Like You Got a Full Night’s Sleep
Meditation carries all kinds of benefits. If you’re feeling anxious, down, or in pain, meditation can help — dozens of studies show that it works.[1] Meditation actually rewires your brain, firing up specific areas that calm your nervous system.[2][3] Here are some of the benefits of meditation:
Promotes better sleep
Lowers blood pressure
Improves mental focus
Eases anxiety
Reduces pain
Increases happiness
Slows aging
Boosts heart and immune health
Read on to discover the best meditation apps on the market, and the pros and cons of each.
Related: How to Meditate More Effectively
Headspace, created by Andy Puddicombe, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk, boasts 30 million members and 1 million paying subscribers. It’s the Apple of meditation apps — cool, trendy, and user-friendly. It seems everyone and their mother is using it — Olympic athletes, movie stars, and reigning queen of wellness Gwyneth Paltrow.
You can try the meditation app out for free with a “basics” pack or a mini meditation, like a one-minute guided breathing exercise. You have to pay to access the app’s library of hundreds of meditations.
Cost: Subscription options start at $12.99 a month, or you can pay a one-time fee of $399 for lifetime access.
Headspace offers a free 10-day trial pack, consisting of 3-5 minute meditations a day. This gives you the chance to see if you actually like it, before coughing up the cash for a subscription.
You have a lot options: you can choose a single meditation session, or get “packs” that offer up to 30 sessions on any given area you want to work on, like health, work, or happiness. Within each category you can get more specific — under “happiness,” for instance, you can choose a 30-session pack on self-esteem.
Simple design with fun animations and a well-organized library of classes.
You can monitor your progress on your profile page, which records the average length of your meditation sessions, the number of days you’ve practiced, and the amount of hours you’ve meditated.
While the app isn’t prohibitively expensive, it’s not cheap either. Sure, if you’re disciplined and use it everyday, then it’s a fair payoff. You could give up your Netflix subscription to justify the cost, but no one’s telling you to do that…
Puddicombe voices all the meditations on Headspace. Many people love his clear, no-nonsense tone and Bristol accent (he’s UK-born) — but if it doesn’t appeal to you, you’re out of options.
All of the meditations are guided — there’s no option to hit a timer and simply savor the silence or soothing ambient sounds.
Apple’s pick for app of 2017 offers a nice mix of guided meditations, soothing nature sounds, and music.
Like Headspace, you get a free trial to test out Calm. This one’s 7 days, a fair amount of time to see if it’s worth continuing.
Cost: A flat fee of $60 a year, or $299 for lifetime access.
The yearly cost is $30 cheaper than Headspace’s annual fee.
It offers a nice mix of guided meditations and less structured ones, so it’s easy to customize.
Here’s something different — you can listen to a bedtime story to help you drift off to sleep. You may recognize some of the narrators — nod off to the soothing sound of Stephen Fry reading you a story set in Provence. You can actually smell the lavender fields and watch as the golden light settles across the valley as you listen.
The app goes beyond meditation — you can tune in to a master class from health and wellness experts like Elizabeth Gilbert and Shawn Achor.
The design isn’t as straightforward as other apps like Headspace, and it can be a little confusing — especially if you’re a beginner — figuring out the best meditation to pick.
The sign-up process also isn’t intuitive, and there isn’t a clear breakdown of the different subscription options.
Related: How to Rewire Your Brain for Focus and Calm
Insight Timer
You may not hear about Insight Timer as much as much as you do its venture-backed cousins, but don’t be fooled by its low-key status. Insight Timer is the little meditation app that could, with nearly 5 million people signed up and over 11,000 guided meditations from top teachers around the world.
The app gives you two options — you can either pick a guided meditation (ranging anywhere from one minute to an hour or more) or you can use the timer option — you choose how long you want to meditate for, then pick a bell sound to signal the beginning and end of your meditation. You can also opt for ambient sound like raindrops or choir music to play while you’re in zen mode.
More Articles From Bulletproof
Use Gratitude to Rewire Your Brain
Hormesis: How to Use Stress to Boost Your Resilience
Study Shows that Gut Bacteria Changes Your Mood and Behavior
Coffee Fruit Extract Is the Superfood Supplement Your Brain Needs
It doesn’t cost a thing — who wouldn’t want that?
The design is simple and easy-to-use. There is truly something for everyone here, and you can pick from topics like grief, stress, forgiveness, sleep, and self-love.
You can set goals and track your progress using the “stats” tool.
You’re joining a community — you can interact with other users on one of the app’s more than 5,500 forums. Topics run the gamut from mindful eating to lucid dreaming to women meditators — there’s even a passionate discussion going on about Rumi’s poetry.
Every time you open the app, you’re shown a map of all the people using Insight Timer around the world. It’s a great motivating factor and gives you a sense of community.
The sheer number of options can feel a little overwhelming. Do you pick “Zen Guitar” or “Moonlight” as your ambient sound? And which of the thousands of guided meditations do you choose? Luckily you can narrow down your choices by filtering the meditations by most popular and staff picks.
The Breathing App
Created by bestselling author Deepak Chopra and yogi Eddie Stern, The Breathing App, like its name suggests, focuses only on breath. It’s a specific kind of breathwork called resonant breathing. The goal? To breathe at a rate of 5 to 7 breaths per minute, instead of the typical 15 to 18. It’s the pace that Buddhist monks enter into while meditating, and research shows it can calm the nervous system, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve heart rate variability — the changes in time between heart beats.[4][5]
When you open the meditation app, you first choose your breathing ratio. That’s the number of seconds that you breathe in, and the number of seconds that you breathe out. There are six to pick from, and the app has a guide to help you figure out the best ratio for you. If you’re a beginner, for instance, it recommends 4:4 (4 seconds in, 4 seconds out).
You then get to choose how you want to time you’re breath, and you’re given a few options:
You can watch as a ball gets bigger (that’s when you inhale), then gets smaller (the exhale). The ball is so mesmerizing, you’ll feel instantly more zen just by looking at it.
A clock, that counts up on the inhale, and down on the exhale.
Musical sound — you breathe in when the sound gets louder, and out when it gets softer. This one’s useful if you’d rather meditate with your eyes closed.
You set a timer using a sliding scale at the bottom of the screen, and away you go.
Cost: It’s free!
If simplicity is what you’re after, this is the app for you. There’s no sign-up process — you can start meditating within seconds. Unlike other apps out there, you only get a handful of options — appealing if you’re on-the-go and need something quick that will get the job done.
It’s free — enough said.
When you use the sound option to meditate, you open up the possibility of brain entrainment — when your brain waves synchronize with rhythmic sounds. This relaxes you and puts your brain in the same frequency as when you’re in deep sleep.
You won’t find any guided meditations here. Guided meditations are helpful for beginners — it’s nice to have someone holding your hand and showing you how it’s done. With breathing exercises, it’s easier to get distracted by passing thoughts.
Related: Use This Guided Meditation to Clear Your Mind and Find Happiness
10% Happier
If you’re ready to dive deeper into your meditation practice, 10% Happier is one to try. Based on the book by ABC news anchor Dan Harris, this meditation app offers over 350 guided meditations, as well as video courses with meditation experts. A bonus? You can also message meditation coaches and ask them any questions you have about your practice.
Cost: Intro videos are free, but it’s $14.99 a month for full access, or $99.99 for a yearly subscription.
Like a lot of other meditation apps, you get a free trial — this one is a week, so that gives you time to see if it’s a good fit.
If you’re at all interested in the science behind meditating, or how best to maximize your practice, the app’s library of video courses will appeal.
You have real-time access to experienced meditators (they need to have at least 10 years of meditating under their belt) — you chat them as you would a Whatsapp message.
This one costs quite a bit more than other meditation apps on the market.
If all you’re looking for are straightforward meditations, the addition of video courses could be off-putting and feel unnecessary.
Join over 1 million fans
Sign-up for the Bulletproof mailing list and receive the latest news and updates!
About Alison Moodie
Alison Moodie is a health reporter based in Los Angeles. She has written for numerous outlets including Newsweek, Agence France-Presse, The Daily Mail and HuffPost. For years she covered sustainable business for The Guardian. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she majored in TV news. When she's not working she's doting on her two kids and whipping up Bulletproof-inspired dishes in her kitchen.
[1] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainterna...
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PM...
[3] http://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/20254.sh...
[5] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389...
meditationstress
Related Bulletproof Articles
Petting a Dog or Cat “For Just 10 Minutes” Lowers Stress, Finds Study
Why Prebiotics Are More Important Than Probiotics for Your Gut
What Really Causes Heartburn?
Quitting Booze Makes Women Happier, Finds New Study
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2378
|
__label__cc
| 0.70759
| 0.29241
|
You quit your job to be a…WHAT?!
For years she pondered a major lifestyle change. Then, just a few months ago, Tiki Camunas left a successful career teaching high school and was accepted into a one-year apprenticeship to become a farmer. Why? What happened? It’s an inspirational story.
A Bucket List: Kick it or Keep it?
If someone doesn’t cross off everything on a bucket list, does that list become a regret list? Is that life now viewed as unfulfilled because Mount Everest wasn’t climbed, or that trip cross-country never happened?
An Oversized Life Renewed
Just two years ago Andre Hicks-Dolphin weighed 493 pounds. Seeing her today at age 50, it’s hard to imagine that she was once stuck in what many call a “miserable cycle of morbid obesity.” That’s because as of this month she’s lost 178 pounds; she’s healthier, happier and ready to inspire others to make changes.
You have a story that needs to be told. Granted, it might not land you a major publishing deal with movie rights, but it’s a story that nevertheless deserves to be written and shared. Why? Because as strange as this may sound, your life story isn’t about you. It’s about how your experiences can benefit others.
What We Wrote for Love
Eric and Eva were teenage sweethearts in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who set a wedding date when they turned 15. The last time they saw each other they were 21- years old. Three years ago they reunited, around the time of the 50th high school reunion. Although their book is a work of fiction, it’s about a couple like them, who fall in love again, almost instantly, via email.
Older and Wiser: Like Precious Jewels, One’s Value Increases With Age
What do you know about your family’s past? And what are you passing down to your own kids and grandkids?
7 Ways to Stop Limiting Yourself, Achieve Your Goal, and Make an Impact
Often, we put things off for so long for perfectly legitimate reasons, but unless extenuating circumstances push us, we never take action. This sometimes leads us to become resentful, jealous of others who do follow their dreams, or pessimistic about life in general. So, here are some tips to move forward!
A Purpose: Vital at Any Age
It’s ironic because our job as parents is to care for our children; teach them the importance of caring for others; ingrain confidence; and help develop responsible, independent human beings. So what happens when they grow up and leave?
Age Equality
See how a dream inspired this blogger to feel more comfortable in her own skin, and trade a sense of fear for a sense of hope.
STRONG ROOTS AND WHITE GO-GO BOOTS: An Awesome Combination
Amid sickness, loss and despair, this author found hope and inspiration…and a pair of go-go boots. It’s a touching tribute and call to action all in one.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2379
|
__label__wiki
| 0.859173
| 0.859173
|
Saint John’s trustee Chris Newman likes to help others excel
A star athlete gets the glory and recognition, while a coach gets the satisfaction of having propelled that individual to greatness. That’s a good analogy for Chris Newman. Like a consummate coach, she inspires others to do their best, sometimes working behind the scenes and always keeping the interest of her team—whether it's her family or Providence Saint John’s Health Center—in the forefront.
Chris became affiliated with Saint John’s at the urging of her longtime friend Mary Hesburgh. Mary, who in 1987 was launching a support organization to increase Saint John’s visibility in the community, invited Chris to an inaugural luncheon. The rest, as they say, is history. The event marked the beginning of the Irene Dunne Guild, a major support arm of the Health Center.
“Chris was instrumental in shaping the Irene Dunne Guild into what it has become." – Mary Flaherty
“We didn’t start as a fundraising entity,” Chris recalls.
“The idea was to create a group of young women who could spread the word and promote Saint John’s. It was much later that we started slowly earning money. Our first fundraiser was at the Brentwood Country Mart. We made about $3,000 and were very proud of ourselves.”
Chris went on to serve as president of the guild serving one year on her own and one year alongside trustee Mary Flaherty (Mary Hesburgh’s daughter). “Chris was instrumental in shaping the Irene Dunne Guild into what it has become,” says Mary Flaherty. “She provided invaluable direction and purpose in the early days and remains involved today.”
One of the projects Chris spearheaded was obtaining and installing VCRs in all patient rooms, as well as assembling a library of videotapes. Back in a time before smart phones and tablets, patients only had the in-room televisions to entertain them.
“Watching TV could get very depressing,” Chris says. “I thought people should be able to view tapes of events like weddings and birthday parties that they had missed or movies that they would prefer to watch.”
THE CONNECTION DEEPENS
Chris’s talents impressed members of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, and in 1995 she was invited to become a trustee. She has proudly held that position for more than two decades. In this role, she has hosted numerous fundraising events for the hospital. As a member of the board affairs committee, Chris has made it a priority to identify strong new members who can contribute their own unique talents to the Foundation.
Chris has made generous donations to support nursing and cancer research, as well as to sustain the general needs of the hospital. She took part in the Challenge to Lead, the 2008 campaign to rebuild the hospital, contributing personally and hosting an elegant cocktail party to recruit friends to the cause.
“I believe in Saint John’s,” she says. “There’s no hospital anywhere that provides better patient care or has better physicians. The nursing care is just wonderful. I tell people that if they’re not involved, they should be. Not only is it important to support the hospital for the good of the community, but also for personal reasons. You learn what’s going on and build relationships with physicians.”
Chris experienced the hospital’s excellent medical care and compassion from the patient side as well. In the late 1980s, she was diagnosed and treated for an aggressive type of lymphoma. “I was very fortunate,” she says. “My doctor, Daniel Lieber, was excellent and everyone on the oncology floor was wonderful.”
One of her favorite things about serving as a trustee involves the opportunity to attend Chautauqua Weekend, an annual retreat for trustees, hospital leadership and physicians. “We hear about the new things that are happening in areas such as heart and vascular care, women’s health, and cancer. It’s very exciting,” she says. “It’s also rewarding to see the physicians exchanging ideas and listening to one another … you know that we’re getting the best of the best.”
ATHLETES ONE AND ALL
Chris is married to AECOM founder and chairman emeritus Dick Newman. AECOM is a multinational company that provides design, building and project management services. The couple, who met as students at Bucknell University, celebrated 58 years of marriage this year, and Chris says that it just gets better every year. Residents of Santa Monica, Chris and Dick maintain close relationships with their three grown sons, John, Rick and Kevin, daughters-in-law Lori and Amy and long-term girlfriend Mari, and four grandchildren.
“They’re all athletes,” Chris says about her brood. Her husband played “every sport you could imagine” in college and remains physically active today. Her middle son played football, wrestled and was a shot putter, while the youngest played water polo, swam and wrestled. Chris and Dick enjoy watching their grandchildren (two are now in college) run and play water polo, soccer and volleyball.
As a special treat, when each grandchild turns about 13 or 14 years old, Chris and Dick take them on a trip—just the child and grandparents—to see the Olympics or anywhere they want to go. “No matter how much the parents beg to come, they cannot come,” she laughs. So far, these excursions have taken them to the Olympics in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
Chris supports several other institutions in addition to Saint John’s Health Center. She is on the boards of the Children’s Institute, Inc., a Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect, and Blue Ribbon, the premier women’s support organization of The Music Center. She served as past president of the Juniors of Social Service, which supports Regis House’s educational, recreational and social service programs in Los Angeles.
Chris was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her family moved to Canada when she was 3 years old. Chris’s parents told her that when she went to the park each day, she would watch the other children but not say a word. She simply listened. Then one day she opened her mouth and she could speak English perfectly.
Today Chris Newman still waits to speak until she feels she has something worth expressing. So when she talks, you know it will be worth your while to listen. And you’ll likely be enhanced by the experience.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2395
|
__label__wiki
| 0.528922
| 0.528922
|
Think and Do the Extraordinary. The Campaign for NC State
Units and Programs
Corporate and Foundation Gifts
Campaign Co-Chairs
Campaign Executive Committee
Campaign Cabinet Volunteers
Development Officers
Wolfpack Fans
Philanthropy in the News
“There are very few universities that have the unique mix of programs that we have. We truly are a program that emphasizes thinking on one hand and making and doing on the other.” — Dean Mark Hoversten
We are among the most influential colleges of design in the nation. Donor support enhances design education as we prepare designers who, in the broadest sense, will shape the future.
Thank you for your gift to the College of Design. Every gift is important to the future of design education and has an impact on the college’s most important mission: teaching students to design for life. The most common way to support the College of Design is by making a gift to the Designlife Fund.
The College of Design teaches design thinking in an interdisciplinary environment that makes sense of the world for the benefit of the public. The college — which is a proven leader of design cognition and education, design innovation, and healthy and sustainable communities — prepares designers who think beyond boundaries to shape the world. The design education experience is enhanced by our renowned faculty from around the world, with backgrounds in industry and academia. Our diverse student population from across the U.S. and more than 25 foreign countries provides a broad perspective on design and how to address global challenges.
Our commitment is that every keen and curious mind has access to a superior education that transforms learning into contribution and lasting results for a global society. Undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships provide financial assistance to deserving students and frequently serve as a deciding factor for potential students when choosing the College of Design over competing programs.
Learn more about Extraordinary Opportunity.
Extraordinary Experience
The practice of design requires broad thinking and an open, informed perspective on the world. An ever-increasing global marketplace demands that students gain international exposure. Our undergraduate students are required to participate in a study-abroad experience, and there is a great need to provide financial support to enable this. Unique hands-on opportunities such as Art2Wear, Fishmarket Gallery and design/build studios inspire our students and provide extraordinary experiences beyond the classroom.
Learn more about Extraordinary Experience.
Extraordinary Purpose
Our world-class faculty’s diverse and creative approach to research, interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative teaching methods and community outreach forms the foundation of the college’s excellence. These passionate teachers, researchers and mentors prepare our students to be the bold leaders of tomorrow. Support for endowed professorships and faculty awards will help recruit and support outstanding faculty.
Learn more about Extraordinary Purpose.
Support for the Designlife Fund is key to propelling the college forward. This provides discretionary funds for the dean to distribute to all areas of the college, including student projects, student organizations, programmatic support for external outreach, communications and alumni engagement.
Learn more about Extraordinary Leadership.
More than 75 percent of College of Design undergraduate students prepare for their future through a study-abroad experience.
College of Design on Social Media
College of Design News More Stories
Philanthropy Making an Impact on College of Design
The College of Design is making strides toward its Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign goal, and philanthropy makes a difference in scholarships, fellowships, programs and more
Soaring to New Heights of Design
Learn more about the "airports of the future" project, including the financial supporters who made the extraordinary experience possible for the College of Design group.
Designing a Strong Future
With support from NC State’s Eduardo J. Catalano Scholarship, Joshua Putnam builds on a furniture-making foundation to achieve his longtime dream of becoming an architect.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2397
|
__label__wiki
| 0.81083
| 0.81083
|
Commentary Politics
Madras Check
J Jayalalithaa prepares to re-enter the national arena
Vaasanthi
Hoardings and posters across Tamil Nadu proclaim Jayalalithaa as India’s future prime minister.
R Balu Mahendran
ON 19 FEBRUARY, Tamil Nadu’s chief minister J Jayalalithaa ordered the release of seven people convicted of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, after a Supreme Court order commuted the death sentences of three of these convicts to life imprisonment. It was a stunning statement, and made national headlines. Her admirers called it a master stroke—but it was prompted by her arch rival, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi, who had written just the day before in his paper Murasoli, calling for the plotters’ release. Jayalalithaa, who has always been a severe critic of the LTTE, decided to capture the popular mood on the issue, and ended up taking over a discourse mainly generated by the media (and feebly propped up by Karunanidhi to remind people off and on that he is the “Tamilina thalaivar,” leader of the Tamil community). The objective was to gain political mileage, ensure that the Congress would have no allies in Tamil Nadu in the months to come, and leave little to no space for the other Dravidian and pro-Tamil parties to oppose her decision.
For months now, hoardings all over Tamil Nadu have declared Jayalalithaa as prime-minister-in-waiting. She behaves like one already, making audacious decisions even as she remains fully aware that they will not go unchallenged. The woman on the posters, smiling serenely as morphed images of world leaders crowd the edges, apparently paying obeisance to her, has been chief minister of Tamil Nadu thrice in the past twenty years. With her greatest rivals, the DMK, routed in the 2011 assembly polls and embroiled in the power struggle between the sons of the patriarch Karunanidhi, she is eyeing the moon—all forty parliamentary seats (thirty-nine in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry) in 2014. That is an awesome number, and an unlikely target given the five-pronged contest under way in the state. But were she to gain something close to it, she might well be the kingmaker—or the ruler herself.
Tamil Nadu has the unique distinction of having been ruled for nearly fifty years by a screenwriter and two actors, all masters of their craft. Here, the real and the reel have a symbiotic relationship that can make the unthinkable happen. So a Brahmin came to lead the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a party that had its roots in a movement that denounced Brahminism. People who puffed their chests out to chant “Tamil is our breath”—one of the Dravidian movement’s historic slogans—saw no difficulty in accepting as their leaders both the non-Tamil MG Ramachandran, and Jayalalithaa, a woman who was born in Mysore to Mandyam Iyengar parents and once spoke Kannada with better ease than Tamil. To accept leaders as gods is a party compulsion, and god can speak any language.
Vaasanthi is a bilingual author and freelance journalist who writes in Tamil and English. She was the editor of the Tamil edition of India Today for nine years, and is the author of Cut-outs, Caste and Cine Stars: The World of Tamil Politics, published by Penguin. She lives and works in Bangalore.
Keywords: gender coalitions Tamil Nadu AIADMK Karunanidhi LTTE Jayalalithaa MG Ramachandran welfare schemes Dravidian 2014 Lok Sabha elections
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2398
|
__label__wiki
| 0.518785
| 0.518785
|
The Vanishing Waters of Columbus Plaza
Contributed by: Maya
The stunning classical monument, planned to commemorate the discovery of the “New World” by Columbus in 1492, was the finishing touch to the elegance and monumental form of Union Station. Designed by Daniel Burnham in the last decade of the 19th century, the monument sits on a plaza currently maintained by the National Park Service. Over the course of the 20th century, the plaza has become the main transportation hub in Washington, DC, welcoming long distance travelers, Washington Metro subway system riders, and commuter rail workers to Washington, DC. It serves as a welcoming beacon to tourists from around the world to the US Capital city.
Importantly, Columbus Plaza also provides a comfortable local home base for locals, who have developed a true allegiance to the park. Although many have limited means, they carry a strong civic pride in the plaza; the Plaza is a true local hometown park. It provides shade and a spirit of unity for disenfranchised community members.
The lack of maintenance of all the beautifully designed water fountains next to the deplorable sand desert highlight a lack of commitment to all, both resident and traveler. The dilapidation of the statue and roses is directly in opposition to the location of the park with its proximity between the Union Station and the US Capitol -- a true challenge to the democratic ideals those places represent. As the plaque on Columbus’ statue reads: To the memory of Christopher Columbus whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world - it wrenches the heart and calls for further attention and action plus increased collaboration between the Park Service and local community to rehabilitate the park as a welcoming symbol to the nation’s capitol and empowering the local transient community.
-Amy, Teddi, and Maya
The teachers created this design for a semi-postal stamp to bring attention to the role of Columbus Plaza as a gateway to Washington, D.C., and its conservation issues.
Maya, “The Vanishing Waters of Columbus Plaza,” Community of Gardens, accessed July 16, 2019, https://communityofgardens.si.edu/items/show/12136.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2399
|
__label__wiki
| 0.974125
| 0.974125
|
The No. 1 Source For Breaking Music and Film Headlines
Ariana Grande performs Sweetener songs for BBC TV special: Watch
Hour-long program featured "God is a Woman", "Love Me Harder", and her Thundercat cover
on November 02, 2018, 1:13am
Ariana Grande: Live at the BBC
Ariana Grande is the focus of a new TV special for the BBC. For the hour-long program — aptly titled Ariana Grande at the BBC — the pop singer performed a 13-song set as well as sat down for an interview with host Davina McCall.
As previewed earlier this week, Grande delivered hit single “God is a Woman”, alongside other Sweetener selections like “No Tears Left to Cry” and “Pete Davidson”, her album tribute to her ex-fiancé and Saturday Night Live comedian. The proud owner of pet pig Piggy Smalls also performed “Love Me Harder”, taken from 2014’s My Everything, and “Dangerous Woman”, from the 2016 album of the same name.
Additionally, the setlist included her cover of Thundercat’s “Them Changes”, a rendition Grande had previously debuted on BBC’s Live Lounge in September. The 25-year-old star was accompanied by an all-female orchestra and choir section — a nod, of course, to the powerful celebration of womanhood found on “God is a Woman”.
During the interview portion, Grande talked about her One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised $13 million for the victims of the tragic May 2017 Manchester Arena attack. She also discussed her struggles with anxiety and the importance of mental health.
“I almost feel guilty that I have it [anxiety] because it’s just in your head and it’s just so crazy how powerful it is,” said Grande. “You have ups and downs and sometimes you’ll go weeks at a time where you will be crushing it and there will be no anxiety… and then something will happen that can trigger it and then you have a couple of down days.”
“Talk to your loved ones, reach out to people, especially your friends online,” she added. “Reach out to each other.”
According to People, the BBC special was shot in London on September 7th, the same day collaborator and former boyfriend Mac Miller passed away. However, she reportedly hadn’t heard the news until after filming wrapped up.
Grande recently announced details of her 2019 Sweetener world tour. You can grab tickets here.
Concert Special
Pop Music News
TV Special
Sun Kil Moon breaks down new album, This Is My Dinner, Track by Track: Stream
TV Review: Season Six of House of Cards Hinges on Claire Underwood’s Approval Ratings
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2400
|
__label__wiki
| 0.553138
| 0.553138
|
Pregnant Teens Have Unrealistic Views of Motherhood
Many think it will bring them closer to their boyfriends, survey finds
By Serena Gordon
THURSDAY, Aug. 10, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Many pregnant teenage girls have unrealistic views of how their lives will be with a new baby, a new study finds.
For example, some teens surveyed for the study felt they were prepared for the changes ahead and thought that having a baby would enhance their "connectedness" to other people in their lives, including their boyfriends.
"The youngest girls were less likely to identify themselves as being unprepared," said the study's lead author, Cynthia Rosengard, a researcher in internal medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Brown Medical School in Providence. "Because they're not cognitively at the level of understanding the realities of parenting, our prevention messages need to be as salient as possible."
The study was published in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.
While U.S. teen pregnancy rates have been declining, an estimated 800,000 American females under the age of 20 get pregnant each year. Nearly 500,000 of those pregnancies result in live births, according to background information for the study.
Teens often don't seek early prenatal care, may not take proper care of themselves, and are at higher risk of having a low birth-weight infant, according to the study.
"Clearly, understanding adolescents' attitudes toward and motivations for pregnancy may aid in efforts to educate adolescents regarding the realities of teen pregnancy/parenting and reduce the negative health consequences of teenage childbearing in the United States," the study authors wrote.
To assess what the teens were thinking about parenthood at this time in their lives, Rosengard and her colleagues interviewed 247 pregnant teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19. Nearly one in four pregnancies was intended.
The researchers asked the teens to complete a survey giving demographic information, and then asked them open-ended questions about their attitudes toward teen pregnancy and what they thought were the advantages and disadvantages.
The answers to the questions varied, according to Rosengard, but some common themes emerged from the responses.
Many teens felt that having a baby would enhance their connections with others, such as enabling them to create a family or get closer to a boyfriend. Some teens also felt that because they would be so close in age, they could be friends with their children.
Some girls felt that having a baby early would give them more time to accomplish goals later in life. Dr. Irwin Benuck, an attending pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said one girl's response was particularly illustrative of the disconnect that expectant teen mothers' seem to have about the realities of single parenthood.
"If I have a [sic] infant now, later on when I want to become a lawyer, my baby will be old enough," said the 15-year-old.
Another young woman said having a baby would make her more responsible and hopefully keep her out of trouble.
"I think it will keep me away from doing bad things like drinking alcohol and/or doing drugs. It will make me more responsible, and I'll learn how to depend on myself more," the 18-year-old said.
Not all the teens thought having a baby at such a young age was a positive event. In fact, overall, the teenagers were able to name more disadvantages than advantages, the study found.
For instance, many of the young women said the additional responsibilities would cause them to lose out on a typical adolescence. Some acknowledged that they might have to drop out of school to care for the baby and would have to reassess their life goals.
About half of the girls over 18 felt they weren't prepared for motherhood, while just 35 percent of teens under 16 felt that way. Hispanic teens were the least likely to feel unprepared for the responsibilities of motherhood.
Rosengard pointed out that because this survey was done with pregnant teens, the results don't necessarily apply for teens who haven't become pregnant or have terminated a pregnancy.
Benuck said he thought it would be interesting to learn about teen fathers' attitudes toward teen pregnancy. Efforts at teen-pregnancy prevention "will be enhanced if you know what they see as good and bad of the situation, he said.
"Clinicians should be aware of the perception of advantages teens have and develop strategies to discuss how these perceived advantages aren't really advantages and to emphasize the disadvantages," Benuck added.
To learn more about teen pregnancy, visit the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
SOURCES: Cynthia Rosengard, Ph.D., M.P.H., researcher in internal medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, and assistant professor of medicine, Brown Medical School, Providence, R.I.; Irwin Benuck, M.D., attending pediatrician, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago; August 2006, Pediatrics
Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2401
|
__label__cc
| 0.703874
| 0.296126
|
Secret Video Shows Insurance Executives Discussing Lower Standards of Care For Those Who Cannot Sue
Santa Monica, CA -- Hidden in a U.S. Senate bill by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) establishing federal association health plans is a provision that will strip an individual's right to sue their insurer, according to analysis released today by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR).
The bill, S. 1955, would extend the so-called "ERISA pre-emption" to any individuals who buy health insurance through professional associations. As a result, individuals who purchase these health insurance plans will loose their right to sue for damages if they are harmed by an insurer's decision to limit access to medical treatments. The legislation would also override hard-won Patients' Bill of Rights legislation passed in 41 states, state health insurance coverage requirements and other patient protections.
In his book, "Making A Killing," FTCR president Jamie Court writes about a secret Aetna training video where executives teach new hires to quickly deny insurance claims brought by those who cannot sue their insurer. See chapter 5, page 123-127. The book is available on-line at: http://www.makingakilling.org
According to the video, when faced with claims for identical medical problems, Aetna separates the claims where no damages are available -- those subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA -- from non-ERISA claims, where consumers can sue for damages. Click here for more information.
Dana Christensen of Playa Del Rey, California has joined FTCR in opposing S. 1955 (Enzi, R-WY) after an association health plan sold by the National Association of the Self Employed left her with $450,000 in unpaid medical bills when her husband died of cancer. Dana sued her insurer for fraud, and successfully won payment for the unpaid bills and damages for her husband's pain and suffering. Under S. 1955, people like Dana who purchase individual insurance policies from professional associations will lose their right to recover damages in state courts.
"Without the threat of legal accountability, HMOs and insurers are free to deny access to care with impunity," said Jerry Flanagan of FTCR. "The biggest threat to the U.S health care system is that the further loss of employer-based care will force more Americans to buy insurance on their own in a market dominated by insurance companies that operate above the law."
Click here to read a fact sheet on S. 1955's impact on an individual's right to sue.
Already, patients who receive health coverage through a private employer cannot sue for damages in state court as a result of a 1987 Supreme Court decision in Pilot Life Insurance v. Dedeaux which concluded that: "State common law causes of action arising from the improper processing of a claim are preempted." That errant decision found that ERISA requires those who receive health insurance from their employer to sue in federal court where victims can only recover the cost of the procedure or service denied in the first place -- no damages or penalties are allowed. Victims must often wait for long periods before cases are heard in federal courts and attorneys are hard to come by because payment for attorney fees is not guaranteed. If the patient dies before receiving the treatment, the insurer pays nothing. The impact has been devastating for patients' health. For more information see chapter 5 of FTCR President Jamie Court's book, "Making A Killing".
"Imagine if a bank robber only had to return the money he stole. That lack of legal accountability would encourage more bank robberies because robbers know they wouldn't always get caught and when they did there would be no penalty. Similarly, this Senate proposal would give the green light to insurers to collect our money and block access to life saving medical treatment," said Flanagan.
For more information on Dana Christensen and S. 1955 visit FTCR's resource page.
The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) is California's leading nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization. For more information, visit us on the web at: http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2402
|
__label__cc
| 0.715816
| 0.284184
|
Access to specialized knowledge makes decision-making easier in contemporary society Essay
Discuss with reference to one or more of the theories from chapter 4, using examples of EITHER medical knowledge OR religious knowledge OR environmental knowledge.
This essay is about knowledge and whether access to specialized knowledge means it is easier to make decisions in contemporary society, using theory of the risk society with reference to medical knowledge as an example. First it will explain what knowledge is, and how it was developed through the centuries. Secondly, it will look at risk society, introduced by Ulrich Beck. Then it will outline who are the experts, and whether they help us or not in decision-making, it will look at different types of medical knowledge, for example alternative medicine. Finally it will show an example on MMR vaccine, and how difficult it is for parents to decide what is best for their babies.
Knowledge is very diverse. It is a collection of information, skills, practices, understandings and arguments, which have been collected throughout history. People have some sort of ‘common sense’ knowledge, and if this knowledge is recognized and verified by more people, especially by experts, then this knowledge became specialized knowledge.
In contemporary society, people have quick access to a range of knowledge. This massive production of knowledge could be seen to make decision-making easier, but in some cases not.
Medical knowledge has been developed through the centuries. Different theorists had different approaches to knowledge. For example Karl Popper was questioning the knowledge which was available at the time, he tried to falsify or verify what was found. (Woodward and Watt, 2004, p.21) Thomas Kuhn argued that most of the time scientists were copying procedures, which were introduced by earlier researchers. They developed paradigms, which are sets of assumptions, laws and methods, which are accepted by scientists and have set the standards to how the inquiries are conducted.
These paradigms may be replaced by new ones. (Woodward and Watt, 2004, p. 22) Michael Foucault believed that the knowledge is produced by discourses, it is possible to say some things, but restricts what you can say. (Woodward and Watt, 2004, p. 23) Fox Keller argues that knowledge is gendered by the social structures through which it is produced. (Woodward and Watt, 2004, p. 27)
The twenty first century brings new risks to society. It brings new knowledge about the dangers, and requires new coping strategies. In the pre-industrial society, people believed that what was happening around them, illnesses or sudden deaths were natural and that they were unavoidable. In contemporary society, people now know that events have social origins and everything that is happening, illnesses or environmental dangers, is a result of individuals and social group’s activities.
Ulrich Beck talks about society as being a self destructive society, now more than ever in the second half of the twentieth century, because people have knowledge about threats in the society. He argues that there are different risks in industrial politics. In the nineteenth- and twentieth-century, there was a significant increase in pollution levels, which had an effect only on the people who lived or worked within the local community. At the end of the twentieth-century, this pollution was getting deeper and more disruptive. Becks also argues that there are risks, which are catastrophic, such as genetic manipulation of the planet’s flora and fauna or nuclear accidents. The impact of environmental risks in the contemporary society is not tied to one place, but is global. (Woodward and Watt, p. 143)
In these situations, when people are not sure what is going on, they look to experts, who can give them some sort of information, or they look elsewhere for help. The media, as television, radio or the internet provides the most easily accessible information. This information sometimes contradicts each other. Each provides its own interpretation of the knowledge of potential risks. Then people do not know who they should believe, and this brings major effects on social behavior, such as anxieties or uncertainties. However people do not always have access to this knowledge derived from the media.
An example could be medical society. The access to specialized medical knowledge was much more difficult in the past. Doctors were the experts, and people did trust them. An expert, more generally, is a person with extensive knowledge or ability in a particular area of study. Experts have the power, because they have the knowledge.
What has happened that nowadays people do not trust the experts, as they used to? In the past general practitioner was seen as a friend, family doctor for all members of the family, somebody with authority and widely recognized in the community. General practitioners were well respected between their patients, who took their advises and treatments seriously.
So what has happened that people in contemporary society doubt and question their expertise? There might be many reasons why the trust in experts has declined; one of them could be development of complementary and alternative medicine.
These new treatments include homeopathy, acupuncture, reflexology and many more. This offers brand new choices for people, new treatments, diagnosis or medicine. Patients can use them as substitution for traditional treatment recommended by their GP or as supplementary treatment together with traditional ones. People have wider choices now. Alternative medicine might help them quicker, more effectively and without pain. However many people, mainly older generation, still see them as counterfeits and charlatans because they do not have extensive medical knowledge, they did not graduate from medical school and they also do not have the same social powers as experts in medicine have. (Woodward and Watt, 2004, p. 15)
Another reason why people are not sure about decisions and in trust of experts is because there are different sources of knowledge widely available to people. Among these sources could be counted pharmacists, books, media, alternative medicine (mentioned above), folk medicine and the internet. Increased knowledge give people confidence to question their GP expertise and treatments whether or not to use their services and trust them.
In the contemporary society, where new sources of information and knowledge are emerging; it is harder for people to decide what is the best for them, or for their families.
On the TV 05,(TV Programmes, 2005, The mothers knows Best?) The programme looks at parents, who have to decide whether or not to give their child the Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine or not. They have to decide what will be the best for the health of their child. Do they give the child the vaccine and risk possible dangerous side effects or do they leave their child to the mercy of measles.
The range of information available to the parents is incredibly vast. There are also many ways in which to obtain the information. As there is so much information it can sometimes overload the parent leading to them being worried and increasingly anxious about the situation.
The amount of information does make the decision to give their child the MMR vaccine more difficult. Chemists, the internet, doctors, drug companies and health clinics all have their own opinions. In their mind set they are the correct ones and the others are wrong. As parents are not experts who are they to and then they turn to someone, who do they believe? The conflicting information leads to confusion which leads to worry. When they add the input of the media, it just gets worse.
Our grandparents trusted doctors, science and even the government to an extent. They did not have much medical knowledge or means to get the knowledge, so they did not have these problems. The big question at the end is, does it really matter? Should we not just trust the experts and ignore everything else?
As shown on the examples, with the range of knowledge, decision-making is not easy in contemporary society. Medical knowledge has been developing for thousands of years, and it is not still final. People in the twenty-first century are living in the risk society, because they are aware of the things, and risks, which are around them. The experts are all people, who has specialized knowledge and they are in power. But a range of available knowledge for almost everyone, it could happen, that one day, anyone could be the expert, even without graduating from a specialized school. The decision for the families and their members are more difficult, because they have to decide on their own, with the help of range of knowledge from different sources, what is and will be the best.
Woodward, K. and Watt., S. (2004) ‘Science and Society: Knowledge in Medicine’, in Goldblatt, D. (ed.) Knowledge and the Social Scinces: Theory, Method and Practise, London, Routledge/The Open University
DD100 TV Programmes and Study Skills 2005, Mother knows Best?, Milton Keynes: The Open University (DVD)
Sensation, Sensory Receptors, and Somatic Sensations
Applying AI to Finance – The Symbolic and Sub-Symbolic Approaches Essay
Criminal Psychology: Rehabilitating Offenders are There Better Methods to Achieve This? Essay
In all his endeavours Leonardo favoured innovation over established knowledge and the traditions of his craft Essay
Management Accounting Problem Case Essay
General Background Information on Nonviolent Peaceforce Essay
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2411
|
__label__wiki
| 0.843264
| 0.843264
|
« The day the Helga sank.
The Great Wall of Glasnevin. »
Remembering Skeffy.
April 1, 2016 by Donal
Francis Sheehy Skeffington by Luke Fallon (on wood)
Francis Sheehy Skeffington (1878-1916), murdered on 26 April 1916, is numbered among the almost three hundred civilian casualties of the Easter Rising. Yet, like the cartoonist Ernest Kavanagh who is also on that list, he had a rebel heart.
Having gone into Dublin to attempt to establish a Citizen Patrol to counter the problem of looting and arson, he was picked up on Portobello Bridge by Captain Bowen-Colthurst, used as a human shield during raids in the district, and eventually shot without trial in Portobello Barracks. A plaque there remembers him today.
Among other things, Skeffy (as he was known) was a vocal and prominent supporter of the Irish Women’s Franchise League and feminism in the broadest sense, editing the progressive newspaper The Irish Citizen. A committed pacifist, he rejected the use of political violence and militarism, but he was also a republican in his own right. In an open letter to Thomas MacDonagh of the Irish Volunteers, who was also a keen supporter of women’s rights, Skeffy made it clear that while opposing their militarist language, “I am personally in full sympathy with the fundamental objects of the Irish Volunteers”. He had also supported the workers’ militia the Irish Citizen Army at the time of its foundation, in the hope it would be a purely defensive organisation.
On 16 May 1916, a Suffragist memorial meeting in London was held to remember Skeffy, under the auspices of the United Suffragists. It was addressed by George Lansbury, the political and social campaigner who would later lead the Labour Party in the 1930s. There were cries of “shame!” in the hall at various times, and Lansbury outlined his great admiration for the murdered activist. The table in the hall was “draped in the purple, white and orange of the Union”, and a memorial wreath at the top of the room remembered Skeffy and his work for change.
His widow, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, remained strongly committed to republican, feminist and socialist ideals throughout the rest of her life, while she also sought justice for her husbands murder, which was never forthcoming. Like Francis, she was a journalist, co-editing the IRA-aligned newspaper An Phoblacht for a period in the 1930s with Frank Ryan.
The inside of a published collection of work by both Francis and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington.
To mark the centenary of his passing, we link here to two interesting works, digitised by the University of California Libraries.
Available to read in full here, these two works are deserving of attention. Firstly, we have ‘A Forgotten Small Nationality: Ireland and the War’, published by Francis in February 1916 in Century Magazine. In it, he pours scorn on the idea that the conflict raging across Europe was a war for the freedom of small nations, and also highlights the hypocrisy and inconsistencies in government attitudes towards the UVF and the Irish Volunteers arming themselves. He condemns the parliamentary leader John Redmond for having “the incredible audacity to commit the Irish people to the support of this war.”
Following on from it, ‘British Militarism as I Have Known It’ is a digest of a lecture Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington delivered in the United States following the Rising:
F. Sheehy-Skeffington was an anti-militarist, a fighting pacifist. A man gentle and kindly even to his bitterest opponents, who always ranged himself on the side of the weak against the strong, whether the struggle was one of class, sex or race domination. Together with his strong fighting spirit, he had a marvelous and unextinguishable good humour, a keen joy in life, a great faith in humanity and a hope in the progress towards good.
Posted in Dublin History | 1 Comment
on April 13, 2016 at 2:22 pm | Reply Jason
It might interest some readers that one of those who was murdered along with Skeffington, Patrick McIntyre has finally had a headstone erected on his grave.
He is buried in Dean’s Grange Cemetery whose staff over the past number of months have marked all the graves of civilian casualties killed during the Rising who lay in unmarked graves.
There is a 1916 tour every Wednesday & Saturday in the Cemetery, free of charge which runs until 28th May.
Wednesday tours @ 11am and Saturday tours @ 2pm, the tour is one hour approx and the capacity is 30 people so get there early.
McIntyre is included in the tour which includes Volunteers, British soldiers and civilians.
He is a fascinating character, having been editor of an anti -ITGWU newspaper called “The Toiler” which in its 3rd Jan 1914 edition alleged that Jim Larkin was the “illegitimate” son of Phoenix Park assassin and informer, James Carey.
At the time of his murder at the hands of the British Army, he was in fact the editor of a further newspaper called “The Searchlight” which was Loyalist in its outlook and called on Irish men to join the British Army.
Talk about irony!
The Toiler can be viewed here ….
http://irishhistorypodcast.ie/dirty-tricks-in-the-1913-lockout/
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2412
|
__label__wiki
| 0.774119
| 0.774119
|
How fascism crept into America
An event following the November election thrown by the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist group.
Since the presidential election Nov. 8, there has been much discussion of the “f” word, as President-elect Donald Trump and some of his advisors and supporters have drawn scrutiny for their “fascist” leanings. Stephen Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, is a well-known white nationalist. Members of the so-called “alt-right” gave the Nazi salute after a meeting in Washington, D.C. The Klu Klux Klan planned a Trump victory parade.
The parallels between Trump and Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini get stronger with each news cycle. Internment of Muslims, taking citizenship away from flag burners, claims of rigged elections, intimidating journalists, prosecuting political opponents — it's an endless stream of ideas that flows easily from a totalitarian mindset.
We have faced some of this before. For much of the last year, I have been researching stories about the far right in the Pacific Northwest during the 1930s and early 1940s. And while our current circumstances are fluid, and unique, there are lessons we can learn from a time when we had to deal with fascism both here and abroad.
For starters, we can learn how to recognize it. The last time fascism came knocking, some Americans tried to ignore it. Others were clueless. Much of the mainstream media of the time spent the ‘30s “normalizing” the so-called New Germany. But a few people made a difference by paying attention and pushing back. These were often people with the most to lose.
Early in the Nazi regime, mainstream Americans did not see Hitler as a particular threat. Newspapers regularly excused or dismissed Hitler’s excesses and rhetoric regarding Jews. The Seattle Times, for example, proclaimed in 1933 that organized anti-Semitism did not exist in Germany, and never would. The Times was not alone.
But as Hitler rose to power in Germany, Americans evolved their own homegrown fascist movements, embracing Hitler and Mussolini in style and substance. Members of the Silver Shirt Legion, strong in the Pacific Northwest, saw themselves as American Brown Shirts. The 25,000-member German-American Bund, a legion of fans of Hitler’s “New Germany,” mimicked the Nazis: They wore swastikas, sponsored Aryan youth camps, held rallies on Hitler’s birthday and “sieg heiled” and “Horst Wesseled” to the Nazi flag. It turned out that they were deeply tied to the Nazis themselves, and receiving not only encouragement, but also instructions, from Berlin.
A onetime Seattle area resident, Ernst Vennekohl, later head of the Portland, Oregon, Bund, left town to take part in the Germans' program to cultivate Nazi activities in North America. As the 1930s progressed and the American public began to worry about the Nazis, the Bund supporters attempted to rebrand their organization as a hyper “patriotic” group. They began to downplay Nazi paraphernalia for images of George Washington and Old Glory.
But there were people acutely attuned to what was happening overseas, and by extension in our own backyard. The regional chapter of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith was based in Portland at that time. Papers of that organization, now at the Oregon Historical Society and University of Washington, reveal that members kept extensive files on right wing groups, and had informants attending Bund and other far-right meetings. They even tracked the license plate numbers of attendees. The group communicated its concerns to law enforcement, and in some cases directly confronted individuals known to be spreading anti-Semitism. They worked hard to spread the truth about Germany and correct outrageous propaganda spread here through speeches, pamphlets and short-wave radio broadcasts.
In Seattle, the Jewish Transcript newspaper covered and offered commentary on pro-Nazi activities and anti-Nazi demonstrations far more than the local daily newspapers. The Transcript regularly included eyewitness reports from Americans who had visited Germany and brought back first-hand accounts not filtered by the Nazi media machine that proved so effective at diverting and bamboozling the U.S. media. In retrospect, if you want the most insightful and accurate warnings on the rise of Nazism and fascism, the Jewish press and far left and labor newspapers, dismissed by many as being biased, were often the most accurate.
By the late ’30s, as U.S. involvement in the war seemed more likely, anti-Nazis managed to get the U.S. government to take the internal threat more seriously. Congress added fascists to communists as those worthy of Congressional scrutiny, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the FBI a green light to monitor internal fascist activities. The government pursued criminal charges for fraud or financial mismanagement against groups like the Silver Shirts and the Bund. If nothing else, such actions hampered the groups’ leadership. The FBI tracked bundists and pro-Hitler ideologues, and immediately after Pearl Harbor, many were arrested and detained, some deported and interned.
Today, Trump not only echoes some of these early fascists, but he also seems to be considering some of the worst examples of the American response. His proposal to register Muslims has been supported by at least one prominent backer who cited the internment of the Japanese during the war. Trump has pointed out that people think FDR was a great president even though he ordered the Japanese internment, implying that such measures should be forgiven by a president like himself. But while the Supreme Court found internment to be constitutional, the federal government has since repudiated the practice, apologized and paid reparations.
In another echo of the WWII era, Trump recently called for American flag burners to be stripped of their citizenship. During the war, the government sought to do the same to Nazi sympathizers — and before the war to some communists — but Supreme Court decisions made during the war strengthened the rights of citizens to hold even odious beliefs. In other words, American fascists and flag-burners both deserve the protection of the law.
What does this history tell us about how to respond today? Here are my takeaways.
Listen to those who not only can hear the dog whistles, but are experiencing prejudice and oppression personally. Don’t marginalize their experience. The mainstream media can miss major trends (see Trump’s victory). Likewise, believe what is promised and said: Extremists will follow through when they have the power. There were plenty of people who predicted that Hitler was going to moderate once in power.
Groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Anti-Defamation League have been tracking this stuff forever. Their judgments are worth listening to. Pay attention to themes that resurface, as in the Trump campaign ad highlighting individuals who are Jewish, playing on classic anti-Semitic memes. As Sen. Al Franken joked, this isn’t dog whistling, it’s German-Shepherd whistling.
It’s easy to spot ideology if someone wraps it in a Nazi or Confederate flag. But most groups, certainly since WWII, wrap themselves in the Stars and Stripes. Members of pro-fascist groups reinvented themselves into anti-Communist groups, the Bund embraced George Washington and Benjamin Franklin as fellow anti-Semites. These groups also generated false history, and did so long before Facebook. Some anti-Semites co-opted ancient symbols (the swastika, for one) and claimed that Hitler was inspired by Native Americans! Dig into the literature of 1930s right-wing ideology and you will find a conspiracy-minded, alternative history of the world calculated to fortify prejudice.
Pushback works. Pro-fascist groups were eventually exposed. The truth about Germany and its treatment of the Jews did come to light (though there still are Holocaust deniers in our midst). Even while the worst was happening — fighting a world war — our justice system struggled to balance safety with civil liberties, though not always even-handedly (see the internment of the Japanese).
A huge difference between then and now: In the 1930s, the far right was generally marginal, though very influential when allied with isolationist sentiment, which the Nazis encouraged. It has been slowly rebuilding since the late 1940s, but has for the most part remained on the fringes. Now, however, it is solidly in the mainstream with unprecedented access to the seats of power.
Mossback
Knute “Mossback” Berger is Crosscut's editor at-large as well as a regular columnist covering history, politics and culture in the Pacific Northwest.
In Washington state, abolitionists have succeeded in shrinking the scope of state punishment and making prisons more humane. But their work is far from done.
Dan Berger
The National Nordic Museum's surprising social justice message
The Ballard cultural venue is about heritage, but it also offers soft evangelism about social Democratic politics and values.
In a rapidly changing landscape, a Mount Rainier icon gets a new life
The renovation of the Paradise Inn’s 1920 wing and its Snowbridge, which connects to the main lodge, demonstrates the preservation challenges in this dynamic environment.
Could it be one giant leap for Boeing’s Apollo legacy?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2414
|
__label__wiki
| 0.941673
| 0.941673
|
Volkswagen settlement funds to pay for WA’s newest electric buses
State officials see the money from VW's federal settlement as offering "a critical opportunity" to put 50 more zero-emission vehicles, including school buses, on the streets.
Updated June 19, 2019 at 10:40 a.m.
Freshmen Malik Goodrum, left, and Modi Wani ride the first electric school bus in Washington state during an event with Gov. Jay Inslee at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma on June 17, 2019. "I feel pretty privileged to be on this bus with Gov. Inslee right now," Goodrum says. (All photos by Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
Since the U.S. federal government issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen in September 2015, the German automaker has been forced to pay out more than $30.4 billion to settle claims that it intentionally deceived regulators gauging emissions in its diesel vehicles. Of that, VW set aside nearly $3 billion for states to reduce diesel dependency and related pollution.
Nearly one year later, the state of Washington has announced its first allocation of that funding, through the Washington Department of Ecology, distributing $13.3 million among six transit agencies purchasing 50 zero-emission electric buses. The department has also begun steps toward putting some of the settlement money into electric school buses.
Washington state received $112.7 million from the federal settlement, the sixth-largest portion of all states.
Gov. Jay Inslee inside the first electric school bus in Washington state during an event at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma on June 17, 2019.
In December, the Department of Ecology granted $9.4 million of the $28.4 million it received in a separate state settlement with VW to transit agencies purchasing an additional 19 electric buses.
“Volkswagen settlement funds represent a critical opportunity for states to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Washington is taking a big step in the right direction here, and we hope other states — some of which are still spending on dirty diesel buses — will take heed,” says the National Resources Defense Council’s Luke Tonachel, who directs its Clean Vehicles and Fuels Group. Washington is devoting 45% of its settlement share to electrifying buses and trucks.
According to Mike Boyer, Ecology’s manager of diesel programs, there are about 3,450 transit buses in Washington state, many of which still run on diesel fuel.
“Big diesel engines are some of the largest sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases in our state, and investing in zero-emission alternatives is essential for improving air quality and protecting Washington communities,” Maia Bellon, the director of Ecology, says in a press release.
Ecology gave funds to transit agencies that submitted applications, with emphasis on areas most impacted by diesel pollution. All but one transit system that applied — Wenatchee’s Link Transit — received funds, with King County Metro receiving about half of the total funding, for 23 electric buses — more than twice as many nontrolley buses as it has now. The county has the largest number of people significantly impacted by diesel pollution, Boyer says.
“We have a map of all the areas exposed to diesel pollution in the state, and certainly you look at Seattle and some of the other really dense parts of King County and those are at the top of the list,” says Andrew Wineke, a public information officer at Ecology.
Each transit agency is a long way from actually shuttling battery-powered buses down their respective urban corridors, however. Ecology is giving each agency up to two years to find additional funding required to pay for the new buses. Metro’s Jeff Switzer says the agency expects to put its buses in service starting in 2021.
“An electric bus is a great substitute for a diesel bus, but they're not exactly the same,” Wineke says. “Everybody wants to get the buses on the road, but there will be some flexibility. ... These are big investments and nobody wants to mess it up.”
Students listen to speakers next to the first electric school bus in Washington state during an event with Gov. Jay Inslee at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma on June 17, 2019.
Gov. Jay Inslee talks with freshman Malik Goodrum as they ride in the first electric school bus in Washington state during an event at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma on June 17, 2019.
Electric buses consistently cost more than diesel buses, though costs are falling with increased interest and technology. Ecology’s funding, which provides up to $300,000 per bus, is meant to help cover the difference of replacing aged diesel vehicles with electric ones, rather than continuing the cycle with diesel.
Ecology claims making that trade would result in the emission of 68,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide, tied to global warming, and 70 fewer tons of nitrogen oxide, which has both health and environmental effects. According to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, outdoor air pollution causes an estimated 1,100 deaths within the state each year.
“A lot of transit agencies already have plans or commitments toward zero emissions … and they might have one or two buses — a bunch of transit districts have that,” says Wineke. “We're helping them get past the pilot stage … so we can start to look at, how do you go about electrifying an entire fleet?”
King County leads the field with Metro’s fleet of 11 battery-powered buses. These 40-foot Proterra-brand buses (a popular choice, Wineke says) operate on routes 226 and 241, which serve the Eastside. Metro’s Jeff Switzer says these buses currently cost $975,000 each. New buses “would operate out of the South Base area and serve routes originating from that location,” he says, although the specific routes are yet to be determined.
It’s unclear whether Ecology will support more transit electric buses through future application rounds via the settlement fund, Wineke says. The department is planning to allocate money toward airport utility vehicles, trains, charging stations and ferries, which have the largest diesel engines of any vehicle in the state. “We're trying to learn as we go. That's why we're not just trying to put all $112 million on the table at once,” Wineke says.
While the department this week is also unveiling the state’s first electric school bus (not funded through the VW settlement), Wineke says Ecology would like to use some of the settlement funds for more school buses.
“We're absolutely looking at that,” he says. “We put out a request for interest to school districts, and got lots of interest across the state.” He added that there could be a whole round of grants for electric school buses.
Ecology wasn’t able to cover all of the money that agencies sought. “There's definitely more appetite out there than we have funding [for], but this was a serious, literal down payment on switching our transit systems to zero emissions,” Wineke says.
Meanwhile, agencies like Metro are pursuing more vehicles through additional grant funding. Using other money, including grants from Ecology and the Federal Transit Administration, King County is “intending to order 120 buses in 2020 to be received starting 2021," Switzer says.
Attendees listen to speakers in front of the first electric school bus in Washington state during an event with Gov. Jay Inslee at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma on June 17, 2019.
This article was updated on June 18 to clarify the timeline of the emissions scandal.
Hannah Weinberger is a reporter at Crosscut focused on science and the environment.
This new tool could help low-income residents stay in gentrifying Seattle
The city is creating a so-called 'community preference policy,' meant to help keep low-income residents from being pushed out of their gentrifying communities.
Josh Cohen
To save students from opioid overdoses, WA schools will soon carry Narcan
Naloxone, known commercially as Narcan, will soon be required in many Washington state high schools, to help save the lives of students experiencing an opioid overdose.
Report: WA must spend $24B now to stave off climate-related flooding
A nationwide study claims coastal states would need to invest more than $400B. Locals applaud the effort, but say the math and the method aren’t quite right.
Trump limits access of board overseeing safety at Hanford site
Watchdogs fear that a recent administration order will make the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board less effective and nuclear waste sites more dangerous.
John Stang
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2415
|
__label__cc
| 0.527442
| 0.472558
|
Ballet (USA & Canada)
A bevy of swans: three Boston Ballet ballerinas talk about starring in Swan Lake
Boston Ballet dancers on Boston’s Swan Boats.
Photo © Liza Voll
From October 30 to November 16, Boston Ballet presents artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s new production of “Swan Lake”. Carla DeFord chats to principal dancers Lia Cirio, Ashley Ellis, and Misa Kuranaga, who will appear in rotation as Odette-Odile, about how they are approaching this supreme challenge to the ballerina’s art and about more mundane issues, such as how they recover from such intense performances.
Arguably the best-known as well as the most arduous role in the entire classical ballet repertoire, Odette-Odile reveals not only the ballerina’s individual personality and style of movement, but also her way of thinking about good and evil, power and submission, love and death. In dancing this role each ballerina becomes a link in an unbroken chain of tradition forged over a hundred years ago that includes such luminaries as Ulanova, Plisetskaya, Fonteyn, and Makarova. In the words of celebrated dancer Tamara Rojo in a recent BBC documentary as she put on the Swan Queen’s headdress,
they are about to take their place “among all the other
ballerinas who have worn these feathers.”
Lia Cirio
CDF: Have you danced “Swan Lake” before?
LC: I danced the White Swan pas de deux with James Whiteside [former Boston Ballet principal dancer] at my school, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, for a reunion gala in 2005, and we danced the White and Black Swan pas de deux in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with the Allentown Symphony. We were both in the corps then. This will be the first time I have danced the whole ballet. I’m developing as an artist and learning so much from this experience.
Lia Cirio rehearsing Bostal Ballet’s new production of’Swan Lake’.
Photo © Jeffrey Cirio
What are your goals in portraying Odette-Odile?
I want to show that every step is part of the story and reflects what’s going on in the character’s mind. The beauty of “Swan Lake” is that it’s two different stories, and I love to delve into each one.
It’s important to me that Odette be more than just a sad bird, although one can play her that way, but she’s still a queen, and she has her pride. Sometimes that pride takes over, and we see that when she resists the Prince, but then there’s the moment when he catches her, and she melts. I want her to have that ebb and flow of emotion, a journey from fear to trust.
Can you describe the coaching process?
Working with Larissa [Ponomarenko, former Boston Ballet principal dancer] is a gift. I saw her “Swan Lake” in 2004 and 2008, and I almost worshipped her in it.
In addition to helping me make my arms more feather-like, she gives me words of wisdom. For example, about Odette’s entrance in Act II, Larissa said, “We’ve been flying, and now we’re landing on the water.” That explains the Swan Queen’s movements at that moment; she is looking at her reflection in the lake and seeing how beautiful she is.
In Act IV when the Prince comes in, and Odette looks into his eyes, Larissa said the Swan Queen is asking herself, “Why did I do it? Why did I trust this man?” By giving us different things to think about, Larissa helps us imagine Odette’s interior monologue and her emotional states.
What part does your partner play in your interpretation of the role?
Lasha [Kozashvili] and I have been dancing together since he came to Boston in 2010. He has done “Swan Lake” before in [Democratic Republic of] Georgia and when he guested in Kazakhstan.
We’ve gotten so used to each other that it’s easy to have the chemistry and working relationship we need. I completely trust him in the lifts; he’s massive, has long arms, and knows exactly where my weight is. He also gives me ideas and little tips. He’ll say, “Why don’t we do this grip?” He’s always trying to improve his partnering.
Lia Cirio in ‘The Nutcracker’, which follows hot on the heels of ‘Swan Lake’.
Photo © Gene Schiavone
Does hearing the music played by the orchestra make a difference?
The score is so beautiful. That’s a joy. When the orchestra plays it, it’s almost haunting, and so powerful. Jonathan [McPhee, Boston Ballet Orchestra principal conductor] understands us and gives us what we need. We feed off each other in performance; he watches you, and you listen to him.
You have a lot of experience as a contemporary dancer. Does that influence your “Swan Lake” in any way?
I’m working on becoming a more classical dancer, so I don’t want to bring in a contemporary look, but maybe the way I use my back to make it look more bird-like is influenced by my contemporary experience. Contemporary dance is more ‘bendy’, and I’m capable of bending in lots of ways, so I can use that to my advantage.
Do you find the fouettés in Act III a challenge?
My legs are hyperextended, like Larissa’s, and that hinders me sometimes. I try to practice my fouettés every day. Mikko [Nissinen] says, “Every turn is
like a dagger sent out into the audience.”
How do you recover from a performance?
I like to go to dinner with my family although I find it hard to eat right after the performance. I need to wait a couple of hours; then I want pasta.
I take Epsom-salt baths and lots of vitamins, and I usually go to class the next day. I’ll do the barre and most of center, but not the jumps.
Does your family live nearby?
They live in Pennsylvania and usually come to Boston for opening night or my first performance. They sacrificed so much for me and my brother [Boston Ballet principal dancer Jeffrey Cirio] to make sure we got the best training. We’re both so grateful.
Ashley Ellis and Joseph Gatti in the Black Swan pas de deux from Corella Ballet’s production of ‘Swan Lake’.
Photo © Fernando Bufala
Ashley Ellis
CDF: When did you first learn “Swan Lake”?
AE: I learned it in 2009 when I was with the Corella Ballet. Angel [Corella] taught me the role of the Black Swan. Magaly Suarez taught me the White Swan.
How did you develop the intricate port de bras you use during Odette’s entrance?
I remember watching YouTube clips trying to figure out the path the arms take – how she brings each one down. I realized there was a rhythm to it, and I figured it out on my own, but I think I based it on a ballerina I had seen on video. It may have been Evelyn Hart, who was wonderful in “SwanLake.”
Who are some of your other influences?
Growing up, I remember watching a video of Susan Jaffe and José Manuel Carreño in the Black Swan pas de deux. In my early years as a professional, I loved to watch clips of Julie Kent in the second act pas de deux. I also look to Makarova, especially the way she uses her back and shoulders.
Who has been coaching you at Boston Ballet?
Larissa. This is the first time I’ve been coached by someone who has danced the role. She’s so great at focusing on the angles of the arms and hands; she tells us, “You have to be able to see the wing.” I’m looking forward to growing in this role by learning from her attention to detail.
What are the special qualities you want to bring to “Swan Lake”?
In terms of Odette’s feelings, I want to make it real and human. Also, I want to focus on the contrast between Odette and Odile. In Odette I want to show the loving, soft qualities; in Odile I want to capture the way she entices the Prince, luring him and playing with him. Being the bad girl is so much fun. In general, I want to emphasize the honesty of the dancing so that the characters feel real, and I’m not just doing steps. The goal is to put technique aside so that it becomes art.
What are some of the difficulties of the role?
Because it’s a four-act ballet, and I dance in three of them, it’s very demanding. The White Swan pas de deux is so hard because it requires tremendous control. You need a lot of strength, so you have to build up your stamina. There is also the challenge of portraying a swan. You have to create lines that express yourself as a creature as well as a human being.
As the Black Swan I have the challenge of doing the fouettés, and I have to keep practicing them to build up stamina. Larissa pointed out that just as Odette falls under von Rothbart’s spell at daybreak, the purpose of the fouettés is to put Siegfried under a sort of hypnotic spell so that he will fall into her trap.
What is the importance of partnering in this role?
My partner helps me shape my interpretation. In the second act pas de deux Odette is thinking about her relationship to Siegfried. In Act III, Odile is tricking the Prince. She has to use her eyes to control him by pulling him in and then pushing him away. In Act IV, Odette is heartbroken and trying to decide what her future will be. The more I’m feeling from my partner, the more I can give him. I’m dancing with Eris Nezha, and he gives back wonderfully; we’re always feeling each other’s thoughts.
How would you describe your relationship with the music and the conductor?
Being in the moment with the conductor gives us the freedom to take more time. It’s something so special. By the time we’re onstage, we’ve already got the tempos worked out, so I can play with my phrasing and try to achieve fluidity.
My partner and I are looking into each other’s eyes, reading each other. We’re playing with the music together and feeding off it. The music helps me create the character and makes the performance feel like a real artistic experience. I’m embodying the music, and I feel best when I’m connecting with it.
After the show I’m exhausted, but the adrenalin is still there, so I can’t go to sleep right away. I like to go out, eat good food with plenty of protein, talk to people, and have a beer, which is supposed to be good for your muscles. The next morning I go to class. I might not do all the jumps, but I like to do the stretching.
What do you think of the new production?
It will be exciting to get onstage and see the new sets. This is a classical version of “Swan Lake”. I think it’s going to be beautiful.
Misa Kuranaga in rehearsal for ‘Swan Lake’.
Misa Kuranaga
MK: I did it about two years ago in Tokyo when I was guesting at the Komaki Ballet. At that time I wasn’t really ready. “SwanLake” is the hardest ballet in the repertoire stylistically, and this time around I’m much more comfortable and experienced.
Who taught you the role?
Larissa. We couldn’t rehearse in Japan, so Larissa prepared me. When I first learned it, we did not have a lot of rehearsal time, but for this production we are really getting into the details. I’m being taught by a legend, and it’s such a wonderful feeling. I love being coached by her for any role, but especially this one.
What difficulties are you experiencing in preparing for this role?
Dancers in “SwanLake” are expected to be tall and long. I’m neither. Larissa has long arms and legs, but she’s about my height, so we have the same body type. She has studied how to extend her line and is able to pass on to me little tricks to make myself look as long as possible. It’s so special for me that she’s sharing information she has collected all through her life about how to become the swan.
When I’m working with her, I forget about time. She makes me so into it. I love to dance, but I can get tired; with her I never feel that way. It’s so much fun. Every single thing she gives me is inspiring, and she uses words so well. I can perfectly picture what she wants
and how the movement should look. It’s so important for us as dancers to understand
what coaches and stagers want.
Who are your influences?
I used to watch a lot of videos, but I’ve come to hate copying other dancers. Now I have Larissa, and we are creating the role together. Of course, I have watched Makarova and other Russian dancers. Makarova is so animal-like, and like me she’s small in stature, so she too had to work on creating a long line.
Tell me about the characters of Odette and Odile.
Odette is trapped in a swan’s body; although she is beautiful and pure, she is very unhappy. One day the Prince steps into her life and changes it. Odette wants to be in love with him, but at first she can’t. Falling in love can be painful. Odile is confident, sexy, edgy. She is two-faced and not nice, but she is also a strong woman.
The Prince must marry and become a king, but he finds this beautiful swan-woman whom he cannot marry. So at the end of the ballet he feels he has nothing in his life. In this version of the story, both Odette and the Prince die in Act IV. Even though von Rothbart also dies, and the spell is broken, no one wins completely.
“SwanLake” is the most famous of all ballets and the most difficult. The partnering is basic, but it includes many lifts. I’m dancing with Jeffrey Cirio, and the way he partners me is very gentle, which really works in “Swan Lake,” especially the White Swan pas de deux.
Both of us are short, and we don’t want to look like youngsters. Our goal is to achieve a more grown-up look. It was really an honor for us to do “Diamonds” last season because those roles are usually done by taller dancers. We wanted to look long, calm, and mature. I think we brought those qualities to the roles.
Since we’ve been dancing together for a while, we now know more about each other, and our timing is better. Also, we’ve been trying to deepen our characters by putting more weight into our acting. We’re building a partnership and creating something together.
I can’t eat much before a performance. I think the quality of my movement is better when I’m a little hungry. I wait about four hours after a big meal before I dance. After a performance, I like to see friends, and I crave Asian food so much. If I don’t have it, I go crazy.
Boston Ballet presents Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake” at the Boston Opera House, October 30 to November 16. For details, click here.
Tags: Boston Ballet
Categories: Ballet (USA & Canada), Interviews, Preview,
New Movement Collective: Casting Traces
Pennsylvania Ballet: Press Play: The Directorial Debut of Angel Corella
Rhapsody at Boston Ballet: World Premiere Plus
In Conversation with Viktorina Kapitonova: New Boston Ballet Principal Dancer
From Brazil with Love: An Interview with Paulo Arrais
Cinderella: A Story for All Seasons
Fall for Dance 2018: First Two (and a Half) Programs
An Interview with Lauren Herfindahl: From Clara to Dew Drop
In Conversation with Roddy Doble: Athleticism and Artistry
Boston Ballet: Retrospective and Prospective
Boston Ballet: McGregor and Elo
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2422
|
__label__cc
| 0.654739
| 0.345261
|
The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints
by Thomas A. Wayment, Religious Studies Center
A Study Bible
eBook SKU 5219047
Save 50
Hardcover SKU 5221903 $35.99
Paperback SKU 5212722 $29.99
eBook SKU 5219047 $29.99 $14.99
Instant digital delivery to Bookshelf
“If [the Bible] be translated incorrectly, and there is a scholar on the earth who professes to be a Christian, and he can translate it any better than King James’s translators did it, he is under obligation to do so, or the curse is upon him. If I understood Greek and Hebrew as some may profess to do, and I knew the Bible was not correctly translated, I should feel myself bound by the law of justice to the inhabitants of the earth to translate that which is incorrect and give it just as it was spoken anciently. Is that proper? Yes, I would be under obligation” (Brigham Young, “Remarks,” Deseret Evening News, 2 September 1871, 2)
This new translation renders the New Testament text into modern English and is sensitive to Latter-day Saint beliefs and practices. This translation is readable and accessible for a wider range of readers than the King James Version. The original structure of the New Testament is restored and highlights features such as quotations, hymns, and poetic passages. New and extensive notes provide alternate translations, commentary upon variant manuscript traditions, and historical insights. Where applicable, the Joseph Smith Translation has been included. The notes contain the most complete list of cross-references to New Testament passages in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants that have ever been assembled.
Hardcover Pages 504
Hardcover Size 6 x 9
Hardcover ISBN 9781944394813
Published Deseret Book and RSC BYU 2018
Thomas A. Wayment
Thomas A. Wayment is a professor of classical studies at Brigham Young University. The author, coauthor, or editor of many articles and several books, he completed a PhD in New Testament Studies at Claremont Graduate University and has published extensively on New Testament topics. He served as the publications director of the BYU Religious Studies Center from 2013 until 2018.
View more products by Thomas A. Wayment
Religious Studies Center
The Religious Studies Center is a vital research and publications arm of Religious Education. It exists to seek out, encourage, and publish faithful gospel scholarship through sponsoring symposia and seminars; awarding research grants; and producing and disseminating high quality, peer-reviewed works. These include monographs, journals, compilations, and other publications in print and electronic formats pertaining to the content and context of Latter-day Saint scripture, the doctrines and history of the Restoration, and the restored Church including its relationship to other cultures, religions, and the behavioral sciences. The RSC also seeks to further improve gospel instruction by publishing pedagogically related books and articles.
View more products by Religious Studies Center
(based upon 16 reviews)
retired - current worker at Cardston Temple, former bishop
By Ken Kyle, Submitted on 2019-07-15
This book is wonderful and long overdue. Those who believe LDS should stick to King James only are out of line. This is an old myth started when Pres. J. Reuben Clark wrote a book "Why the King James" with concerns about other translations. of the Bible. Since then, all of his concerns have been addressed.. Check out the footnotes in the Ensign for conference talks by Elder Uchtdorf, for example; he always uses better translations than the King James. When we taught Institute in London on a couples mission, I successfully used the International version of the New Testament to get a clearer understanding of the translation of Paul's epistles. We now have better knowledge of Greek than the King James translators and we have the Dead Sea scrolls which also help. (top rating)
Just what we needed for Come Follow Me!
By Queen Creek Mom, Submitted on 2019-06-24
I am enjoying how easy to read and understand this translation is. My kids also appreciate how it clarifies things that were obfuscated by archaic language. The footnotes are outstanding and broadly reference all of our standard works. I was frustrated and looked at other English translations- like the NRSV, NKJV, etc, but this translation preserves some of the distinctive traditions that we Latter-day Saints have inherited from the KJV. This is a wonderful tool that has brought us closer to the Savior and made implementing Come Follow Me more successful.
The obligation has been fulfilled
By Lewis Fisher, Submitted on 2019-04-16
The back cover states "If the Bible be translated correctly, and there is a scholar on earth who professes to be a Christian, and he can translate it any better than King James's translators did it, he is under obligation to do so, or the curse is upon him." Dr. Wayment has risen to the challenge and provided a modern day English translation that is faithful to both the underlying Greek texts and modern day revelation. This text will open your eyes to the New Testament in ways that may have not happened before with the language of the KJV. Particularly insightful are the messages the apostle Paul in language this relatable and with footnotes that clarify cultural contexts and nuances. It is an excellent supplement to have along side your study of the New Testament.
A WARNING from the church's Handbook 2
By Jeff Downs, Submitted on 2019-04-08
I enjoy a good commentary. They can help steer and direct us through difficult passages of scripture--offering potential explanations and suggestions for further study and exploration. However, when my mother-in-law let me know that the church had just released a new translation of the New Testament, I was surprised. I quickly discovered she was actually referring to this book. She had leaped to the conclusion that since this book was published through Deseret Book, it had to have been sanctioned from the church leadership.
A commentary should clearly be labeled a commentary. When a book moves beyond commentary and claims to be a new translation of scripture (which this book clearly is) there is danger; re translating is, in fact, supplanting.
Please note what Handbook 2 says regarding this very subject:
“Although other versions of the Bible may be easier to read, in doctrinal matters, latter-day revelation supports the King James Version in preference to other English translations . . . When a sacred text is translated into another language or rewritten into more familiar language, there are substantial risks that this process may introduce doctrinal errors or obscure evidence of its ancient origin.”
Don't let ONE man's interpretation cloud potential revelation you should personally put forth the effort to receive. True treasures are earned--not spoon-fed. Commentaries can aid you in this process, but they should only guide, suggest, or direct--not replace!
By Matt, Submitted on 2019-04-02
Wayment's work is superb, but caveat emptor on the electronic version (via Deseret Bookshelf) the formatting is atrocious. In the table of contents hyperlinks for the individual chapters takes the reader, not to Wayment's translation and notes but to the LDS.org link for those scriptures (KJV version). Also Wayment's notes are at the end of the entire book (i.e. the notes for Matthew chapter 1 are found at the end of Matthew chapter 28 - super annoying. It would be preferable if the notes were found in footnotes at the bottom of the corresponding verses rather than in end notes at the end of each book. I would have given the book five stars but for the formatting of the electronic version.
Wonderful translation and resource for study of the New Testament
By Anonymous, Submitted on 2019-03-17
First off, what it is not: It is not a replacement of the KJV nor does it claim to be. The *first* paragraph states as much: "The language of the King James Bible will always be part of the Latter-Day Saint cultural fabric in English: it is woven into our hymns, our ordinances, and our scriptural canon ... This translation is not an attempt to replace the King James Bible for Latter-Day Saint readers, but it is an invitation to engage again the meaning of the text for a new and more diverse English readership"
Secondly, it must be remembered that the original manuscripts as written by the hands of the New Testament authors or their scribes simply NO LONGER EXIST. There was no printing press. So what is left are copies of copies of copies. all by hand. Over 5700 New Testament Greek manuscripts exist with no two exactly alike. For an excellent introduction to this entire field of study, I highly recommend an article written by Elder Alexander B. Morrision ""Plain and Precious Things": The Writing of the New Testament" which was part of the 35th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium "How the New Testament Came to Be" (the entire series is recommended). It's an eye opener.
Once an appreciation for the origins of the New Testament are developed, then it becomes clear just what a valuable addition this work is to understanding and appreciating the New Testament. This book is indeed a work of love.
A Book Written Without Any Prophetic Authority...Avoid it
All I can say is stick to the KJV as we have been instructed by the Brethren. This is just another "scholarly" attempt that ultimately waters down the doctrines of the Christ. There is a reason why Christ himself taught in parables: so that people could receive further light and knowledge through the spirit as they were ready to receive it. This "translation" even excludes edits the Prophet Joseph Smith himself included in his work of translating to Old and New Testaments. What authority does this BYU professor have to assume that those translations from a prophet of the Lord are not valid? Sounds fishy, doesn't it? Before purchasing this book, it would be beneficial for customers to consider what Alma teaches in the Book of Mormon about wresting (perverting or watering down) the scriptures:
"Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction." (Alma 13:20)
"And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration of which has been spoken; for behold, some have wrested the scriptures, and have gone far astray because of this thing. And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing." (Alma 41:1)
Finally, let's not forget what the Lord has said on this matter:
"Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them." (D&C 10:63)
Just stick to your standard works. Avoid the money grab! If you are looking for something to aid in your scripture study, I highly recommend David Ridges Gospel Study Series. All of the scripture text is left as is but quotes from General Authorities and other Church sources are included to help see the correlation of the ancient scripture with the teachings of our modern leaders.
This has changed the way I study!
By Amy Boeru, Submitted on 2019-01-25
We are only 3 weeks into the new year but this resource has already deepened my study. I love it and every day I find another thing that makes me feel like jumping for joy.
The explanations I’ve found in Acts have made me want to take out a loan to buy a copy for every scripture lover I know!
By Tom Christofferson, Submitted on 2019-01-23
I've found this to be very helpful, I especially appreciate the comments about alternative words or meaning that the Greek text supports, as well as the historical context that study bibles such as this provide. I have been using the NIV Study Bible and found that this version is even more helpful to me. I have been recommending this translation/study bible to anyone who will listen!
By Michael Cox, Submitted on 2019-01-20
I love great reference books to help me better understand the scriptures. I have numerous reference and commentaries from those of my faith and of other Christian faith. I purchased this to help in my “Come Follow Me” preparation. My 10-year old, who has always struggled to understand during family scripture study has adopted this as his reading choice. He is thriving and has found a new and deeper love of the New Testament and our Savior. Highly recommended!
Not as good as I was hoping
By Cassandra, Submitted on 2019-01-13
I had real hope for this translation. On the face of it, it is a wonderful idea. But, the more I read it the less I like it. Purportedly this is a translation for Latter-day Saints, if so, why are the JST changes not included directly in the text? Having to look for them in the notes really ruins the flow of the text. Are all the JST changes in the footnotes? I have no idea. The author has previously published books on the JST, so I assumed he would incorporate that work into this translation. He really dropped the ball on this. Frankly, I was hoping and expecting that this would be the New Testament version of Donald Parry’s Harmonizing Isaiah.
The other off putting feature is not being faithful to the authors’ intent. He notes in the intro that “there are numerous examples where the authors appear to have intended ‘men’ exclusively. I rendered those passages using gender-exclusive language”. On the face of it that sounds fine, but then I reached Luke 2:14 where the author translates the quote as “Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace to men and women with whom he is pleased.” The footnote says “The Greek text has only men and not men and women.” I’m somewhat surprised at my reaction, but I find that I feel strongly against this translation. It just feels wrong.
Bottom line is I just can’t recommend this translation. I have high hopes that someone else will be inspired by this effort and will create a better translation of the New Testament (and the Old Testament?!) for Latter-day Saints.
Excellent Family Resource
By Jon Marr, Submitted on 2018-12-08
Professor Wayment’s new study version/translation of the New Testament will be a central component of our family study of the New Testament this year. I adore the lyrical beauty of the language of the King James Version of the bible, but I’ve also spent 30 years of intensive study to master it! My daughter already finds the language far easier to grasp and understand. The book is also filled with fantastic historical/biographical notes to provide context for our family study. Highly recommended.
Renewed my desire to study the New Testament with my family
By CG, Submitted on 2018-11-29
So grateful to have this guide as I read and study the New Testament with my family. My kids and I understand the stories and words. It needs to be in every family’ collection!!
"The New Testament: A New Translation for Latter-day Saints"
By Stephen Kent Ehat, Submitted on 2018-11-27
If you desire to make your study of the New Testament productive, enlightening, and inspiring, you will want to have at one elbow a copy of your King James Version and at the other elbow a new scripture study tool, “The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints.” This translation, by Thomas A. Wayment, will soon take its rightful place among the very important translations of the New Testament, making it come alive in the English language of modern times.
[¶] In announcing “Come, Follow Me--For Individuals and Families,” the First Presidency said, “Living by and reading the word of God will build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement” (First Presidency letter, June 29, 2018). Reading the word of God generally, and the King James Version of the New Testament specifically, can challenge us with words, phrases, and language we sometimes may struggle to comprehend.
[¶] This need no longer be. Under the heading “Ideas to Improve Your Personal Scripture Study,” the resource titled “Come, Follow Me--For Individuals and Families” encourages us to “use scripture study helps,” including “the footnotes, the Topical Guide, the Bible Dictionary, the Guide to the Scriptures (scriptures.lds.org), and other study helps.” Now placed at the forefront of my own collection of “other study helps” is Wayment's translation, with its very important features (original paragraphing, comprehensive cross-referencing, and, most importantly, accessible readability of and faithfulness to what Jesus actually said and did and to what his disciples acutally wrote and testified of).
[¶] This may well eventually prove to be the most important book to be published since the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. The “Note to Reader” at the beginning of the volume makes one feel the same as when reading what the King James translators wrote to their readers. Wayment has done in our day what the KJV translators did 400 years ago. They asked, “How shall men [and women] meditate in that which they cannot understand? How shall they understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue?” (“The Translators to the Reader,” paragraph titled “Translation necessary.”) Wayment clearly wants to help increase scriptural literacy in our day. With this translation and its accompanying notes and references, he will accomplish that task not only for Latter-day Saints but for anyone seeking greater insight into the New Testament texts.
[¶] The original paragraphing he has restored to the text is so very important. The formatting, with notes below, is so much like the best Bibles published.
[¶] If this does not get the highest praise from those who should praise it endlessly, I lament the fate of the world. Which, of course, clearly is an over-the-top way of saying Wayment has accomplished a very, very important work. This assuredly is the most important book published in the LDS universe in decades, maybe in this dispensation apart from the three mentioned above.
[¶] The next prior modern-day translation of the New Testament that has garnered my admiration is J.B. Phillips' translation. Wayment's scholarly, accurate, and approachable translation will now easily take first place as my favorite. For all of us who love the King James, but who also appreciate its failings, Wayment's work no doubt will set in motion many important improvements in our understanding of the text both now and in the years and decades to come.
My initial response was... Wow!
By Jason R. Combs, Assistant Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, Submitted on 2018-11-26
If I could recommend only one resource to help with the study of the New Testament this coming year, it would be Thomas Wayment’s study edition and new translation of the New Testament. With greater emphasis being placed on personal and family study, there is greater need for resources to help us navigate challenging passages in scripture. When last we studied the Doctrine & Covenants in Sunday School, we had the help of the new supplementary manual, Revelations in Context. Now Wayment’s The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints provides the much needed historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts that can help to make sense of these sacred ancient texts. In the English-speaking Church, we continue to use the 1769 Blayney revision of the 1611 King James Version of the Bible. This practice helps us to identify parallels between the Bible and restoration scripture that uses similar language, but it can also lead to confusion because of the KJV’s antiquated English and heavy reliance on Latin. For instance, the KJV renders 1 Peter 2:9 as follows: “But ye are … a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Wayment, however, renders the passage in this way: “But you are … a people acquired so that you declare the virtues of the one who called you from darkness to his amazing light.” The KJV translators used the word “peculiar” from the Latin peculiaris meaning “personal, private, or one’s own.” Today, however, the word “peculiar” has come to mean strange or weird. But God is not calling his people weird, God is calling his people his own—his own private possession, or as Wayment renders it “a people acquired” for a purpose. For anyone who might worry that a new translation will obscure the parallels between the Bible and restoration scripture, don’t. Wayment has included in his detailed footnotes not only allusions to the Old Testament, but also the most comprehensive collection of parallels between the New Testament and restoration scripture (including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) ever published. The footnotes also include historical and cultural insights that help to clarify the text. For example, the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1–16) begins with a householder agreeing to pay his workers one silver coin per day. Wayment’s note on this passage provides important information to us that Matthew’s original readers already knew: “The wage for the worker who worked the entire day (= one denarius) would have been considered quite low in some regions and for certain types of work. Work contracts from North Africa indicate wages between three and eight denarii per day. Jesus’s audience would have anticipated a looming problem because of the low wage promised to the first worker.” Wayment makes it clear from the beginning, in his “Note to the Reader,” that he is not replacing the King James Translation: “The language of the King James Bible will always be part of the Latter-day Saint cultural fabric in English: it is woven into our hymns, our ordinances, and our scriptural canon. It has been one of the primary vehicles through which we encounter the word of God.” But I am convinced that Wayment’s translation will help English-reading Latter-day Saints to encounter the word of God in new and profound ways.
One of the best LDS New Testament books you can get
By Josh Sears, Submitted on 2018-11-25
I'm very familiar with Latter-day Saint works on the New Testament, and this is now the first book I recommend to people. Dr. Wayment's fresh English translation makes the words of Jesus, Peter, and Paul more accessible than ever before, and the best New Testament scholarship is conveniently summarized on the bottom half of each page, giving instant access to the history, cultural background, and literary features that are helpful to fully understand what's going on in the scriptural text. Our family is using this to supplement our reading in the King James Version as we study the New Testament together in 2019, and it has already proved enormously helpful. Highly recommended.
The New Testament Study Gui...
Thomas R. Valletta
The Book of Mormon: Another...
Grant Hardy, Brian Kershisnik
Thou Art the Christ: The Pe...
Eric D. Huntsman, Lincoln H. Blumell, Tyler Griffin
Learning at the Feet of the...
Taylor Halverson, David J. Ridges
Scriptural Insights and Com...
Taylor Halverson
Scripture Study Made Simple...
The User-Friendly New Testa...
Marilyn Green Faulkner
Becoming the Beloved Disciple
Eric D. Huntsman
Martin Harris: Uncompromisi...
Susan Easton Black, Larry C. Porter
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2423
|
__label__wiki
| 0.79499
| 0.79499
|
Paul Charles Band
Milennial Pop and Rock Music
Book Paul Charles Band Today
Award-winning drummer turned frontman Paul Charles Campanella has enjoyed a 20-plus-year career as a touring and session drummer, solo artist, and backing vocalist with artists such as rock legends Cheap Trick and celebrated blues guitarist Sean Costello. His recorded work with Sean Costello earned a Grammy pre-nomination in 2009 after the album “We Can Get Together” (Delta Groove #DGPCD120) entered the Billboard Blues Charts at number 10 the previous year. In 2010, Paul was one of six vocalists hand-selected by The Beatles’ famed recording engineer Geoff Emerick to support Cheap Trick in the production of Sgt. Pepper Live at The Paris Hotel & Casino on The Las Vegas Strip. Paul is known as one of the hardest-working musicians in Las Vegas and is on record as having performed over 340 live dates in 2011 alone.
Backing Paul on stage are four highly skilled and talented musicians. The lead guitarist and musical director for The Paul Charles Band is Hartford Music Conservatory graduate Carlos Guerrero. Carlos’ soul-infused lead work and unmistakable tone has landed him work with Wayne Newton, Strung Out Sessions, Peter Monroy, and MJ Live at The Rio. Drummer Johnny Fedevich (Frankie Perez, Michael Cavanaugh, Spazmatics) is one of America’s premier drummers and has worked in every conceivable environment – including a Hollywood movie set as Ed, the band Stillwater’s drummer in Cameron Crowe’s hit film Almost Famous. Bassist Steve Bonacci was a member of the UNLV Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble and has lent his talents to many of Vegas’ top rock, blues, and country acts. He has also toured with national recording artist Reckless Kelly (No Big Deal Records). Rounding out the group is Toby Ashmore, an invaluable “stunt” musician who handles duties on guitar, vocals, and keyboards. Toby is best known as the front man for Vegas band The Negative Ponies and keyboardist for the most recent incarnation of 12 Volt Sex.
Since its inception in March 2013, The Paul Charles Band has performed at such venues as Planet Hollywood, The Blue Martini, and Hyde Nightclub at The Bellagio. The band is currently available for performances at nightclubs, casino lounges, showrooms, weddings, and private and corporate events.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2425
|
__label__cc
| 0.5804
| 0.4196
|
A Tour of America's Greatest Swamps
When you think of “wilderness,” what image pops into your brain? I’d wager a lot of you first thought of snowcapped peaks — or maybe a convoluted canyonland, a lake-pocked boreal forest, or some windswept desert badlands.All of these…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/baw9qomiqcswlvu46hsp.jpg 783 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 19:50:032018-02-23 13:07:39A Tour of America's Greatest Swamps
The Best Paddle-In Campgrounds in the Carolinas
Imagine unloading your kayak or canoe and setting up camp on an island in the middle of a mountain lake. A brilliant Carolina sunset reflects on crystal clear water as you finish tying off your hammock. Or maybe you’ve reached a coastal oasis…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/prewjshydbctzfwmrlvd.jpg 783 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 19:48:352018-02-23 13:08:41The Best Paddle-In Campgrounds in the Carolinas
Asheville sits in a valley that's surrounded by so many mountains it’s hard to keep track of which ones you’re looking at. Collectively, they’re the Southern Appalachians, but there are different ranges in every direction: the Black Mountains…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/lxukbdl5gloei2j9nbuf.jpg 696 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 18:25:492018-02-22 14:35:495 Asheville Hikes with Amazing Views
French Broad Riverkeeper Float
The French Broad is one of the world’s oldest rivers and one of the most important natural assets in Western North Carolina. In 2012, the 140-mile-long French Broad River paddle trail was completed, improving recreational access with eight…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/tkajaj6ttr8dftp8kqzt.jpg 783 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 18:22:422018-02-22 14:16:54French Broad Riverkeeper Float
Paddling the Nantahala River
The Nantahala River is ideally set up for intermediate paddlers. It has myriad small surf waves, forgiving eddy lines, and rapids with just enough power to challenge and entertain. There is also the capability to set up elite slalom courses…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/v9382cohl3r9v7f3aqzc.jpg 783 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 18:21:222018-02-22 14:08:30Paddling the Nantahala River
Paddling the Green River
The Green River is a place that has had a large influence on the world of whitewater paddling and on many boaters' lives. It is a highly convenient run because of its proximity to Asheville, Greenville, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Since…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/uwqtgbhsd33dfjth8qhb.jpg 641 1044 RootsRated /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png RootsRated2018-02-22 18:20:282018-02-22 13:52:06Paddling the Green River
Our Top 12 Paddling Picks
With an unseasonably warm weekend on the way and spring just around the corner, we've got paddling on the brain. We asked our paddlesports experts to share their favorite apparel, boat, gear, and accessory picks for a great day on the water.Apparel…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/max_eberl-jannik_graetz-Soca.jpeg 1000 2000 Diamond Brand Outdoors /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png Diamond Brand Outdoors2018-02-22 13:44:182018-03-02 08:49:34Our Top 12 Paddling Picks
$6,000 for Local Youth Environmental Education — Again!
We believe the outdoors are for everyone. That’s why we teamed up with Patagonia again this year to award $6,000 to area programs that support environmental and stewardship education for local kids and teens. You helped us by voting in the…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/F17-YOUTH-TK-5710.jpg 4912 7360 Diamond Brand Outdoors /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png Diamond Brand Outdoors2018-02-22 09:46:322018-04-18 11:44:58$6,000 for Local Youth Environmental Education — Again!
4 Featherweight Boats You Need to Try
In a time when paddlesports brands are trending toward heavier boats, Hurricane Kayaks offers a refreshing contrast. They've consistently produced featherweight boats that handle beautifully, thanks to thermoformed Trylon construction. It's…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/m_hurricane_2013_0022.jpg 800 533 Diamond Brand Outdoors /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png Diamond Brand Outdoors2018-02-13 10:15:542018-02-22 13:26:334 Featherweight Boats You Need to Try
Love Asheville Go Local Week
"Adventure Is Local" isn't just a tagline — it's a philosophy that guides the decisions that we make. A lot of things have changed since we opened Western North Carolina's first outdoor gear shop, but our sense of community and commitment…
https://diamondbrandoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Asheville-Urban-Trail-Pigs.jpg 467 700 Diamond Brand Outdoors /wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-brand-outdoors.png Diamond Brand Outdoors2018-02-08 13:33:442018-02-08 14:51:25Love Asheville Go Local Week
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2427
|
__label__wiki
| 0.931162
| 0.931162
|
RATINGS RAT RACE: Fox Wins With Sluggish World Series, NBC Comedies Up
If it was up to TV executives, the Yankees would sail through to the World Series every year, with the rest of the teams squabbling for the other spot. This year’s World Series between the Giants and the Rangers on Fox continues to pace well behind last year’s, which featured the storied New York baseball franchise, but in line with the one in 2008 that didn’t feature them. Last night’s Game 2 (4.0 in adults 18-49, 14.1 million) was down 31% from last year’s Game 2 between the Yankees and the Phillies but matched the demo rating of the 2008 Game 2 between the Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays and was up 10% in total viewers. Fox won the night in 18-49 and total viewers, ending CBS’ five-week streak.
With a Halloween theme and stronger lead-in, NBC’s Thursday comedies rebounded from last week’s drops with double-digit rating increases. Starting things off was the Scared Shrekless half-hour special (2.5/8, 8.2 million), which improved significantly (by 32%) on Community‘s performance in the 8 PM time slot last week. It also did better than the other kids-friendly Halloween special in the time slot, ABC’s It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (2.1/6, 6.6 million in its first half-hour). At 8:30 PM, Community (2.4/7) was up 26% from its 8 PM telecast last week for a season high. The Office (3.9/10) was up 15%, and Outsourced (2.7/7) was up 17% from its all-time low last week. Even The Apprentice at 10 PM joined in on the festivities this time. After being stuck at a 1.3/4 for the past 4 weeks, the reality competition went up a tenth to a 1.4/4.
CBS’ ratings stayed close to last week’s. After ranking as the No.1 program on Thursday night among 18-49 for the first time last week, The Big Bang Theory (4.1/12) solidified its position as the top dog on the night by widening its lead vs. No.2 Grey’s Anatomy (3.8/10). Big Bang was up a tenth from its fast national result last week (flat with the final), while Grey’s was down a tenth to hit a season low despite a stronger lead-in, an hourlong It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown special (2.2/6) vs. a Grey’s repeat (1.4/4) last week. The Charlie Brown special was down 21% from its airing last October. Also significantly widening its margin of victory vs. its ABC competition was CBS’ 10 PM drama The Mentalist (3.2/9, 14.6 million), which bounced back with a 10% ratings bump after posting its lowest ever Thursday number last week. Meanwhile, ABC’s Private Practice (2.7/8) slipped a tenth from its fast national (even with the final), widening the gap between the two shows from .1 last week to .5. At 8:30 PM, CBS’ $#*! My Dad Says (3.1/9) was flat with last week, same as CSI (3.3/9, 14.1 million) which was even with its fast national demo number, down a tenth from the final.
CW’s dramas Vampire Diaries (1.9/6 in 18-34, 3.5 million) and Nikita (1.0/3 in 18-34, 2.6 million) both held steady in the demo from last week.
$#*! My Dad Says
ABC Ratings
CBS Ratings
CW Ratings
Fox Ratings
Fox World Series
NBC Ratings
'Pose' Co-Creator Steven Canals Sees Hope With Emmy Nomination, Talks How FX Drama Continues To Make History
Emmy Nominations Reactions: Rachel Brosnahan, Christina Applegate, Jared Harris, Ron Cephas Jones, More
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2431
|
__label__wiki
| 0.699028
| 0.699028
|
‘Legion’ Gets Season 2 Premiere Date On FX
Photo: Matthias Clamer/FX
FX has slotted 10 PM, Tuesday, April 3 for the second season premiere of its praised X-Men universe-themed drama series Legion.
Created and executive produced by Noah Hawley and based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, Legion is the story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), a man who believed himself to be schizophrenic only to discover that he may actually be the most powerful mutant the world has ever seen.
From childhood, David shuffled from one psychiatric institution to the next until, in his early 30s, he met and fell in love with a beautiful and troubled fellow patient named “Syd” (Rachel Keller). After Syd and David shared a startling encounter, he was forced to confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real. Jean Smart, Jeremie Harris, Amber Midthunder, Bill Irwin and Aubrey Plaza also star.
Hawley serves as executive producer, along with John Cameron, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. The credits do not include Bryan Singer, a key auspice from the feature X-Men franchise who asked last month that his EP credit be removed as sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against him. Singer had very little creative involvement in Legion limited to the project’s early stages.
Legion is produced by FX Productions and Marvel Television, with FXP handling the physical production.
This article was printed from https://deadline.com/2018/02/legion-season-2-premiere-date-fx-1202279322/
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2432
|
__label__cc
| 0.540126
| 0.459874
|
VARIO - Wooden Floor Coverings - TURKEY
Vario Clic
Yıldız Entegre, with its profound knowledge and experience in the field of forestry products, is a dynamic example of the entrepreneurial strength and determination for succeed of Anatolian people.
Yıldız Entegre, being one of the largest manufacturers of the world with its entrepreneurial and innovative structure and facilities that carry the Turkish industry forward and with its ability to develop technology-design in each field of activity that it operates, possesses the longest MDF press of our country and the world with its production capacity of 3.500 m³ /day.
Yıldız Entegre manufactures MDF, Melamine Coated MDF, Laminate Parquet, Painted Parquet, MDF Profile, MDF Door, Doorskin, Backrest-Painted and Urea Formaldehide Resins, Cover Profile and Impregnate Decoration Print in the sector of forestry products in its facilities established on an area of 500.000 m2.
Yıldız Entegre, being among the largest companies in local and global scale in almost every field of activity that it operates, climbed up to the 57th order in the list of "The first 500 Largest Companies of Turkey" organized by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2009 ; and 69th order in the list of "the first 500 Largest Private Companies of Turkey", carried out by the Journal "Capital". Furthermore, it also received many awards in several fields.
Yıldız Entegre launched its activities in its facilities in Arslanbey in 2004. Today it manufactures world-wide known trademarks. In time, it has developed and gone beyond the borders of Turkey
reached Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Oman, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Italy, Spain, Nigeria, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Australia, Moldova, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Sweden, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Yıldız Entegre has an important position in Turkish economy with its production, export, employment and competitive capacity in the world markets. It proceeds its way with 1300 employees and sustainable performance objective.
The new shining star of parquet: Vario
Wood, the history of which is as old as the history of the mankind, has been the most natural, healthiest and safest raw material from past to present.
Therefore, it has been essential to use wood especially as a flooring material which can be used in each field including infrastructures of all spaces and accessories.
Yıldız Entegre reinterpreted wooden floors with the Variolic trademark, "the clic system" which is practical, easy mountable without glue. Varioclic has become a worldly requested trademark since the first day it has been introduced to the consumers thanks to its modern design, wide range of colors and high level of esthetics.
Varioclic, which has a guarantee period of 10 years and a quality above the European standards, can be mounted and dismounted without any damage as well as its outstanding properties such as being easily mountable, non-stain, non-scratch, heat, strike and chemical agent resistant.
TSE CERTIFICATES
To view the documents , please click here.
EO DOCUMENTS
E1 DOCUMENTS
CE CERTIFICATES
CERTIFICATES FOR FIRE RESISTANCE
CARB DOCUMENTS
FSC DOCUMENTS
YILDIZ ENTEGRE AĞAÇ SAN. TİC. A.Ş.
Organize San. Bolgesi No:5
Arslanbey
+90 262 316 6100 (ISDN)
www.vario.com.tr
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2443
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75155
| 0.75155
|
Building For The Big One: Four Designs With Disaster In Mind
By Susan DeFreitas on November 19, 2012 in Editor's Pick, Green Building
Call it the Hurricane Sandy Effect — the superstorm that, in the words of Bill McKibben “rang the doorbell of the richest people on Earth” also hit one of the most densely developed regions of the U.S. As such,it’s gotten a lot of smart people thinking about building with disaster in mind.
Among them are the folks over at Architizer, who’ve seen a lot of futuristic designs in recent years designed with disaster in mind. What follows is a round up of some of their favorite such designs, and some of ours as well. Come hell or high water, these are structures built to last.
1. Callebau / Haiti
image via Architizer / Vincent Callebaut
The Belgian architect Vincent Callebau also just happens to be a vertical-farming enthusiast. Does this fixation on the integration of nature and the built environment color his thinking on building for disaster? Almost certainly. Callebau has called on planners in Haiti to take a cue from the structure of coral reefs in rebuilding, via a proposal that calls for a modular reef built atop seismic piles on an artificial pier in the Caribbean Sea. Two wavy hills of wood-clad metal modules support either end of a a central valley tricked out with terraces and food-producing garden (of course). The architect envisions each of these modules as containing a collection of homes built to Passive House standards that could shelter more than one thousand Haitian families up to and through the next hurricane.
2. Schopfer / New Orleans
image via Architizer / E. Kevin Schopfer
Call it Noah’s architecture — the New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) proposal by E. Kevin Schopfer was designed to ride out the next Katrina. NOAH makes use of a unique open triangular structure that shunts severe winds right through the middle of the building. Flood-ready and buoyant, this large-scale, mixed-use complex would shelter for 40,000 people, and includes three hotels and casinos, cultural facilities, a district school system, and a health-care facility on the Mississippi River. It would also make use of on-site renewable energy, organic gardens and pedestrian-friendly systems for internal transportation.
3. HWKN / New York
image via eVolo / HWKN
HWKN Architects of New York was one of those firms giving some serious thought to how conventional forms of architecture might become more responsive and resilient to disaster before Sandy hit — these days, we’re imagining that their Skygrove concept is looking pretty darn prescient.
The Skygrove high-rise concept draws its inspiration from the mangrove tree. The vertical office park was designed to house corporate employees and commercial operations for the long term, responding to rising water levels in much the same way as the world’s mangrove trees and shrubs respond to inundation by coastal waters during periods of high tide. Mangroves, which grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics, develop complex root systems that branch out over an unstable and constantly-flooded landscape. In a corresponding fashion, the Skygrove high-rise distributes its weight over a series of points, as opposed to a single traditional foundation.
4. Waterstudio NL / Maldives
image via Waterstudio.NL
While many of the world’s architecture firms are dreaming of architecture that’s resilient in the face of climate change, Waterstudio NL and its construction partner, Dutch Docklands, is building it.
One example of this is a massive new floating hotel currently under construction in the Maldives, a nation widely considered to be on the front lines of global warming. Called the Greenstar, this hotel will feature 800 rooms and a conference center for up to 2000 participants. It is expected to become — appropriately enough — the premier location for global conferences on climate change, water management and sustainability.
The Greenstar Hotel will join a number of other Waterstudio.NL projects in the Maldives, including watervilla development, a number of private floating islands, a floating yacht club, and a large, recently completed joint venture between Dutch Docklands and the Government of the Maldives resulting in an ambitious master plan with more than 800 hectares/80 million square feet of water with floating developments.
Modified Electric Mercedes Car Coming To China In 2014?
Microsoft Data Center Hooking Into Biogas Source
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2444
|
__label__wiki
| 0.714439
| 0.714439
|
The Massacre – Loose Cannon Reconstructions
Posted on July 15, 2013 by twistie1
All four episodes of The Massacre were junked by the BBC and to date no copies have been returned to the BBC Archives. For the purposes of this marathon I viewed the Loose Cannon reconstructions, links to which are provided below for your viewing pleasure. Please note that none of the cliff-hangers were reprised in the following episodes so don’t worry, you haven’t chosen the wrong link!
The Massacre was originally broadcast in the UK between 5th February and 26th February 1966.
Loose Cannon’s The Massacre, episode 1 part 1
Filed under Dodo Chaplet, First Doctor, Season 3, Steven Taylor and tagged BBC, Doctor Who, First Doctor, Loose Cannon, Reconstruction, Sci Fi, Science Fiction, The Massacre | Leave a comment
The Massacre
After The Daleks’ Master Plan’s three months of chilling brutality, unforeseen companion deaths and occasional comic interludes, one might be excused for pining for a return of the triumphant Doctor of old. The Massacre, save for the last few minutes, was no such restoration. Again the Doctor was unable to liberate those around him and for his inaction he was rigorously reprimanded by his sole remaining companion, Steven. So mortified was Steven at the Doctor’s refusal to save the young Huguenot servant girl, Anne Chaplet, that he demanded to be let off at the next stop. Threats to put people off the Ship had always been the Doctor’s prerogative, however Steven was the first companion to turn the tables on the Doctor. It was lucky for Steven, as he stormed out of the Tardis, that the atmosphere was clean and the Ship had by sheer coincidence just landed at Wimbledon Common in the present day.
Anne Chaplet – the Huguenot servant girl that the Doctor refused to save
In the wake of Steven’s departure through the doors of the Tardis the Doctor uttered perhaps his best, and most heart wrenching, soliloquy. It’s worth quoting verbatim.
“Even after all this time he cannot understand. I dare not change the course of history. Well, at least I taught him to take some precautions. He did remember to look at the scanner before he opened the doors. Now they’re all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan, or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chatterton. Chesterton. They were all too impatient to get back to their own time. And now, Steven. Perhaps I should go back home, back to my own planet. But I can’t. I can’t”.
The Doctor and Steven enjoy a quiet ale at the pub
The course of history that the Doctor was unable to change on this occasion was the slaughter of thousands of French Protestants, known collectively as Huguenots, as a result of Roman Catholic mob violence. Beginning on 23 August 1572, Massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy (the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre) came two days after the attempted assassination of the Huguenot leader, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, and four days after the marriage of Protestant Henry III, King of Navarre, to Margaret, sister of King Henry III of France (Yes, I know all these Henry III’s are confusing!). King Henry of Navarre was to become King Henry IV of France in 1589. Catherine de’ Medici, the mother of King Henry III of France, is commonly believed to have been the instigator of the violence which her son, the King, authorized by ordering the assassination of de Coligny and other Huguenot leaders.
A painting by Francois Dobois depicting the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Paintings such as these were used to represent the Massacre in the Doctor Who serial
The four part Doctor Who serial, The Massacre, takes place over the four days preceding the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Each episode of the serial is of one day’s duration – from morning to evening curfew. Quite extraordinarily for Who, each episode’s cliff-hanger is not reprised at the start of the following episode. I wish I’d known that before I’d made multiple aborted starts to the Loose Cannon reconstructions thinking that the episodes were incorrectly labelled!
The Queen Mother, Italian noblewoman Catherine de’ Medici
Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping in their seminal book The Discontinuity Guide describe The Massacre as “not only the best historical, but the best Hartnell, and, in its serious handling of dramatic material in a truly dramatic style, arguably the best Doctor Who story ever”. That’s high praise indeed for a serial that is completely lost from the BBC Archives. It’s perhaps the tension that comes from the obscure nature of the historical events to English speaking audiences that makes this serial all that more compelling. Not only were the 1960’s TV audiences ignorant of the religious-political wars of 16th Century France, but so were our heroes in the serial. The angst that Steven experienced because of the Doctor’s refusal to take Anne with them was exacerbated when he learned the true nature of the unfolding events which he’d witnessed. Although Steven had inadvertently found himself amongst Huguenots in Paris he was blindly unaware of the fate that would soon befall them. In past historical dramas, such as The Romans, the Doctor and his companions knew enough about basic history to be cognisant of the fact that Rome would soon burn. In The Reign of Terror, Susan stated that the French Revolution was the Doctor’s favourite period of Earth History. Barbara was a history teacher and knew the period well. In The Massacre, however, the Protestant Steven knows absolutely nothing about the events and the Doctor, although literate in that era of French history, most extraordinarily failed to ascertain the exact date until sometime during episode four. He was absent from the serial for all of episodes two and three, during which time Steven was the leading character.
Steven, Anne and Huguenots
The story’s tension was heightened by the ingenious mystery of the Doctor’s disappearance and the Abbot of Amboise being an exact double of him. William Hartnell played both the Doctor and the Abbot of Amboise and never were the two characters seen on the screen together. The Abbot is not introduced until after the Doctor has gone missing, and the Doctor does not return until after the Abbot’s death. In the meantime, Steven is convinced that the Doctor is playing a game and masquerading as the Abbot, however he cannot reason why the Doctor would do so. When the Abbot’s body is found in the street, the victim of a political assassination, Steven believes that the Doctor is indeed dead. Given the recent deaths of companions, and the Doctor’s repeated failures, the audience would be sure to have believed the same thing.
William Hartnell as the Abbot of Amboise
Steven with the body of the Abbot of Amboise
The Massacre is definitely a cracking good story which continued the story arc begun with Mission to the Unknown. The last ten minutes of the serial, however, abruptly changed tack and signalled a reversion to the Doctor Who of old. No sooner has Steven departed the Tardis in justifiable anger at the Doctor’s apparent disregard for human life, than a young woman runs into the Tardis. Dorothea Chaplet, known to her friends as Dodo, has mistaken the Ship for a genuine Police Box. Unlike all others before and after her, Dodo expresses not the slightest surprise at entering a spaceship which is larger on the inside. She’s only interested in where the telephone is so she can call for Police assistance. A little boy has been injured, she tells the Doctor. The Doctor’s attempts to rid himself of the intruder are thwarted by the sudden return of Steven. He had seen two Policemen walking over the common towards the Ship. Fearful that they’ll “want to use the telephone or something like that” the doors to the Tardis close and the Ship dematerializes. Unlike the last passengers that the Doctor abducted, Barbara and Ian, Dodo shows not the slightest concern for her fate. When Steven advises her that “this is no joyride you know. You may never get home” she responds by stating that she doesn’t care. She has no parents and lives with a great aunt who wouldn’t care if she never saw Dodo again. The lass with the Northern accent is a most peculiar young woman. The Doctor thinks that Dodo looks quite like his grand-daughter Susan, whilst Steven is amazed that she shares the same surname as the girl Anne who was left behind in Paris. As Dodo’s grand-father was French Steven ponders whether she may indeed be one of Anne’s descendants. “Very possible”, the Doctor responds as he welcomes Dodo aboard.
At last a companion who isn’t surprised that the Tardis is bigger on the inside. Dodo joins the Tardis Crew.
Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping, The Discontinuity Guide. Doctor Who Books, London, 1995.
Filed under Dodo Chaplet, First Doctor, Season 3, Steven Taylor and tagged Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, BBC, Catherine de' Medici, Doctor Who, Dodo, First Doctor, France, French Wars of Religion, Henry III, Huguenots, Paris, Roman Catholics, Sci Fi, Science Fiction, St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, The Massacre | 8 Comments
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2445
|
__label__wiki
| 0.652998
| 0.652998
|
Tag Archives: Chromolithography
Print Methodologies: Modes for Artistic Masterpieces or Mechanistic Atrocities?
In a recent e-mail, one of our regular customers was curious about the different methods of printmaking that has led to some really beautiful artwork available through Dogbotz Boneyard. “When I think of prints, I am usually thinking about photography: black-and-white prints, color prints, sepia tones, etc.,” Justin writes to us. “And yet, I know there are woodblock prints, stone prints and more. Could you detail some of these for me, using samples of art you sell at the Dogbotz Boneyard Gallery of Art?” Well, Justin, let’s begin with some basic concepts: etching, engraving and screening techniques.
Intaglio is the family of printing and techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. It is the direct opposite of a relief print. Normally, copper or zine plates are used as a surface or matrix, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or mezzotint. Collagraphs may also be printed as intaglio plates.
In the form of intaglio printing called etching, the plate is covered in a resin ground or an acid-resistant wax material. Using an etching needle, or a similar tool, the image is engraved into the ground, revealing the plate underneath. The plate is then dipped into acid. The acid bites into the surface of the plate where it was exposed. Biting is a printmaking term to describe the acid’s etching, or incising, of the image. After the plate is sufficiently bitten, the plate is removed from the acid bath, and the ground is removed to prepare for the next step in printing.
To print an intaglio plate, ink is applied to the surface by wiping and/or dabbing the plate to push the ink into the bitten grooves. The plate is then rubbed with tarlatan cloth to remove most of the excess ink. The final smooth wipe is often done with newspaper or old public phone book pages, leaving ink only in the incisions. A damp piece of paper is placed on top of the plate, so that when going through the press the damp paper will be able to be squeezed into the plate’s ink-filled grooves. The paper and plate are then covered by a thick blanket to ensure even pressure when going through the rolling press. The rolling press applies very high pressure through the blanket to push the paper into the grooves on the plate. The blanket is then lifted, revealing the paper and printed image.
Intaglio engraving, as a method of making prints, was invented in Germany by the 1430s, well after the woodcut print. Engraving had been used by goldsmiths to decorate metalwork, including armor, musical instruments and religious objects since ancient times, and the niello technique, which involved rubbing an alloy into the lines to give a contrasting color, also goes back to late antiquity. It has been suggested by art historians that goldsmiths began to print impressions of their work to record the design, and that printmaking developed from that.
“Bird in a Nest” by G. Clark Sealy
(Intaglio Etching, 2009)
Martin Schongauer was one of the earliest known artists to exploit the copper-engraving technique, and Albrecht Dürer is one of the most famous intaglio artists. Italian and Netherlandish engraving began slightly after the Germans, but were well developed by 1500. Drypoint and etching were also German inventions of the 15th century, probably by the Housebook Master and Daniel Hopfer, respectively. The golden age of engraving by artists was 1450–1550, after which the technique lost ground to etching as a medium for artists, although engravings continued to be produced in huge numbers until after the invention of photography. Today intaglio engraving is largely used for currency, banknotes, passports and occasionally for high-value postage stamps. The appearance of engraving is sometimes mimicked for items such as wedding invitations by producing an embossment around lettering printed by another process (such as lithography or offset) to suggest the edges of an engraving plate.
Lithography (from Greek lithos, “stone” and graphein, “to write”) is a method for printing using a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface. Invented in 1796 by German author and actor Alois Senefelder as a cheap method of publishing theatrical works, lithography can be used to print text onto paper or other suitable material.
Lithography originally used an image drawn (etched) into a coating of wax or an oily substance applied to a plate of lithographic stone as the medium to transfer ink to a blank paper sheet, and so produce a printed page. In modern lithography, the image is made of a polymer coating applied to a flexible aluminum plate. To print an image lithographically, the flat surface of the stone plate is roughened slightly — etched — and divided into hydrophilic regions that accept a film of water, and thereby repel the greasy ink; and hydrophobic regions that repel water and accept ink because the surface tension is greater on the greasy image area, which remains dry. The image can be printed directly from the plate (the orientation of the image is reversed), or it can be offset, by transferring the image onto a flexible sheet (rubber) for printing and publication.
During the first years of the 19th century, lithography had only a limited effect on printmaking, mainly because technical difficulties remained to be overcome. Germany was the main center of production in this period. Godefroy Engelmann, who moved his press from Mulhouse to Paris in 1816, largely succeeded in resolving the technical problems, and during the 1820s lithography was adopted by artists such as Delacroix and Géricault. London also became a center, and some of Géricault’s prints were in fact produced there. The Spanish painter Goya in Bordeaux produced his last series of prints by lithography — The Bulls of Bordeaux of 1828. By the mid-century the initial enthusiasm had somewhat diminished in both countries, although the use of lithography was increasingly favored for commercial applications, which included the prints of Daumier, published in newspapers. Rodolphe Bresdin and Jean-François Millet also continued to practice the medium in France, and Adolf Menzel in Germany. In 1862 the publisher Cadart tried to initiate a portfolio of lithographs by various artists which was not successful but included several prints by Manet. The revival began during the 1870s, especially in France with artists such as Odilon Redon, Henri Fantin-Latour and Degas producing much of their work in this manner. The need for strictly limited editions to maintain the price had now been realized, and the medium became more accepted.
In the 1890s, color lithography became popular with French artists, Toulouse-Lautrec most notably of all, and by 1900 the medium in both color and monotone was an accepted part of printmaking, although France and the United States have used it more than other countries.
“Our USA: A Gay Geography – Illinois” by Ruth Taylor White (Lithograph, 1935)
During the 20th century, a group of artists, including Braque, Calder, Chagall, Dufy, Léger, Matisse, Miró, and Picasso, rediscovered the largely undeveloped art form of lithography thanks to the Mourlot Studios, also known as Atelier Mourlot, a Parisian print shop founded in 1852 by the Mourlot family. The Atelier Mourlot originally specialized in the printing of wallpaper; but it was transformed when the founder’s grandson, Fernand Mourlot, invited a number of 20th-century artists to explore the complexities of fine art printing. Mourlot encouraged the painters to work directly on lithographic stones in order to create original artworks that could then be executed under the direction of master printers in small editions. The combination of modern artist and master printer resulted in lithographs which were used as posters to promote the artist’ work.
Chromolithography
Chromolithography is a method for making multi-color prints. This type of color printing stemmed from the process of lithography, and it includes all types of lithography that are printed in color. When chromolithography is used to reproduce photographs, the term photochrom is frequently used. Lithographers sought to find a way to print on flat surfaces with the use of chemicals instead of relief or intaglio printing.
Chromolithography became the most successful of several methods of color printing developed by the 19th century; other methods were developed by printers such as Jacob Christoph Le Blon, George Baxter and Edmund Evans, and mostly relied on using several woodblocks with the colors. Hand-coloring also remained important; elements of the official British Ordnance Survey maps were colored by hand by boys until 1875. The initial technique involved the use of multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, and was still extremely expensive when done for the best quality results. Depending on the number of colors present, a chromolithograph could take months to produce, by very skilled workers. However much cheaper prints could be produced by simplifying both the number of colors used, and the refinement of the detail in the image. Cheaper images, like advertisements, relied heavily on an initial black print (not always a lithograph), on which colors were then overprinted. To make an expensive reproduction print as what was once referred to as a chromo, a lithographer, with a finished painting in front of him, gradually created and corrected the many stones using proofs to look as much as possible like the painting in front of him, sometimes using dozens of layers.
Alois Senefelder, the inventor of lithography, introduced the subject of colored lithography in his 1818 Vollstaendiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey (translated as A Complete Course of Lithography), where he told of his plans to print using color and explained the colors he wished to be able to print someday. Although Senefelder recorded plans for chromolithography, printers in other countries, such as France and England, were also trying to find a new way to print in color. Godefroy Engelmann of Mulhouse in France was awarded a patent on chromolithography in July 1837, but there are disputes over whether chromolithography was already in use before this date, as some sources say, pointing to areas of printing such as the production of playing cards.
The first American chromolithograph — a portrait of Reverend F. W. P. Greenwood — was created by William Sharp in 1840. Many of the chromolithographs were created and purchased in urban areas. The paintings were initially used as decoration in American parlors as well as for decoration within middle-class homes. They were prominent after the Civil War because of their low production costs and ability to be mass-produced, and because the methods allowed pictures to look more like hand-painted oil paintings. Production costs were only low if the chromolithographs were cheaply produced, but top-quality chromos were costly to produce because of the necessary months of work and the thousands of dollars worth of equipment that had to be used. Although chromos could be mass-produced, it took about three months to draw colors onto the stones and another five months to print a thousand copies. Chromolithographs became so popular in American culture that the era has been labeled as “chromo civilization”. Over time, during the Victorian era, chromolithographs populated children’s and fine arts publications, as well as advertising art, in trade cards, labels, and posters. They were also once used for advertisements, popular prints, and medical or scientific books.
“The Trees and Schrubs from the Forest: Hop Hornbeam” by Gustav Hempel and Karl Wilhelm (Chromolithograph, 1889)
Even though chromolithographs served many uses within society at the time, many were opposed to the idea of them because of their lack of authenticity. The new forms of art were sometimes tagged as “bad art” because of their deceptive qualities. Some also felt that it could not serve as a form of art at all since it was too mechanical, and that the true spirit of a painter could never be captured in a printed version of a work. Over time, chromos were made so cheaply that they could no longer be confused with original paintings. Since production costs were low, the fabrication of chromolithographs became more a business than the creation of art.
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials that can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A fill blade or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action during the squeegee stroke. Basically, it is the process of using a stencil to apply ink onto another material.
Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance. Ink is forced into the mesh openings by the fill blade and onto the printing surface during the squeegee stroke. It is also known as silkscreening, serigraphy, and serigraph printing. A number of screens can be used to produce a multicolored image.
Screen printing is a form of stenciling that first appeared in a recognizable form in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 ad). It was then adapted by other Asian countries like Japan, and was furthered by creating newer methods.
Screen printing was largely introduced to Western Europe from Asia sometime in the late 18th century, but did not gain large acceptance or use in Europe until silk mesh was more available for trade from the east and a profitable outlet for the medium discovered.
Early in the 1910s, several printers experimenting with photo-reactive chemicals used the well-known actinic light activated cross linking or hardening traits of potassium, sodium or ammonium chromate and dichromate chemicals with glues and gelatin compounds. Roy Beck, Charles Peter and Edward Owens studied and experimented with chromic acid salt sensitized emulsions for photo-reactive stencils. This trio of developers would prove to revolutionize the commercial screen printing industry by introducing photo-imaged stencils to the industry, though the acceptance of this method would take many years. Commercial screen printing now uses sensitizers far safer and less toxic than dichromates. Currently, there are large selections of pre-sensitized and “user mixed” sensitized emulsion chemicals for creating photo-reactive stencils.
“Anasazi Parrots” by Joe H. Herrera (Serigraph, 1980)
Credit is generally given to the artist Andy Warhol for popularizing screen printing identified as serigraphy in the United States. Warhol is particularly identified with his 1962 depiction of actress Marilyn Monroe screen printed in garish colors.
The wonderful examples of lithographs, chromolithographs, and serigraphs displayed throughout this blog are available for sale at the the Dogbotz Boneyard Gallery of Art.
Tagged Art, Chromolithography, Definitions, Intaglio, Lithography, Printing, Screen Printing, Silkscreen
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2446
|
__label__cc
| 0.537522
| 0.462478
|
Royalists to Romantics: Spotlight on Constance Marie Charpentier
Posted on May 30, 2012 by Women in the arts
In Royalists to Romantics: Women Artists from the Louvre, Versailles, and Other French National Collections, 77 works by 35 artists display the talents of French Revolution-era women artists. Their paintings are windows into their careers and the singular challenges of their time. The catalogue that NMWA has published to illustrate Royalists to Romantics includes essays as well as individual artist biographies that give insight into the lives of women artists working in France between 1750 and 1848. This excerpt explores the life of one the show’s featured artists, Constance Marie Charpentier. For additional information, visit www.nmwa.org, or purchase the catalogue from the Museum Shop by calling 877-226-5294.
Constance Marie Charpentier (1767–1849), Melancholy, 1801. Oil on canvas. Musée de Picardie, Amiens
Constance Marie Charpentier exhibited at least thirty works at the Paris Salons from 1795 to 1819, yet she is remembered almost exclusively as the painter of Melancholy (1801), included in the present exhibition.¹ Sound information about her training is scant; lists of her teachers traditionally include the history painters Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825) and Francois Gerard (1770–1837), as well as Louis Lafitte (1770–1828), who is best known for his decorative work, and the painter and engraver Pierre Bouillon (1776–1831).² A final name is variously given as that of the printmaker Johan-Georg Wille (1715–1808) or his son, the painter and sculptor Pierre-Alexandre Wille (1748–1821), or an artist identified only as Wilk.
Charpentier’s family history is better documented. In the year of her birth, her father, a Parisian merchant named Pierre-Alexandre- Hyacinthe Blondelu, was taken to court by the apothecaries’ guild for abrogating its privilege to formulate and sell medication.³ In 1793 the artist married Victor-Francois Charpentier, a government employee who worked for the prefecture of Paris and department of the Seine. Her husband’s brother-in-law, the Revolution’s fiery orator Georges Danton (1759–1794), sat for a portrait by Charpentier.
Charpentier met with considerable success at the Salons, where she exhibited primarily portraits and domestic genre scenes. In 1798 her pendant paintings Widow of a Day and Widow of a Year earned a prix d’encouragement, a commission for a painting to be purchased by the state for 1,500 francs. Melancholy, Charpentier’s only known history painting, fulfilled this commission, and its appearance at the 1801 Salon prompted an admiring poet to declare: “this painting lets us discover / Charm in melancholy.”⁴ Charpentier went on to win a gold medal at the Paris Salon of 1814, and a silver medal at the 1821 Salon exhibition atDouai, in northern France. Although she ceased exhibiting after 1821, she was still teaching ten years later when a dictionary of artists announced that she “receives, three times a week, young women who wish to follow her advice on drawing and painting” at her residence on the rue du Pot de fer Saint-Sulpice (part of the modern-day rue Bonaparte, in the sixth arrondissement of Paris).⁵
1. Thirty is the number given by Valerie Mainz, “Charpentier, Constance,” in Dictionary of Women Artists, ed. Delia Gaze (London, 1997), vol. 1, pp. 381 – 82.
2. See, for instance, E. Benezit, Dictionary of Artists (Paris, 2006), vol. 3, p. 807; French Painting, 1774–1830: The Age of Revolution, exh. cat. (Detroit, 1975), pp. 345–47; Charles Gabet, Dictionnaire des artistes de l’école française, au xixE siècle (Paris, 1831), pp. 132 – 33; Ann Sutherland Harris and Linda Nochlin, Women Artists, 1550–1950, exh. cat. (New York, 1976), p. 207; Jean-Francois Heim, Claire Beraud, and Philippe Heim, Les salons de peinture de la Révolution française, 1789–1799 (Paris, 1989), p. 163; and Margaret A. Oppenheimer, “Women Artists inParis, 1791–1814” (PhD diss., New York University, 1996), pp. 136–37. Except where noted, this biography is based on Oppenheimer’s work.
3. Oppenheimer (“Women Artists,” p. 136) gives her parents’ names. The lawsuit is documented in “Proces des maitres et gardes apothicaires contre Pierre Alexandre Hyacinthe Blondelu, pour preparation et vente de drogues,” 1767–68, Archives et manuscrits de la Bibliotheque interuniversitaire de pharmacie,Paris, ae/12.
4. Arlequin chasse du muséum par un artiste: Critique en prose et en vaudeville (Paris, [1801]), as translated and quoted in Matthieu Pinette, From the Sun King to the Royal Twilight: Painting in Eighteenth-Century France from the Musée de Picardie, Amiens, exh. cat. (New York, 2000), p. 177. Quoted in the original French, with citation, in Matthieu Pinette, Peintures françaises des xvii E et xviii E siècles des musées d’Amiens (Paris, 2006), pp. 252–53: “Et ce tableau nous fait trouver / Du charme a la melancolie.”
5. Gabet, Dictionnaire, pp. 132–33. Quotation from p. 133: “Mme Charpentier recoit, trois fois par semaines [sic], les jeunes personnes qui desirent suivre ses conseils pour le dessin et la peinture.”
This entry was posted in Artist Spotlight, NMWA Exhibitions by Women in the arts. Bookmark the permalink.
One thought on “Royalists to Romantics: Spotlight on Constance Marie Charpentier”
Pingback: Assignment five : Personal project | kwdigitalphotopractice
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2454
|
__label__cc
| 0.513223
| 0.486777
|
Tagged / TEF
HE policy update for the w/e 21st June 2019
BU research, Business Engagement, EU, Impact, Industry collaboration, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, policy, Research news jforster
The political news has been dominated by the Conservative leadership battle this week. Plus lots on research funding and tough conversations on social mobility.
Collaboration between universities and business
“State of the Relationship is the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) flagship annual report showcasing university-business collaboration across the UK and providing an authoritative source on emerging and critical trends in collaboration”. You can read the full report here.
BU features in a case study on page 28: ‘The Engagement Zone’ is the world’s largest study into audience’s mind-sets and responses to ‘Out-of-Home’ (OOH) advertising. In collaboration with COG Research and Exterion Media, Bournemouth University (BU) have designed and carried out this study using innovative technology to determine engagement statistics leading to increased advertising revenues on the Transport for London network (TfL).
Alice Frost of UKRI writes about the future of the relationship on page 38 with a rather complex visualisation.
Conservative Leadership Race
We’re down to the last two – Hunt and Boris – the battle of the Foreign Secretaries. Our vote tracking table follows below but first what are their positions on Education?
Boris Johnson – HEPI have blogged their opinion of Boris’ stance on education. HEPI say:
[Boris] has the most connections to higher education of the current candidates. Johnson served as Shadow Higher Education Minister between December 2005 and July 2007 and his brother, Jo, held the post of Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation between 2015 and 2018.
During his time as Shadow Higher Education Minister, Boris Johnson published a piece on University Policy for the 21stCentury for the right-wing think tank Politeia, which concluded with three recommendations: proper funding (including pay increases for academic staff); less state interference; and higher access standards. He has also spoken out about [against] the categorisation of certain subjects as ‘Mickey Mouse degrees’.
Excerpt from Mickey Mouse (2007) degree article Boris wrote [still a very current debate today]:
..it is by now a settled conviction that the university system is riddled with a kind of intellectual dry rot, and it is called the Mickey Mouse degree. Up and down the country – so we are told – there are hundreds of thousands of dur-brained kids sitting for three years in an alcoholic or cannabis-fuelled stupor while theoretically attending a former technical college that is so pretentious as to call itself a university.
After three years of taxpayer-funded debauch, these young people will graduate, and then the poor saps will enter the workplace with an academic qualification that is about as valuable as membership of the Desperate Dan Pie Eaters’ Club, and about as intellectually distinguished as a third-place rosette in a terrier show. It is called a Degree, and in the view of saloon bar man, it is a con, a scam, and a disgrace
And yet I have to say that this view of higher education – pandemic in Middle Britain – is hypocritical, patronising and wrong. I say boo to the Taxpayers’ Alliance, and up with Mickey Mouse courses, and here’s why. (Read on for the rest here.)
HEPI continue: On the issue of tuition fees, Johnson spoke out against the Labour Party policy at the 2015 election, to lower tuition fees to £6,000.
And The Sun report Boris’ concerns over the level of student debt (2017).
Boris’ frequent references on the importance of female education as a ‘spanner’ while well intentioned could have been more eloquently expressed:
The emphasis that she places on women’s commercial potential and ability to drive the economy is absolutely right, and it is one of the reasons why all UK overseas effort is focused, above all, on the education of women and girls. I believe that that is the universal spanner that unlocks many of our problems.(2017 Income Tax session)
The universal spanner—a device that will solve almost any problem. I truly believe that female education is at the heart of solving so many other global problems, which is why we are putting it at the very centre of the Commonwealth summit in April and the upcoming G7 summit. Across our network, female education is at the heart of everything that we do. (Feb 2018 Topicals)
In addition, Boris’ leadership campaign headline education statement was on schools funding. He intends to increase secondary spending to at least £5k per pupil if he becomes PM due to “growing gulf” between students in London and the rest of the UK. This is £200 more per pupil than the Government’s current policy. Boris says:
“Of course there are special and extra costs of living in the capital, and London schools deserve that recognition. But I pledge to reverse the cuts in per pupil funding, so that thousands of schools get much more per pupil.” Guardian (3 June)
“This country is like a giant that is managing heroically to hop on one leg…If we fund our schools properly, if we pay sufficient attention both to vocational training as well as to mathematics and languages, then we will loosen the shackle that is holding us back.”
This argument has been refuted by Institute of Fiscal Studies. IFS says: any attempt to decrease funding differences between local authorities would be likely to reduce funds for the most disadvantaged pupils, as well as for London weighting. (source: TES) And Schools Week state Johnson’s intended school funding boost is only a 0.1% increase in overall schools spending.
His policy was criticised in the Commons. Mike Kane (Labour) said:
The right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip [Boris Johnson] said that all schools should “level up”, that there should be no differentiation in funding formulas, and that school funding should be protected “in real terms”. There are no facts or figures behind that statement, but he obviously does not want the truth to get in the way of a good story on education (Education Funding debate, June 2019)
And his intention to cut tax attacked because it reduces the funds available to support education and health care. Lyn Brown MP (Labour):
…the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), who has promised £10 billion of tax cuts. That money would pay for more than 400,000 new teachers, but of course it is not teachers or nurses who would benefit from those tax cuts. More than 80% of the financial gains would go to the highest earning 10% of families. It is clear where his priorities lie, and it ain’t in investing in our children. (June 2019, Social Mobility Treasure Reform debate)
Finally, speaking to The Sun (3 June) Boris pledged his attention for the environment. The Sun writes:
As well as promising to take Britain out of the EU at last, he made an appeal to centrist MPs by promising to protect the environment and spend more on public services. Speaking to camera, BoJo [Boris] concluded: “If there is one lesson from that referendum in 2016, it is that too many people feel left behind – that they’re not able to take part fully in the opportunities and success of our country…That’s why now is the time to unite our society and unite our country. To build the infrastructure, to invest in education, to improve the environment and support our NHS.
Jeremy Hunt – The HEPI blogs paint a different picture of Hunt’s approach to education – despite his self-confessed interest in it as a key policy area. HEPI write:
While Hunt’s comments on higher education have been few, the issues he has chosen to speak out on are likely to be well received by the sector. In 2017, Hunt wrote for the Times Higher Education supporting the focus by universities on student mental health to tackle increased levels of student suicide.
Hunt, as a soft Brexiteer, has stated that Brexit must be implemented, but needs to be handled in a way which ‘strengthens our higher education institutions and strengthens our economy’. At the beginning of this year he focused on the soft power brought about by the UK having three of the world’s top ten universities and 450,000 international students.
However, Hunt was described by the head of the Royal College of Nursing as ‘hell-bent’ on reducing the numbers of nurses when he abolished nursing bursaries during his time as Secretary of State for Health, which led to a 23 per cent reduction in the number of applications to Nursing courses. This removal of nursing bursaries may suggest a commitment to the current funding model, as this change lead to spreading the regular funding model to cover nursing. His long experience as Health Secretary will likely have also given him some understanding of the importance of research.
Jeremy Hunt also has business links to higher education, having co-founded ‘Hotcourses’ which runs websites listing courses for students around the world. He received £14.5 million from the sale of Hotcourses in 2017, making him the richest member of the Cabinet.
Who might Boris appoint to the Cabinet?
It’s a long wait until the party leader is announced on 22 July but speculation on who Boris may appoint to his cabinet has started already.
There are three groups orbiting around Boris Johnson at the moment: his old London gang, his parliamentary long marchers, and his new recruits, who have helped to deliver his victories in the parliamentary rounds. Johnson doesn’t like being beholden to any one tribe, or faction, so expect his administration to be made up of a mix of these three groups. (Spectator.)
Boris’s choice of Chancellor will be crucial because, no matter who is in No. 10, the rest of the government can often be run by the Treasury. Gordon Brown used that position to wage daily warfare on Tony Blair. Johnson saw for himself how Philip Hammond was able to undermine the no-deal preparations — so he’ll be determined to have someone in the job who is in agreement with him on Brexit and the importance of leaving on 31 October. Currently the media are favouring Sajid Javid as Chancellor.
It is interesting who the key Education and Universities Ministers backed as party leader at ballot 3 – it wasn’t Boris!
SoS Damien Hinds for Gove
Ex- Universities Minister Jo Johnson for big brother Boris
Current Universities Minister Chris Skidmore for Javid
SoS BEIS Greg Clark for Hunt
Anne Milton (Minister Apprenticeships & Skills) for Gove
Education Select Committee Chair Robert Halfon backed Javid
And Sam Gyimah was undeclared.
When a new leader comes in we can expect to see changes at the top. Damien Hinds and Greg Clark were both appointed by Theresa May and have both proved rather resilient and hung on through the turbulent times and Brexit arguments. When the party leader is appointed Hinds will have been in post 17 months and Clark for 2 years. Ministerial changes will bring small changes for Dorset’s local MPs, some of whom hold junior Government positions. However, when the Minister they serve is moved on they (usually) resign too.
Conor Burns (BU is in Conor’s Bournemouth West constituency) served as PPS to Greg Clark (BEIS) and then Boris Johnson, during his stint as Foreign Secretary, and is an outspoken supporter of Boris. While Conor doesn’t currently hold parliamentary office might his service and loyalty to Boris be rewarded and allow him to gain status rising above the PPS ranks and/or holding party position?
Tobias Ellwood is currently parliamentary under-secretary of state for Defence (since 2017)
Simon Hoare (North Dorset) has served both Damian Hinds (Education) and Sajid Javid (Home Secretary) in the last two years but has just moved on to Chair the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee.
Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset & North Poole) isn’t currently in post but was PPS to Raab and has previously worked for Penny Mordaunt.
Recess?
Let’s hope the MPs have insurance clauses covering their booked summer holidays. Parliament usually enters recess at the end of July. However, the party leader won’t be confirmed until 22 July. The Queen should then confirm the leader as PM. Although potentially, should Tory rebels create enough trouble, there could be two weeks in which the Opposition have the opportunity to demonstrate they can round up enough support to form an alternative Government. And if they can’t a general election would be called.
It is looking likely that Recess could be shortened and delayed (or cancelled altogether). Once confirmed we can expect the new PM to announce the key appointments within their cabinet quickly. Yet with the EU leaders absent on their long summer hols during this period how will the PM take forward the EU re-negotiations for Brexit?
Parliamentarians usually return from summer recess during the first full week of September, spend three weeks on parliamentary business, then disappear off for Party Conference season (roughly 3 weeks) taking us very close to the Halloween Brexit exit deadline.
Education Spending in England
The IfS have some new analysis on education spending in England – timely as Conservative candidates for PM rush to promise more cash in a bid to win votes. It’s a bit of a fact checking article.
“Leadership hopeful Boris Johnson has made a commitment to ensure fair funding across schools in England. He has highlighted that some areas of London receive per pupil funding of about £6,800 whilst other parts of England receive funding of around £4,200 per pupil and referred to this as a ‘postcode lottery.’ The Department for Education has recently created a new national funding formula for schools in England, which took effect from April 2018. This ensures that school funding allocations to all local authorities in England are now based on measures of need and costs, the first time this has been the case in England for nearly 15 years. With the introduction of this formula, the government – which Mr Johnson was part of – effectively ended a long-standing postcode lottery in school funding in England.
There are still differences in per pupil across local authorities in England. Local authorities receive higher levels of per pupil funding if they have higher levels of deprivation and/or because they have to pay London weighting. Policymakers who want to reduce differences in funding between areas should be clear that doing so would almost certainly reduce the extent of extra funding for deprivation and/or London weighting.
Boris Johnson has also committed to a minimum level of funding for individual secondary schools in England of £5,000 per pupil. The new national funding formula already has a minimum funding level of £4,800 per pupil, but this is largely advisory and local authorities can effectively ignore it. The cost of Boris Johnson’s proposal will depend on whether his proposed £5,000 floor is also advisory or represents a new legal minimum. In both cases, however, the likely cost is likely to be relatively small in total.
Many of the leadership hopefuls have also talked about providing a spending boost to 16-19 education, covering school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and further education colleges. Given this sector has received the largest cuts to spending per pupil over the last few years, such increased policy attention is welcome. Between 2010-11 and 2017-18, college spending per student fell by over 8% in real terms and funding per student in school sixth forms fell by 25%.
IFS researchers are currently part way through producing new figures on 16-19 education spending per pupil for our annual report on education spending, produced with funding from the Nuffield Foundation and due out in the Autumn 2019. These new figures will address some recent complexities resulting from changes to high needs funding and the conversion of many sixth form colleges to academy status.
In the meantime, we set out the cost of providing the same boosts to 16-19 education as we do for schools. Given an expected total spend of £5.6bn on further education colleges, school sixth forms and sixth form colleges in 2019-20, we calculate that reversing 4% of total cuts would cost about £230m in 2019-20, whilst reversing cuts of 8% increase would cost about £480m.”
There are other things happening in the UK but TEF rolls on. This year had a low participation rate and there are a lot of alternative providers and FE colleges in the list. All year two TEF awards (like BU’s) have been extended for another year to allow for changes after the independent review. We anticipate all institutions will submit in 2020 for results in 2021 under whatever new regime is designed. Wonkhe have some analysis here. Amongst this year’s results
Bournemouth and Poole College have a bronze
UCLAN have a silver (same as 2018)
University for the Creative Arts have a gold (up from silver in 2018)
University of East London have a bronze (same as 2018)
Roehampton have a silver (up from Bronze in 2018)
Sheffield have a silver (also silver in 2018)
Salford have a bronze (same as 2018)
Teesside have a silver (they also got silver in 2018)
Sussex have a silver (they also got silver in 2018)
Staffordshire have a gold (up from silver on 2018)
Yeovil College has a provisional award
University of Wales Trinity St David has a silver (up from bronze in 2018)
It’s been a busy week for the Lords Science and Technology Committee.
Firstly they held two sessions discussing University research funding in the light of Augar. You can read a fuller summary by Dods here. The session questioned the impact of the Augar Review upon research. The key points made were:
UKRI said that any reduction in fees should be compensated for elsewhere with additional funding found.
Research England said if the compensation was not forthcoming they would consider alternative resource allocation, but that the reduction would undermine the Government’s 2.4% R&D target and impact university research capabilities.
Baroness Morgan expressed concern that substitute funding could be aimed at certain courses giving some subjects precedence over others.
Research England repeatedly said that reducing the research funding to universities would likely limit and restrict private and business funding, and reduce universities’ capability to engage with business to make best use of this funding. Baroness Young echoed this sating to meet the 2.4% Government target an increase in public funding was critical to incentivise private funding. UKRI said the R&D funding needed to be doubled with a ‘substantial and sustained’ increase in public funding.
Research England argued for QR funding to be sustained at current levels which he felt were an adequate level of funding.
UKRI said that workplace culture and immigration matters were integral to attract and retain the best talent.
Much discussion focussed on how research funding was increasingly be awarded in line with applied research that will contribute to the industrial strategy away from discovery research.
Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court said the Treasury was in favour of a more skilled workforce as that led to greater prosperity and increased revenue, and that the Treasury would be nervous regarding the reduction of student fees. Lord Macpherson noted that the Government might make up for the reduction in the short term but that might not be sustainable.
Lord Macpherson went on to state research was a priority for the Government, however, there were difficult trade-offs to be made within the current context of Brexit, the housing crisis and the crisis of social care and local authority services.
Next was a session with similar themes this time answered by the Ministers and Directors. Lord Patel chaired the meeting questioning:
Chris Skidmore, Universities Minister;
Harriet Wallace, Director – International Science and Innovation (Dept for BEIS); and
Paul Drabwell, Deputy Director – Science Research and Innovation (Dept for BEIS)
Skidmore was asked how much of the Augar review would be implemented. He responded that key decisions about Augar would be taken under the next prime minister and the 2019 Spending Review. That if he was still universities minister in two months, he would take forward the consultation period. Skidmore said he was under no illusions about the impact of Augar’s recommendation on fee level reductions, which would take £1.8 billion out of Higher Education (HE) and had been honest about the need for a top up to offset this, in order to keep up the ability of UK universities to finance their research.
QR research was broached next, and in contrast to the above reported session, it was recognised that QR funding had reduced. Skidmore took the side of the HE sector stating he was aware QR funding had reduced in real terms, and whilst the government had invested in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, there was still a challenge in maintaining base-level, flexible research. He supported increasing QR funding (as part of the 2.4% GDP target) and hoped there would be an uplift announced ‘shortly’ on QR funding for 2019-20.
On cross-subsidisation Skidmore was questioned whether BEIS had done anything to address the potential collapse of cross-subsidy with regard to the research base in UK universities. He replied that longer term there was a wider issue about whether the cross-subsidy should be kept in place. That the premise that most courses cost less than tuition fees was an illusion and that there were a wide range of funding sources universities needed to look to, such as levering business investment and funding from charities, as well as providing doctoral training.
Paul Drabwell, BEIS, said UKRI should be looking at how research is commercialised and that UK universities needed to market themselves to investors better, particularly with regards to licencing and spin out.
The Minister agreed with the earlier sessions stating public subsidy was needed to leverage private investment in research. Lord Vallance suggested using tax credits could be a solution, however, Skidmore said that BEIS already had several ideas in play to discuss with the Treasury. He praised the grand challenges (industrial strategy) as successful in incentivising private and university collaborative efforts. Infrastructures surrounding research institutions also played an important role, he added, mentioning various initiatives such as healthy aging in Newcastle and graphene in Manchester. Furthermore, Innovate UK was currently looking at how loans could be used to incentivise SME investment into research, such as through hiring researchers.
On the research funding balance Skidmore did not think there was any trend away from funding experimental reach because of too much of a focus on applied research.
On PhD researchers needed to meet the 2.4% target Skidmore noted overall an additional 260,000 researchers were needed, PhDs contributing as part of this. However, in line with current Government thinking, he was opposed to the idea of ‘academia or bust’ for researchers, and that people should be able to work in private industry and come back to universities in the future.
Brexit – Skidmore said the UK should be making a bold offer to pay whatever was possible to retain membership of EU programmes such as Horizon and the ERC (European Research Council). Skidmore is also opposed to the £30,000 salary cap and minimum entry requirements and felt the post-study work visa was essential for the UK to be competitive with other countries.
International Students: Skidmore spoke about meeting the target for having 600,000 international (EU and non-EU) students (implying an additional 260,000) studying in the UK highlighting his recent 2020-21 home fee status for EU students announcement. He also said he was hopeful that issues around postgraduate student funding would be announced ‘shortly’. However, he noted there was an issue with regard to broadening the portfolio of countries from which students could come to the UK. Meaning the new PM would need to deal with the issue of visa fees and post-study work visas to encourage a broad range of nationalities to study in the UK. Skidmore is in favour of a milder approach to immigration in an HE context.
Two bosses
Lord Griffiths noted a recent comment from Lord Willetts (ex-Universities Minister) stating there was a mismatch with regard to departmental attitudes to university funding between the DfE and BEIS and that universities could be the sole responsibility of the DfE.
Skidmore disagreed, saying he enjoyed working across two departments and that the two departments broadly agreed on: international research and innovation, international education strategy, and the importance of the challenge-based approach. He was also concerned that being under the sole responsibility of the DfE might mean that universities lost out to funding due to campaigns to increase funding to schools. In addition, he said there was latitude for a post-18 minister on Further Education. An interesting comment, unless Skidmore is looking to expand his remit, as two post-18 ministers could compete and create friction – slowing down the progress of the sector.
There is another research funding oral evidence session next week – with Phillip Augar scheduled to be questioned on Tuesday.
Immigration Update
Following Sajid Javid’s plans for a new single, skills-based immigration system when free movement the Government is consulting with stakeholders and employers on where to set the bar within the new immigration system. A series of engagements are planned to look at the technical detail of the proposals. Several advisory groups have also been set up to discuss policy, system design and implementation. There is a specific group for education. Organisations that will be members of the Education Sector Advisory Group are listed on this link (second set down). The new immigration system will be implemented in a phased approach from January 2021.
The Social Mobility Commission came under fire during this week’s Education select committee session. You’ll recall the last Social Mobility Commission resigned en masse in protest at the Government’s failure to take note and act on the Commission’s recommendations and the stalling or regression of social mobility within the UK. Six months in and Dame Martina Milburn’s new Commission was questioned on their lack of progress. Dame Marina said that the commission has not made a large impact since the most recent commissioners were appointed six months ago, but she said that this is because they have been busy commissioning new research, publishing research already in the pipeline, and figuring out the commission’s new strategy. She said the commission felt they “haven’t quite come up for air” since starting work and that, when she took over, permanent staff had been “demoralised”.
In further questioning Dame Martina had to admit that she had very little contact with Ministers and the Government had not responded to the Commission’s report on skills. She said she had not witnessed the increased engagement from ministers that was promised by the Government when the new Commission was set up.
Dame Martina was also criticised for failing to make use of the work/research already done by the previous Commission and for earmarking a £2 million budget for research. Lucy Powell MP suggested that there are plenty more “nimble” charities and research organisations delivering similar research for much less money.
The Commission said their focus moving forward is to press the Government to do more to support FE. They emphasised the need for a 16-19 pupil premium and for education to form the ‘cornerstone’ of the Commission’s strategy. Again the minister has not engaged with the Commission on FE. In response to a question from Ben Bradley MP, Dame Martina said that if a future prime minister decided to scrap the Social Mobility Commission, along with other Government commissions, and plough the money into FE, her response would be “thank God – go ahead and do it”.
The Commission was asked why it didn’t do more, e.g. set up pilot projects in FE colleges, rather than simply commissioning research. Panellists said they would welcome their remit being expanded in this way, but it is currently not possible given the constraints attached to the funding they are allocated.
Dame Martina also said that the 2020 change to T levels should be paused, but that the Secretary of State has refused to do so.
HE: In regard to HE Dame Martina insisted that the commission has “started conversations” with universities about how to ensure that fewer students from disadvantaged background drop out of their courses. She said there is a great deal higher education institutions can do to improve retention rates, including making it clearer what bursaries are available. However, it is important not to portray university as the only way of getting on in life, citing, again, the importance of FE and also of increasing the take-up of apprenticeships. Dame Martina said a majority of apprenticeships are going to people over 25, something she described as “quite urgent to address”.
Social mobility versus social justice: The Commission were questioned on whether they should be focused on the issue of social justice rather than social mobility, as few people understand what the term “social mobility” really means. Dame Martina said a social justice focus would be broader, and this would require more resources. She told the committee that social mobility is defined as a person’s ability to do significantly better than their parents, while social justice takes into account all aspects of poverty and disadvantage. She said a Social Justice Commission would still have to concern itself with social mobility.
Other Social Mobility News
Les Ebdon (ex-Head of the Office for Far Access) has been appointed as the non-executive Chair of NEON (the National Education Opportunities Network). He said: “while we have made advances in widening participation in recent years much more remains to be done to promote and safeguard fair access so that higher education can be for millions more students the life transforming experience that it was for me.” Joining him on the committee are several university officers from various WP related roles.
Nicola Dandridge, OfS, expressed her dissatisfaction at HE providers who have poor outcomes for disadvantaged students. You can read it in full here. Excerpts:
…we [OfS] are requiring universities and other higher education providers to recruit more disadvantaged students, support them so they do not drop out and get better jobs. Some believe that achieving these outcomes simultaneously is too challenging. One argument we hear regularly is that if providers recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds then it is inevitable that higher numbers will drop out. We do not accept that argument.
…we see examples of students from disadvantaged backgrounds being inappropriately recruited onto poor quality courses, and not being given the support that they need. At some higher education providers, particularly those offering mainly courses below full degree level, one in five students drop out…The argument that these levels should be tolerated because the students come from poor backgrounds is not acceptable. For these students to drop out having taken on tuition fee loans of up to £9,250 a year (plus loans for living costs), is a terrible waste for student and taxpayer alike. When the latest figures show that only 41 per cent of students in England feel their course offers good value for money, parts of the higher education sector can and must do better… we need to face the facts that some students are being inappropriately recruited to courses and left to flounder.
Consultations and Inquiries
Click here to view the updated inquiries and consultation tracker. Email us on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you’d like to contribute to any of the current consultations.
This week there was an interesting oral evidence session on immersive and addictive technologies.
PG Outcomes: The DfE has published statistics on employment and earnings outcomes of HE postgraduates.
On average, earnings for Level 8 graduates did not increase over time. There was a gender gap, with females earning £100 less five years after graduation in 2016/17 than they did in 2014/15, whilst males earned £700 more.
Overall earnings for Level 7 (taught) graduates went up over time (by £800 from £30,900 to £31,700), whilst for Level 8 graduates, average earnings five years after graduation stayed the same (£36,400) between 2014/15 and 2016/17.
For the small number of Level 7 (research) graduates who are not included in the above chart, average earnings five years after graduation went down over time but interestingly the gender gap was reversed, with male graduates earning £2,100 less and female graduates £900 less in 2014/15 than they had done in 2016/17.
Widening access: NEON report that Russel Group universities have pledge to scrap their ‘facilitating subjects’ list (preferred academic A level subjects – which ignore the arts) following criticism from ‘sector figures’ and schools stating that it limits students’ choices and narrows the school curriculum. Access HE explore how targeting could be improved to benefit widening access aims in Polar Opposite.
To subscribe to the weekly policy update simply email policy@bournemouth.ac.uk
JANE FORSTER | SARAH CARTER
Policy Advisor Policy & Public Affairs Officer
Follow: @PolicyBU on Twitter | policy@bournemouth.ac.uk
Tags: Augar review Graduate Outcomes immigration KEF post-18 research funding Review of post-18 education schools social mobility TEF widening access
HE Policy Update for the w/e 7th June 2019
EU, humanities, international, policy, Student Engagement jforster
Is it only just over a week since Augar landed? Given the volume of commentary, it feels much longer. We are quite good as a sector at criticism and finding the potential problems and risks in things. As a HEPI blog says: “Last week’s Augar report divided opinion. At HEPI, we were at the more positive end of the spectrum, not least because the report addressed, in a serious way, pretty much all the points we had said it should. We were, and remain, determined not to fall down the biggest rabbit hole that has to be avoided when commenting sensibly on public policy: being unceasingly negative and refusing to recognise serious attempts to address genuine problems.”
Last week we stuck to the facts looking at the full set of recommendations and the content of the report, this week we look more at opinions in a report that may well not be implemented in full, but is unlikely to disappear completely.
One thing that everyone can agree on is that the implications of Augar are ominous for the Arts and Humanities – the (historian) Minister for Universities gave a speech on Thursday which we discuss below, with some reflections on what Augar could mean for Arts and Humanities subjects in universities. This update was getting so big, we have written about that in a separate blog here.
Augar – what next?
On Tuesday the Secretary of State of Education, Damien Hinds, made a statement on the Government’s review of post-18 education and its funding – the first review since the Robbins report in 1963 to look at the totality of post-18 education. Hinds said the Government will carefully consider the independent panel’s recommendations before finalising any spending review announcements.
A lot of the attention will be on what this report says about higher education, but the majority of students in post-18 education are not at university. The report identifies the importance of both further and higher education in creating a system that unlocks everyone’s talents. As the Prime Minister said last week, further education and technical colleges are not just places of learning; they are vital engines of both social mobility and economic prosperity. Colleges play an essential part in delivering the modern industrial strategy and equipping young people with knowledge and skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We are conscious of the need for reskilling and upskilling at a time when we are all more likely to have multiple careers during our working lives.
…Our higher education system transforms lives and is a great contributor to both our industrial success and the cultural life of the nation. It can open up a whole world of opportunities and broaden horizons. Whatever decisions we make about how best to take forward the recommendations in the report, it is vital that we support these institutions to continue to offer world-leading higher education to students in future.
Hinds went on to highlight the general importance of education to society, listing current government policy geared toward improving education. He said that is it right that contributions to the cost of higher education are shared between the taxpayer and the student. The Minister added that although 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are now 52 per cent more likely to go to university than 10 years ago, progress is still required in levelling the playing field in higher education.
In keeping with the continued pressure for Government to improve social mobility Hinds said: The panel’s proposals on support for disadvantaged groups are an important contribution to the debate in this area. I very much welcome the focus that the panel has placed on making sure that all higher education is of high quality and delivers well for both students and the taxpayer. There are very high-quality courses across the full range of subjects—from creative arts to medicine—but there are also courses where students are less well served. I have also spoken in recent months of bad practices not in the student interest, such as artificial grade inflation and so-called conditional unconditional offers.
On implementation: The panel’s recommendations on student finance are detailed and interrelated, and cannot be considered each in isolation. We will need to look carefully at each recommendation in turn and in the round to reach a view on what will best support students and the institutions they study at, and what will ensure value for taxpayers. In considering these recommendations, we will also have regard to students currently in the system or about to enter it to ensure that any changes are fair to current and new cohorts of students. I am sure the House will recognise that this comprehensive report, with detailed analysis and no fewer than 53 recommendations, gives the Government a lot to consider. We will continue to engage with stakeholders on the findings and recommendations in the panel report, and we will conclude the review at the spending review.
The shadow secretary of state for education, Angela Rayner, responded, arguing the Conservatives have previously made terrible decisions regarding education. She intimated her belief that any adoption of recommendations will be deferred until the spending review, or the appointment of a new chancellor.
“Augar is the epitaph for Theresa May’s government…slow, wrong-headed, indecisive and, above all, failing in its central objective, to help level up Britain. As it stands, the Government have now wasted two years on a review to reach the blindingly obvious conclusion that, as the Prime Minister now admits, abolishing maintenance grants was a huge mistake.
Decisions need to be made on funding. The outgoing Prime Minister promised that austerity is over, but there is every danger it will continue in tertiary education. Presumably, the Secretary of State accepts that a cash freeze in funding for universities means a real-terms cut. Is the tokenistic fee cut pushed by the Prime Minister not the worst of both worlds, as institutions will have their hands tied on funding while students will still be graduating with tens of thousands of pounds of debt?”
She pushed the Secretary of State to assure the House that maintenance grants will be restored and that the cash-freeze for university’s will not have an equality impact burden – and that an assessment of this would be produced. She concluded that any shortcomings in the Augar review are a product of the limitations the Government has set on them.
The Secretary of State responded:
The hon. Lady asked me to commit to not playing off further education and higher education. I give her that absolute commitment. That principle is at the heart of the independent panel’s report: both routes of higher learning are essential for widening social mobility, for letting young people fulfil their full potential, and indeed for enabling our economy and our society to fulfil theirs.
We should not lose sight of the fact that we have a successful system in place, particularly for the financing of higher education. The hon. Lady and her Front-Bench colleagues constantly complain about it, but since the 2012 reforms, resource per student has increased dramatically, the living costs support available to disadvantaged students has risen to its highest ever level, more young people are going to university than ever before, and more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university than ever before.
The Chair of the Select Committee on Education, Robert Halfon, raised the necessity of degree apprenticeships to ensure individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds gain the necessary skills to gain skilled employment. I welcome much of the report, particularly its strong emphasis on further education and technical education. Our Education Committee report talked about value for money in higher education and universities, focusing on skills, employability and social justice. Does my right hon. Friend not agree that the real engine of those three things is using funds to boost and put more emphasis on degree apprenticeships? They help people from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain the skills they need, they help us to meet our skills needs and they ensure that people are employed in properly skilled jobs.
Jo Johnson: The Augar review does not mention the teaching excellence framework. What use does the Secretary of State think the TEF will have in assessing which courses offer value for money for students and the general taxpayer? [Readers will remember that differential fees based on TEF outcome were thrown out of the HERA by the Lords.]. Hinds: The TEF is a very important reform and is part of the framework from HERA—the Higher Education and Research Act 2017—and the OFS that enables a much more holistic view of quality in higher education. It remains a central part of that architecture.
Carol Monaghan, the SNP Spokesperson for Education questioned whether the Government will make up any funding shortfall associated with a reduction in fees. Hinds responded that education equality in England is better than that of Scotland and all recommendations will be considered carefully.
Several non-Conservative MPs echoed Rayner’s arguments, questioning when grants would be reinstated or whether the Government will fund the shortfall in funding for disadvantaged students.
Thangham Debbonaire (Lab, Bristol West) raised a necessity for free or low-cost high-quality childcare to ensure more women can develop their potential within further education to ultimately close the gender pay gap. Hinds side stepped a direct response.
Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: “…we want to hear a guarantee from the Minister that those resources will not come from higher education. We also want a guarantee that if tuition fees are reduced, any shortfall of money going to universities will be made up by teaching grant from the Government not just for science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, but for arts and humanities subjects, because they are also very important for our economy. If these proposals will eventually see their way into legislation—it is not clear to any of us how that would happen—is the Minister going to consult the sector widely so that he does not destabilise it further? We need those guarantees so that universities have certainty if they are to compete globally.”
Hinds: “The hon. Lady will shortly meet the universities Minister in her all-party group on universities and will have an opportunity to discuss some of these things further. She mentioned teaching grants. The Augar report recommends precisely that—that there should be top-ups, although not exactly the same for all subjects. Few people realise the extent of the teaching grant. It is £1.3 billion, with some 40%—two in five—of courses attracting some sort of teaching grant. What the report talks about is how we balance that correctly properly to reflect not only value but cost to serve, as I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Neil O’Brien).” [So no guarantee then, despite his earlier commitment to “not playing off further education and higher education”.
Later in response to questions he also says: We must not allow different parts of our education system to be pitted against each other, and I can give him an absolute commitment not to do so. In fact, as he will know through his work, there is already a great deal of cross-over between what higher education institutions do and what further education institutions do, but they are both incredibly important parts of the overall system.
Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): As I learned from the 10 years I chaired the Select Committee, we make most progress in higher education when we find a cross-party consensus, as anyone who looks at the Robbins report or subsequent reports, such as the Dearing report, will know. There is some good stuff in this report. ….let us build a cross-party consensus. I love the part about a new fund for lifelong learning. Tony Blair introduced one in 1997. It failed, but everybody knew we should bring it back to secure the future of further and higher education. So I say well done in part, but if the Secretary of State could keep a higher education Minister for more than a few months we would do a lot better.
Hinds: The hon. Gentleman was right about more than one thing—let us say several. He spoke of the local importance of universities not only to the cultural life of our towns and cities but to, for instance, local economies, business development, innovation, and research and development. He was absolutely right about that, but he was also right to speak of the importance of securing a degree of consensus about these matters. The last two major reports, the Browne and Dearing reports, straddled a change of Government. I hope that that will not happen on this occasion, but I think it right for us to have an opportunity, between now and the conclusion of the spending review, to engage in a good discussion with, among others, representatives of the sector and politicians on both sides of the House and elsewhere, because I think that such discussions help policy making to evolve.
Augar was mentioned in Wed’s Prime Minister’s Questions – Richard Graham (Conservative) made the case that the Government’s review into post-18 education should be “essential reading” for Treasury ministers before the Spending Review. He said that more funding for further education would be “very welcome”. Lidington concurred that further education plays a vital role in equipping young people with skills, but also providing a path towards higher education. He added that the Augar Review “provides a blueprint of how we can make sure that everybody can follow the path that is right for them” and its conclusions should be studied carefully before the Spending Review.
Augar – the critique
Wonkhe have centralised all their analysis and blogs on the Post-18 review and Augar – find it all here. Including this ‘lessons learned’ blog from crossbench peer Professor Dame Julie King (who was part of the previous Browne review) and says Augar is ‘damaging’ and that it does not propose fundamental transformation.
One concern has been the impact on social mobility. The Sutton Trust response is here:
The Augar Review’s headline proposal to reduce tuition fees to £7,500, alongside the reintroduction of maintenance grants, means that the overall student “debt” figure looks a little less eye watering. But the review also proposes lowering the repayment threshold from £25,000 to £23,000 (based on 2018 figures) and to extend the lifetime repayment period to 40 years from the current 30 years, all at interest rates which at present are around 6 percent. This means that lower and middle earners (like teachers and social workers) will end up paying more than they did before and for longer – and the wealthiest, who can fall back on support from parent or grandparents, can pay the fees upfront, or over a shorter period, and thus contribute far less overall.
This is why the Sutton Trust has always argued for means tested fees – so the poorest student are asked to pay less than the wealthiest- and we are disappointed that the Post-18 Review did not adopt this as a policy. It seems to us fundamentally unfair that, whatever the repayment mechanism, the son or daughter of a cleaner is asked to pay the same as the son or daughter of a stock broker.
Lizzy Woodfield, Policy Advisor at Aston University, wrote for Wonkhe on WP: “Government should undoubtedly run with reintroducing maintenance grants, but not so hastily that it overlooks commuter students. The continued freeze in per student funding risks further squeezing universities’ ability to maintain high quality student services, like careers and placements and additional learning support, which support retention, success and good graduate outcomes. Doing away with foundation years would be very ill-advised and would set widening participation back.”
In an article for Wonkhe on 4th June 2019 , David Willets, the former Minister for Universities and Science, points out:
“The period covered by the LEO data is the ten years since the financial crash. Our research at Resolution Foundation has shown that this post-crash decade has been particularly bad for salaries, and even more so for the pay of young people. The real hourly pay of young people aged 18-29 fell by 9% in the four years after the crash – an unprecedented fall followed by a modest recovery. Unemployment was less bad than in previous recessions but – again – one group which did suffer increased unemployment was young people with lowest educational qualifications. Their unemployment rate increased from 68% to 56% after the crash whereas for graduates it only fell from 91% to 88%. It looks as if graduates traded down to less well-paid jobs, displacing the less qualified.
The LEO data excludes unemployed people so the only effect they show is on pay. You would not get any sense from the review that the British economy has just been through its deepest post-war recession – with big effects covering exactly the same period as the LEO data. By contrast that same decade did not see a significant increase in the number of graduates – indeed the rate of increase of people with higher education qualifications slowed down. So it is dangerous to interpret LEO data as telling us much about higher education when it may be telling us more about the post crash labour market.”
There is also a geographical effect. This has been raised by many in the sector before and I understand that there is some work looking at this in the context of the TEF (which is using median earnings as supplemental data in the subject level TEF pilot). The Office for National Statistics latest report on geographic mobility and young people (2012-2016) shows the change in average earnings growth for young people by local authority (see Figure 6). We wrote about some of these issues in our policy update on 6th July 2018
Augar – what does it mean for the Arts and Humanities
In an interesting choice of headlines, the headline on gov.uk is “Science Minister hails the importance of humanities to society”. Of course his full title is Minister of State for Universities, Science and Innovation (and currently also Interim Minister of Stage for Energy and Clean Growth. Like his predecessor , Chris Skidmore has also taken several titles upon himself – Sam Gyimah was famously “minister for students” and Chris Skidmore has called himself “minster for the 2.4% [investment in R&D]” and “minister for EdTEch”. But most importantly, he adopted the title “Minister for the Arts and Humanities”. So what did this former academic and historian say on this vital topic at the meeting of the Arts and Humanities Research Council? The full speech is here.
So with all that in mind, we took a look at the implications of Augar for the Arts and Humanities. One narrative around the Augar Review is that it has embraced, and even validated the popular narrative about “mickey mouse degrees” and universities filling low cost, high volume courses, putting “bums on seats” to subsidise other activities, doing a disservice to “overqualified graduates” who are “saddled with debt” that they can never repay. This shocking state of affairs means that the government subsidy to higher education, in the form of direct funding and underwriting for the student loan system, in which 83% of students will not repay their loans in full, is misdirected and therefore the taxpayer is receiving poor value for money. And, the argument goes, it is not only the taxpayer who is being ripped off, but students are too. They are being tricked into taking courses that will not lead to better paid jobs but will instead leave them with student loans that will hold them back even further. These are the students who should be doing technical training, apprenticeships. They should be plumbers and bricklayers. They have been told that they will achieve social mobility through education, and it isn’t true. These narratives were not born with the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding in February 2018. They became sharper once the tuition fee cap was increased to £9000 and were heightened when Labour adopted a policy of abolishing fees. Jo Johnson raised them when launching the Green Paper in November 2015 that led to the Teaching Excellence Framework and the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. In just one example, many of the arguments were rehearsed by Jo Johnson as Universities Minister in a speech in February 2017. It all boils down to value for money.
But there is a terrific confusion here, as highlighted by the Minister earlier on. The talk in Augar is all about value for money subject level. But when people (including previous Universities Ministers (both Sam Gyimah and Jo Johnson) and the current Education Minister) talk about this, they talk not about the value of whole subjects, but of individual courses at individual universities. And so they talk about quality. But they don’t really mean quality either, because they talk about entry tariffs and outcomes and start talking about bums on seats. Which is the big give away. What they really mean is that they believe that there are too many students going to universities to do courses which are not aligned with the government’s priorities. This is about the government wanting to choose not to invest in subjects that they believe do not add value to the economy. Which is why Augar, which is all about money, has kept in the threat of a 3D threshold and/or a cap on student numbers (for some courses at some universities).
You can read more in our separate blog on this here.
Student Mental Health
The OfS have published details of the 10 winners of their Challenge Competition (investing £14.5 million) which aimed to achieve a step change in mental health outcomes for students.
The OfS new story says:
The proportion of full-time UK undergraduate students reporting mental health concerns when they enter higher education has more than doubled over the last five years.
Over 87% of students said they struggle with feelings of anxiety, and 1 in 3 experienced a serious psychological issue which required professional help.
OfS data shows that full-time students with a declared mental health condition are more likely to drop out, and less likely to achieve a first or 2:1 degree or secure good jobs after graduation.
This week they have released a news story focussing on Northumbria University which aims to reduce student suicide through utilising analytics and mining data (such as social media). Of course the scheme has to be data compliant and students have to opt in. Northumbria state that only 1 in 3 suicide deaths are known to mental health services. In response the researchers have developed an Early Alert Tool identifying students in crisis to sport early warning signs and to target intervention. (A little more information on the data triggers is here.) Northumbria’s project has been picked up by the Telegraph.
Projects in other Universities cover:
Transition from school to university – addressing the first year additional vulnerability something mentioned by the Minister in his recent speeches]
Mental health needs specific to international students [another thing mentioned by the Minister recently]
Advancing HE / NHS partnership working to improve support
Embedding mental health within a community approach, holistically incorporating police, local authorities and the NHS.
Developing a module for the PGCertHE to ensure that new academics, nationally, have the knowledge and skills to support mental health and learning through their teaching.
Creation of a ‘hub’ of qualified therapists and volunteers with mental health experience who will provide brief therapeutic interventions for students in comfortable, open-plan safe-spaces without the need for appointments or waiting lists.
Curriculum-based ‘mind management’ skills training (separate UG and PG courses) which use evidence-based approaches for improving emotion regulation and for managing common issues in student life (e.g. anxiety, stress, social isolation, managing expectations, imposter syndrome).
Nicola Dandridge, OfS Chief Exec, said:
Whenever I talk to students, improving mental health support is consistently raised as a priority. Universities and colleges are responding to the problem, but in too many cases students are having their experience of higher education blighted by mental ill-health. For many of these students, there is much more that we can do. Taking preventative action to promote good mental health is critical, as is taking a whole institution approach and involving students in developing solutions. In addition, the earlier we can identify issues developing, the more effectively we can give the vital support that is needed.
We know that many complex factors impact on students’ mental health and wellbeing, so addressing mental ill health is always going to be challenging. But universities and colleges are uniquely placed to rise to that challenge: through the expertise of their staff, insights from their own students, and their ability to bring groups and other organisations together to tackle complex problems in partnership.
The Independent covers the launch of the projects.
Tory leadership contest
From Dods:
Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow has dismissed the idea that Parliament could be prorogued in order to force through a no-deal Brexit. The idea that Parliament could be dissolved by a new Prime Minister, so that MPs could not take any legislative steps to block no-deal, was touted by ERG members and gained attention when leadership contender Dominic Raab repeatedly refused to rule out pursuing it. The Speaker yesterday, however, told MPs that it was “simply not going to happen.”
10 have confirmed that the Commons will be sitting when the new Prime Minister is appointed at the end of July, amid concerns that Parliament could have entered summer recess before this happens which would mean that the new PM could avoid a potential no confidence vote.
Theresa May will resign as Conservative Party leader today, but will remain on as Prime Minister until her successor is appointed in late July.
Boris Johnson will launch a judicial review today to challenge the private prosecution against him for the alleged offence of misconduct in public office.
Sarah enjoyed this Spectator article on the Tory leadership contest.
Parties don’t get rid of their leaders unless things are going very badly. But this Tory crisis is different in scale and size to anything we have seen in recent decades. The question is not whether the Tories can win the next election, but whether they can survive.
The dire state that the Tories are in hasn’t put anyone off running to be leader, however. We suddenly have the most crowded field we have ever seen in a leadership race. Whoever wins will become prime minister without having to go through a general election. It’s quite a prize. Given the unpredictability of Tory contests and the frontrunners’ ability to destroy each other, everyone thinks they have a chance.
It divides the candidates into two categories: the ‘full-blooded Brexiteer’ and ‘compromising cabinet members’. Then it explains the four challenges the Conservative leadership will need to deliver on:
The Tory party is attempting to answer four different questions in this contest.
The first is who can best get Britain out of the EU. This will require not just an ability to find a way to extract concessions from a recalcitrant EU, but also an understanding of how to get Britain’s departure through parliament.
Secondly, the Tories are trying to work out who is best placed to take on Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage. Given the parliamentary numbers, the next election is likely to come sooner than 2022 and so the Tories need someone who can fight on two fronts simultaneously.
The next question is who can come up with a new domestic agenda. The failure of Theresa May’s attempt to reinvent the Tories as a Christian Democrat party has resulted in a vacuum where Tory domestic policy should be.
Finally, the Tories must ask themselves who could best do the job of being prime minister.
The problem for the party is no one candidate is the best answer to all four questions. The Tories will have to make trade-offs to decide which qualities they regard as the most important.
Apart from their views on Brexit, the candidates are trying to differentiate themselves on other policies too. We pick out a few of both here but of course there is much more. Two dropped out this week – James Cleverly and Kit Malthouse. Nominations (which now require 8 MPs rather than 2) open and close on Monday. The BBC list is here. The Express have their take here Politics.co.uk have a detailed analysis of their policies on Brexit. And the (Boris Johnson banking) Guido Fawkes shows the state of support amongst Tory MPs .
Matt Hancock has pledged to re-implement a form of student nurse bursary if he succeeds as PM. Huff post reports: he said that he would offer new cash support for mature student nurses, and those specialising in mental health and community work, in a bid to fill staff shortages. However, he is clear it is about nursing dearth areas: ensure…in the areas of shortage we have that sort of targeted support that’s needed – so not across the full nursing training spectrum. He continues: There’s a question of how you make sure the money we’ve got goes as far as possible. There’s an overall shortage of nursing. It isn’t as big as the headline vacancy figures suggest. But there are acute shortages, especially in some specific areas like mental health nurses, and community nursing. And: I want to make sure that the approach we take is to support and incentivise people into those areas where we’ve got shortages. He also intends to tackle big business care providers for whom profit is a key objective.
Michael Gove has said that if it “finally comes to a decision between no deal and no Brexit, I will choose no deal”. However, he would be willing to delay Brexit beyond the 31st October if a deal was in sight, stating it wouldn’t be right to ‘flounce’ out of the EU for a delay of mere weeks. Gove said that the deadline of 31 October was “arbitrary” and he was “not wedded” to it. That any delay would only be sought if a deal or breakthrough was on the horizon. This sets him against the other front runners, Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who have said that the UK will leave the 31 October under any circumstances.
Dominic Raab has repeatedly refused to rule out proroguing (discontinue) Parliament days before 31 October, which would in theory prevent Parliament from blocking a no-deal and see the UK crash out at midnight on the 31st. This move would be completely unprecedented, and arguably unconstitutional. Sky News, Lewis Goodall has said such a move would be “a hand grenade into our constitution” and leadership contender Rory Stewart has said “it would be illegal…it would be unconstitutional and it would be undemocratic.”
Sajid Javid has said he supports Jo Johnson’s amendment to the draft immigration legislation to change post-study visas to encourage international students. He is, after all, Home Secretary, and since his appointment has been less than enthusiastic about TM’s “hostile environment”, dealing with the fallout from the Windrush scandal amongst other things. The FT article says: “Mr Javid has already announced plans to axe the net migration target — which has never been met — if he becomes the next Conservative leader and is now also supporting the move to let students stay for longer after they finish at university. Mr Johnson has forced the pace on the issue, tabling an amendment to the government’s immigration bill — designed to implement a post-Brexit visa regime — which would take students out of the net migration target. …In 2012 Britain cut the time that students can work after graduating from two years to just four months, although the government this year recognised that the new regime was causing problems and agreed to raise the limit to six months.”
Rory Stewart says his competitors’ claims they could negotiate a new Brexit deal before 31 October are “misleading” and there is “not a hope” a new deal can by deadline.
Behind its paywall, the Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson plans to spend at least £5000 on every secondary school pupil to “level up” Britain’s education system.
Cost of housing hinders employment prospects
The Resolution Foundation has published: Moving Matters – Housing costs and labour market mobility. The briefing doesn’t focus on the HE sector but that are some interesting findings that could be transferable.
Nationally changing areas to move for new employment and housing purposes has fallen. Unexpectedly the rate has particularly dropped within the younger age groups. The report notes this is surprising because young people are more likely to be graduates, non-UK born and private renters than in the past, changes that should have increased rather than decreased moves made for work.
Because moving area isn’t essential to get a job – “the variation between the employment rates observed across local authorities has reduced over time” – so it is possible for young people to obtain some form of employment relatively locally. This is not ideal for graduate outcome statistics as earnings are expected to be lower, the job likely to be less specialised or relevant to the degree. It becomes a compromise option – once that can be difficult to recover from financially in their future career (see this Policy Update page 6 – impact of recession on graduates) .
Moving isn’t as lucrative as it once was – “the ‘pull’ of more buoyant areas has fallen apace.. the difference in the average ‘wage premium’ achieved as a result of such a move has fallen since the turn of the century.”
High housing costs negate the wage premium – “private rents have risen consistently faster in higher-paying areas of England. Rents have risen by almost 90% in the highest-paying 30% of local authorities over the past 20 years, compared to just over 70% among the 30% lowest paying places. As a result, not only has the earnings boost of moving to a more productive area diminished as a result of closing wage differentials; so, too, has the broader living standards uplift once housing costs are taken into account. So for the young graduate quality of housing and lifestyle may well go down as the quality high cost rents are prohibitive.
The report notes that job + housing mobility rate have fallen over time and the number of relocations moving to lower housing cost areas (47%) has increased 6% in the last 15 years. It also highlights a rise in commuting time – which costs the individual both in time and money.
With the evidence showing that efficiently matching with job opportunities is especially important for young people at the beginning of their working lives, the intergenerational implications of this briefing note are clear. While two of the reasons we identify that potentially explain the fall in job-plus-residence moves can be viewed as positive, our findings about the way that rising housing costs are determining the behaviour of younger renters in particular is a real cause for concern.
..the evidence is clear that the real boosts to earnings are achieved by moving jobs. Critically, taking a new post in a different firm has a larger pay uplift than simply being promoted within the same organisation, and moving to denser, more productive areas comes with an even bigger pay premium. We know that job mobility is especially important at the start of one’s working life, when progression depends on testing out new roles and developing new skills. Moreover, an agile workforce is generally viewed as good not just for the individuals concerned, but also for the economy as workers ‘match’ more efficiently with business requirements.
You can read the detail of the full report here.
Spending Review
With Teresa May stepping down as PM and the Tory leadership race galloping along the Spending Review will be delayed and likely to be finalised between autumn and Christmas 2019. Liz Truss MP (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) was questioned by the Lords on the Spending Review this week. this is very important to the Augar review, as the government response will be timed to come out with it.
Here are the most interesting snippets:
Truss confirmed the Spending Review preparatory work had ‘already began’ with the Treasury having ‘written to departments asking for initial capital bids, human capital submissions and reform proposals’.
Lord Turnbull (Crossbench) asked whether the spending review was likely to prioritise ongoing austerity measures and the reduction of the deficit, or whether spending might be increased or taxes increased. Truss replied that the priorities were likely to continue to be reducing the national debt and maintaining fiscal discipline. However, the main priority was economic growth, and therefore spending and tax reforms would be directed towards that goal.
Lord Layard asked for the Treasury’s response to the Augar Review. Truss responded that FE needed reform and that there had been ‘problems with funding’. The Augar Review would be considered within the Spending Review, she said, though given the amount of public subsidy to universities, which was higher than in other areas, better value for money was crucial. She went on to state that she supported the notion of students contributing towards their own education and was not in favour of capping student places.
In response the Chair (Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, Conservative) voiced concerns that universities and university placements were being judged too narrowly on their value pertaining to economic productivity and not enough on whether they produced good quality of life.
Degree Apprenticeships: The Augar Review, the Higher Education Commission, and budget concerns have all cast doubt on the effectiveness of degree apprenticeships during 2019. Concerns that it is not attracting the sections of the population who could benefit most from social mobility, that existing courses are being rebranded as degree apprenticeships to attract funding and are not truly in the spirit of the alternative route to higher qualification, that higher level provision is counter productively squeezing out lower level apprenticeship starts, that rurality and access remains an issue, and crucially that a high proportion of degree apprenticeship starts are not within areas that will help deliver the Government’s industrial strategy have all come to a head. This Wonkhe blog Post Augar, what will it take to reform degree apprenticeships? takes a gallop through the issues.
Gender employment gap: The BBC report on research which finds gender as the main factor in employment seniority, regardless of whether the female had children or not.
Soft power: It was good to hear Chris Skidmore publically acknowledge the importance of soft power through educating international students in answering a question on tuition grants for students living in Africa: Scholarships are a key part of the UK’s soft power, creating lasting positive relations with future leaders, influencers and decision-makers around the world. Many scholars funded by the UK go on to take up senior leadership positions in their home countries, and the strong bond they have formed with the UK enhances our direct and indirect influence abroad. This enhances our diplomatic work, our efforts in promoting increased trade and investment and supports our national security through increased goodwill and cooperation.
School absence policy debate: While it’s not strictly HE related the parents and carers among our readers might like to be aware of a Westminster Hall debate on school absences during term time. Here is the quick summary. Don’t go booking that term time holiday yet though!
HERA: The House of Lords approved a motion making ‘Uncontroversial’ amendments to the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) relating to the registration and exemption status of some HE providers. You can read a summary here. As you will see some parliamentarians seized on the opportunity to ask what effects the Augar Review would have on matters under discussion.
FE: Parliament have published The Further Education Loans and the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2019. There has been a new regulation inserted which allows the Secretary of State to cancel all or part of a (FE) fee loan in certain circumstances.
TEF: Chris Skidmore answered two parliamentary questions on the TEF. He said the independent TEF review lead by Dame Shirley Pearce is expected to report in summer 2019. Also that the second pilot year of subject level TEF is drawing to a close and the OfS will shortly publish the findings. Skidmore confirms Government will await Dame Shirley’s recommendations, and take account of the evidence from the subject-level TEF pilot, before making a decision on the next phase of the TEF.
Sustainability: Transport Minister, Michael Ellis, has announced the new EU-wide fuel labelling system rolling out from this week which identifies how much of the fuel the drivers are using comes from renewable sources. Here is the news story which simply explains the change, and here is the campaign link.
Tags: Arts and Humanities Augar review degree apprenticeships employment fees and funding Further Education Graduate Outcomes housing mental health Minister for Universities national politics Review of post-18 education social mobility spending review sustainability TEF widening participation
HE policy update for the w/e 31st May 2019
EU, international, NHS, policy, Student Engagement jforster
We’re going early again this week as we have a big focus on this week’s big report, and we’re sure you all want to know (although there is a lot of coverage). There is other news as well.
Augar recommendations for the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding
So finally, the long awaited report has landed. Either it changed quite a lot in the last few weeks (no minimum threshold based on 3 Ds at A-level) or the leaks were inaccurate. Actually the leaks were pretty inaccurate, because although the £7500 tuition fee loan cap is there, there are recommendations to make up the difference. And that part was very badly trailed, probably because the recommendations are not simple and don’t make an easy soundbite.
The commentary will be extensive and you can read it for yourselves, we’ll give you some links below and recipients of Wonkhe and the Research Professional HE updates will get more in the coming days. In the meantime:
there is an excellent summary thread from Mary Curnock-Cook on Twitter
UUK’s response is here, describing it as a potential “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, with a list of concerns, including the top up grants, but also foundation courses, the risk of confusion, narrow conceptions of value, restrictions on diversity and choice and the impact on social mobility
The NUS response welcomes much of it but rejects the premise of “low value” courses
Wonkhe start their coverage with a short summary (there will be more) – Jim Dickinson has a blog about the hidden nuggets
HEPI have a couple of blogs on widening participation and scoring the report out of 10 on the points that HEPI had made in their response to the call for evidence (Score: 6.5/9, one they couldn’t mark)
We think that there is a risk with summarising and cherry picking the “most interesting” bits so we give you the whole set of recommendations below – with a little bit of commentary in places. There’s some context and narrative first, so skip down to the big table if you want to go straight to the recommendations.
The report defines the purposes of post-18 education – nicely pulled out in a tweet by Mike Ratcliffe.
And the principles:
In setting about our task, we have been guided by a set of principles. Some of these were self-evident to us at the start, others have been developed in the light of emerging evidence during the panel’s life. The principles and their rationale are set out below.
Principle 1. Post-18 education benefits society, the economy, and individuals. The potential benefits of an increasingly educated adult population have guided our work. But increasing the sheer volume of tertiary education does not necessarily translate into social, economic and personal good. That depends on the quality, accessibility and direction of study.
Principle 2. Everyone should have the opportunity to be educated after the age of 18.We have noted the disparity of resources between higher and further education and the steep decline in opportunities for education and training in later life. We have this in mind in seeking to create an integrated and sustainable post-18 system with opportunities for the whole population.
Principle 3. The decline in numbers of those getting post-18 education needs to be reversed. In many developed economies, increased participation in tertiary education has been associated with productivity growth over the past half century but in England – where attention has focused largely on degree-level study – the total number of people involved in post-18 education has in fact declined. This decline needs to be reversed urgently.
Principle 4. The cost of post-18 education should be shared between taxpayers, employers and learners. This was the defining principle of the seminal Dearing Report (1997) and continues to have resonance: the alternatives are simply inconceivable. Getting the taxpayer to pay for everything is unaffordable. Getting learners to pay all their own costs is unfair to those of limited means. Getting employers to pay for the whole system would put too much emphasis on economic value alone. A shared responsibility, in our view, is the only fair and feasible solution.
Principle 5. Organisations providing education and training must be accountable for the public subsidy they receive. The receipt of taxpayer funding, whether this is directly through grants or indirectly through forgiveable loans, carries with it the expectation of transparency and accountability for the purposes to which it is put and the outcomes that it delivers. There should be no sense of entitlement.
Principle 6. Government has a responsibility to ensure that its investment in tertiary education is appropriately spent and directed. The government should consider public spending on tertiary education alongside its spending on other parts of the public sector and should hold the sector accountable whilst respecting its intellectual freedom and academic autonomy.
Principle 7. Post-18 education cannot be left entirely to market forces. The idea of a market in tertiary education has been a defining characteristic of English policy since 1998. We believe that competition between providers has an important role to play in creating choice for students but that on its own it cannot deliver a full spectrum of social, economic and cultural benefits. With no steer from government, the outcome is likely to be haphazard.
Principle 8. Post-18 education needs to be forward looking. The future challenges of technological innovation, artificial intelligence and shorter job cycles will require greater labour market flexibility. The post-18 education system needs to respond to this: doing more of the same will not be enough.
Here is the summary of the proposals from the front of the report itself:
Strengthening technical education – England needs a stronger technical and vocational education system at sub-degree levels to meet the structural skills shortages that are in all probability contributing to the UK’s weak productivity performance. Improved funding, a better maintenance offer, and a more coherent suite of higher technical and professional qualifications would help level the playing field with degrees and drive up both the supply of and demand for such courses.
Increasing opportunities for everyone – Despite the very large increase in participation in higher education by young people, the total number of people involved in tertiary education has declined. Almost 40 per cent of 25 year olds do not progress beyond GCSEs as their highest qualification and social mobility shows little sign of improvement. Our recommendations seek to address these problems by reversing cuts in adult skills provision and encouraging part time and later life learning.
Reforming and refunding the FE college network – Further education colleges are an essential part of the national educational infrastructure and should play a core role in the delivery of higher technical and intermediate level training. Our recommendations are intended to reform and refund the FE college network by means of an increased base rate of funding for high return courses, an additional £1bn capital investment over the coming spending review period and investment in the workforce to improve recruitment and retention. Rationalisation of the network to even out provision across over-supplied and under-supplied areas, funding for some specialised colleges and closer links with HE and other providers would help establish a genuinely national system of higher technical education.
Bearing down on low value HE – There is a misalignment at the margin between England’s otherwise outstanding system of higher education and the country’s economic requirements. A twenty-year market in lightly regulated higher education has greatly expanded the number of skilled graduates bringing considerable social and economic benefits and wider participation for students from lower socio-economic groups. However, for a small but significant minority of degree students doing certain courses at certain institutions, the university experience leads to disappointment. We make recommendations intended to encourage universities to bear down on low value degrees and to incentivise them to increase the provision of courses better aligned with the economy’s needs.
Addressing higher education funding – Generous and undirected funding has led to an over-supply of some courses at great cost to the taxpayer and a corresponding under-supply of graduates in strategically important sectors. Our recommendations would restore more control over taxpayer support and would reduce what universities may charge each degree student. Universities should find further efficiency savings over the coming years, maximum fees for students should be reduced to £7,500 a year, and more of the taxpayer funding should come through grants directed to disadvantaged students and to high value and high cost subjects. [see CHAPTER 3 and in particular 3.2 to 3.5 below]
Increasing flexibility and lifetime learning – Employment patterns are changing fast with shorter job cycles and longer working lives requiring many people to reskill and upskill. We recommend the introduction of a lifelong learning loan allowance to be used at higher technical and degree level at any stage of an adult’s career for full and part-time students. To encourage retraining and flexible learning, we recommend that this should be available in modules where required. We intend that our proposals should facilitate transfer between different institutions and we make proposals for greater investment in so-called ‘second chance’ learning at intermediate levels. We endorse the government’s National Retraining Scheme, which we believe to be a potentially valuable supplement to college based learning.
Supporting disadvantaged students – Disadvantaged students need better financial support, improved choices and more effective advice and guidance to benefit fully from post‑18 education. Our recommendations would provide them with additional support by reintroducing maintenance grants for students from low income households, and by increasing and better targeting the government’s funding for disadvantaged students.
Ensuring those who benefit from higher education contribute fairly – Most graduates benefit significantly from participating in higher education – as does the economy and wider society. We therefore endorse the established principle that students and the state should share the cost of tertiary education. We support the income-contingent repayment approach as a means of delivering this fairly, with those benefitting the most making the greatest contribution. However, public misunderstanding is high and better communication is required, including a new name, the Student Contribution System. We believe that more graduates should repay their loans in full over their lifetimes, and recommend extending the repayment period for future students and effectively freezing the repayment threshold. These changes – with the reduction in fees – would apply only to students entering higher education from 2021-22 at the earliest: students starting before then would not be affected. Some aspects of the present system appear to be unfairly punitive and we recommend reducing students’ in-study interest charges and capping graduates’ lifetime repayments.
Improving the apprenticeship offer – Apprenticeships can deliver benefits both for apprentices and employers but there is evidence of a mismatch between the economy’s strategic requirements and current apprenticeship starts. Our recommendations, together with recent government reforms, look to make further improvements in the quality of the apprenticeship offer by providing learners with better wage return information, strengthening Ofsted’s role – and thus the quality of providers – and better understanding and addressing the barriers SMEs face within the apprenticeship system. We have considered how best to use the finite funding which is available for apprenticeships and recommend that apprenticeships at degree level and above should normally be funded only for those who do not already have a publicly-funded degree.
And the actual recommendations are at the back:
CHAPTER 2: SKILLS
2.1 The government should introduce a single lifelong learning loan allowance for tuition loans at Levels 4, 5 and 6, available for adults aged 18 or over, without a publicly funded degree. This should be set, as it is now, as a financial amount equivalent to four years’ full-time undergraduate degree funding. [This will be widely welcomed but has the potential to be very expensive if these loans turn out to be written off at high levels over time – the hope will be that these courses will directly lead to improved earnings and so there will be a better chance of repayment?]
2.2 Learners should be able to access student finance for tuition fee and maintenance support for modules of credit-based Level 4, 5 and 6 qualifications. [“bitesize” learning will also be welcomed as a solution for mature students to replace traditional part-time study which has collapsed]
2.3 ELQ rules should be scrapped for those taking out loans for Levels 4, 5 and 6. [this will be widely welcomed]
2.4 Institutions should award at least one interim qualification to all students who are following a Level 6 course successfully. [this is interesting]
2.5 Streamline the number and improve the status of Level 4/5 qualifications.
2.6 The OfS should become the national regulator of all non-apprenticeship provision at Levels 4 and above.
2.7 Government should provide additional support and capital funding to specific FE colleges in order to ensure a national network of high quality technical provision is available. Government should work with the OfS to determine how best to allocate this using, for example, quality indicators and analysis of geographic coverage. [this will be welcomed although the targeting and the suggestions of metrics (a TEF for FE?) may not be so welcome]
2.8 From 2021-22 the fee cap for Level 4 and 5 qualifications currently prescribed by the OfS should be £7,500 – the same as that proposed for Level 6 qualifications and in line with current arrangements for prescribed HE qualifications. Longer term, only kitemarked Level 4 and 5 qualifications that meet the new employer-led national standards should be able to charge fees up to the Level 6 cap and be eligible for teaching grant. From that point, any other Level 4 and 5 courses should have a lower fee cap.
2.9 The current age cap should be removed so that a first ‘full’ Level 3 is available free to all learners whether they are in work or not.
2.10 Full funding for the first ‘full’ Level 2 qualification, for those who are 24 and over and who are employed should be restored.
2.11 The careers strategy should be rolled out nationally so that every secondary school is able to be part of a careers hub, that training is available to all careers leaders and that more young people have access to meaningful careers activities and encounters with employers.
CHAPTER 3: HIGHER EDUCATION
3.1 The average per-student resource should be frozen for three further years from 2020/21 until 2022/23. On current evidence, inflation based increases to the average per-student unit of resource should resume in 2023/24. [the interesting part here is not the freeze, as that was expected, but the proposal for an increase in 2023/24. See page 93 of the report – “We believe that the gradual effects of a funding freeze would give HEIs time to rise to the challenge of greater efficiency and redesigned business models, whilst maintaining the quality of provision. However on current evidence we believe that attempts to generate further savings over this proposed funding freeze would jeopardise the quality of provision”.
3.2 The cap on the fee chargeable to HE students should be reduced to £7,500 per year. We consider that this could be introduced by 2021/22. [so no cliff edge this year, may affect student numbers next year as some defer. They say on page 210 that ALL policies embed in 2021/22 for new students so although it isn’t clear in the section, this would be for new students only. Also worth noting on page 205 they note that actually students may not be better off under the current scheme in the long run because of changes to repayments (see below) – but explaining that to students (and parents) will be a nightmare – the headline reduction will be what many people see]
3.3 Government should replace in full the lost fee income by increasing the teaching grant, leaving the average unit of funding unchanged at sector level in cash terms. [page 95 “We firmly believe that the total reduction in resources from the fee cut must be matched with an equivalent increase in average per student grant funding from the government, so that the average per student resource to the sector stays level in cash terms]
3.4 The fee cap should be frozen until 2022/23, then increased in line with inflation from 2023/24. [see 3.1 above]
3.5 Government should adjust the teaching grant attached to each subject to reflect more accurately the subject’s reasonable costs and its social and economic value to students and taxpayers. Support for high-quality specialist institutions that could be adversely affected should be reviewed and if necessary increased.
[The link to cost was well trailed in the press, but the Secretary of State focussed on the part about social and economic value to students and taxpayers – actually the report covers both. This is worth looking at in more detail – page 95/96 says that the current “system under-funds certain high cost subjects to the detriment of the economy in general and the government’s Industrial Strategy“, that “the current long-term taxpayer subsidy is poorly directed” and that “Government currently has very limited control over the substantial taxpayer investment in higher education”.
There is more detail of the analysis that they did on page 72.
They propose that the OfS should carry out a review of the funding rates for different subjects, having “regard to economic and social value and consider support for socially desirable professions such as nursing and teaching”, and then rebalance funding towards high cost and strategically important subjects and to subjects that add social as well as economic value”.
They go on: “we would expect some subjects to receive little or no subject specific teaching grant over the £7500 base rate” – and this is where they add in about specialist institutions offering the highest quality provision.
This is really interesting stuff – but it is not at all clear how this would work and how economic and social value would be evaluated. Anyone thinking that the debate over use of raw salary data in this process might be answered one way or the other by Augar will be sadly disappointed – the issue is put firmly into the hands of the OfS. See also pages 104 and 105 for the things they rejected
Critics of using LEO in this context will like this bit on page 87: ““Limitations of the IFS early-career earnings analysis….
The data do not distinguish between full and part-time work, which is likely to affect comparisons of earnings between men and women, and they also do not cover the self-employed.
The results we discuss are for earnings up to the age of 29 whereas the principal benefit in earnings for graduates tends to arrive in the following decade and thus we would expect full lifetime earnings for most graduates to generate higher premiums than those shown.
However, the current data excludes the cost of foregone earnings during study and loan repayments after graduation which need to be taken into account for a full assessment of lifetime returns.
Earnings are largely a product of the labour market for particular skills and qualifications and should not be regarded as a measure of teaching quality. They also vary according to location: a graduate working in an economic cold spot is likely to earn less than her or his counterpart working in a hot spot.
However, if analysed with care, the data provide an insight into the early career financial consequences of degree study and will be a useful source of information for students, government and HEIs alike.”]
3.6 Government should take further steps to ensure disadvantaged students have sufficient support to access, participate and succeed in higher education. It should do this by:
Increasing the amount of teaching grant funding that follows disadvantaged students, so that funding flows to those institutions educating the students that are most likely to need additional support.
Changing the measure of disadvantage used in the Student Premium to capture individual-level socio-economic disadvantage, so that funding closely follows the students who need support.
Requiring providers to be accountable for their use of Student Premium grant, alongside access and participation plans for the spend of tuition fee income, to enable joined up scrutiny.
[Page 97 says that the current system prioritises access over successful participation, “fails to resource adequately those institutions that admit a large proportion of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds, relies on too limited an evidence base of what works best”. They want to “discard measures or prior academic attainment and area-based measures of participation” (goodbye POLAR) and look at individual measures of socio-economic disadvantage to ensure that support is better directed. They want a pupil premium style minimum sum for each student. They also say that all the other changes should not mean a cut in the overall levels of spend on disadvantaged students.]
3.7 Unless the sector has moved to address the problem of recruitment to courses which have poor retention, poor graduate employability and poor long term earnings benefits by 2022/23, the government should intervene. This intervention should take the form of a contextualised minimum entry threshold, a selective numbers cap or a combination of both.
[Here’s a threat, then. So 3Ds are not dead (see page 100 for the research), and neither are numbers caps. But imposed on a course by course basis for students that “persistently manifest poor value for money for students and the public”. They mention indicators such as employment, earnings and loan repayments. They suggest the caps would be time limited – capping the numbers of students eligible for financial support who could be admitted to the course” (see page 102).
So three years for the sector “to put its house in order”. That gives the government time to sort our technical alternatives and the impact would be offset but the uptick in demographics from 2021.]
3.8 We recommend withdrawing financial support for foundation years attached to degree courses after an appropriate notice period. Exemptions for specific courses such as medicine may be granted by the OfS. [People are asking questions about this – it’s odd at first glance. They say (page 103) that “it is not hard to conclude that universities are using foundation years to create four-year degrees in order to entice students who do not otherwise meet their standard entry criteria”. But is that a bad thing? The report concludes that it is a bad thing because of the fee and loan implications, and so it would be better to have access courses (usually in partnership with FE) on lower fees, better loan terms and a standalone qualification. They say have a two year delay on implementing this recommendation]
CHAPTER 4: FURTHER EDUCATION
4.1 The unit funding rate for economically valuable adult education courses should be increased. [no-one will disagree but it will be expensive. There’s a chart on page 124 which suggests what they mean by “economically valuable”. It means higher level courses, it seems]
4.2 The reduction in the core funding rate for 18 year-olds should be reversed.
4.3 ESFA funding rules should be simplified for FE colleges, allowing colleges to respond more flexibly and immediately to the particular needs of their local labour market.
4.4 Government should commit to providing an indicative AEB that enables individual FE colleges to plan on the basis of income over a three-year period. Government should also explore introducing additional flexibility to transfer a proportion of AEB allocations between years on the same basis.
4.5.1 Government should provide FE colleges with a dedicated capital investment of at least £1 billion over the next Spending Review period. This should be in addition to funding for T levels and should be allocated primarily on a strategic national basis in-line with Industrial Strategy priorities.
4.5.2 Government should use the additional capital funding primarily to augment existing FE colleges to create a strong national network of high quality provision of technical and professional education, including growing capacity for higher technical provision in specific FE colleges.
4.5.3 Government should also consider redirecting the HE capital grant to further education. [that’s interesting – they suggest that £1billion needs to be invested.]
4.6.1 The structure of the FE college network, particularly in large cities, should be further modified to minimise duplication in reasonable travel to learn areas.
4.6.2 In rural and semi-rural areas, small FE colleges should be strongly encouraged to form or join groups in order to ensure sustainable quality provision in the long term. [consistent with the pressure on schools and academies to combine]
4.7 Government should develop procedures to ensure that – as part of a collaborative national network of FE colleges – there is an efficient distribution of Level 3, 4 and 5 provision within reasonable travel-to-learn areas, to enable strategic investment and avoid counterproductive competition between providers.
4.8 Investment in the FE workforce should be a priority, allowing improvements in recruitment and retention, drawing in more expertise from industry, and strengthening professional development.
4.9 The panel recommends that government improve data collection, collation, analysis and publication across the whole further education sector (including independent training providers). [As noted above, perhaps an equivalent of TEF for FE and all the other related metrics – on top of Ofsted requirements where they apply. They compare this critically with schools as well as HE (see page 137)]
4.10 The OfS and the ESFA should establish a joint working party co-chaired by the OfS and ESFA chairs to align the requirements they place on providers and improve the interactions and exchange of information between these bodies. The working party should report to the Secretary of State for Education by March 2020. [These will be interesting interactions. The OfS is meant to be “light-touch” and “risk-based”, remember. But it would be good to see them take a more similar approach – as universities registering with the ESFA to provide apprenticeships are aware, the requirements are different]
4.11 FE colleges should be more clearly distinguished from other types of training provider in the FE sector with a protected title similar to that conferred on universities.
CHAPTER 5: APPRENTICESHIPS
5.1 The government should monitor closely the extent to which apprenticeship take up reflects the priorities of the Industrial Strategy, both in content – including the need for specific skills at Levels 3 through 5 – and in geographic spread. If funding is inadequate for demand, apprenticeships should be prioritised in line with Industrial Strategy requirements.
5.2 The government should use data on apprenticeships wage returns to provide accessible system wide information for learners with a potential interest in apprenticeships.
5.3 Funding for Level 6 and above apprenticeships should normally be available only for apprentices who have not previously undertaken a publicly-supported degree. [ELQ by the back door?]
5.4 Ofsted become the lead responsible body for the inspection of the quality of apprenticeships at all levels.
5.5 No provider without an acceptable Ofsted rating should receive a contract to deliver training in their own right (although a provider who has not yet been inspected could sub-contract from a high-quality provider pending their own inspection).
5.6 The IfATE and the DfE (through the ESFA) should undertake a programme of work to better understand the barriers that SMEs face in engaging with the apprenticeship system and put in place mechanisms to address these, including raising awareness of the programme and making the system easier to navigate.
5.7 The IfATE improve transparency when processing standards that have been submitted for approval. Trailblazer groups and providers should have a clear indication of progress, available on-line, so they can start to plan, recruit and invest within workable timelines.
5.8 All approved providers of government-funded training, including apprenticeship training, must make clear provision for the protection of learners in the case of closure or insolvency.
CHAPTER 6: STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS
6.1 Continue the principle of loans to cover the cost of fees combined with income-contingent contributions up to a maximum. [NB they have not looked at PG loans – see page 166]
6.2 Set the contribution threshold at the level of median non-graduate earnings so that those who are experiencing a financial benefit from HE start contributing towards the cost of their studies. This should apply to new students entering HE from 2021/22.Adjust the lower interest threshold to match, with the higher interest threshold moving by the same amount. This should apply to new students entering the system from 2021/22. [That’s a reduction from £25,000 to £23,000 at current rates. Note it went up to £25,000 from £21,000 in 2018 in a hasty attempt by the PM to appeal to the “youth vote” in a move welcomed by many (because the promised indexation for the threshold was abandoned) but also said to be regressive (because it reduced the total amount repaid by the highest earners). The proposal is that it should be a floating threshold, linked to median earnings, and not implemented until 2021/22, so they expect it would be £25,000 then and when the first cohort of students start repaying it would be around £28,000 (see page 170)]
6.3 Extend the repayment period to 40 years after study has ended so that those who have borrowed continue to contribute while they are experiencing a financial benefit. This should apply to new students entering the system from 2021/22. [This is the big change and is why the main headline fee cut does not save many students much overall]
6.4 Remove real in-study interest, so that loan balances track inflation during study. This should apply for new students entering the system from 2021/22. [This is a tweak, but an important one, because this is one of those optical things that makes students really cross, as they incur interest at 3% plus inflation while studying. A student on a maximum maintenance loan incurs £3800 in interest while studying on a three year course (see page 172)]
6.5 Retain the post-study variable interest rate mechanism from inflation to inflation plus 3 per cent. [Many have called for this to be scrapped but the report thinks that’s a trade-off not worth making. They also don’t adopt the arguments about moving away from RPI to CPI – some will be disappointed]
6.6 Introduce a new protection for borrowers to cap lifetime repayments at 1.2 times the initial loan amount in real terms. This cap should be introduced for all current Plan 2 borrowers, as well for all future borrowers. [This hasn’t been much covered in the press coverage so far – but it is interesting. It addresses the “squeezed middle” who pay back more slowly and thus pay back more than the highest earners. As the 40 year period makes that problem worse, this is a mitigation for it (see pages 174/5)]
6.7 Introduce new finance terms under the banner of a new ‘student contribution system’. Define and promote the system with new language to make clearer the nature of the system, reducing focus on ‘debt’ levels and interest and emphasising contribution rates. [Hurray, the rebranding. Widely anticipated although it will take a mammoth effort to change national cultural expectations on this after everyone from the PM down has banged on about student debt. This is a huge job.]
CHAPTER 7: MAINTENANCE
7.1 The government should restore maintenance grants for socio-economically disadvantaged students to at least £3,000 a year.
[This is really interesting, has been widely welcomed including by the PM who has taken the credit for it and blamed George Osborne and Sajid Javid for a mistake” in her statement this morning. The report says that this is a particular problem because of the assumption of parental support and that it impacts the choices that disadvantaged students make. But…is £3000 enough? The report says (page 192 “Combined with the reduction in the level of tuition fee recommended in chapter 3, this recommendation would see the maximum debt for a disadvantaged student on graduation from a 3 year degree decrease by £15,000, from approximately £60,000 to approximately £45,000”. They looked at the Welsh system and said it was not a priority for investment to make such a significant (and expensive) change).
7.2 The expected parental contribution should be made explicit in all official descriptions of the student maintenance support system. [Yes, alongside the other comms challenges, this is a big and important one.]
7.3 Maximum maintenance support should be set in line with the National Minimum Wage for age 21 to 24 on the basis of 37.5 hours per week and 30 weeks per year. [That’s a small cut outside London “We do not believe that students, who in practice are often studying for less than 37.5 hours, should receive a higher income than the minimum received by young people in full-time employment” (see page 193)]
7.4 In delivering a maintenance system comprising a mix of grant, loan and family contribution, the government should ensure that:
The level of grant is set as high as possible to minimise or eliminate the amount of additional loan required by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The income thresholds within the system should be increased in line with inflation each year.
7.5 The new post-18 maintenance support package should be provided for all students taking Level 4 to 6 qualifications. The government should take steps to ensure that qualifications which are supported through the maintenance package are of high quality and deliver returns for the individual, society, economy and taxpayer.
7.6 The OfS should examine the cost of student accommodation more closely and work with students and providers to improve the quality and consistency of data about costs, rents, profits and quality.
[Interesting comments on page 196:
“We believe that HEIs retain a responsibility for overall student welfare and delivering value for money and that this extends to university accommodation, whether or not they are the direct provider.”
And “The public subsidy of student maintenance, much of which is spent on accommodation, gives the OfS a legitimate stake in monitoring the provision of student accommodation in terms of costs, rents, profitability and value for money”
Also “We suggest a detailed study of the characteristics and in-study experience of commuter students and how to support them better.”(page 195)]
7.7 Funding available for bursaries should increase to accommodate the likely growth in Level 2 and Level 3 adult learners.
7.8 The support on offer to Level 2 and Level 3 learners should be made clearer by both the government and further education colleges so as to ensure that prospective learners are aware of the support available to them.
There are also other bits that are not reflected in the many, many recommendations but may be seized on by Ministers and others. In the section on Market Competition, page 78, the report says that “‘post-18 education cannot be left entirely to market forces’.81 We have already established that England’s market in HE has produced substantial social, economic and personal benefits but have noted that price competition has not developed as was originally expected. This is rational behaviour in a market where price is taken as a signal of quality.”
It goes on:
“It is of concern to us that these marketing approaches sometimes include cash and in-kind inducements to prospective students to accept a place. It would be an unacceptable use of public funds for universities to recycle tuition fees, funded by state-subsidised income contingent loans, as gifts over which the state has no recourse. A recent study for Universities UK found “… perceptions that universities are becoming more like commercial businesses, driven by profit” and we would not be surprised if over-enthusiastic marketing had contributed to this perception. We further note three aspects of academic practice that could be interpreted as being a consequence of market competition.
Grade inflation. The growth in the proportion of first and upper second-class degrees awarded (see box) has been too great to suggest plausibly that it can be entirely attributed to a genuine improvement in the quality of students’ academic performance. It is not unreasonable to assume that part of the explanation is that academic assessment has become a means of reputational enhancement, albeit how this has happened is unclear.84 We note the intervention in March 2018 on this matter by the Secretary of State for Education.
Lower entry requirements. An increasing proportion of students with lower prior attainment are now attending university. We welcome this but not at any price. Low prior attainment, measured by A level and BTEC grades, is associated with dropping out from university studies, to the financial and often emotional cost of the student. From the 2016/17 cohort, as many as 12.8 per cent of students with UCAS tariff points between 0 and 100 (equivalent to D and E at A-level in the old tariff scheme), and 11.6 per cent of students with BTECs at any level, did not progress past their first year of a degree. This is about double the 6.3 per cent drop out rate for students as a whole. For the lowest attaining BTEC students the drop-out rates are well above 15 per cent. At fourteen UK universities, projections of the number of students likely to obtain a degree is below 70 per cent; the lowest has a degree projection rate of 51.7 per cent with 28.1 per cent of its students dropping out entirely rather than transferring or obtaining another award such as a Level 4 or Level 5 qualification.
Unconditional offers. Responsibly used, unconditional offers can have benefits, particularly in attracting students from disadvantaged backgrounds – but the emphasis has to be on ‘responsible’. We agree with the OfS that “Universities must not resort to pressure selling tactics in promoting unconditional offers”87 and we note the intervention in April 2018 on this matter by the Secretary of State for Education.
They don’t have a recommendation in this area, but they do use these examples as justification for why the system needs to change – and government given back more control through grants and targeting of funding.
There’s also a kick at TEF: “the use of metrics in the TEF process must be robust and command confidence. The Royal Statistical Society has raised concerns about the statistical validity of the current approach and the risk of the system being “gamed”.72 We await the outcome of the on-going independent review of the TEF, led by Dame Shirley Pearce, which is examining this and other issues.” It is really interesting to think about what, given this, they think will be the basis for their cost and value-based assessment for the top-up funding. They manage not to suggest anything. All they say about it is on page 75: “We expect this assessment to be contested within the sector. Typically, it has been resistant to measures of performance based on inputs (contact hours), outputs (student satisfaction) and outcomes (graduate salaries). There are undoubtedly weaknesses in all of these metrics, including the TEF framework which brings them together, but they give universities important information about their own performance and we encourage the sector to use them constructively.”
And what of employers? When interviewed during the process, Philip Augar made a lot of the role of employers in the system. In the opening principles, Principle 4 is “the cost of post-18 education should be shared between taxpayers, employers and learners”. But there is nothing new here for FE, lots of references to employers working with FE, and of course the apprenticeship levy.
They also address the unintended consequences in terms of the cross-subsidy for research funding (see page 93): “Universities in the UK educate the graduates, especially in STEM fields, needed to achieve this target. Our proposals on rebalancing funding towards high‑cost and high‑value subjects, discussed below, are intended to encourage this and are likely to result in more funding going to institutions with a strong research base. We also make recommendations to protect high quality specialist institutions. We recognise that there will be concerns about the impact of the resource freeze on some institutions with pockets of research excellence. We are of the view that it is for government, business and other interested bodies to fund research adequately and directly.”
So what now? The coverage will be excited and excitable. Justine Greening has already condemned the whole thing as regressive and called for a radical new student contribution system. But will a new leader of the Tory party take it up? Will it get lost in party politics and Brexit? Will it be too unattractive in terms of cost (remember the spending review) and not attractive enough in terms of attracting voters (young and older)?. They have costed it all (page 204).
We’ll just have to wait and see. But the main thing is that, despite several menacing bits, when taken as a whole it is not the nightmare scenario for HE that some were predicting, but neither is it a silver bullet. It’s complex, subtle and intended to work as a package – if existing or new leaders start cherry picking, there is plenty of potential for the nightmare to materialise. And the OfS have a LOT of work to do.
At a speech launching the review, Theresa May said: “I was not surprised to see the panel argue for the reintroduction of means-tested maintenance grants both for university students and those studying for higher technical qualifications. Such a move would ensure students are supported whichever route they choose, and save those from the poorest backgrounds over £9,000. It will be up to the Government to decide, at the upcoming Spending Review, whether to follow this recommendation. But my view is very clear: removing maintenance grants from the least well-off students has not worked, and I believe it is time to bring them back.”
On reforming tuition fees, she argued: “There is much to be said for the panel’s proposal to cut fees and top up the money from Government, protecting the sector’s income overall but focussing more of that investment on high-quality and high-value courses. I know there are some, including the Labour Opposition, who will reject this finding because they want to abolish fees altogether. Such a move would be regressive and destructive – hurting our institutions and limiting the opportunities for our young people.”
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner commented: “The report alone does nothing to address the burning injustices facing our education system. With no formal Government response, no extra funding and no guarantee that the recommendations will be implemented by her successor the Augar review epitomises May’s legacy as Prime Minister and this shambolic Tory government – all talk, empty promises and very little action.”
Speaking on LBC earlier, Chancellor Philip Hammond warned: “We won’t be able to prioritise every area. If we want to be able to spend some of that fiscal headroom that I have accumulated, we first have to get the Brexit issue resolved.”
By the way, as well as the report, there is a whole lot of supporting material including the outcomes of the call for evidence that informed the review. Some nuggets:
For student finance, more than half of students responding thought fees should be reduced or abolished. There was a mix of views from providers over whether the fees charged to students at present covered the cost of courses, with views further split about the advantages and disadvantages of applying differential fees for different subjects and how this might work. Student loans were seen by many as burdensome and off-putting, in particular for part-time and mature students. Many respondents suggested that means-tested maintenance grants should be reintroduced.
Respondents and respondent groups had a range of views of what constituted value for money in post-18 education including student experience, employability and commercial terms, as well as the wider benefits to society. Some questioned the need for the concept. HE providers and HE employees tended to favour value in terms of student experience and qualifications achieved, whereas students and graduates valued employability and the earnings advantage of a degree, seen as a return on their investment.
Overall employability was perceived as the most important measure of value for money, followed by value to society and the student experience.
Value for money was considered to be improved either if the cost of education to students is reduced, or if the quality of education and its contribution to the economy and to society is increased.
Respondents identified financial barriers as the most common difficulty for disadvantaged students, including debt (both real and the prospect of it), covering costs out of term time and inadequate maintenance support.
And the Tory leadership contest?
New potential candidates are joining the fray all the time. There are so many it is hard to work out what they all stand for. The whittling down process can’t start until after 10th June. Until then we will have to put up with remarkably similar soundbites and some startling announcements as they try to be distinctive. 11 (or 12, or more) views to canvas on every issue that comes up from Augar to football to British Steel. Oh dear.
This internal squabble really matters – because whoever it is, is going to try and sort out Brexit and nothing else will get done until they do. The solution might be trying to create a cross party consensus to pass the Withdrawal Agreement legislation and leave with the PM’s deal in October (seems vanishingly unlikely). Or by going back to Brussels with a backstop unicorn and trying to renegotiate (surely even more unlikely than it was when Parlaiment voted on it). Or throwing the whole thing up in the air and asking for a long extension for a people’s vote (exceptionally unlikely because any candidate who would go for this will surely not be selected unless they are the last person standing). Or going for a no-deal Brexit by default, with no legislation if Parliament won’t play ball – surely very unlikely indeed given that this is the only thing Parliamnet agrees on. Any hint of this would surely spark another Letwin-style rebellion enabled by the Speaker (leading to what, though – there’s no time. And surely the EU wouldn’t grant an extension in these circumstances). The timing is critical, because the summer recess takes Parliament to the middle of September, unless they come back early.
And it may all be irrelevant. If the new leader faces a vote of no confidence fairly early on, and is someone that enough Tories can’t work with (whichever approach they are taking), will enough rebels back it and force a general election? Then surely the EU would grant an extension. And all bets would be off, although it seems pretty likely that a general election would lead to another hung Parliament, probably very hung indeed, with a fair number of MPs for the Brexit Party (unless the new Tory leader wins them over) and more Lib Dems and Greens. So then it would all be about coalitions. Tricky.
So who could it be? The BBC have a list although Philip Hammond hasn’t ruled himself out and isn’t on the list yet. There are some predictions and some more details on The Week here
EU student fees and finance after Brexit
After the recent storm when it was pointed out that EU students would at some point after Brexit stop being eligible for tuition fee loans and “Home” fee status, Chris Skidmore this week confirmed that the current arrangements would continue for students starting courses in 2020-21, continuing the “one year at a time” approach that has been adopted since the EU referendum.
Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said: We know that students will be considering their university options for next year already, which is why we are confirming now that eligible EU nationals will continue to benefit from home fee status and can access financial support for the 20/21 academic year, so they have the certainty they need to make their choice.”
“Work to determine the future fee status for new EU students after the 2020/21 academic year is ongoing as the Government prepares for a smooth and orderly exit from the EU as soon as possible. The Government will provide sufficient notice for prospective EU students on fee arrangements ahead of the 2021/2022 academic year and subsequent years in future.”
Tags: apprenticeships Augar review Brexit elections employability EU students Further Education Graduate Outcomes living costs maintenance grants metrics Review of post-18 education skills social mobility TEF tuition fees widening participation
HE policy update for the w/e 10th May 2019
Doctoral College, ECR Network, EU, Fusion, Impact, Industry collaboration, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, policy, Research Concordat, Research news jforster
The Universities Minister, has delivered the first in a series of four planned speeches on how the UK can best achieve its ambition to invest 2.4% of GDP in R&D by 2027. It was a surprising speech in some ways, short on announcements, although there were some, and long on wishful thinking. We’ve pulled out some bits below. For a healthy dose of cynicism/realism we recommend the annotated version by HE for Research Professional.
Investment – To achieve our target of 2.4%, total UK R&D investment would need to rise to around £60bn in today’s money. More than double our current investment levels. This would require us to have invested an additional sum of over £80bn cumulatively each year from 2017 across the public and private sectors.
People – It doesn’t matter how much money we pump into R&D over the years ahead, it won’t make the intended difference if we don’t have the right people in place. Ensuring a strong pipeline of talent will be essential for bolstering the UK’s research prowess. We are also going to have to substantially increase the numbers of people we have working in R&D in the same period – perhaps by as much as 50%. To put that in figures, that means we need to find at least another 260,000 researchers to work in R&D across universities, across business and across industry.
International staff and students – We are making it easier for international graduates to move into skilled work. International students studying for undergraduate level and above will be able to apply for a visa three months before their course finishes – enabling them to take up skilled work after their degree. They will also be able to apply for a skilled work visa out-of-country under the same preferential conditions as they would experience if they were to apply for a visa in-country. In addition, a reformed sponsorship system will provide a simplified and more streamlined system. This will be less burdensome for employers and will enable businesses to harness the talent they need more easily. We set out a clear ambition in our International Education Strategy earlier this spring: to grow the numbers of international students studying in UK universities to 600,000 by the end of the next decade.
Our current research culture relies on dominant power structures, where doctoral candidates and post-docs are largely dependent on supervisors or PIs for references and progression. This puts the power firmly in other people’s hands. Is it any wonder, then, that less than half of doctoral researchers report they would be likely to disclose any mental health and wellbeing issues to their supervisors? This closed culture urgently needs to change. So, I hope future joint work by the Office for Students (OfS) and Research England into the mental health and wellbeing of doctoral researchers can identify good practice to take forward in this area.
….the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, first launched in 2008. …I am pleased that an independent review of the Concordat has just taken place to ensure it is up-to-date to meet the needs of today’s researchers. And I look forward to seeing the revised version of the Concordat when it is published later this summer. As Universities and Science Minister, I am serious about taking the Concordat forward. And I am pleased to be hosting a high-level meeting with the Chair of the Concordat Strategy Group, Professor Julia Buckingham. Alongside Sir Patrick Vallance and other key sector leaders, to discuss how we can further improve research careers in the UK.
I also encourage the OfS, Research England, and UKRI as a whole to look more widely at how the implementation of current policies affect researchers on the ground. The three higher education excellence frameworks – namely the REF, TEF and the KEF – are all integral to the way we govern and fund higher education, science, research and innovation. But we need to make sure they are not disproportionately affecting early career researchers and putting extra strains on their work. The recent headlines about universities spending around £87m on non-disclosure agreements since 2017 doesn’t help us to project an image of a sector that cares for its employees.
Academia in industry
For too long, there has been a stigma in this country around pursuing non-academic research careers. So, we should never look down on early career researchers if they opt for a career outside academia. Rather, we should actively encourage our PhDs and post-docs to see the merits of pursuing an R&D career in other sectors and industries. For one, we need to stop talking about jobs outside academia as being ‘second choice careers’ or ‘Plan B options’. For our 2.4% target to work, we need people to be actively considering research careers across the entire science and innovation system.
So, isn’t it high time we start to better connect graduates with the evident skills gaps we are experiencing right across our labour market? Yet, this isn’t going to be easy when many of their main role models inside universities know very little about careers in industry. And are themselves either unaware or unconvinced of the strength of research positions outside academia. There are schemes that aim to address this issue – such as the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Visiting Professors scheme. This funds senior industry practitioners to participate in course development, face-to-face teaching and the mentoring of Engineering undergraduates at a host university. It is a great programme, but it is not widespread practice. The difficulties aren’t just on the side of universities. Some employers are unused to recruiting PhDs and don’t fully understand the benefits that those with higher academic qualifications can bring to their workforce. I think of this as the ‘graduate paradox’ – the higher the academic qualifications you have, the less professionally qualified you may seem. This, I feel, is a particular UK problem we need to address.
Gaps – We still have some way to go to eradicate gender pay gaps in the sector and increase the proportion of women in academic and research leadership. Not to mention the number of Black and Ethnic Minority role models that will inspire others and show them a research career can really be for people like them.
Additional points:
The 41 winners of the first ever Future Leaders Fellowships have been announced. The fellowships aim to develop early career researchers who will become world-leaders in their fields, intending for their research to maintain the UK’s reputation for being at the forefront of science and innovation. The winners share £40 million, with the scheme costing £900 million over 3 years. The projects funded include using cloud computing to monitor changes of all glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic and how children’s adventurous play can lower levels of anxiety in young people.
First call for the new Stephen Hawking Fellowships issued. Working with the Hawking family, UKRI will support up to 50 postdoctoral scientists in theoretical physics over the next five years.
Italian Partnership – Research England have announced their partnership with the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems, ANVUR, which will support research assessment and the evaluation of knowledge exchange in English and Italian universities. David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England commented: “ANVUR is at the leading edge in the international landscape of knowledge transfer assessment and it was very helpful to discuss Italy’s research evaluation.”
Master’s Loans
The DfE have published the Postgraduate Master’s Loan evaluation. The Master’s Degree Loan Scheme was launched by the Government in June 2016, and was the first time that Government provided finance to contribute to costs for postgraduate master’s study. The aims of the loan were to:
Increase take up of master’s courses
Enable progression onto master’s courses for those who could not afford to self-finance or would have to delay starting to save up for a master’s course
Improve the supply of highly skilled individuals to the UK economy
The evaluation follows up the first cohort of master’s students who started in 2016/17 with the new loan and found positive outcomes.
Data from the HESA Student Record shows that there was a substantial increase in the overall number of Master’s students enrolling at English HEIs. This growth was driven by a 36% increase in enrolments from England-domiciled loan eligible students. (However, these figures may be overinflated as 2015/16 master’s students may have deferred starting their study a year to benefit from the loan in the following year. The report notes BAME students were particularly likely to do this with 61% reporting they deferred entry specifically for this reason.)
Most HEIs interviewed (75%) said the number of enrolments from students onto courses eligible for postgraduate loans increased in 2016/17. Among those which reported an increase in numbers, the majority (84%) attributed this at least in part to the introduction of the Master’s Loan.
Students themselves confirmed the importance of the Loan in enabling them to study. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of students starting their course in 2016/17 felt that they would have been unable to undertake their specific Master’s course without the Master’s Loan, while around a third (36%) agreed that they would “never even thought about studying a Master’s” if the Master’s loan had not been available.
While there were no substantial changes to the age or gender profile of students, the proportion of Black students increased substantially between 2015/16 and 2016/17 (but see above).
Quicker – Analysis of the HESA student record indicates a trend towards a greater proportion of full-time study. While the proportion of loan-eligible England-domiciled students studying full-time remained relatively constant in the period prior to the introduction of the loan (at 54-56%), this proportion increased to 62% in 2016/17.
Sooner – 90% of master’s loan recipients “agreed that the Master’s Loan had enabled 14 them to begin postgraduate study sooner”. Students in receipt of the Loan were more likely to have progressed from undergraduate to postgraduate study within a year (48%) than those not in receipt of the Loan (23%). The main reason for this given by students in the qualitative interviews was that without the Master’s Loan, they would have had to spend several years building their savings in order to afford it
Students in receipt of the Loan were more likely to say that their main reason for studying was to improve their employment prospects (20% compared with 12% of those not in receipt of the Loan). Prior to loan introduction (2013/14 cohort) more stated their main motivation was interest in the subject.
Almost all students (94%) expected to receive at least one benefit as a result of their programme, five years after completing their study. 74% believed they would be earning more money, and a similar proportion (73%) expected to have more job choices. Being in a more senior role and being in a more specialist role were each mentioned by 70% of students, and 68% anticipated they would be in a higher pay band.
There was no change in the proportion receiving either funding from their HEI or funding from their employer to pay for tuition fees. Hence, so far, there is no indication of the Master’s Loan ‘crowding out’ other sources of funding.
70% of Master’s starters in 2016/17 also worked (35% FT, 35% PT) – it was only 58% that worked in 2013/14. The evaluation notes a higher proportion of starters in 2016/17 funded all or part of their tuition fees through employment than the comparator group of 2013/14. 52% of students stated that without the loan for their living expenses or fees they may not have been able to undertake the course. However, 46% would have self-funded or found other methods to fund their course leading to questions on whether the loan is providing funding for those who could have afforded the course anyway.
Interestingly (messages for UG differential fees perhaps?) were that 41% of loan students would have changed their study to afford a masters (a) 25% choosing a cheaper course, (b) 19% choosing a different course, (c) 22% choose same course but at a different institution. BAME students were most likely (33%) to change their plans.
The master’s loan contributes up to £10,000 towards the fees/living expenses of master’s study. However, most respondents stated it was not enough and the difficulties of working coupled with the intensity of master’s study meant they had to rely on parents to top them up financially. There are potentially messages in here about inclusivity, hidden barriers to disadvantaged students, and potentially an influence on dropout rates.
The evaluation suggested there is evidence that the Loan will help the sustainability of the HE sector. Most HEIs benefited from increased student volumes in 2016/17 and half reported that they believe the Loan will lead to increased revenue for them. There is evidence to suggest that it has benefitted medium-tariff institutions in particular.
There is some evidence that the Loan has had an effect of increasing fees for Master’s courses (HEIs more likely to report increases on these courses (57%) than on courses not eligible for fees (41%)). DfE note this may warrant further investigation.
TEF update
Do you know your pilot from your parliamentary review? What are the metrics used in the latest version of TEF and did you know that the criteria have changed? We’ve been updating staff at BU on the latest on the TEF, and on the staff intranet policy pages you can find links to our latest slides and a more detailed briefing note, as well as a link to BU’s submission to the Parliamentary review call for views.
Everyone has a view on what happened in the local elections and what it means for national politics – it means get on with Brexit, it means abandon Brexit, it means everyone is just fed up and protest voting for smaller parties and independents…. Your policy team are a bit idealistic sometimes (despite watching a lot of politics), and we are subscribers to the “people are probably generally voting on local issues locally” theory. We hope so – because these local politicians will be responsible for things that will happen locally for the next 4 years. So feelings about the council mergers and hospital changes, for example, will have had an effect in Dorset and BCP.
Of course national politics will have had an impact. There may be a general dissatisfaction with the Conservatives and some of that may be Brexit-related, but it could also be driven by concerns about social care and local authority funding more generally. It doesn’t seem to make sense that across the country many people abandoned the Tories for the Lib Dems if they genuinely want a no-deal Brexit. They may have been formerly disaffected Lib Dem voters going home – but in that case they almost certainly don’t want a no deal Brexit. The focus on climate change recently will of course have helped the Greens – people voting for green candidates who will drive local changes.
If you want to look at trends, the Commons Library has a lovely map. Otherwise we suggest there is a huge risk in leaping to too many conclusions and we recommend everyone turns their mind to who they will vote for in the EU elections. There is still a chance that MEPs will take their seats and keep them for some time so they could have a voice in the EU Parliament. And here in the South-West we have some sparkling candidates. You can’t vote for them, though – because of the list system (see this Research Professional illustration if you missed it before). Tactical voting will be a thing in these elections.
Brexit is still missing
The impasse continues. It seems unlikely that there will be a breakthrough in the short term. It could be a long summer of speculation and not much happening until another frenzy of last-minute-itus breaks out in September ahead of the Halloween deadline.
Last weekend Theresa May came under further pressure to resign, or to state a specific date for her departure. TM at least thinks that the local election results were a verdict on how she (and Parliament) has handled Brexit. She apologised for poor Conservative local election results (the Conservatives lost 1,300+ seats) stating: It is clear that the voters delivered their judgment in large part based on what is happening – or not happening – at Westminster. And, as Prime Minister, I fully accept my share of the responsibility for that. Meanwhile Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab appeared in high-profile newspaper profile pieces over the bank holiday weekend with their families – not too subtle positioning for an upcoming leadership contest. The PM continues to refuse to set out a timetable for her departure and is unlikely to step down until the Withdrawal Agreement is passed. Her spokesperson said she is here to deliver Brexit in phase one and then she will make way for phase two.
It has been confirmed that the UK will participate in the EU elections. However apparently Theresa May intends to make a fourth attempt to pass her Brexit deal through Parliament ratifying the deal by end of June so that UK MEPs do not take their seats in July. Maybe.
Theresa May is expected to offer a customs union offer to Labour (for a temporary period); however, the Labour/Conservative front bench talks have extended beyond the original timescale and the issue of a second referendum continues to be a sticking point. There has been no breakthrough with the Government insisting the negotiations have been constructive and detailed, however, Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour) was critical stating the Government had made no movement on their red lines. Talks continue…
In the meantime:
The UK Government has signed a deal with Ireland to guarantee reciprocal Irish and British citizens rights are retained in each country in the event of no-deal.
EU Settlement Scheme: The EU settlement scheme is now fully open and live. The Home Office communications state that during the testing phase 95% of EU citizens were able to use the mobile app to prove their identity remotely within 10 minutes. The application link is here.
Mental Health & Well-being
HEPI have issued a policy note Measuring well-being in HE covering HE staff and students. They argue for a differentiation between mental health and well-being so that the sector can better consider and understand the broader overall health of staff and students. They recommend more data is collected and published, ideally the markers being consistent across the UK and multi-year for applicants and graduates (as well as students and staff):
“Consistency across the UK allows for comparison in well-being between the different regulatory and funding systems across the four countries. International measurements would similarly allow for comparison between different models of higher education. Data collectors should work together to enable tracking of cohorts, allowing us to track the same cohort of students and staff over time.”
Rachel Hewitt, HEPI, author of the Policy Note said: ‘If we are to get a grip on the mental health crisis in young people that is heavily impacting on universities, we need to be collecting the right information to understand it. At the moment statistics on well-being and mental health are often combined, despite these being two separate issues with different ways they can be tackled. For universities to take the necessary action to address this issue, they need to better understand what they’re dealing with.
It is shocking that we have no public information on the well-being of staff that work in our universities. If universities are collecting this information, they are not being open about what the results are showing. This is at a time when staff in universities continue to be under pressure, with increasing workloads and insecure contracts rife. We need a consistent, public dataset on the well-being of university staff.’
In the meantime, the role of sport at university has been highlighted: Wonkhe has two articles on sport via its new Student Union service. Ben Vulliarmy, CEO of the SU at the University of York, writes about their Varsity programme with Lancaster (by the way, congratulations to BU for this week’s resounding win against Solent in our own Varsity event – well played all). And Richard Medcalf of the University of Wolverhampton writes about the need for evidence if sport is to be taken seriously as a contributor to student (and staff) outcomes:
At Wolverhampton we’re trying a few small steps to make this happen. We’ve developed a university sports board to connect this agenda into the decision making bodies of the university. We’ve combined the academic provision of sport with the participatory and performance arms of our offer to students and staff, to align the intentions of both under one organisational framework. And, importantly, we’re attaching student sport engagement to our student records system so we can see if there’s any relationship between students who participate and the wider university KPIs.
Care Experienced Students
The Centre for Social Justice have released 12 By 24 revealing that despite 10 years of intervention still only 6% of care leavers are attending University. It states: Looked After Children aren’t less clever than other children they are just less lucky and a care leaver is more likely to end up in a prison cell than a lecture theatre. The publication aims to increase care leavers at universities to 12 by 24.
This report shows that too many young people growing up in care feel university isn’t for them. They told us it is simply not what happens when you leave the care system…Improving attainment at school will always be the best thing we can do to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds get on. This report sets out the extent to which care experienced children still fall behind their peers. The message from a roundtable of experts conducted during this report was clear: If we want to see more children from disadvantaged backgrounds accessing university and higher education, we need to engage our young people in care much earlier to ensure that where they have fallen behind, they are given the help they need to catch up. The evidence contained in this report shows that if we act early enough, we will see more young people leaving the care system and entering higher education. Among all the facts and figures, this report presents a simple challenge to government and the higher education sector to do more to help young people who have had the worst start in life to have the best future. Many universities are working hard to improve these figures, but this report shows that barely a third of universities have set out detailed plans to take action to change the number of care leavers on their courses.
The report goes on to state there is too much variability in the focus and efficacy of Universities care leaver support schemes. Pages 15 and 38 are key reading, chapter 6 sets out what support mechanisms universities are currently offering and chapter 7 describes the ‘gold standard’ the Centre propose and call on the DfE to endorse. Read more here.
There’s a HEPI blog by Steven Spier, Vice-Chancellor of Kingston University about their approach to care leavers (and estranged students).
Still no news from the Augar team
A Parliamentary question this week confirms (again) that it will be released “shortly”. We predict (based on our own speculation rather than inside knowledge) that it won’t be until after the EU elections. It could come quickly as a major distraction from the mess after that. Or not.
Q – Gordon Marsden: whether postgraduate (a) loans and (b) other financial assistance will be included in his Department’s response to the review of post-18 education.
A – Chris Skidmore: The government’s review of post-18 education and funding is looking at how we can ensure there is choice and competition across a joined-up post-18 education and training sector. The review’s focus includes how we can encourage learning that is more flexible (for example, part-time, distance learning and commuter study options) and complements ongoing government work to support people at different times in their lives. The independent panel will report shortly, and the government will then conclude the overall review later this year. We will not speculate about potential recommendations, as we do not wish to pre-judge the outcome of the review.
Welsh PG student finance: Wonkhe report that postgraduate students domiciled in Wales will benefit from the most generous postgraduate student finance package in the UK, according to a Welsh Government announcement this morning. The variable mixture of loans and grants available has risen from £13,000 last year to £17,000 from August this year. All eligible students will receive a non-repayable universal grant of £1,000, plus a means-tested grant of up to £5,885 for students with a household income of up to £18,370. A loan will also be available, taking the total support up to £17,000, and funds will be available pro-rata for part time students.
Click here to view the updated consultation and inquiries tracker. Email us on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you’d like to contribute to any of the current consultations or inquiries.
New consultations and inquiries this week: UUK and Guild HE consultation on the draft Knowledge Exchange Concordat, linked to the KEF. RDS will be leading on preparation of a BU response.
Financial Deficit: BBC report that the number of English universities in financial deficit increases.
Unconditional Offers: The Times reports that some universities have taken legal advice following Damien Hinds’ calls to stop “conditional unconditional” offers and reduce the number of unconditional offers made overall. HE policy legal commentator Smita Jamdar confirms that Ministers can guide but not instruct the OfS in this area and that guidance must not relate to the criteria for student admissions – something Sarah has heard the Universities Minister confirm in person. Some Universities are calling on UUK to seek a judicial review. The Guardian story is here and includes a defence of the practice as well as attacking Damien Hinds for his intervention.
Industry input: The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has announced that employers are being surveyed on what sorts of courses and skills they wish to see as part of ongoing plans to develop the University of Peterborough. The vision for the University is to be a trailblazer for other higher education institutions by embedding advanced technical learning within the curriculum. The aim is for the University to provide both the skills that local businesses urgently need, while also giving young people better access to well-paid, secure jobs and improved career prospects.
Mayor James Palmer said: “For the University of Peterborough to deliver on its ambition to be aligned with the needs of the local economy, we need to ensure we are reaching out to the business community to see what their demands and skills challenges are. The Combined Authority and its partners want the University to be turning out the kinds of skills that will allow our young people to hit the ground running in the 21st Century workplace. We know our economy has significant skills shortages, and a productivity gap, and so the input of local employers will be crucial in shaping the future of the University”.
Economic Justice: The Institute for Public Policy Research has published their economic justice report Prosperity and Justice – A Plan for the New Economy. It sets out a 10 point plan for economic reform and argues that economic policy should aim for both prosperity and justice. You can read a short summary of the report here. There are four recommendations relevant to the HE sector:
The government should introduce a ‘Technology Displacement Fund’ to support workers displaced by technology to be retrained and supported back into the labour market. diffusion of digital technologies across the economy.
Apprenticeships are important, but firms need to be able to deploy funds for a broader range of approaches to develop the skills of their workforces. They therefore propose that the current apprenticeship levy is abolished, and replaced by a ‘productivity and skills levy’
At the same time, there is an important opportunity to give workers a better means of increasing take-up of skills training by giving them more autonomy. They therefore recommend the introduction of Personal Training Credits, to provide low-paid workers and unemployed adults with up to £700 a year to invest in their own skills.
The adoption of a new immigration framework aimed at supporting the UK’s economic strategy as well as the vitality and cohesion of our communities and the dignity of migrants
Tags: Augar review Brexit care leavers early career researchers Fusion international staff international students local elections Mental Health and Wellbeing Post-graduate loans R&D investment Review of post-18 education teaching excellence framework TEF unconditional offers
HE policy update for the w/e 8th March 2019
EU, international, policy, Research news, Student Engagement jforster
And it’s a bumper version this week, with a lot of really interesting new data, a super-critical TEF response from the Royal Statistical Society and we continue the speculation on fees and funding and Brexit.
Damian Hinds, Secretary of State, for education has launched a new taskforce to help students with the transition to University within these areas:
independent living (budgeting, cooking, managing living independently)
healthy relationships (including new peer groups)
The taskforce will be known as the Education Transitions Network and Universities UK, the Association of Colleges, OfS, NUS, Student Minds, and UCAS are all expected to be involved. Sky news covers the announcement. UUK have a blog from UWE’s VC, Steve West, on supporting students through the transition and risk factors. This excerpt highlights resources available:
The more that universities can do to get students prepared before they arrive, the better. Student Minds, in partnership with Southern Universities Network, has published a guide to the first few weeks of term, designed to help students prepare through workbook activities and practical case studies. At UWE Bristol we have developed an enhanced induction programme for new students, which signposts available support and includes a new parent and carer advice section on our website, to advise on how best to support loved ones while at university.
And Wonkhe have several blogs to contribute to University Mental Health Day:
Building resilient com unities rather than resilient individuals
The time for mindfulness in universities has come
“Thank you” seem to be the hardest words [thanking front line staff]
Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, has been tweeting about a mental health charter with Student Minds and acknowledge the student voice is essential as universities look to improve the provision from student mental health. Welsh Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, announced £2 million new funding for Welsh Universities to support mental health initiatives. And there is new guidance out on preventing student suicides.
IFS report on the cost of HE
An IFS report was issued on 4th March on the cost of different degrees. There’s an IFS blog here with the predictable headline “Creative Arts degrees cost taxpayers 30% more than engineering degrees”. It’s long but it is complicated and important, so worth setting out in some detail (sorry):
These are among the results of new analysis which for the first time estimates the distribution of government spending, taking account of grants and unrepaid student loans, across subjects studied and institutions attended. It is important to understand these are not estimates of returns to the different degrees: some subjects and institutions may therefore receive large loan subsidies even if they are positively impacting the earnings of their graduates, because they happen to attract students that have very low earnings potential. Since the final costs will depend on actual earnings over the next 30 years, there is inevitably uncertainty about these estimates. But they are based on new administrative data giving precise details on actual earnings of previous cohorts of graduates and are likely to be the best estimates possible at the current time.
Our main findings include:
There is considerable variation in loan subsidies by subject. For many subjects the government expects to write off around 60% of the loans it issues. For economics, however, write-offs are likely to be just a quarter of loans issued and for medicine and dentistry only a fifth. For creative arts, write offs are likely to amount to around three quarters of the value of loans issued. This variation in loan subsidies is primarily driven by differences in repayments rather than differences in loan sizes.
The highest government spend typically goes towards graduates of the subjects with the highest loan write-offs, as loan write-offs account for more than 90% of total government spending on undergraduate HE. The cost to government is around £11,000 per economics student who borrows from the government to help with tuition fees and maintenance loans, while it is more than £35,000 per creative arts borrower. Medicine is an exception – despite its graduates repaying most of their loans, it is one of the highest-cost subjects, at £45,000 per borrower, due to large teaching grants.
The government cost per student also varies by institution type. While total funding received by universities is extremely similar, the government contribution per student at each institution varies massively. Each borrower at Russell Group institutions – where graduates are typically high earning – costs the government less than £25,000. Costs are more than 20% higher for ‘post-1992’ and ‘other’ universities, where the average graduate earns much less.
The reforms since 2011 have shifted the allocation of spending from high-cost degrees to those with the lowest graduate earnings. Spending per borrower on students doing economics and engineering degrees is likely to have fallen by around £8,000 as a result of reforms between 2011 and 2017, while increasing by more than £6,000 for creative arts degrees. Similarly, spending on borrowers at Russell Group universities – which tend to offer more high-cost subjects – has fallen by £6,000, while increasing by more than £2,000 for borrowers at ‘post-1992’ and ‘other’ universities.
Consequently, the share of total government spending on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses has fallen from 57% to 48% as a result of policy changes between 1999 and 2017. If we had the 1999 system in place today, only 30% of spending would go to arts and humanities (AH) subjects. Under today’s system, this figure is 37%, and roughly 13% of the £9 billion the government spends on HE per cohort now goes to creative arts courses.
The report also considers what these figures mean for policy options:
Lowering the fee cap from £9,250 to £6,000 could give the government more flexibility to target spending. This would free up around £7,000 per borrower to be targeted more directly towards priority areas, with the savings coming mostly from subjects that have low-earning graduates. Any cuts to tuition fees would, however, benefit the highest-earning graduates most.
Variable fee caps would be another option to regain flexibility in targeting spending. Reducing the fee cap for AH subjects to £6,000 would reverse some of the increase in funding these subjects have seen over the last couple of decades. This policy may, however, increase demand for those courses, or perversely reduce funding for STEM achieved through within-university cross-subsidisation.
One policy that might resolve some of these issues would be for government to charge universities a fee for charging tuition fees above a certain level in areas where it wants to reduce spending. A ‘negative teaching grant’ of £3,000 for AH courses would mean government allocates less money to those courses, without affecting the fees students face or their repayments. Savings could be targeted towards priority areas. However, the impact on, and responses of, universities are unpredictable.
You can find the full report here.
It is important to keep in mind that this variation in government subsidy is not the same as variation in funding levels. This is because graduates also contribute to the cost of their education by repaying their student loans. Once this is accounted for, the variation in overall funding per university is very small due to the lack of variation in tuition fees.
Fees & Funding – what is the state of play?
With the Chancellor’s Spring Statement due on 13th March, which might give more detailed timing for the Comprehensive Spending Review (he said “summer” on Radio 4 on 7th March), we thought it would be helpful to summarise the state of play…like Brexit, this is getting harder and harder to call….although the IFS report noted above will no doubt be considered carefully.
We don’t know when we will know more, because the advisory panel chaired by Philip Augar, originally due to report in November 2018, has delayed its report again – the latest official statement is “Spring” – which could be anytime from now (according to the Met Office, although 21st March is the usual first day of Spring) to June. Research Professional suggest June and cite a BBC insight that it the final outcome could be in the Autumn.
One of the challenges is that this is a two stage review – the “independent” advisory panel report and then the DfE led review itself. The final DfE report (in the form perhaps of a green or white paper, accompanied by a consultation) will be when we see what the outcome really might be.
Philip Augar has said that he wants to make recommendations that will be accepted (presumably by the department/government, rather than the sector?) and it may be getting that consensus which is causing the delay. Research Professional today report that there is a draft doing the rounds in government but not everyone likes the recommendations.
The timing of other things is important – when it was originally announced, the Augar recommendations were due in November 2018, with the final report due out by the end of March – even at the time that sounded unlikely given the coincidence with the UK leaving the EU. Now of course Brexit may be delayed until May or June, and the effort involved in Brexit may be one of the reasons for the delays with the review. It has also been suggested that the government may be waiting because they want some big policy announcements to make after Brexit.
The most relevant dependencies are linked to government funding priorities. The outcome of any review of fees and funding needs to be affordable. The terms of reference say “its recommendations must be consistent with the Government’s fiscal policies to reduce the deficit and have debt falling as a percentage of GDP”. The first delay to Augar was because of the Office for National Statistics review of accounting for student loans that came out in December 2018 (You can read about this in more detail in our analysis in the HE policy update for the w/e 21st December 2018). The latest delays may be linked to the Chancellor’s Spring statement (due on 13th March 2019 – a day when other things are happening). But the Spring statement is only a holding position – partly because Philip Hammond has said it might all change depending on what happens with Brexit, and partly because the real story about spending is the comprehensive spending review. This is a full review of all government spending but the dates have not been confirmed. They may be confirmed as part of the statement on 13th March.
All this matters because while there are lots of other things at stake, including the “young vote” and perhaps more importantly, the votes of parents and other contributors to student budgets and the government’s social mobility agenda, this review is largely driven by money. Many have called for investment in FE, in support for disadvantaged students and, in particular, for maintenance grants. Against the other pressures on the economy, and a narrative of bad news about the sector (grade inflation, pay differentials, free speech, poor quality courses etc.), an overall increase in investment in HE looks unlikely. The ONS accounting changes on student loans don’t change the cost of HE but they increase its visibility in the deficit.
So just a quick reminder – what are the possible recommendations of Augar and/or the final DfE report, whatever form it takes?
Tuition fee cuts – widely trailed as a leak from Augar, repeated again last weekend. Apparently the original figure that Augar will propose of a cap on tuition fee loans of £6500 a year has been increased to £7500 because of sector resistance. Such a cut would be likely to have far reaching consequences in terms of services and SSR. It might mean drastic cuts in spend on WP activities, now financial targets will not form part of the OfS review of access and participation. It could mean changes to the profile of programmes offered across the sector as institutions abandon high cost subjects in favour of lower cost subjects, increasing competition in these areas at a time when we are still approaching the bottom of a demographic dip (and when EU student numbers are falling).
Of course there might be top ups. If they happen at all they would almost certainly be conditional. They might be linked to certain subjects or meeting access or other targets. They might be linked to student outcomes (defined in terms of employment, probably), or to regional needs (such as value add in regions of low employment or access). It may be that there would be continued support for STEM subjects, for example, or additional grants to institutions seen to be making a substantial difference to their regional economy by helping social mobility. After all, the terms of reference for the review say that it must “support the role of universities and colleges in delivering the Government’s objectives for science, R&D and the Industrial Strategy”.
It might be that employers could provide top-ups to the capped fees – directly to institutions or through some sort of centrally organised fund. Again, if organised centrally, this funding would most likely be conditional – probably linked to certain subjects and outcomes. If done directly it would essentially mean growth in employer sponsored degrees. There is a real conflict with the apprenticeship agenda there – how do employers choose? And how do small and medium sized businesses get involved?
Student numbers cap/limit – another way to reduce long term costs is to reduce numbers. The terms of reference for the Post-18 review rule out a direct cap on numbers. But there are other ways of doing it. Alleged leaks about the proposal to stop students with grades lower than DDD at A-level from accessing student loans have been widely discussed. See our policy update for 21st December 2018 when this story first broke. Current comment includes a blog from Nick Hillman on the HEPI website.
The headline focusses on A levels. Many students enter HE with other qualifications. Unless, as some have commented, there is a plan to not only have a floor on a-level results but also say that only students with A-levels can go to university then there would have to be an equivalent system for BTECs and other qualifications. Messy but surely possible. Given the government focus on technical education, it is not impossible that they would try to force more people down a technical route – but using entry to university as a lever would surely have the opposite effect, pushing students back to A-levels, at least in the short term if only to keep their options open.
The big focus has been on how this (like a reduction in the fee cap) would be bad for social mobility. It is also potentially bad for some universities with a large proportion of lower-grades students – ironically, these are likely to be the universities with a big impact on their region and on social mobility. This sort of rationing as social engineering just doesn’t seem to make sense, but of course it plays well with those who like to talk about “mickey-mouse courses”, “bums on seats”, and “too many people at university” – whose conclusion is usually that “other people’s children should do technical qualifications”.
So what next?
The Minister was on Twitter over the weekend to say: “Worth stating today that the Augar post-18 review is an independent one which will reach its independent conclusions. We will then consider these when published—working with HE/FE sectors on an evidence-based approach to deliver a joined-up post-18 education landscape.”
He went on to say: “But I have always been clear that the government’s priority is to ensure that we focus efforts on widening participation and access, across all communities and WP groups, centred on value and outcome for the learner journey. We want to build bridges—not pull up drawbridges.”
So back to where we started – we don’t know what or when. But the story will run and run and provide a distraction from Brexit in the meantime…
And more lobbying on fees
Alistair Jarvis (Chief Exec) wrote a UUK blog expressing his belief that Augar is finished – but awaiting a good launch date:
“I have good reason to believe that the ink is rapidly drying on the Augar panel’s recommendations, though the date of publication of the report itself is subject to the ongoing vicissitudes of political events.…when parliamentarians and educational experts judge the panel’s recommendations it must be on the basis of what is most likely to enable Britain to thrive, not on political ideology or electoral expedience. With Brexit mere weeks away, and our collective economic future uncertain, the country simply cannot afford to risk damaging universities, our most reliable source of innovation, skills and global connections.”
He goes on to say there are five tests that can be applied to the Augar recommendations – all of which highlight elements of strength, excellence or aspiration within the current HE system. In short the tests are:
Whether Augar’s proposals will enhance or impede access to HE (widening participation and social mobility) – whereas the talk of reintroducing student number caps or perhaps a minimum DDD grade threshold would create access barriers
Graduate skills gaps – Jarvis argues Universities need to expand and provide more highly skilled workers, not cut back and downsize.
The combination of in-depth subject knowledge, co and extra curricular provision, 1:2:1 academic support, online learning, engagement in current research, all backed by robust regulatory system are strengths that should be maintained. “Cutting the fee level, without a commitment to make up the shortfall with public funding, will see bigger class sizes, poorer facilities, and less advice, support and choice for students.”
Cuts will hit the local communities and civic life: “Any MP knows intimately how their local university is woven through the fabric of civic life, contributing to health, sport, culture, charitable endeavour and local economic growth. Much of this activity is not formally funded; universities do it because it matters and because they have a responsibility to their local community. In areas where traditional industries have declined the university is always at the heart of regeneration efforts, providing the research, innovation and skills to stimulate business growth and attract external investment”.
Students should be free to make their own choices on what to study and where “Our current system is shaped by students’ choices by design. To suggest that a civil servant in Whitehall knows better than a prospective student what sort of course they should study and where, is clearly nonsense…fundamentally we should respect and support students’ choices – as it is they who will have to live with the consequences.” Jarvis does go on to acknowledge that IAG could be better, and the funding system needs to be clearer.
During this week’s Science and Technology Committee session examining the work of the Universities Minister Skidmore responded that any reduction in fees for universities would have to be mitigated through alternative measures and the voice of universities properly heard.
Meanwhile the Stephen Hammond, Minister of Health and Social Care, remains adamant nursing bursaries will not return:
The Government has no plans to reinstate the bursaries for nursing degrees and is committed to increasing uptake of the additional places these reforms have made available.
The intention of the funding reforms was to unlock the cap which constrained the number of pre-registration nursing training places, and to allow more students to gain access to nurse degree training courses, creating a sustainable model for universities and securing the future supply of homegrown nurses to the National Health Service. In support of the reforms, we announced additional clinical placement funding to make available 5,000 more nurse training places each year from September 2018 and 3,000 more midwifery training places over the next four years.
Students on the loans system are at least 25% better off than they were under the previous bursary system. In recognition of the additional costs that the healthcare students incur in order to attend the mandatory clinical placement, the Government introduced the Learning Support Fund, a £1,000 per student, per year for child dependent allowance, reimbursement of all travel costs above their usual daily travel and up to £3,000 per year for exceptional hardship. These payments are in addition to the allowances on the student loans system.
On 7 February, the University and College Admissions Service published full-time undergraduate nursing and midwifery applications made by the 15 January deadline. This data showed a 4.5% increase in applicants to undergraduate nursing and midwifery courses at English providers. We are working with Health Education England and the university sector to ensure students continue to apply for these courses this year and in future years.
TEF, metrics and more
As you are aware, last week was a big week for TEF as the call for views closed. You can read more in our policy update for w/e 1st March here.This week we have seen more about the metrics used for TEF.
The Royal Society of Statistics wrote an explosive submission., which builds on their previous submissions to the year 2 and subject level consultations (there are links in the document), which they say have been largely ignored. They say:
the TEF “appears to transgress…the..UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics
the data is potentially deceptive and misleading for students – it should be communicated to students that “the TEF is observational in nature and that TEF differences are likely not solely due to teaching quality differences”
“The use of the same TEF award, and the same TEF logo, for all types of university seems highly misleading. The literature and communication around TEF should make it clear that TEF awards are not comparable across the board.”
the presentation of data in the TEF and the way that is benchmarking may encourage game playing by universities (eg to improve their metrics)
the TEF benchmarking is flawed from a statistical point of view and many flags will have been awarded incorrectly “far too many flags are being raised, erroneously alerting the downstream human TEF panels to effects that are just not there. Our conclusion is that the previous TEF awards are not valid”
It shouldn’t be called TEF because it doesn’t assess teaching quality [that’s an old chestnut, but one that Dame Shirley will hear a lot]
And this: “TEF also does not appear to capture the time series nature of teaching quality. We have made this point previously in our consultation responses. What is the evidence to say that a teaching quality mark now will result in a student getting a good experience in several years’ time?”
TEF is oversimplifying the data, in a way which is unhelpful – and misleading. Students should be able to assess the detailed data themselves on a more granular basis through a revamped unistats. “…. It might be argued that the TEF’s philosophy that distils diverse institutions into three categories, underestimates the intellectual ability of prospective students and other stakeholders”
Some more detailed quotes below because they really are worth reading:
On uncertainty:
Ultimately, the RSS judges it to be wrong to present a provider/subject as Gold/Silver/Bronze without communication of the level of uncertainty. The current TEF presentation of provider/subjects as Gold, Silver, Bronze conveys a robustness that is illusory. A prospective student might choose a TEF Silver subject at one provider instead of a TEF Bronze at another institution. If they had been told that, statistically, the awards are indistinguishable, then their choice might have been different and, in that sense, TEF is misleading.
The uncertainty is likely to be higher for subject-level assessment than for provider-level assessment….
Accurate and coherent uncertainty assessment is also vital to understand the value and cost-effectiveness of the TEF. If it turns out that the uncertainty swamps the mean level award (Gold, Silver, Bronze), then this calls into question whether it is even worth continuing with the TEF.
On comparability
Is a TEF Gold at one university the same as TEF Gold at any other university? The answer has to be no. …Statistically, TEF Gold at one institution can not necessarily be compared with TEF Gold awarded to another. This is potentially deceptive and misleading for stakeholders, particularly students…The use of the same TEF award, and the same TEF logo, for all types of university seems highly misleading. The literature and communication around TEF should make it clear that TEF awards are not comparable across the board.
On benchmarking
We are extremely worried about the entire benchmarking concept and implementation. It is at the heart of TEF and has an inordinately large influence on the final TEF outcomes. (i) The RSS has referred to benchmarking in the past as a ‘poor person’s propensity analysis’…. differences in TEF metric scores might be due to unobserved characteristics unrelated to teaching quality. So, attributing the differences to teaching quality is unscientific and wrong
TEF benchmarking does not include important characteristics such as amount of course content, diversity (in its broadest sense) or difficulty/challenge of material. Surely, this has an enormous effect on what is measured? This seems wrong in itself. We are concerned that omissions of this sort will lead to game playing by institutions. One might improve NSS scores, for example, by ‘dumbing down’ the syllabus and there is strong anecdotal evidence that this is already happening in the sector. (Indeed, OfS already has evidence of unexplained grade inflation which might be evidence of ‘dumbing down’ or related behaviours. How much of this is stimulated by exercises such as TEF or NSS?)
…At Dame Shirley’s listening session, the RSS enquired of the DfE/OfS representatives whether multiple testing without adequate size control was occurring and the answer seemed to be yes. Since this seems to be the case, then this lack of overall size control is a serious statistical mistake and means that many (previous) TEF flags should not have been so flagged.
Transparency and reproducibility
At a minimum, we would expect the entire TEF data process pipeline to be published, including as much data that can be released ethically. We have reports of people (in and outside the RSS) trying to understand the TEF data release, but find the accompanying instructions impenetrable. There is a lack of transparency, which is fuelling a perception of lack of integrity.
Fundamentally, do the metrics input to TEF measure quality of teaching? Do the provider submissions measure teaching quality? We are sceptical. There may be some distant indirect association, but what robust research been carried out to assess this? Alternatives might be to rename TEF (to remove ‘teaching excellence’), or actually carry out some evaluation of teaching quality (which would be expensive).
We do think it is useful for students to see the metrics that underpin TEF, relating to their potential course choice. The Unistats website already does this and seems to be useful and well-used by potential students. The RSS could imagine an upgraded Unistats site containing well-chosen and well-communicated metrics being valuable for prospective students and other stakeholders.
Continuation data
And HESA have published experimental data about continuation, one of the metrics used in TEF. As we have written before, non-continuation is linked to a whole lot of different factors, but in the TEF of course the implication is that students leave because the course is poor quality or they do not believe that carrying on will make enough difference to their employment prospects afterwards.
Arthi Nachiappan and David Kernohan from Wonkhe have helpfully looked at the data to see what it says about who leaves HE. Of course there are interactive data views to play with too.
We tested a common variation on the above theory – that non-continuation rates are lower at the Russell Group and higher at post-92 institutions due to the latter taking higher proportions of first degree young undergraduate students from low participation backgrounds…
Among Russell Group institutions, students who didn’t continue were more likely than average to transfer to another provider than to leave higher education altogether. Russell Group institutions tended to have a lower proportion of students from low participation backgrounds than the average provider, but non-continuation rates for those students from low participation backgrounds at Russell Group universities tended to be lower than 8%.
The equivalent figure for post-92 institutions is in the range of 5-20%. When we look at students from other backgrounds, this range narrows to between 4 and 12% at post-92 institutions, while at the Russell Group it is between 1-7%, but generally – with the exception of Queen Mary University of London – below 4%. The proportions of those from low-participation backgrounds who do not continue in their studies is higher at both groups of institutions than the equivalent figures for students from other backgrounds.
….But any idea that alternative providers are currently reaching students that would otherwise not access HE, much less offering them a successful student experience, should be abandoned.
They also look at subject level:
… the overall rate for all students leaving computer science (for instance) is 9.8%. But among students who enter following a HE foundation course, the rate is 4.2%. What students come in with is a huge predicting factor of their course outcome.
Among students entering with at least some tariff points, mass communications and documentation sees the largest percentage of non-continuation (20.40%), but the largest number of students not completing their course (6,341) are on social studies.
For those with BTECs – to give another example – the subject area with the largest number of non-completions is biological sciences (5,738), but the subject area with the highest percentage of non-completions is engineering and technology. The overall preferred subject of study for BTEC students is business and administration.
And what’s next?
… once again it is Damian Hinds rather than Chris Skidmore that supplies our comment. Inflammatory “bums on seats” language will do little to endear him to the sector, and once again the threats of Office for Student action are wheeled out.
His substantive point is unlikely to surprise anyone: “No student starts university thinking they are going to drop-out and whilst in individual circumstances that may be the right thing, it is important that all students feel supported to do their best – both academically and in a pastoral sense. Today we have announced a new taskforce to help universities support students with the challenges that starting university can involve, but universities need to look at these statistics and take action to reduce drop-out rates.”
It’s been National Apprenticeships Week with lots of news and releases. The Federation of Master Builders published their survey which states that (marginally) more parents in the UK want to see their child undertake an apprenticeship than a university degree.
25% preferred their children to undertake apprenticeship
24% preferred their children to study a university degree
50% had no preference
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said: “We’re finally seeing the shift in attitudes with more people understanding the value of undertaking a vocational apprenticeship rather than a university degree. For too long, apprenticeships were looked down on and seen as the alternative route if children weren’t bright enough to follow the more academic route. With university fees in England going through the roof, and with apprenticeships offering an ‘earn-while-you-learn route to a meaningful job, it’s no wonder that the penny has finally dropped.”
These findings contrast (slightly) with the Sutton Trust findings below (note these only asked about degree apprenticeships – parents seem to be preferring the traditional degree model rather than a degree apprenticeship for their children with the capability to study at this level).
The Sutton Trust surveyed parents (with children aged 5-16) about on degree level apprenticeships. Key Findings:
27% said they would advise their child to take a degree level apprenticeship over a universities degree course, with 31% indicating they would make the opposite recommendation, Of which:
68% intimated that this was because they believed it offered better career prospects, whilst 29% said it was because they lacked knowledge about apprenticeships in general
The National Audit Office published a report assessing the apprenticeship programme considering whether it provides value for money, addresses poor productivity, and employer investment in training. It wasn’t great news for the Government. Key conclusions:
The DfE has not set out clearly how it measures whether the programme is boosting economic activity
Since funding reforms were introduced, apprenticeship starts have fallen substantially.
Employers are not using the apprenticeship levy to pay for new apprenticeships (just 9% of funds used, £191 million of the available £2.2 billion)
The average cost of training an apprentice is double what was expected, as employers are choosing more expensive standards at higher levels than expected. This could inhibit the growth in the number of apprenticeships once frameworks are withdrawn and all apprenticeships are on standards.
To meet the target of 3 million new apprenticeships by March 2020, the rate of starts would need to double for the remainder of the period
The Department’s targets for widening participation among under-represented groups lack ambition and levels of apprentices from the most disadvantaged areas are actually going down.
The introduction of standards has increased the number of higher-level apprenticeship starts, and the trend looks set to continue. But its not all good news some levy paying employers are replacing professional development programmes with apprenticeships – meaning no additional value to the economy.
Inspection grades are still low with many inadequate or requiring improvement and the 20% off the job training rule doesn’t appear to be adhered to across the board.
Just a few of the most relevant recommendations:
The Department should set out clearly how it measures the impact of the programme on productivity, and indicate the level of impact that it is aiming to achieve.
The Department should strengthen the programme’s performance measures relating to participation among under-represented groups.
The Department and the ESFA should assess whether they would secure better value for money by prioritising certain types of apprenticeship, rather than delivering a programme for apprentices at all levels, in all sectors.
Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director, said: Today’s report confirms what employers already know – that the Apprenticeship Levy is not yet working as intended and is holding back the Government’s welcome efforts to modernise the skills system. Companies are committed to apprenticeships, so what’s needed now is a second wave of reform. The Government must use its review of the apprenticeship levy to work with business and the sector to build a system that supports, rather than frustrates, employers offering a first step to people in their career.’
The OfS have released one of their Insight Briefs on degree apprenticeships to try to raise awareness and increase both supply and demand for degree apprenticeships. This link also has the data on level 6 and 7 apprenticeship starts (2017/18) and this looks at the disadvantage profile of young apprentices on higher level apprenticeships. The chart below highlights that as the level of apprentice rises more places are taken up by the more advantaged students (quintiles 4 and 5).
Research Professional have an interesting article on the government’s plans to prepare for the impact of no-deal Brexit on research.
With three weeks to go before Brexit day, the UK government is in talks to create an international research funder to mitigate the loss of access to the coveted European Research Council….As reported by Cristina Gallardo, a project to craft a UK-based global research agency is being led by Adrian Smith, director of the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national centre for data science. …In the spirit that hard problems are not to be shirked, today’s Playbook draws attention to three questions that will be high on Team Smith’s list of considerations.
Size matters How much funding should researchers expect? That’s the billion-pound question and one in which UKRI chief executive Mark Walport, BEIS secretary Greg Clark and chancellor Philip Hammond have shares. According to data compiled by the Royal Society, in the previous European Framework programme (2007 to 2013), the UK received €1.67 billion in ERC grants, around a fifth of the entire budget. The UK also received just over €1bn in Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants, a quarter of the total. Former Royal Society president Paul Nurse reiterated last week that the UK receives between £500 million and £1bn more in European grants annually than the government puts into the EU science budget, and he isn’t confident that this extra funding will be replaced. Assuming that the government pays separately for the UK to associate to eligible parts of Horizon Europe, the new global fund should still be worth at least in the region of €350m to €400m annually, and likely more if it also absorbs the Global Challenges Research Fund and what remains of the Newton Fund….
Housing decisions We know that the new funding agency cannot be a like-for-like replacement for the ERC, as it is designed to support UK-international collaborations. But that prompts questions about its institutional home and its organisational architecture. It will almost certainly sit inside UKRI. But what happens if UKRI chooses to reduce or streamline its nine-council structure? …A permanent home will take time to decide on. In the interim, BEIS and UKRI could potentially extend their relationship with outside bodies such as the British Council and the British Academy. ..
What price autonomy The ERC’s great attraction for researchers—something that the UK fought hard to achieve—is that it is both generous with its funding and unashamedly investigator-led. Nick Talbot, a plant geneticist at the University of Exeter, told us in an interview that his success in obtaining an ERC Advanced Grant was down to his track record as a scientist and the power of his idea—not necessarily the foremost criteria for conventional grant schemes. But we’re in a vastly different world from 2004, when Ian Halliday, then chief executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, was happy to remark: “There is an awful flavour in Europe of: ‘Let’s give everybody something.’ It has to be possible for the best guy in Cambridge to run away with all the money.” It isn’t possible today to establish a funding agency without proper regard to equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion. Funders can no longer disregard the importance of place as well as public engagement in how they make decisions. Creating a wholly new research funding body in the midst of the Brexit drama presents plenty of challenges and it should not be rushed. The chance to create a global research funding agency doesn’t turn up every day.
Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, responded to a parliamentary question to highlight the Government’s hopes for Horizon Europe:
The Department has worked closely with UKRI and engaged with wide range of stakeholders on no deal planning for the Horizon 2020 programme. This includes via the High Level Group on Science and Research. Further updates will be provided on Horizon 2020 no deal planning in due course.
The Government remains committed to ongoing collaboration in research and innovation and wants to work with the EU on a mutually beneficial outcome beyond 2020. The Government wants to have the option to associate to Horizon Europe, depending on the outcome of negotiations.
In the event that the UK does not associate to Horizon Europe, the Government is committed to continuing to back UK researchers and innovators by supporting measures to enable world-class collaborative research, including support for small businesses. We will be seeking independent advice from Sir Adrian Smith on these measures.
He also includes research within his top priorities when he spoke within the Committee meeting that scrutinises his work:
Skidmore informed the committee that the UK was rated one of the most innovative nations in the world and was home to three of the world’s top ten universities. He argued that 2019 was a critical year for science and innovation due to Brexit and the CSR. It would be pivotal to establish a clear roadmap that demonstrated where public investment would be made as well as demonstrating how private investment would be leveraged to reach the new target of research and innovation spend at two-point four percent of GPD.
He went on that
…it was important to maintain close ties with European institutions after Brexit, including participation in programmes such as Horizon 2020, Euratom and the European Space Agency.
His priorities, Skidmore advised the committee, were to ensure maximum certainty on relationships with Europe, ideally through a deal on Brexit, meeting the target of 2.4% spend and to maintain strong international collaboration.
Meanwhile Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Advisor, who was also examined informed the committee that he had been focused on [amongst other work] improving the absorptive capacity of science among policy makers. Perhaps good news for those academics hoping Parliament will take their research on board within policy development.
SUBU says: Gender in HE – graduate outcomes
Here’s the latest from SUBU’s Sophie Bradfield.
As its International Women’s Day, it’s interesting to take a brief look at gender in Higher Education; specifically graduate outcomes. There are lots of factors that can influence outcomes and this update only looks at gender, but when you add characteristics such as ethnicity or disability alongside gender, the picture changes again.
First a caveat; I was disappointed when researching data that the most reputable sources only separate graduates by sex and not gender or perhaps they have even confused the two; so on a day where we are actively celebrating gender equality, I’d like to share the Genderbread Person, which is a great infographic to understand the concept of gender and why it’s important that we don’t use it interchangeably with sex.
The number of graduates has increased steadily over the past decade and it is widely known that females are more likely to enter Higher Education than their male counterparts (see UCAS applicant figures). However when looking at the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) report on Graduates in the UK labour market, the outcomes of female graduates compared to male graduates highlight a disparity in employment attainment after leaving Higher Education.
The research defines a graduate in broad terms as: “a person who is aged between 21 and 64, not enrolled on any educational course and who has a level of higher education above A level standard.” With this definition, it looks at all graduates and not just recent graduates, therefore using a data set of 14 million people in the UK who were graduates from July to September 2017.
Delving deeper into the report, employment rates differ between male and female graduates, with 86% of male graduates in employment compared to 79% of female graduates (figure 13a). Further to this, the research also finds that male graduates are more likely to have high or upper-middle skilled employment (figure 14a). It’s important to note that in this research, high-skilled employment involves use of skill acquired from a degree or equivalent; upper-middle skilled employment involves skills developed from post-compulsory education but not degree level; lower-middle skilled employment involves skills developed from compulsory education with a combination of work experience; and low skilled employment involves skill attained from compulsory education.
The data shows female graduates are almost twice as likely to have lower-middle skilled employment compared to male graduates, which goes some way to explain why the median gross hourly pay differs, with male graduates receiving £17 an hour on average, compared to female graduates receiving £14 an hour.
33% of female graduates work part-time, compared to only 8% of male graduates (figure 14b) and 47% of all part-time workers are employed in lower-middle skilled jobs (figure 14c). The statistics show that the lower-skilled jobs seem to offer more opportunities to work part-time; which is a need that can be influenced by a number of factors including family commitments, which as 11% of female graduates, compared to 2% of male graduates, are ‘inactive due to looking after the family and/or home’ (figure 13b), is a factor which has a greater impact on female graduates than male graduates.
Figure 11 shows that STEM degrees lead to higher salaries and Figure 15b shows that the subjects that lead to the highest average salaries are mainly dominated by male students. According to WISE: “Women make up 23% of those in core STEM occupations in the UK”. Because of this, there are fewer female role models working in these areas and/or going on to teach STEM subjects; something which is vital to move towards a gender-balanced workforce and also increase the earning potential of female graduates.
There are initiatives such as Athena SWAN which seek to address gender equality in Higher Education and you can read more about how this is working in the recent Wonkhe article ‘No more steps. It’s time for a leap on gender equality.’
Ultimately, despite females making up 58% of the overall figure of applicants (see UCAS), they are less likely to apply for the subjects that lead to the greatest earning potential and are also less likely to achieve employment utilising the skills developed from undertaking a degree. This is something that needs to be looked into if we want to achieve this year’s International Women’s Day theme of #BalanceforBetter.
Failing Universities
A new HEPI poll was released showing student attitudes to financial concerns at their institutions
The survey of over 1,000 full-time undergraduate students, undertaken for HEPI by the polling company YouthSight, shows:
most students (83%) are confident their own institution is in a strong financial position;
over three-quarters of students (77%) believe government should step in if their university were threatened with closure;
more than half of students (51%) think fees should be refunded in the event of their university closing, while only one-third (32%) back merger with another institution;
nearly all students (97%) want to know if their university is in financial difficulty – in contrast with current practice which hides financial problems from students;
most students (84%) say they would have been less likely to have applied to their university if they had known it was in financial difficulty; and
the overwhelming majority of students (89%) do not know what Student Protection Plans are, while even more have not seen their own university’s Plan (93%).
Lots of renewed media interest in the financial sustainability of universities and the polling results: BBC, iNews, FE News, and Mail Online.
We have a big week coming up for Brexit, maybe, but in the meantime…
The Institute for Government have published a report on Immigration Post-Brexit. This criticises the Government’s “incoherent position” over student migration, with the DfE on the one hand wanting to increase education exports to £30 billion by 2020, but simultaneously counting students in the net migration target. “The policy remains simultaneously to reduce student migration while also wanting to boost it”.
This, from James Blitz in the FT, summarises the position nicely.
The Russell Group are calling on the Government to change their post-Brexit immigration plans as the salary threshold is too high for mid level scientific, teaching and technician posts, and it discriminates against part time posts (many of which are taken up by women). ITV news covers the story.
Student Loans – another way of presenting them
MoneySavingExpert.com and the Russell Group of universities are piloting a proposed redesign of the student loan statement and are calling on parents, students, graduates and those in the higher education sector to test it and give feedback. The consultation runs until 12th March
MSE and the Russell Group, which represents 24 UK universities, believe that this change should substantially enhance understanding of the student loan system for graduates and their families. We plan to present our findings to Government in the hope it will change the current student loan statements.
Currently, students simply receive a statement of their outstanding ‘debt’ and the interest that is being added. As an example, a low-earning graduate on a Plan 2 loan (for students in England and Wales who started university after 2012) would receive a statement with £50,000 of ‘debt’ on it, and would see it growing by £1,500 a year in interest. But in reality, a graduate earning under £25,000 would not have to make any repayments at all.
Instead, the redesigned Plan 2 statement focuses on the actual repayments that students have made, and what they are likely to repay in the future.
You can see a full pilot of the proposed redesign on this link.
Click here to view the updated consultation tracker. Email us on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you’d like to contribute to any of the current consultations.
Health dominates part time provision: Wonkhe report that an independent report published by the OfS which tackle part-time provision for underrepresented students finds that allied health subjects are the most prevalent part time subject area. The report argues that decline in participation among part-time students is driven partly by cost of study and partly by lack of provision. It goes on to notes that the proportion of disadvantaged students has remained at around 10 per cent. Wonkhe go on to explore a second independent OfS report focussing on mature allied health students. They highlight that although applications from mature students have declined, enrolments have stayed stable, and the report recommends improvements to information provision and diversification of pathways into allied health courses. As ever, the questions surrounding the decline of part time provision, and the dominant programmes and part time groups remain a question of chicken or egg. It is hard to sort cause and effect out from one another.
Tags: apprenticeships Brexit Continuation fees and funding financial sustainability Gender equality Graduate Outcomes mental health post-18 review Student loans teaching excellence framework TEF
HE policy update for the w/e 1st March 2019
EU, international, policy, Student Engagement jforster
It’s a big week for TEF and new guidance is out on access and participation. No real news on the post-18 review but it’s apparently coming “in the Spring”. Policy watchers will remember that these terms are flexible in government circles – optimists enjoying the recent sunshine and the daffodils will think Spring is upon us but officially we’re still in Winter (and all the snow last year was in March)– and Spring could mean June….when Brexit may still be a big distraction….
With that in mind, we’ve saved Brexit for the end – and it’s only a short comment.
Independent Review of the TEF
1st March was the deadline for the call for evidence for the Independent Review of the TEF. BU submitted a response which you can read here.
The UUK submission was widely covered in the press, mostly because they were very critical of subject level TEF. Their press release says: In this report, UUK – representing 136 university members – states that overall the TEF is having a tangible effect on the sector, but there is still some way to go to improve the system. In particular, UUK calls on the government to reconsider plans for subject-level assessment following the challenges arising from pilots in 89 universities, and to look again at its value for students, universities and taxpayers. In it, UUK concludes:
The TEF is having an impact on the sector, in teaching and learning strategies and the monitoring of outcome measures.
It is however hard to gather conclusive evidence of its contribution to teaching and learning experience and outcomes.
Its definition of excellence is weighted heavily towards employment outcomes, without full consideration of a student’s overall study experience and the wider benefits of teaching and learning for students and society.
Awareness of the TEF is still low among students while gradual and piecemeal changes have made it complicated for them to understand or to use it most effectively.
New governance arrangements should be made to ensure the government, the Office for Students, students and providers have a clear stake in strategic decision-making.
A year into piloting subject-level assessment, there is considerable doubt over whether this will drive real value for students, while it is adding significant complexity and cost which could divert resource from other student-focused areas.
UUK believes that plans for subject-level TEF should not proceed until the limitations of the methodology, its resource impact, and the actual value of its contribution to student decision-making, have been fully considered.
Estimates from UUK put the cost of taking part in year two of the TEF at £4 million for participating universities, a figure which would increase significantly with a full roll out of subject-level assessment. UUK is calling for further consideration to be given to whether the aims of subject-level assessment could be met through existing or alternative information sources such as Unistats, university websites and league tables. Further work into this area should also look at the risks of the subject-level TEF; including concerns around the quality of the data and metrics, and their ability to support students in important and complex decisions.
William Hammonds of UUK writes about the UUK response on Wonkhe here:
the focus should be on ensuring institutional TEF makes a positive contribution to teaching, learning and student decision-making before significantly increasing the complexity of the exercise. Our concerns are:
Subject-level assessment will be large, complex and costly and won’t produce reliable judgements.
It won’t support good quality teaching and learning and instead will encourage universities to chase rankings.
It won’t help student decision-making, only adding to the volume of information already out there.
David Morris, formerly of Wonkhe and now of the University of Greenwich, writes on Wonkhe about how to rescue the TEF and make it worthwhile
Part of the government’s problem in persuading the sector, students, and wider public of the need for TEF has been its insistence that it is about enabling better student choice. This is clearly complete tosh, and is being borne out by early data we have on students’ general unawareness and indifference about an institution’s TEF rating.
Long-time readers of Wonkhe may well remember that the real genesis of TEF (and indeed the entire new regulatory regime) came as much from government officials’ belief that universities were held insufficiently accountable for teaching quality under the old quality assurance regime, particular compared to research, as much as it came from any Tory ideologues’ insistence of creating a market for student choice.…Greater honesty about TEF’s role in asserting the public as well as student interest in university accountability would also better reflect what we have finally acknowledged about higher education funding: ultimately, the taxpayer is footing most of the bill. Acknowledging this fact, as well as the wider limits of marketisation, could lead to an accountability exercise with greater scope for nuance, recognition of diversity, and more conducive towards actually making teaching and learning better.
He defends benchmarking (which we agree with – although we have concerns about forced differentiation)
But we shouldn’t overlook the instances where TEF has pointed us in the direction of a more progressive and fairer assessment of the state of the UK university sector. This is most notable in the instance of benchmarking TEF metrics, by far the biggest leap forward in assessing UK universities’ quality of student experience upon their actual merits rather than irrelevant and archaic qualities such as ancientness, research power, or international prestige. Benchmarking is what distinguishes TEF from the traditional media league tables, by acknowledging that different institutions’ student characteristics give them a different starting point from which to be evaluated.
I really hope that the Pearce Review does not abandon this approach. If TEF abandons benchmarking and moves in a more qualitative direction, the spectre of the early-nineties teaching quality assessments might begin to emerge, with judgements on the quality of teaching being made almost concurrently with perceptions of prestige and research quality. This would be a huge step backwards.
And urges the review to drop LEO (something we also agree with – it is interesting but the data can’t tell you anything about current courses, if it can tell you anything about courses at all….what it tells you about is the economic and employment situation of students who graduated a number of years ago, which may or may not have much to do with their university studies…)
Regular readers of Wonkhe will know that I am far from a LEO cynic. Indeed, I am really enthused about the power that richer data about graduate employment outcomes for better policy making in higher and further education and about the youth labour-market efforts to make society more just.
But beyond ideological objections (which are well documented elsewhere), on a practical level, TEF is not the right place for the DfE to play with its sparkly new toy. The piloted inclusion of two new supplementary LEO metrics in TEF appears to have produced bizarre results. Upon brief examination of the national data, the spread of outcomes once benchmarked across providers appears to be very narrow, with few providers securing either a positive or a negative flag. Under the current flagging system, if a new TEF metric does not show a sufficient spread of performance, it is hard for me to see how it will aid panel decision making or provide much value.
Then there is the lag effect of LEO’s inclusion in TEF. If TEF 2020-21 goes ahead as planned, it will include assessment of the graduate employment and salary outcomes of students who entered university in 2008 (i.e. my own fresher year). It will also assess those graduates’ employment outcomes in the 2014-15 tax year. This seems nonsensical, both in fairly assessing institutional performance, and in providing information to applicants.
Post-18 review
After we trailed the Augar report it didn’t come out – and we aren’t now sure when it will. The PM answered a question about it in PMQs this week – “Philip Augar and his panel are working on the report and we will look seriously at the proposals they bring forward”.
The House of Commons library has published a research briefing on the post-18 education and funding review. The covering note:
says that the review is due to report I the Spring 2019 – so presumably that is still the plan.
confirms that the Review recommendations will be consistent with the Government’s fiscal policies to reduce the deficit
says that the recommendations will not place a cap on the number of students who can access post-18 education.
This briefing paper discusses the Review process and gives an outline of the post 18 funding system in England.
It includes helpful links to some of the mission group and other influential responses to the original call for evidence – ours is here
It suggests possible options for reform that the Review may propose, such as the lowering of higher education tuition fees and analyses the impact of these proposals in detail, including looking at the Treasury Committee and House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee reports, which we have reviewed in this update previously.
It includes a summary of impact
The BBC have published this story suggesting the reasons for the delay are Brexit plus a disagreement about the outcomes of the review – which may have pushed it back to the drawing board…
But it seems increasingly likely that the all-consuming politics and economic uncertainty of Brexit have pushed back the review.
There are also claims of significant differences in what 10 Downing Street, the Treasury and the Department for Education want from the shake-up of fees. According to sources, a headline cut in fees is seen as important for the prime minister’s office – described as being the “retail offer” needed to respond to Labour in a general election.
The Treasury does not want to commit to extra direct funding while there is such uncertainty about future public finances. But at the same time, the Department for Education is reluctant to go ahead with a cut in students’ fees until it is clear how that income could be replaced.
The debate is said to be “stuck on the roundabout” – and even when the Augar review publishes its findings, there could be delays before the government responds with any decision.
This might not be until the autumn or later – in a political calendar full of uncertainties about budgets, elections and leaders.
However, other senior university figures say the prime minister might want to push ahead with changing fees as soon as Brexit has been achieved, as a way of showing the government still has a grip on domestic policy.
There are also arguments that when the review is so strongly linked to Theresa May, any change at the top could see it disappearing into the long grass. Charles Heymann, a higher education consultant who formerly worked at the DfE, says: “It wouldn’t be the first education review to end up gathering dust on Whitehall shelves.”
In the meantime, the lobbying continues. Shakira Martin, the NUS president, wrote for Wonkhe.
I’m still adamant that maintenance grants need to return, so we support working class students and put an end to the obscene situation whereby they graduate with the highest student loan debts. The Diamond Review in Wales shows this can be done in a way that really ensures the poorest students are properly supported, and we know that the Augar has looked at the findings of Diamond in detail. On top of that, just about every voice in the sector, including UUK, the Russell Group and Million Plus argues they should return, so I remain hopeful.
We also need to provide better funding for those on part-time or distance learning courses, or otherwise support flexible learning – this should include targeted support like childcare funding for part-time students and travel grants for commuters. The decision to scrap NHS bursaries for nurses, midwives and other healthcare professions needs revisited as it has clearly failed those students and the health service.
There are lots of other changes we have suggested that would make a huge difference to students such as monthly student support payments monthly to help students budget or increasing the threshold for maximum support from £25,000 for the first time in over a decade. And all this is not even to start on adult learning – student support is inadequate in HE – but at least it exists. We need to radically improve the offer for those in FE and I think the Augar panel will recognise that too.
And HEPI have a blog by Andy Nicol, Managing Director at QS Enrolment Solution about a student survey about the perspectives of prospective students:
“This year’s survey (of 1,700 respondents, mostly aged 16-18) sought to unpack what they believe to be the appropriate balance between their individual investment in their degree and that of the state.”
39% of respondents say that the debt they will take on makes them less likely to apply to university than they otherwise would. It is perhaps not surprising then that overwhelmingly (88%) survey respondents believe that Government should be funding at least half of the teaching cost of an undergraduate degree. These prospective students also said that their tuition fees being spent on student accommodation, course facilities, careers support and links to employers would represent a return on their investment.
HEPI’s own research last year found that 74% of students want more information on where their fees go. According to university accounts, the research also found that typically only around 45% of each student’s fee goes on the direct costs of teaching – such as staff salaries. The majority of the remainder is also spent on areas that benefit students. After teaching, the next biggest cost is buildings. Then come other high priorities like information technology, student support services (such as counselling and careers advice), widening participation activities and the students’ union.
… Now is the time for Government to work more closely with universities to ensure it communicates how potential new funding arrangements will represent value for money. With political, economic and demographic challenges facing the sector, it is more important than ever that institutions understand how to engage better with potential recruits. That’s why as part of this report we have published an Action Plan for Domestic Student Recruitment in 2019to help universities and Government do just that.
The OfS published guidance for institutions to produce their new Access and Participation plans for 2020/21. Key points include:
The removal of the guideline percentage of how much of the higher fee income an institution should spend on widening participation, success and progression activities.
The OfS has stated institutions can expect increased scrutiny, rigour and challenge on their plans, in part to kickstart the stagnation of social mobility. Including consideration of whether institutions are at risk of breaching their conditions of registration with the OfS.
Focussed, evidenced, analysis of an institution’s current performance will link with the institution’s strategic aims and priorities for rectifying inequalities in access, student performance and attainment, and progression. The OfS will assess the feasibility of an institution’s aims and the appropriateness and challenge within the chosen targets.
All targets should be outcomes based, rather than measuring outputs.
A greater focus and breakdown on ‘investment’ (spend) is required for access measures. This fits with current Government rhetoric on ensuring widening access spend is effective and focussed towards the most efficient and successful outcomes (supported by robust evidence of impact).
Evaluation, impact and research of widening participation interventions remains important.
All providers are expected to use the POLAR measure (number of young local population that progress to HE) to provide a level of consistency and comparability. A national Access and Participation dataset is also expected to be published shortly.
The OfS has also set itself national key performance measures which address the inequalities they are most concerned about – the gaps that remain the most challenging to tackle and affect large student groups. In order to meet these measures all institutions are expected to have a target which contributes towards improving outcomes in these KPI areas.
ENTRY GAP – Eliminate the gap in participation at higher-tariff providers between the most and least represented (POLAR) groups, from a ratio of 5:1 to a ratio of 3:1 by 2024-25.
DROP OUT GAP – Reduce the gap in non-continuation between the most and least represented groups (POLAR) – eliminating the unexplained gap by 2024-25, and eliminating the absolute gap (the gap caused by both structural and unexplained factors) by 2030-31.
ATTAINMENT GAP – Reduce the gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between white students and black students, eliminating the unexplained gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between white students and black students by 2024-25, and eliminate the absolute gap by 2030-31.
ATTAINMENT GAP -Reduce the gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between disabled students and non-disabled students by 2024-25.
The OfS acknowledges that other non-KPI measures remain important too – addressing the decline in the number of mature students in higher education and access, success and progression for care leavers.
Sarah attended a parliamentary reception this week at which Chris Millward, Director for Fair Access and Participation, emphasised the scrutiny and rigour with which the OfS will be examining the new plans, pushing for ambitious (but realistic) progress, and setting out a commitment to tackle underperformance early on. At the reception there was much discussion of the US universities’ Princeton model of admissions with Chris Millward calling for more English universities to step away from grade based entry and make far more use of contextual admissions, including assessing the personal qualities of grit and resilience which he felt were sure indicators of graduate success within disadvantaged students. Chris confirmed that the OfS’ powers didn’t extend to direct interference in an institution’s admission policy and that the Access and Participation targets would be one of their key methods to push the sector to solve the disadvantage gaps.
Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, gave his first speech on access and participation on the day the guidance was launched. He spoke during a tour of Nottingham Trent University and praise the institution for its work in advancing social mobility. He announced that Nottingham Trent, alongside Kings College London and the Behavioural Insights Team have been awarded the OfS contact for the WP Evidence and Impact Exchange. The Minister said: I want to use this occasion today to outline my own five-part vision for the access and participation agenda – to help set a strategic direction for the sector and support the OfS in holding providers to account on these vitally important issues.
His speech acknowledged the importance of the removal of the student number caps, spoke about the narrowing of the gap with more disadvantaged young student applying to university, whilst acknowledging: All this is good news and a welcome move away from the days when going to university was just for the fortunate few. Yet, we all know that behind the positive headlines lies a much more complex picture of inequality and progress is not as rapid as it should be. And that takes me on to the first point in my plan – namely that we now need a more nuanced approach to ‘access’ and a greater recognition of the true access gaps. Major themes I want to see the sector and the OfS addressing are geographic disparities and widening access for specific groups, including White working-class as well as Black and minority ethnic students.
Sam Gyimah, the previous Universities Minister, wanted disadvantaged young people to aspire to and enter the highest tariff institutions. Chris continues this challenge to the high tariff institutions to become more accessible and think beyond entry grades whilst acknowledging that high tariff doesn’t necessarily mean best: I also want to reverse the trend of students from currently under-represented groups being less likely to apply to high-tariff universities. In 2018, 17% of students who were eligible for free school meals entered higher education in the UK. Yet only 2.7% of them enrolled at high-tariff providers. Now, I’m not saying that high-tariff institutions are necessarily the best option for everyone. Plenty of excellent lower-tariff providers offer students a first-rate education with exceptional graduate outcomes, and are the right choice for many. But what worries me is that some people may not be considering high-tariff providers even when they could clearly benefit from them – showing how prior social and educational experiences can all impact on an individual’s life choices. I am genuinely saddened when I hear people hesitating about applying to one of our world-leading providers because they simply don’t believe that going to a university like that is really for people like them… The UK is blessed to have a diverse, multi-cultural society, and it is simply not right that, despite displaying obvious talent, some people still feel a ‘top’ university education is out of reach for them… This is why I also welcome the fact the Duchess of Sussex recently added public prominence to this issue when expressing shock that too few professors in the UK are from diverse backgrounds. She is right – as she herself said, “change is long overdue”, and if we want our student communities to reflect our wider population, then we have to start thinking seriously about the role models and examples we are setting them.
Chris spoke about the Secretary of State for Education’s guidance letter to the OfS setting out the Government’s expectations. They called for greater and faster progress in access and participation, including at the most selective providers, as well as for key target groups, including disabled students and care leavers. He also spoke of the Race Disparity Audit initiative when he called for the OfS to hold universities to account for attainment disparities through their Access and Participation plans and, if necessary, to use its powers to challenge any provider failing to support equality of opportunity.
Chris was stern on the effective use of WP monies, particularly making better use of evidence to inform spend: £860 million [the combined planned spend by universities on WP in 2018/19] is not an insignificant sum and, so, I believe it is essential that this money is used well, and that any future spending is underpinned by clear evidence and evaluation. Although some providers already do this, for too long the sector as a whole has been too slow in using evidence to inform its approaches and to understand what really works.
He also wants to see more collaboration across the sector: Despite numerous providers undertaking excellent work in the access and participation space, by and large, the sector has been too piecemeal in its approach and too many providers have got used to doing their own thing. I will be the first to admit that this may well be a logical consequence of policy development – with an emphasis on market-style activity, a lack of data-sharing, and too little infrastructure to encourage collaboration. But now is the time for this to change.
Finally, he turned to the importance of data and consistent, reliable measures to track progress in tackling disadvantage. When it comes to data, I know there is a saying that ‘what gets measured, gets managed’…higher education providers have focused less on the outcomes of their disadvantaged students than they should…Differing approaches have not helped. The key measure to drive widening participation in higher education has traditionally been POLAR…The POLAR system has many strengths, and the insight it has provided has helped lead to genuine progress in opening up access to university. Yet, it is also known that POLAR doesn’t always overlap well with other measures of disadvantage – such as eligibility for free school meals…the principal measure used in schools and forms the main basis for extra support and funding. He spoke of UCAS’ work to find new and better predictors of disadvantage in higher education that take account of much more than just where someone grew up. It’s also why I welcome the OfS’s commitment in its access and participation strategy to work with providers to look not just at POLAR, but other aspects of disadvantage to ensure this work can really transform the life chances of young people.
He also welcomed the Transparency Duty which requires institutions to publish data on the application, offer, acceptance, completion and attainment rates of students, divided by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background: And on this, I further welcome the OfS’s requirement that providers set out their ambitions for improving access and participation for up to five years and report annually – something which I hope will keep everyone’s eye on the ball and prevent us from becoming complacent. He also spoke about the newly announced formation of a Data Advisory Committee stating it would help me ensure we are not only using the right data to shape the access and participation agenda, but are using it in the right way. I therefore look forward to working with the OfS, this Committee and the wider sector to find ways to refine and advance the data we use.
Interestingly he also mentions the (delayed) Augar Review and attempts to reassure the sector as a counterpoint to the leaked snippets and speculation of disastrous cuts for HE within the past press: I know many in the sector have been critical about what could emerge from the Review’s recommendations and its potential impacts on access and participation activities. Let me reassure you today that progressing access and successful participation remains a top focus for this government and it will be a key lens for me and others in government as we decide how to take the Review forward. My key outcome for the Review is that we create a truly joined-up system, which is even better at promoting social mobility and countering childhood disadvantage. I also encourage us to view the post-18 Review as an opportunity to think again about how we view disadvantage, to ensure we are putting our energy and investment where it is most needed. Reading between the lines I’m not sure this is quite as reassuring as Chris intended!
Disadvantage starts early – Universities Minister Chris Skidmore is a believer that disadvantage starts at birth and has committed to working with Nadhim Zahawi (Minister for Children and Families) to tackle disadvantage. He has announced they will be working together to improve support for care leavers throughout the whole education system, noting that only 6% of care leaver attend universities and are the most likely student group to drop out. He urged the OfS to do all they could to support care leavers. Nadhim also announced an additional 1,000 health visitors will be trained to support children’s early language and communication needs this week. Noting that children who start school with poor vocabulary are twice as likely to be unemployed as an adult. The health visitors will detect early signs of speech and language delay and take early action when it can have the most benefit.
Level 4-5 Qualifications Review Outcomes
The DfE have published a research report on the Level 4-5 Qualifications Review. Key points:
L4-5 qualifications support a diverse mix of students. The qualifications are undertaken by a slightly higher proportion of ethnic minority and male students than other HE and FE programmes, and there is also a relatively high proportion of older learners and learners with disabilities
Nearly all FE colleges (97%) and most HEIs (88%) provide L4-5 qualifications. Nearly 200 private and adult community learning providers deliver L4-5 providers, which includes 48 alternative providers in HE that are not FE colleges.
The L4-5 market is diverse. There were 3,368 different L4-5 qualifications that were available to learners in 2016/17, of which 2,633 were developed by HEIs and delivered by FE and HE providers.
The size of the L4-5 market is relatively small, compared to HEIs and FE providers’ overall offer. There were 111,420 learners that studied an accredited L4-5 qualification in 2016/17, which comprises only 2% of all vocational qualifications awarded. In HE, there were 75,632 learners that undertook L4-5 qualifications in 2016/17, which accounted for 3% of all HE learners.
L4-5 programmes not delivered through apprenticeships are most commonly taken for subjects in health, public services and care (composing 23% of all L4-5 learners); business administration and law (17%); and Engineering and manufacturing technologies (12%).
Just under 40% of learners on HE-accredited L4-5 programmes progressed to full-time employment and 26% progressed to full-time further learning. This reflects the dual aims of L4-5 qualifications. The proportion of learners that progress to employment does, however, vary significantly by subject area and qualification type
Support the promotion to providers and learners of L4-5 qualifications that provide direct entry to the labour market, by being actual or de facto licences to practise. Awareness of these qualifications can be low among learners, which reduces take-up.
Incentivising HEIs to recognise L4-5 qualifications as providing exemptions from the first or the first and second year of a degree programme and encouraging joint working with HEIs and AOs to harmonise content with degrees and L4-5 provision.
Stimulating FE providers and HEIs to expand their L5 provision, as this appears to be provided less comprehensively than L4, despite having higher learner take-up.
The DfE have published Apprenticeship and Levy Statistics for February 2019
As at 31 January 2019, 122,700 commitments had been recorded for the 2018/19 academic year (114,000 fully agreed and 8,700 pending approval). This compares to 98,000 commitments recorded for the 2017/18 academic year at the equivalent point last year
Of the 122,700 commitments recorded so far for 2018/19, 60,800 commitments were for apprentices aged 25 and over. 38,200 commitments were intermediate apprenticeships, and 52,000 were advanced apprenticeships.
In 2017/18, there were 48,150 higher level (level 4+) apprenticeship starts, compared to just 3,700 in 2011/12.
Between 2015/16 and 2016/17 higher level starts increased 34.7per cent from 27,160 to 36,570.
Between 2016/17 and 2017/18 the higher level starts rose 31.7 per cent to 48,150.
In contrast, both intermediate (level 2) apprenticeships and advanced (level 3) decreased between 2016/17 and 2017/18 by 38.1 per cent and 15.9 per cent, respectively.
The DfE have published an Apprenticeships Study on non-completion. This is NOT about degree apprenticeships but FE learners and apprentices – but still interesting
Non-completers commonly lacked information about the content of their course and how it would be delivered before they began. Whilst motivated, a lack of upfront information before they started the course meant that expectations tended to be limited to an expectation that the course would be organised, run smoothly, and enable them to work to pass.
Non-completers reported mixed experiences of their courses and apprenticeships. However, they had commonly experienced challenges such as a lack of sufficient flexibility, loss of child care, and employers not allowing them enough time to do their coursework.
Non-completers dropped out when one or more of three key areas were not satisfied. They dropped out when core personal issues took priority over learning; with family, health, and finances commonly taking priority. Drop out occurred when learners did not see their course as valuable, meaning the content and level were not appropriate to enable them to pursue their career goals. Finally, learners dropped out when their course or apprenticeship failed to meet their expectations for functional delivery.
This is interesting because of course many of the same issues arise with university non-completions. Non-completion (or continuation as the TEF calls it) is a key metric for TEF, precisely because the DfE believe that the value of the programme and the functional delivery of it, to use the terms above, are key indicators of the quality of a programme and so continuation is a proxy measure for quality. Of course that ignores the personal issues. The report says: “Although learners were generally tipped into non-completion by an issue aligned to one of these areas, they tended to be facing multifaceted issues which overlapped across two or more layers”. So it’s not that simple.
Key Recommendations:
More comprehensive and accurate information up front about the content, structure and expectations for a course
Proactive and holistic support and flexibility to ensure they can continue to manage their course alongside their personal priorities
Improvements to course delivery so that courses and apprenticeships are more consistently delivered across the country.
The Sutton Trust have conducted a survey of parents with children aged 5-16 on degree level apprenticeships.
75% of parents said they would be confident offering children help and advice were they to apply to a degree-level apprenticeship
27% said they would advise their child to take a degree level apprenticeship over a universities degree course, with 31% indicating they would make the opposite recommendation
Of those parents who would advise their children to undertake a university degree course, 68% intimated that this was because they believed it offered better career prospects, whilst 29% said it was because they lacked knowledge about apprenticeships in general
Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
The DfE and ONS have published statistics on the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training.
For quarter four (i.e. October to December) 2018, 11.3% of 16-24 year olds were NEET, a slight increase of 0.2 percentage points from quarter four of 2017.
The age 16-17 NEET rate was 4.2%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points. The 18-24 NEET rate was 13.1%, increasing by 0.2 percentage points.
However, none of these annual changes to the NEET rates were statistically significant
It now looks increasingly likely that there will be a short delay to Brexit unless the deal, perhaps amended in some way with concessions from the EU, is passed on 12th March in the newly scheduled meaningful vote.
Resignations and the formation of the Independent Group of MPs don’t really change the arithmetic yet. The shift of the Labour party’s position on a second referendum also does not make much difference either while the vast majority of MPs continue to vote along party political lines.
There will need to be many more resignations or radical changes of position on the deal if it is to pass in March. That is still possible, but a good number of Conservatives, from both the remain and the leave side, will need to find a way to support it, supported by a good number of Labour Brexiteers seeking to avoid a second vote. Remember that more than 100 MPs need to change their view on the deal for it to go through.
However, UK citizens worrying about their plans for travel to the EU may therefore find that they don’t need an International Driving Licence or private health insurance for an Easter trip. No deal is still, however, firmly on the table, so you may need them for the summer. The overwhelming flood of information from the government has included reissuances for EU colleagues and EU students about travel to the UK after a no deal Brexit – but of course the continued uncertainty is unhelpful. And it’s sobering to note that whatever the result of the current flurry, even if the deal is signed we will have to go through it all again before the end of the transition period in December 2020. There won’t be proper certainty about anything for a long time.
A delay beyond June still seems impossible – although it might seem a lot more possible by the time we get there.
OfS Student Panel: The Office for Students (OfS) has announced five new members of its student panel, which advises the OfS board to ensure student interests are reflected in OfS’ work. Georgia Bell is President of the students’ union at the Northern School of Art; Rose Bennett is Student Experience officer (postgraduate) at the University of Birmingham; Samuel Dedman is vice-president education at the University of Southampton students’ union; Joshua Sanderson-Kirk is president of the student association at the University of Law and Sabrina Mundtazir is a student nurse at the University of Huddersfield.
University enterprise zones: The Treasury and BEIS have announced a £10 million fund to help develop proposals for up to 10 new university enterprise zones in England. Treasury Minister Robert Jenrick and Universities and Science Minister Chris Skidmore launched the fund during a visit to Nottingham University, which has piloted a University Enterprise Zone that is supporting start-ups and enterprises in the East Midlands. Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, stated:
Our universities are among the best in the world, and when they join forces with our ambitious and innovative small businesses, they have the potential to meet the grand challenges of the future.
HESA have published stats on staff employed in HE providers for 2017/18
Student sexual harassment/violence: Dig-In have published an infographic on sexual harassment and violence experienced by students based on a survey.
56% of students have experienced unwanted sexual behaviours (such as inappropriate touching, explicit messages, being cat called, followed and/or being forced into sex or sexual acts)
Only 15% of students believe that they are the victims of sexual harassment
And only 8% have reported an offence.
Only 25% of students who were forced into having sex reported it
53% of incidents were perpetrated by another students and 30% took place on campus
They also say that only 52% of students understand that it is not possible to give consent if you are drunk
Tags: apprenticeships Brexit fees and funding HE staff LEO Level 4 and 5 qualifications NEET Office for Students OFS Review of post-18 education teaching excellence framework TEF widening participation
HE Policy update for the w/e 8th February 2018
EU, international, open access, policy, REF Subjects, Research news, Student Engagement jforster
Brexit – UUK fights back on Erasmus
UUK has launched a national campaign to encourage the UK government to commit to funding study abroad programmes in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
#SupportStudyAbroad is in response to a technical note on the Erasmus+ programme issued by government on 28 January 2019. The government has said that in the case of a no-deal Brexit, students on current placements will receive funding to their end, and that it would like to stay in the Erasmus+ programme for future calls. However, it is now clear that in the event of a no-deal Brexit there will be no national alternative to enable students to go abroad if continued Erasmus+ membership cannot be negotiated with the European Union.
Alistair Jarvis, Universities UK Chief Executive, said:
“The benefits of study abroad are well documented. Not only does study abroad have clear employability benefits for students, it helps them to develop the language, communication and intercultural skills that will be so essential to building a truly global Britain. An investment in international experience for our students now is an investment in the future of our economy. Without the international opportunities offered through schemes like Erasmus, the UK’s workforce will not be equipped to meet the changing needs of the economy post-Brexit.
“In the case of a no-deal Brexit, I strongly urge the government to commit to continue funding study abroad opportunities for UK students, even if the UK cannot negotiate continued participation in Erasmus+ programme.”
1) Study abroad supports social mobility. Students who study abroad outperform their peers academically and professionally. They are:
19% more likely to gain a 1st class degree
20% less likely to be unemployed
10% more likely to be in ‘graduate’ jobs six months after graduation
For those from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups the benefits are even more pronounced:
BME students who studied abroad are 17% more likely to be in ‘graduate’ jobs six months after graduation
Mature students who participated in these programmes earn 10% more than their peers
2) International opportunities help students develop skills that UK businesses need. Research by the CBI has found that:
Seven out of 10 small and medium size enterprises believe that future executives will need foreign language skills and international experience
39% of employers are dissatisfied with graduates’ intercultural awareness
49% of employers are dissatisfied with graduates’ language skills
Widening Particpation performance indicators
On 7th February, HESA issued performance measures for WP.
Chris Millward of the OfS commented:
‘Today’s release points to incremental progress in improving equality of opportunity in higher education. The reforms we have recently announced are intended to secure a step change in the next five years, both through pressure on universities to enhance the plans they submit to us, and support to enable them to work in the most effective ways. We want universities to understand how they are performing using sophisticated measures, looking across different characteristics to understand disadvantage in their own context and targeting their activity and investment so that it really works.’
David Kernohan has analysed the data for Wonkhe:
The HESA Performance Indicator data for 2017-18 is more about proportions than raw numbers. The headline figures see England and the UK enjoy a 0.2 percentage point rise (from 11.4% to 11.6%) in young entrants to HE from low participation neighbourhoods. ….
There is also data on state school entry rates. In the UK and in England 89.8% of young full time first degree entrants attended state school, down 0.2 percentage points from last year. ..To put this latter paragraph in context, the Independent Schools Commission estimates that around 14% of 16 year old pupils attended an independent school.
One widening participation marker that is rarely discussed concerns the participation rate of students with disabilities. 6.6% of UK-domiciled full-time first degree students are in receipt of the Disabled Students’ Allowance in 2017-18 – the same as last year.
Application data for 2019
UCAS have issued data for applications for the 2019 cycle to date
They issued a summary report:
Applicant numbers from within the UK decrease but numbers increase internationally
Overall, UK domiciled applicants have decreased by 0.7 per cent, while applicants from outside the UK have increased to their highest levels on record for both EU and non-EU countries. EU applicants increased by 0.9 per cent to 43,890, and non-EU applicants increased by 9.0 per cent to 63,695. Although EU applicant numbers have increased by 0.9 percent overall, they have decreased in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with the only increase being in England, where they increased by 1.9 per cent to 37,595 (the second highest number on record after 2016).
The overall fall in the UK can be attributed to the demographic dip
The number of 18 year olds in the UK has fallen each year since 2015 (falling by 2.0 per cent this year compared to last), and overall figures as reported above are affected by the falling number of school leavers (roughly 80 per cent of UK applicants are 18 – 19 year olds)…The application rate in England has risen every year since 2012 and is now at its highest on record (38.8 per cent), with this year having the biggest percentage point increase since 2014.
Applicant numbers from China increase by one third
The number of applicants from China has increased by 33.3 per cent this year – rising from 11,915 to 15,880. This follows an increase of 20.6 per cent last year, and brings Chinese applicant numbers to almost the same level as those from Wales and Northern Ireland (18,855 and 17,910 respectively). Other countries with large percentage increases in applicant numbers include Romania (+260, 10 per cent), Slovakia (+180, 26 per cent), and Saudi Arabia (+150, 24 per cent).
Application rates have increased in every English region
The order of regions by application rate is broadly similar to 2018, with London still having a considerably higher rate (49.9 per cent), and the North East having the lowest rate (32.9 per cent) for the second consecutive year. With the London rate increasing by 2.4 percentage points this year, 18 year olds in London are now 36 per cent more likely than 18 year olds in the rest of England to have applied to higher education (up from 33 per cent more likely last year). This is the first year since 2016 that application rates have increased in every English region
The gap in application rates between advantaged and disadvantaged applicants decreases
Application rates have increased for all quintiles. The application rate for Q1 increased by 1.3 percentage points to 23.2 per cent, which is its biggest increase since 2014. The Q5 rate increased by 1.0 percentage points to 53.5 per cent, causing the Q5:Q1 application rate ratio to decrease from 2.40 to 2.30, meaning that the gap in application rates between advantaged and disadvantaged applicants has narrowed slightly
Free Speech Guidance
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have developed new guidance on freedom of expression at universities. The guidance aims to coherently definite legal rights and obligations around free speech with a view to empowering student unions and individuals. It also details the limited occasions where free speech can lawfully be limited. It has been produced with input from the National Union of Students, Universities UK, Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office for Students, Independent HE, Guild HE, Commission for Countering Extremism and Home Office.
Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said:
Free speech is a value integral to the independence and innovation that embodies the higher education sector in the UK, fuelling academic thought and challenging injustice. This guidance is a symbol of the commitment from across the sector to protecting freedom of speech.
David Isaac, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:
The free expression and exchange of different views without persecution or interference goes straight to the heart of our democracy and is a vital part of higher education. Holding open, challenging debates rather than silencing the views of those we don’t agree with helps to build tolerance and address prejudice and discrimination. Our guidance makes clear that freedom of speech in higher education should be upheld at every opportunity.
Everyone has the right to express and receive views and opinions, including those that may ‘offend, shock or disturb others’.
Protecting freedom of expression is a legal requirement for most higher education providers. Students’ unions also have a role to play, although their legal duties are different (see section 2).
Higher education providers need to have a code that sets out their policies and procedures relating to external speakers, and make sure their procedures don’t create unnecessary barriers to free speech. They also need to make sure all students are aware of the code (see section 2.2).
There are some circumstances where UK law limits the right to freedom of expression, for example, to protect national security or to prevent crime (see section 3).
Most higher education providers and students’ unions are registered charities and have a charitable purpose to further students’ education for the public benefit. Free speech is an important part of meeting this purpose (see section 3.3).
The starting point should be that any event can go ahead, but higher education providers have to consider all their legal duties carefully (see section 6).
It has been criticised because it clarifies, but does not resolve, some of the contradictions and competing responsibilities for institutions and students’ unions.
On Academic Freedom:
Freedom of expression is relevant to, but should not be confused with, the important principle of academic freedom. Academic freedom relates to the intellectual independence of academics in respect of their work, including the freedom to undertake research activities, express their views, organise conferences and determine course content without interference.
As part of their duties under Article 10 and the s.43 duty, HEPs must protect the freedom of expression of academics and staff. Student complaints and protests should not result in HEPs imposing limits on course content or speaker events organised by lecturers. HEPs should also take steps, such as providing support to their staff, where necessary to make sure that the pressure of student complaints does not lead to self-censorship of academic work. They must also ensure that internal policies (for example, policies to comply with the Prevent duty) do not unduly inhibit academic freedom.
On visiting speakers
The s.43 duty does not mean that any group or speaker has a right to be invited to speak to students on HEP premises or at SUs. What it does mean is that a speaker who has been invited to speak at a meeting or other event should not be stopped from doing so unless:
they are likely to express unlawful speech, or
their attendance would lead the host organisation to breach other legal obligations and no reasonably practicable steps can be taken to reduce these risks.
That is interesting given the view that Peter Hitchen expressed on Radio 4 that being “uninvited” to an SU event was censorship. The way I read the paragraph above, uninviting him isn’t but preventing him speaking once he arrived would be…but that is not what the guidance says:
SUs are entitled – and required, to the extent that the speech may break the law – to consider ‘harm’ that someone’s views may cause to some of their members, when deciding whether to invite a speaker to an event they are organising. However, if a speaker has already been invited by an SU society or group and the speech will be lawful, the SU will need to consider their obligations under their HEP’s s.43 code of practice. If an SU cancels a speaker in these circumstances, their HEP has a duty to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the speaker event can proceed.
The guidance is 54 pages long and each set of circumstances will need to be worked through by each SU and institution in each case, and the outcomes will always be reliant on interpretation of the guidance and the judgement of those making the decision. This is one issue that, being about politics as well as being a political issue, has dominated the news on a regular basis since Jo Johnson started to make a song and dance about it, and will no doubt continue to run and run.
Ethnic Disparities
On Monday the DfE published a Written Ministerial Statement on Race Disparity Audit which aims to push the HE sector to drive change in tackling inequalities between ethnic groups. The acute sector issues are levels of non-continuation, degree class achieved compared to non-ethnic minority peers, and progression to good quality employment. The statement goes on to remind that in tackling ethnic disparities the Government has established the OfS and legislated for greater transparency and scrutiny through the Higher Education and Research Act.
The statement continues with the actions the Government expect (very similar to those trailed in the speech reported in last week’s policy update):
Asking the Office for Students to ensure higher education providers demonstrate how they are tackling differences in access and successful participation for students from ethnic minorities – the Office for Students will be expected to hold providers to account, in particular through Access and Participation plans, which set out how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for under-represented groups, to access, succeed in and progress from higher education. The Office for Students will be expected to use its new powers to challenge providers failing to make progress.
Asking league table compilers to consider performance on tackling inequalities between ethnic groups in university rankings – working with a wide range of experts, stakeholders and league table compilers.
Encouraging higher education providers to eliminate ethnic disparities in their workforce – using tools such as the Race at Work Charter and Race Equality Charter.
Supporting student choice through better information, advice and guidance- by reforming the Unistats website using evidence from research with students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
Building the evidence base on ‘what works’ for improving ethnic minority access and successful participation – encouraging the winning bidder of the newly established Evidence and Impact Exchange to make improving the evidence around addressing ethnic disparities a priority.
These actions will be supported by the Office for Students in their role as the regulator, Advance HE who will launch a review of their Race Equality Charter, and UKRI who will signal their support for reducing ethnic disparities in research and innovation funding.
Debbie McVitty from Wonkhe did some analysis of the position, looking at the OFS report issued alongside the and the recent UCU report on the experience of Black female professors:
These reports demonstrate the complex and pernicious ways that higher education cultures can enable behaviours that marginalise and exclude. Rollock’s respondents, for example, detail incidents of “passive aggressive acts, avoidance, undermining and exclusion”. These sorts of incidents create an exhausting double bind – to process one’s own emotional response so as to avoid being labelled angry or irrational, and to redouble one’s efforts to perform to prove oneself worthy of one’s position in the teeth of the covert scepticism of one’s peers.
The authors of the OfS report record concerns over a lack of discussion of racism and discrimination, insufficient Black or minority ethnic leaders and/or leaders with the critical perspective to drive action in this area, the perpetuation of deficit models, with interventions based on racist stereotypes. Also noted was the failure to involve Black and minority ethnic students in the design and delivery of targeted interventions, as well as a lack of diversity in the curriculum.
The OfS commissioned report has a series of recommendations
Providers should improve their institutional data systems so that they can consistently capture good quality data; this will ensure that activities can be effectively targeted and interventions effectively evaluated.
This may require the aggregation of data across multiple years to ensure that more nuanced patterns of disadvantage can be identified and addressed.
Whilst course level data can be helpful in mobilising course leaders to effect change, presenting statistical data as proportions or percentages can be unhelpful where numbers are low. Rather, the focus should be on numbers of individual students. This also helps to personify students with inequitable outcomes and can serve as a useful counter to increasingly abstract discussions.
Providers should make their BAME access, retention, success and progression data public to all students and staff. This includes making it readily available internally (including at departmental/course level data) and externally (for example through a dedicated institutional website with both data and plans to tackle inequalities).
Providers should ensure that data is contextualised for students and accompanied by a clear action plan which indicates what action the provider is taking to ensure that the gap is reduced and then eradicated.
Providers should take a holistic approach to addressing inequalities for specific minority ethnic groups ensuring a balance of interventions across the full student lifecycle.
Providers should demonstrate in their access and participation plans how they will balance the focus of ‘inclusive’ and ‘targeted/exclusive’ interventions across the student lifecycle.
HE providers should summarise, on an annual basis, their annual spend on targeted interventions–across each aspect of the student lifecycle (access, retention, attainment, progression). This should include ways in which additional fee income is being used as well how interventions are being funded from as other sources, such as from the Addressing Barriers to Student Success (ABSS) programme funded by the Office for Students.
Sarah Foxen of the UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit, part of POST, has written for Wonkhe on policy impact (a question that you know is close to our hearts).
We have been working with Research England for over a year to help ensure a shared understanding of what parliamentary impact is and how it can be evidenced in REF 2021. Last spring, those involved in the delivery of REF 2021 asked us to produce a briefing for them explaining both what is useful and impactful for legislatures, and how engagement and impact can be evidenced. The briefing proved useful and fed directly into the drafting of guidelines and panel criteria.
Research England and panel members have taken onboard a number of the points we made in our briefing, which now feature in the final Panel Criteria and Working Methods. These points are found in Annex A: Examples of impacts and indicators.
As for what constitutes parliamentary impact, we all agree that:
Research is used by parliamentarians to develop proposals for new legislation through Private Members’ Bills, or to assist scrutiny of legislation and inform amendments to other bills such as those introduced by government.
Research helps to highlight issues of concern to parliamentarians and contributes to new analysis of existing issues.
Research helps parliamentarians and staff to identify inquiry topics, shape the focus of inquiries, inform questioning of witnesses, and underpin recommendations.
Research equips parliamentarians, their staff, and legislative staff with new analytical or technical skills, or refreshes existing ones.
As for indicators of reach and significance, there is a shared understanding that this can be evidenced through:
Direct citations of research in parliamentary publications such as Hansard, committee reports, evidence submissions, or briefings.
Acknowledgements to researchers on webpages, in reports or briefings.
Quantitative indicators or statistics on the numbers of attendees or participants at a research event, or website analytics for online briefings.
Qualitative feedback from participants or attendees at research events.
Data to show close working relationships with Members or staff, for example, the number of meetings held, minutes from these meetings, membership of working groups, co-authoring of publications.
Testimonials from members, committees or officials, where available.
Analysis by third-party organisations of parliamentary proceedings or processes, for example studies of the passage of particular pieces of legislation.
We are also delighted to see that those administering REF 2021 took on our suggestion (and perhaps that of others too) that certain kinds of impact only acknowledged in panel C in the draft guidelines will now be valued by all panels:
The panels acknowledge that there may be impacts arising from research which take forms such as holding public or private bodies to account or subjecting proposed changes in society, public policy, business practices, and so on to public scrutiny. Such holding to account or public scrutiny may have had the effect of a proposed change not taking place; there may be circumstances in which this of itself is claimed as an impact. There may also be examples of research findings having been communicated to, but not necessarily acted upon, by the intended audience, but which nevertheless make a contribution to critical public debate around policy, social or business issues. The panels also recognise that research findings may generate critique or dissent, which itself leads to impact(s). For example, research may find that a government approach to a particular social, health, food-/ biosecurity or economic issue is not delivering its objectives, which leads to the approach being questioned or modified.
Brexit – Update from the Home Office on the EU Settlement Scheme
The Home Office has been piloting the EU Settlement Scheme application process. There will be difference between the pilots and the full launch of the scheme. This includes the current testing of an app which checks an individual’s identity document.
However, when the scheme is fully live at the end of March, use of the app will be optional and people will be able to send their identity document in the post or get their passport checked in over 50 locations.
The scheme will be fully live by 30 March 2019, and under the draft Withdrawal Agreement applicants will have until 30 June 2021 to apply via a computer or any mobile device.
Following the January announcement that fees for the scheme will be waived the Government has confirmed that “anyone who has applied already, or who applies and pays a fee during the test phases, will have their fee refunded. Applicants should make payment using the card they want to be refunded on. Further details of the refunds process will be published shortly.”
The Government published the second independent report on Open Access research compiled by Professor Adam Tickell who is the Chair of the UK Open Access Co-ordination Group. It presents a refreshed evidence base, and addresses specific questions raised by Jo Johnson back when he was Universities Minister in November 2017.
The Government have also published Chris Skidmore’s (current HE Minister) response letter:
… In supporting the UK research endeavour, we are seeking to increase knowledge, enhance public life, expand our economy, and transform public services. For us to realise these benefits and more, research needs to be openly available.
It is therefore right that students, researchers, businesses and anyone with an interest should be able to access, without additional cost, the publicly-funded research findings of our great universities and research institutes.
Your advice demonstrates that the UK is at the forefront of the global movement towards Open Access to research. Over half of the publications arising from publicly funded research can now be read online and without payment, one year after publication. It is a significant achievement to have reached the current rate of Open Access adoption and I look forward to UKRI pursuing routes which allow us to reach our 100% target in an affordable way.
Progress in Open Access has been achieved as a result of cooperation between research funders, universities, learned societies and publishers: I am grateful for their continued participation.
One of Professor Tickell’s earlier recommendations was to establish an Open Research Data Task Force. Their final report has been published here. The report is an overview of open research data policy and infrastructure landscape in the UK.
Pensions: HEPI have published a new report on the USS pension scheme, noting its growth from a small scale operation into the largest private pension scheme in the UK. It discusses the scars left by the recent pension strikes and sees failure to learn from past successful pension reforms as a cause with parties becoming bogged down in technical discussion losing the bigger picture – such as the relationship between pay and pensions. It describes three possible ways forward and concludes: Despite the recent turmoil, we should not lose sight of the deep commitment by universities, over many decades, to ensure their staff have secure retirement incomes. In the midst of a strike, it can be easy to forget your opponents may be well intentioned too.’ HEPI have also published a response by UCU.
Extra curricular activities: The education secretary Damian Hinds has launched an “activity passport” aimed at encouraging school pupils to pursue new experiences and activities, including searching for butterflies, taking part in a Roman banquet and flying a kite.
Apprenticeships (from Wonkhe): TES reports that more than 80% of employers who pay the apprenticeship levy have hired no apprentices.
Appointments: Sutton Trust CEO Lee Elliot Major is leaving the Sutton Trust to take up a post as Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter. Here is his (short) reflective blog upon leaving.
Mental health in schools: Up to 370 schools will join one of the largest trials in the world to boost the evidence about what works to support mental health and wellbeing. The pilot is expected to include a range of new techniques including mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercise. The trials will test five different approaches including two trials in secondary schools of short information sessions either led by a specialist instructor or by trained teachers and three trials in primary and secondary schools that focus on exercises drawn from mindfulness practice, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques and recognising the importance of support networks including among their own peers. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:
As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, while potentially making others worse. Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools. These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the pressures they face.
Tags: Brexit equality and diversity erasmus free speech freedom of speech inclusivity OFS open access ref 2021 student applications TEF widening participation
HE Policy Update for the w/e 1st February 2019
EU, humanities, international, policy, Research news jforster
This week we bring you the latest on unconditional offers, Parliament give the nod to accelerated degree funding, the wonk-press frenzy in dissecting Chris Skidmore’s first formal speech, and a little on the B-word.
Universities Minister speaks out
Chris Skidmore gave his inaugural formal speech as Universities Minister on Thursday which set out his vision for the higher education sector. He began by raising the uncertainties of Brexit and the knock on effect on recruitment, staffing and funding. He acknowledged the Post 18 HE Review added to this uncertainty and strove to reassure:
I hear your concerns and I am keen to work with you during this difficult period.
My vision for our universities and colleges is a positive one. I’m not going to be a Minister who comes in and beats up or needlessly berates the sector. Instead, I want to restate my commitment to you today to work in partnership with you to ensure our higher education sector remains one that works for everyone and of which we can be proud in generations to come.
Given the extent of recent regulatory changes, I understand the prospect of increased government intervention may raise alarm bells in the sector. But let me reassure you today that, as a former academic myself, I fully appreciate the concept of institutional autonomy. And I believe so much of what is good about our universities today has come about because of the freedom they have been able to exercise.
He continued on to talk of the TEF and the independent review which is “an important opportunity to take stock of the TEF from a constructively critical perspective”. On accelerated degrees he acknowledged they weren’t for everyone but were “just one way that the sector can expand its offerings for those who are looking for something different from their higher education experience”.
Value for money, the LEO data, and student mental health got a mention and there were hints in there that Skidmore feels passionately about students who drop out of university.
On LEO: I also realise the LEO data could be developed further. So I am keen to engage with the sector to explore how to make the most of this data going forwards. For one, I want to look at ways of making this data more readily available to the academic research community to allow for more in-depth analysis. I also intend to set up a Data Advisory Committee to help me ensure, as Minister, that we are making the most of the opportunities thrown up by these rich new datasets and that they are being used in the best way possible – to ensure they are reaching those who could benefit from them; that they are being used in context; and that their insights and implications are being fully understood.
And perhaps positive thoughts for a balanced sector amid the differential fees rumours of late:
As much as I see the value of more data, I am also aware of concerns it has given rise to about the value for money of certain courses, disciplines and institutions. On this, I believe we need to take a step back and ask what exactly value for money means in the context of higher education. Successful outcomes for students and graduates are about much more than salary: if we are to define value purely in economic terms, based on salary levels or tax contributions, then we risk overlooking the vital contribution of degrees of social value, such as Nursing or Social Care, not to mention overlooking the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – the very disciplines that make our lives worth living.
How you define value for money depends heavily on how you envisage the kind of world you want to live in. For my part, a society without people to care for each other; to support each other; to teach the next generation; or to step in selflessly in times of crisis is a very sad society indeed. Equally, although I am officially Minister for Science, I take great pride in wanting to be Minister for the Arts and Humanities as well – disciplines which enrich our culture and society, and have an immeasurable impact on our health and wellbeing.
As we move forwards into the future, the last thing I want to see is value judgements emerging which falsely divide the Sciences and Engineering from the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. To do so would be a travesty. Our future success depends on all these disciplines being completely intertwined.
Although perhaps celebrations should be tempered by the fact Chris gave his speech at the Royal Academic of Dramatic Arts.
He concluded: In my vision for the sector, people should be free to embark on higher education at any time that is right for them. We should build bridges to make this happen. By 2030, I want us to have built a post-18 education system that gives people the flexibility they need – so that no-one who has quit higher education, for whatever reason or circumstance, has to feel they have dropped out with no routes back in later in their lives.
However, Wonkhe were not convinced by the Minister, they say:
Talk was that RADA auditions were being held on the day a nervous Chris Skidmore took to a small stage in the bar to address a critical audience of wonks and journalists. But did he pass?
I’d have to say….no. Not on the lack of strength in his own performance, but on the blandness of his material. It was a crop of sector pleasing bromides that failed to hold attention and gave him little to work with. There were no popular press-pleasing pot shots at universities – so that’s the good news. He’s pitching himself more as late Sam Gymiah, less as Jo Johnson. But as a former history lecturer and pop-punk agitator, you expect the well-struck aside and the fascinating digression to be a part of Skidmore’s armoury – first time out he played it straight. I sat there for 30 minutes, and my abiding memory was him repeatedly hedging statements with the world “overwhelmingly”.
But there was little chance of the select audience being overwhelmed – the most interesting thing we learned was that Skidmore had already visited ten universities (naming most of them in the speech), and enjoyed responding to Radio 4 tweet prompts. There were no questions, and no huddle afterwards for journalists – though THE apparently has an exclusive interview. Good luck to them.
Research Professional said: Chris Skidmore may not be in office for long, but his choice of setting and conciliatory tone in yesterday’s inaugural speech suggest there will be changes from the Johnson/Gyimah era. Not since David Willetts in 2010 has a universities minister arrived in post waving an olive branch rather than a brickbat.
They continue:
Inaugural speeches from ministers also need to be looked at for what they do not contain. In the case of Skidmore’s outing yesterday, there was little about science, engineering or research. The phrase “world leading” cropped up many times as you would expect, but there was also no mention of the Russell Group, although Oxford and Cambridge did get a line.
There was the ritual nod to his predecessors—and every sign that the emphasis on mental health under Sam Gyimah will continue—but in other respects, we should expect some clearing out.
One of the most revealing sections of the speech was on the TEF. Skidmore began by appreciating that there is disquiet over the TEF but then added that “no university should shy away from it”. He mentioned that Dame Shirley Pearce’s independent review “provides an important opportunity to take stock of the TEF from a constructively critical perspective”. And then came the killer line: “Dame Shirley has commissioned the Office for National Statistics to carry out an analysis of the statistical information used in TEF assessments and its suitability for generating TEF ratings.”
Thanks to evidence from the Royal Statistical Society and the views of the Department for Education’s own office of the chief scientist, we already know that statisticians are singularly unimpressed with the TEF’s lack of statistical rigour. It is not beyond possibility that the Pearce review might precipitate the beginning of the end for the TEF. Skidmore ended with a call for universities to help twist the knife: “I hope that you will take the opportunity to make your views known to Dame Shirley over the consultation period ahead.”
Skidmore also went out of his way to praise the UK’s modern universities, something that ministers rarely do.
Here’s the link if you want to read more of Research Professional’s take on the Minister’s speech.
This from Research Professional: Augar leaks have substance, says Sussex vice-chancellor who claims that many of the rumours about the Review of post-18 Education and Funding are true (lower fees, barring lower grades from accessing loans, higher fees for medicine and science).
The House of Commons library has produced a briefing overview on the state of part time undergraduate education in England, discussing the decline in numbers and the impact this has on the HE sector. Traditionally the view has been that part time student numbers have dropped because of the introduction of higher tuition fees, the lack of viable loan funding and the influence of not funding a second degree for a student who has previously studied at the same level. The timing of the Commons briefing release this week coincides with an announcement from the Welsh Government of a 35% increase in part time undergraduates from Wales. Welsh post-grads have been were eligible for dedicated bursaries and support from Welsh universities since 2018/19. With means-tested grants and loans to be introduced from September 2019. The news story attributes the success through increased numbers to the new Welsh student support system. Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams said:
“This is fantastic news and a real vote of confidence in our student support package, the first of its kind in the UK or Europe.
We have always said that high living costs are the main barrier for students when thinking about university. Our package of support was specifically designed to address these concerns, making it easier for people to study part-time, especially if they have work or family commitments.
Our radical approach to supporting part-time study is essential to improving social mobility, employment outcomes, access to the professions and delivering on our commitment to lifelong learning.”
The DfE published analysis on the importance of financial factors in decisions about higher education.
Some groups do express greater debt aversion than others, especially:
those planning to live at home whilst studying (35%),
those of a non-white ethnicity (30%), and
those from lower socio-economic group (26%).
63% of applicants expected to use parents or 62% savings as a source of income whilst at university (particularly applicants from higher socio-economic groups (75% and 70% respectively).
University was the only option considered by the majority of applicants (75%), (this increases to 78% for Russell group applicants). This was consistent across socio-economic backgrounds. Getting a job and travelling were the main alternatives considered by applicants
The course offered (82%), university reputation (58%), and potential for high future earnings (41%) were the most commonly cited major influences on applicants’ choices about where to study.
Around half of applicants (54%) said they were ‘put off’ to some extent by the costs associated with university.
This week the Lords approved the statutory instrument which makes provision for the elevated fee level (and accompanying loan arrangements) to facilitate and prompt more universities to offer faster intensive degree programmes. The BBC reports on the decision. Ex-Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah, pushed for the accelerated degrees calling on universities to shake up their offer and provide more flexibility, included accelerated provision, to meet the needs of a wider range of students and businesses. While there can be inertia inherent within large, established organisations who know their recruitment draw well the sector did not offer opposition to the push for accelerated degrees. The welcome to the new arrangements has been similar to that for degree apprenticeships, perhaps slower uptake overall than the Government wanted and often for good reason – the devil is in the delivery detail. Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, sums it up:
“Greater choice for students is always good but I would caution ministers against ‘over-promising’. The government’s own projection for the likely take-up of these degrees is modest and we actually hear many students calling for four-year degrees, for example, to spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad. I wouldn’t want disadvantaged students to rule out a traditional three-year course because they didn’t believe they could afford it. Doing a more compressed degree also reduces the opportunity for part-time work, potentially increasing short-term financial pressure.”
It will be interesting to watch how many programmes are actually launched and the eventual outcomes for students.
Unconditional Offers
UCAS published data on unconditional offers on Thursday detailing the significant rise in unconditional offers nationally. There were no new messages and we’ve already shared the details with you in the recent policy updates. The only change is that the OfS now have an ‘independent’ and reliable national data set from which to push for the sector to reduce its overuse of unconditional offers to support recruitment requirements. With the threat of sanctions from the Competition and Markets Authority as a harbinger of doom for any institutions who fail to heed warnings and curb their excessive overuse. Smita Jamdar dissects the threat below.
The OFS responded: Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said:
‘I welcome the publication of this data by UCAS, and the increased transparency it brings around the use of unconditional offers.
‘We are especially concerned about ‘conditional unconditional offers’. These are offers where a student has to commit to making a particular university their first choice before the offer becomes unconditional. The risk is that this places undue pressure on students to reach a decision which may not be in their best interests.
‘As we made clear when we published our insight brief on this topic last week, there are some good reasons why universities might make unconditional offers. However, for a number of universities this data will make uncomfortable reading – where they cannot justify the offers they make they should reconsider their approach.’
The OfS also issued a news story warning universities against indiscriminate use of unconditional offers stating it ‘is akin to pressure selling and could put them in breach of consumer law’. The statement accompanies the launch of a new series of Insight briefs on ‘priority policy issues’ you can read the first research paper on unconditional offers here.
Wonkhe ran an article by Smita Jamdar of Shakespeare Martineau, on the OFS’s allegations that some practices in offer making could amount to “pressure selling”. Smita says that there are several ways that unconditional offers could be relevant to consumer law:
The first is falsely stating that an offer will only be open for acceptance for a particular time, or will only remain available on certain terms for a certain time. The second is providing distorted information about market conditions to get a consumer to purchase the service on terms that are less favourable than market conditions. So cases where students are put under pressure to accept quickly, or to accept because they won’t get a better offer elsewhere, might amount to a banned practice.
Depending on the facts and circumstances, there may be other features of unconditional offers that constitute “aggressive practices”. A practice is aggressive if it significantly impairs a consumer’s freedom of choice through coercion or undue influence and it leads to the consumer entering into a transaction where he or she would not otherwise have done so. Persistence, and exploiting any vulnerability on the part of the consumer, are examples of factors that could lead to a practice being regarded as aggressive.
Finally, the regulations also make unlawful a broader range of “unfair practices”. A practice is unfair if it contravenes the requirements of professional diligence and materially distorts or is likely to distort the economic behaviour of the average consumer (average in the context of the regulations means taking into account any particular vulnerabilities of the consumer group targeted, so in the case of many prospective students, their youth and inexperience).
Of course, any case will depend on its particular facts. Action might be taken in court for a criminal offence, by the Competition and Markets Authority seeking assurances about compliance, or by a student seeking redress – including withdrawing from their programme and getting their course fees back.
Here are some press links: The Guardian, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Times, TES, Financial Times and the Belfast Telegraph highlights Northern Ireland’s two universities who between them only made 10 unconditional offers for the last cycle.
Prior to the UCAS data release Dean Machin from Portsmouth wrote a thought provoking HEPI blog on UCAS as the gate keeper of admissions data and how their previous reluctance to release data may actually have implications for the Competitions and Market Authority too.
This story will run and run and we can expect more from the OfS in the coming months.
Admissions – and access to HE
Meanwhile a new blog on Wonkhe rounds up the end of the 2018 application cycle to give a national comparative perspective. Wonkhe also comment: For the 2018 cycle overall, the relentless rise of the Russell Group seems to have slowed, with post-92 institutions the big winners in terms of year on year growth in acceptances. There’s also some surprises in those seeing large year-on-year shrinkage
Lastly, the HESA 2017/2018 release reports that the number of students in higher education in 2017/18 is at a five year high (2,343,095 students), and reflects a steady increase since 2012/13. The increased numbers also reflect increased diversity within the student body with a growing proportion of black, Asian, and mixed background students, as well as those from other ethnicities, and increased levels of students with a disability.
However, David Lidington MP, is not encouraged by the increased diversity within the HESA statistics and spoke out via a Government news story on Friday. The story announces measures to improve outcomes for ethnic minority students in higher education… [which are]… part of a bold cross-government effort to “explain or change” ethnic disparities highlighted by the Prime Minister’s Race Disparity Audit website, so people can achieve their true potential, whatever their background and circumstances.
The figures from the Race Disparity Audit and OfS show that while record numbers of ethnic minorities are attending university, only 56% of black students achieved a First or 2:1 compared to 80% of their white peers in 2016/2017, and black students are the most likely to drop out of university. In the workforce, only 2% of academic staff are black. White British low-income males remain the least likely to attend higher education.
Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, said he expected universities’ access and participation plans: to contain ambitious and significant actions to make sure we are seeing material progress in this space in the next few years…It is one of my key priorities as the Universities Minister to ensure… we redouble our efforts to tackle student dropout rates. It cannot be right that ethnic minority students are disproportionately dropping out of university and I want to do more to focus on student experience to help ethnic minority students succeed at university.
The carrot and stick measures include:
Holding universities to account through their Access and Participation plans – with the OfS using their powers to tackle institutions who do not fulfil their promises
Including progress in tackling access and attainment disparities within league tables to pressurise institutions to make better progress
OfS to develop a new website replacing Unistats with a particular mindset to ensuring the needs of disadvantaged students are taken into account. The website will provide better information to students so they can make informed choices.
Reducing ethnic disparities in research and innovation funding – UK Research and Innovation is commissioning evidence reviews on challenges for equality and diversity and how they can be addressed.
Gathering evidence on what works to improve ethnic minority access and success – through the OfS Evidence and Impact Exchange
Reviewing the Race Equality Charter. Advance HE will look at how the sector charter can best support better outcomes for both ethnic minority staff and students.
Encouragement for institutions to address race disparities in their workforce – using tools such as the Race at Work Charter and Race Equality Charter.
Scrutiny of each universities published data on admissions and attainment broken down by ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic background with a focus on all institutions to make progress, not just providers who have the poorest records.
The OfS have also published their commissioned research into Understanding and overcoming the challenges of targeting students from under-represented and disadvantage ethnic backgrounds. WP Wonks will recognise some familiar names from the sector within the authors of the report. There are also guidance and case studies available on the OfS page.
The OfS have published a case study of a successful academic study skills support service programme implemented in three northern FE colleges for non-traditional HE learners to support their transition and success at HE level. The study found engineering and IT students the hardest to reach with few self-accessing the service. The case study describes changes made to scheduling, flexibility in approach and embedding core elements within the programme induction. The programme’s success was partly measured using the Duckworth’s GRIT questionnaire. Which looks at confidence levels and the ability to sustain interest in and effort towards long-term goals, such as academic study.
In other WP news the Social Mobility Commission expect to issue their regular publication State of the Nation updated for the 2018 year in the spring.
Preparing and supporting students in the transition to University
Here is our regular student feature from SUBU’s Sophie Bradfield…
On Wednesday 23rd January I attended a Westminster Briefing on behalf of SUBU, on supporting students into Higher Education (HE) which focused on how to prepare students with realistic expectations to help them transition into University life. The current generation (Z) is the most likely to go into Higher Education with almost half going to University, but student expectations aren’t always an accurate picture of reality and this is a problem for transitions. Unrealistic student expectations of Higher Education can be linked to access for widening participation students; student mental health; retention; progression and success. Alongside the importance of helping students to have realistic expectations of University, a key theme identified by each speaker was the significance of students developing a sense of belonging to help them transition into HE. Below are a few key thoughts from the day.
The briefing began with a presentation from Dominic Kingaby, the Student Experience Policy lead at the Department for Education (DfE), who emphasised the way that mental health affects incoming and current students. The Office for National Statistics’ work around Measuring National Wellbeing shows that prospective and current students have lower mental health than the general population. The 2017 ‘Reality Check’ report from HEPI and Unite Students found that around 1 in 8 applicants to University have pre-existing mental health conditions, which they often won’t disclose to their University. Mental Health can be exacerbated by a number of pressures which are part of University life, for example money issues, accommodation issues, assignment pressures etc. The report also found that when facing issues, 85% of prospective students would feel most comfortable talking to their friends/course-mates and flatmates about it, showing the importance of peer support and students establishing good friendships whilst at University.
It was reflected by the group that the pressures of going to University and the academic workload itself hasn’t necessarily changed that much in the last ten years however the mind sets of students have. Of course class sizes are bigger; students have more information at their fingertips and financing a degree is at the forefront of most students’ minds, which is intensified by social media and the news. Yet more than ever before, students are coming to University suffering with ideals of ‘perfectionism’ cultivated through years of their educational progress being monitoring and tracked from a very early age. (Dominic noted that he was feeding these unintended consequences of monitoring into the DfE). This ‘perfectionism’ then deepens a mantra of University just being for “a degree” and students having a sense that they don’t “have time” to take part in and be transformed by the whole experience. Consequently they are missing out on the vital extra-curricular elements which foster skills for progression and success. Students are also increasingly suffering with ‘Imposter Syndrome’ leading to sentiments of not belonging at University which impacts retention.
Students who aren’t prepared for HE will have very different expectations to the reality as FE is very different. The Government’s work on a strategy for tackling loneliness notes that “Students and those in higher education can be at risk of loneliness, especially when starting their course, and this can lead to greater feelings of anxiety, stress, depression and poor mental health.” On the academic side of things alone they will be challenged by the difference in student-staff ratios and going from fixed curriculums to independent self-study. It was agreed in the briefing that more needs to be done for students before they are even old enough to apply to University but there is also a lot that can be done in the period between an offer being given and coming to campus. There were a whole range of good practices from different institutions; from linking up incoming students with current students for peer support; to providing a portal for incoming students with all the information they would need on life at University (not just the academic side of things); and also a trial at Plymouth University of the whole of the first year being a transitionary period.
Other noteworthy aspects of the briefing include the impact that going to an Insurance choice rather than a 1st choice can have on delaying the ‘sense of belonging’ that a student has. It was also discussed that with a diverse student body with many different identities, transition needs to be a whole institutional and partnership approach. Universities need to work alongside their Students’ Unions to offer a diverse package of support and activities for students. An example of how this can help is; one student may speak to their academic advisor because they know them from one of their units and therefore feel comfortable seeking support on an issue with them, whereas another student facing the same issue may instead get the support and information they need when speaking to their peers at their academic society. Both students have the same support needs but their identities and ‘sense of belonging’ are different, therefore they get this support from different places. This shows how a whole institution-collaborative approach is needed for transitions and student support.
From Research Professional:
Tuesday night’s vote on Graham Brady’s amendment to require the government to reopen negotiations with the European Union over the withdrawal agreement was one of the more bizarre moments of theatre in the Brexit process, with the prime minister voting for a backbencher’s amendment against the deal she had spent two years negotiating.
You may be wondering how the cavalcade of MPs with a significant interest in higher education voted. Former science ministers and second-referendum advocates Jo Johnson and Sam Gyimah both abstained from the vote. Universities minister Chris Skidmore and his boss Damian Hinds voted with (sorry, against, but really with) the government. Gordon Marsden and Chi Onwurah of Labour voted against the amendment, naturally. Greg Clark and other business ministers voted for the amendment.
Eight Conservative MPs voted against the amendment but not Johnson and Gyimah, which is curious.
From Dods: On Monday morning the Exiting the European Union Committee have published their twelfth report of session 2017-2019 on ‘Assessing the Options.’ The report is the first published since the defeat of the Withdrawal Agreement and covers a number of outcomes and assessments:
No deal: The report says that there is deep concern about the readiness of business for a no-deal exit and that the “Government’s belated efforts to engage with business and provide some form of guidance is unlikely to be sufficient to mitigate the worst effects of a no-deal exit.” It also highlights that the Government’s no-deal technical notices “place significant weight on assumptions about how the EU will respond in the event of no-deal”, and that the maintenance of goodwill depends on a settlement of financial obligations and a generous guarantee of the rights of EU citizens.
Renegotiation of the deal: The report argues that a renegotiation of the Political Declaration would, most likely, require a limited extension of the Article 50 process; a deal that would enable frictionless trade to continue is not possible under a CETA-style free trade agreement with the EU and under such rules N Ireland would have to trade under different rules from the rest of the UK as set out in the backstop; A Norway Plus relationship between the UK and the EU would enable frictionless trade on the condition that the UK continued to adhere to EU rules – including the Single Market and remain in a UK-EU customs union.
A second referendum: The report acknowledges that a second referendum would be logistically and politically complex, but not unobtainable if the will existed in UK Parliament. However, there is now insufficient time to hold a referendum before 29 March 2019 and so if the will for one did exist then Article 50 would have to request an extension to Article 50. The report highlights that under the Wightman Judgement there is a possibility of the UK unilaterally revoking the notification to leave under Article 50 but makes the distinction that this would not be a mechanism to buy time and would instead bring the withdrawal process to an end.
Conclusion: The report says there is no majority in the House for the Prime Minister’s deal in its current form and repeats the recommendation of the eleventh report that “it is vital that the House of Commons is now given the opportunity to identify an option that might secure a majority.” It says that there does not appear to be a majority for no deal exit but acknowledges that this remains the default outcome if the House is unable to approve the deal or pass legislation required to implement it in domestic law. It concludes that the final options remaining are for re-negotiation, legislate for a referendum, or the revoking or extension of Article 50.
Process – from the BBC: The next steps and the various alternative scenarios are set out nicely here with an exploration of each of the different possibilities
From HEPI:
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has worked with polling company YouthSight to survey FT UG students’ attitudes towards Brexit. Students are overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the European Union:
76% opt for remaining in the EU
6% back Theresa May’s recently rebuffed deal
7% for no deal
11% undecided.
However, opinion divides further when the option to remain is removed:
37% opt for Theresa May’s deal
36% ‘don’t know’
27% choose no deal
Student opinion is interesting because only 43% were eligible to vote in the 2016 referendum (93% are eligible now). Some facts:
69% want a second referendum
21% are willing to work through their MP to demonstrate their voice within the Parliamentary voting
8% of students who did vote in the referendum said they would change the way they voted if there was another referendum. With Leave voters more likely to change the way they voted in a second referendum (34%) than Remain voters (2%).
If students were given the choice between remaining in the EU and no deal:
80% of them would choose to remain
10% no deal
10% unsure
75% of students believe Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU (14% believe it was right to vote to leave, 12% unsure).
And separately:
74% believe the Government is doing badly at listening and engaging effectively with young people over Brexit.
77% of students believe their future prospects will be worsened by the decision to leave the European Union (13% expect improved prospects, 11% believe it makes no difference).
Student opinion on the political parties: support for Labour is strongest but has dropped 10% since the previous HEPI poll, Theresa May as a leader is unpopular amongst students while student’s choosing to vote Conservative or for the Liberal Democrats remains relatively stable. You can read more on student party opinions in the full blog here.
Students say they would turn out to vote in high numbers should there be a General Election (81% would vote). HEPI note this supports recent trends, as it was estimated that 64% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2017 election, the highest turnout for this age group since the 1992 election.
Science Salaries
The Minister also gave evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee this week noting concern that the recommended minimum salary thresholds for EU workers after Brexit would be detrimental to science.
Temporary leave to remain
The Government have updated their policy issuing details of Temporary leave to remain as a Brexit no deal stopgap solution. This relates to new arrivals after March if there is no deal – students and staff already in Britain should be fine as long as they can demonstrate their residency prior to Brexit. There is a three year limit on the temporary leave to remain which may have implications for students on 4 year courses, who may need to apply for a visa mid-course to complete their programme.
Here is the detail from Dods:
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 received its Second Reading on 28 January and has passed into Committee stage. On the same day, the Secretary of State for the Home Office, Sajid Javid, announced a new ‘European Temporary Leave to Remain in the UK’ as part of the Government’s no-deal Brexit planning.
The Government plans to implement the Immigration Bill and end free movement from 30 March 2019 in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This means that for the most part, EU citizens and their family members who come to the UK from 30 March 2019 will require immigration permission to enter the UK. The Government and the Home Office will need rules in place to grant immigration leave to enter and remain to EU citizens.
However the Government has said that the new immigration rules, as set out in the White Paper, will “take some time to implement.” This means there will be a gap in immigration law and policy between the end of free movement and the implementation of the new immigration rules for EU citizens. To fill this gap, the Home Office has announced it will implement the new ‘European Temporary Leave to Remain in the UK,’ subject to parliamentary approval.
The main features of European Temporary Leave to Remain
EU citizens (including EFTA citizens) will be able to enter the UK as they do now (i.e. without the need for a visa/immigration permission) for a period of up to three months. During this time EU citizens will have the right to work and study in the UK.
EU citizens who wish to remain in the UK for more than the initial three months will need to apply for ‘European Temporary Leave’. The Home Office has explained that this will be done through an online application where the applicant will need to prove their identity and declare any criminal convictions. This sounds similar to the application process for ‘settled status’.
European Temporary Leave will allow the holder to remain in the UK for 36 months from the date of their application. EU citizens with this type of leave will have the right to work and study in the UK. It will be temporary and cannot be extended, nor will it lead to settlement in the UK. Holders of this type of leave would be required to apply for further leave to remain under the UK’s new immigration rules when implemented in the future. As the Home Office explains: “there may be some who do not qualify under the new arrangements and who will need to leave the UK when their leave expires.”
There will be an application fee and family permits will be required for non-EEA ‘close family members’. The Home Office explains in further detail:
“European Temporary Leave to Remain will allow EEA citizens arriving in the UK after 29 March 2019 to live, work and study in the UK if there’s no Brexit deal.
“EEA citizens who are granted European Temporary Leave to Remain will be able to stay in the UK for 36 months from the date of their application. European Temporary Leave to Remain will be a temporary, non-extendable immigration status. It will not give indefinite leave to remain (ILR), lead to status under the EU Settlement Scheme or make EEA citizens eligible to stay in the UK indefinitely. If EEA citizens want to stay in the UK for more than 36 months, they will need to apply for an immigration status under the new immigration system, which will come into effect from 1 January 2021. Those who do not qualify will need to leave the UK when their European Temporary Leave to Remain expires.”
Those who don’t need to apply
The following people will not be required to apply for European Temporary Leave:
EU citizens and their family members with settled or pre-settled status.
Irish citizens.
Those who are a “serious or persistent criminal or a threat to national security” will not be eligible and the UK’s deportation threshold will apply.
EU citizens can enter the UK with either their passport or a valid nationality identity card.
The Home Office explains that employers and landlords conducting right to work and rent checks for EU citizens will not be required “to start distinguishing between EU citizens who were resident before exit and post-exit arrivals.” Until 2021, EU citizens can continue to rely on their passports or national identity cards.
Settled status and no-deal
The introduction of European Temporary Leave does not affect those eligible for the settled status scheme. EU citizens living in the UK prior to 29 March 2019 can still apply for settled status in a no-deal Brexit, as European Temporary Leave is a status for those who arrive after 29 March 2019. For more information on this, see the Library’s Insight ‘What does the Withdrawal Agreement say about citizens’ rights?’.
The settled status scheme has completed its restricted pilot testing phases and is now open for applications from all eligible EU citizens. The Prime Minister Theresa May announced on 21 January 2019 that the £65 fee for settled status will be abolished. People who have already applied and paid the fee will be refunded.
The Home Office has further said that EEA citizens who arrive in the UK after 29 March 2019, but who had lived in the UK prior to 29 March 2019, will be eligible to apply for settled status. It is not clear what the specific eligibility requirements will be for people with these circumstances who wish to apply for settled status.
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19, House of Commons Library.
The status of EU citizens in the UK after Brexit,House of Commons Library.
What does the Withdrawal Agreement say about citizens’ rights?House of Commons Library.
Erasmus & Brexit
Erasmus+ and EU Solidarity Corps in the UK if there’s no Brexit deal
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, funding is available from the government to underwrite all successful bids for UK applicants submitted to the Erasmus+ programme and EU Solidarity Corps while we are still in the EU, where planned projects can continue. The DfE have updated guidance.
The Government continue to recommend that applications are submitted to the European Commission or UK National Agency for the 2019 Erasmus+ and ESC Call for Proposals as normal. In the event that the UK leaves the EU with a withdrawal agreement in place, the UK will participate in Erasmus+ and the ESC until the end of the current cycle in 2020.
In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will engage with the European Commission with the aim of securing the UK’s continued full participation in Erasmus+ and ESC until 2020. There are a range of options for the UK’s continued participation in Erasmus+ and ESC, including programme country status, partner country status or another arrangement. Partner country access to Erasmus+ varies between different regional groups. In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the government’s underwrite guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ and ESC bids.
The European Commission have also adopted a final set of contingency proposals in the area of the Erasmus+ programme.
Today’s measures would ensure that in the event of a “no-deal” scenario:
Young people from the EU and the UK who are participating in the Erasmus+ programme on 30 March 2019 can complete their stay without interruption;
EU Member State authorities will continue to take into account periods of insurance, (self) employment or residence in the United Kingdom before withdrawal, when calculating social security benefits, such as pensions;
UK beneficiaries of EU funding would continue to receive payments under their current contracts, provided that the United Kingdom continues to honour its financial obligations under the EU budget. This issue is separate from the financial settlement between the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Research England have published the final guidance for the REF 2021.
In early 2020, the four UK higher education (HE) funding bodies will invite UK HEIs to make submissions to REF 2021.
Each submission in each UOA will contain a common set of data comprising information on all staff in post with significant responsibility for research on the census date, 31 July 2020; and information about former staff to whom submitted outputs are attributed
The deadline for submissions is 27 November 2020.
Submissions will be assessed by the REF panels during the course of 2021. Results will be published in December 2021, and will be used by the HE funding bodies to inform research funding from the academic year 2022–23.
Wonkhe discuss the key changes:
Some of the key changes in REF 2021 includes identifying more clearly staff who have significant responsibility for research in institutions and providing a consistent approach to interdisciplinary research. The guidance distinguishes between identifying staff who have significant responsibility for research from selecting those staff whose work is to be submitted for expert review.
Additionally, Dianne Berry, the chair of the REF Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel has released a statement to address the concern that “measures put in place to promote inclusion and support equality and diversity might be used by institutions as a mechanism for excluding staff in order to concentrate quality in their submission,” and pressures on researchers to disclose sensitive information. The revised guidance references the importance of voluntary declaration of individual circumstances and decoupling staff circumstances from research output.
Catriona Firth writes the following blog for Wonkhe:, Head of Policy at Research England highlights the key features of REF 2021 and the REF Steering Group’s ongoing quest for injecting clarity in the review process.
Consultations & Inquiries
Click here to view the updated consultation tracker. There are lots of new updates to past inquiries and consultations, links to reports issued and Government responses to the reports. Currently we are working on:
Proposed changes to the degree classification system
EHRC inquiry into Racial harassment in HE
The TEF review
Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) proposals
We have recently submitted responses to:
Institutional cost of the current Tier 4 processing system
OfS’ approach to IAG
Email us on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you’d like to contribute to any of the current consultations.
Insolvent FE providers: The Government has published guidance on changes to the statutory regulation of insolvency and interventions regimes for FE colleges. It aims to ensure that there is legal clarity about what will happen in the exceptional event of an FE or sixth-form college becoming insolvent. It will also aim to ensure that in the event of insolvency current students are protected – it includes a special administration regime for the sector called education administration, with the objective of avoiding or minimising disruption to the studies of the existing students of the FE body as a whole. In March 2019, the DfE will publish full details setting out what is changing within the FE college intervention regime, ahead of the new insolvency regime coming into operational effect on 1 April 2019.
Apprenticeships: The CBI have published the first in a series of reports in 2019 on the apprenticeship and skills system. Getting Apprenticeships Right: Next Steps recommends that the Government gives the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) the independence and clout it needs to reform and regulate the English skills system. It calls for a new wave of Government action to ensure apprenticeships lead to high-skilled, high-paid jobs, which fit firms’ needs now and in the future. The Financial Times reported that the CBI has called for the creation of an independent apprenticeship body to “fix the failings” of the government’s reforms to workplace training. It goes on to say that CBI said:
the apprenticeship levy, which was introduced in April 2017 and forces organisations to set aside money for workplace training, had proved frustrating for many employers, which would like to train more staff but feel prevented from doing so by the system’s rules. The CBI argue that more independence should be given to the Institute for Apprenticeships, which oversees all workplace training schemes, adding that businesses had complained that the system gave too little time to spend the money.
The CBI’s report’s key recommendations include:
The Government must make clear that the Institute is the principal body for vocational skills in England with the clout to hold policymakers and the skills sector to account.
The Institute must take further steps to speed up the apprenticeship standards approval process so that businesses can start using them.
Given employer levy funds are due to start expiring from April 2019, the Government must urgently set up an appeals system that gives employers longer to spend their money where apprenticeship standards remain in development.
With the IfA assuming responsibility for T-levels and higher T-levels, they must set out how these routes will work in practice to give employers and the public confidence in them.
NEON report on Policy Connect’s/HE Commission Degree Apprenticeships: Up to Standard? report, stating: Findings are released by the Higher Education Commission which show that degree apprenticeships may be good in theory but they’re not delivering for small employers or disadvantaged students. The new report ‘Degree Apprenticeships: Up to Standard?’ reveals that of 51 approved degree apprenticeship standards, 43% have no providers that are delivering to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), this is despite over 99% of UK businesses being SMEs.
Engineering: Education for Engineering has published a report arguing that the UK education system cannot produce enough engineers to support the economy, especially with increasing reliance on home grown talent post-Brexit. The report concludes that if the industrial strategy is to achieve its aims, government must nurture and grow its skilled engineering workforce to improve productivity and economic growth. Since the original Perkins Review, the report found that scant progress in addressing the UK’s chronic engineering skills gap has been made and calls on government and the engineering community to take urgent action. Report recommendations:
Government should review the issues affecting recruitment and retention of teachers and go beyond plans announced this week by introducing a requirement for 40 hours of subject-specific continuing professional development for all teachers of STEM subjects, not just new recruits, every year.
An urgent review of post-16 academic education pathways for England is needed. Young people should have the opportunity to study mathematics, science and technology subjects along with arts and humanities up to the age of 18, to attract a broader range of young people into engineering.
Government must ensure engineering courses are adequately funded with increased top-up grants for engineering departments if tuition fees are to be reduced.
Government should give employers greater control and flexibility in how they spend the Apprenticeship Levy, including to support other high-quality training provision in the workplace, such as improving the digital skills of the workforce.
Professional engineering organisations and employers should address the need to up-skill engineers and technicians to prepare for the introduction of disruptive digital technologies into industry.
Employers should take an evidence-based and data driven approach to improve recruitment and increase retention and progression of underrepresented groups within organisations, including by introducing recruitment targets for underrepresented groups.
Dame Judith Hackitt, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and Chair of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: In particular, there is a need to radically reform technical education – creating an Apprenticeship Levy system that is fit for the future and genuinely meets employers’ needs. We also need to ensure T Levels do not face the same fate as the Levy but are employer-led and driven and, sufficiently funded in disciplines such as manufacturing and engineering.
Videoing lectures: A Research Professional article looks at the use and misuse of recorded lectures and the ethical and legal position surrounding this.
Finding the right disability support: The Guardian ran a thought provoking article by Ellie Drewry on the hurdles she faces at her university because of her disability.
Mental health: A relevant parliamentary question was answered this week –
Q – Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health and well-being of postgraduate students in universities.
A – Chris Skidmore:
Mental health is a priority for this government, which is why the government is working closely with Universities UK on embedding the Step Change programme within the sector. Step Change calls on higher education leaders to adopt mental health as a strategic priority. Step Change also advocates a whole-institution approach to transform cultures and embed mental health initiatives beyond student services teams.
The former Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Catalyst Fund also provided £1.5 million for 17 projects to improve the mental health of postgraduate research students. The Office for Students (OfS) is working with Research England to deliver this scheme.
This investment and the ongoing work of the OfS will support a range of activities. It will develop new practice for the pastoral support of postgraduate research students, and enhance training for their supervisors and other staff. Postgraduate research has different expectations and working practices to undergraduate work, so it will also help students adjust to the change.
Tags: accelerated degrees access and participation admissions apprenticeships Brexit erasmus EU staff EU students immigration mental health part-time students post-18 review ref 2021 Research Excellence Framework teaching excellence framework TEF transition to university unconditional offers widening participation
HE policy update for the w/e 25th January 2019
EU, Funding opportunities, Impact, international, policy, Research news, Student Engagement jforster
We have made the policy update an almost Brexit-free zone this week. Of course we are all looking forward to the excitement on Tuesday, described by the Chancellor Philip Hammond, on radio 4 as not being “high noon” – we’ve got lots more to get through before we get to high noon, apparently.
Keeping it dry today, no politics here…if you are interested in all the amendments to the motion so far tabled for Tuesday, you can find descriptions of them on the BBC here. Parliament will publish the order of business nearer the time but as at Friday lunchtime the latest is here, which sets out the text of the amendments as tabled so far. It is very unlikely that all of these will be debated or voted on.
Dods have given us a very handy summary:
Amendment (a) in the name of Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn: Calls for Parliament to have a vote on staying in the customs union, and a second referendum with the aim of preventing the UK from leaving without a deal.
Amendment (b) in the name of Yvette Cooper: It provides for the European Union (Withdrawal) (No 3) Bill to be heard and passed on 5 February in a single day. The Bill, if passed, would mean that if the Prime Minister could not pass a withdrawal agreement by February 26 then the Commons would have an immediately vote on whether to request an extension of Article 50 from the EU which would end on 31 December 2019.
Amendment (e) in the name of Andrew Murrison and Sir Graham Brady: states that the EU withdrawal agreement would be amended so that the backstop shall expire on 31 December 2021.
Amendment (f) in the name of Hilary Benn: Calls on the Government to hold a series of indicative votes on the options setting out Exiting the European Union.
Amendment (g) in the name of Dominic Grieve: The Government’s powers under Standing Order No.14 which allows them to set government business would not apply. A motion entitled: “That this House has considered the United Kingdom’s departure from, and future relationship with, the European Union” would then become the first item of business.
Amendment (n) in the name of Andrew Murrison and Sir Graham Brady: amends the withdrawal agreement to include “and requires the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border; supports leaving the European Union with a deal and would therefore support the Withdrawal Agreement subject to this change.”. *There is no suggestion of what the alternative arrangement would be.
Chief Political Commentator, John Rentoul has done a tally on likely outcomes from the amendment. Based on his calculations (very susceptible to change) Amendment B would pass by 320-317.[Ed: of course this one is a “long grass” amendment – it puts off the decision (as long as the EU agree) but who knows what Parliament would use the time for – the Bill to amend the leaving date and deliver the second part of the amendment is set out below]
And there are still some separate draft bills making their way through Parliamentary processes:
Geraint Davies (this one has been around since June 2018) – will have its second reading on 8th Feb: A Bill to require the holding of a referendum to endorse the United Kingdom and Gibraltar exit package proposed by HM Government for withdrawal from the EU, or to decide to remain a member, following the completion of formal exit negotiations; and for connected purposes.
And his second one (first presented in December 2018) also gets its second reading on 8th Feb: A Bill to require the Prime Minister to revoke the notification, under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union unless two conditions are met; to establish as the first condition for non-revocation that a withdrawal agreement has been approved by Parliament by 21 January 2019 or during an extension period agreed by that date under Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union; to establish as the second condition for non-revocation that a majority of participating voters have voted in favour of that agreement in a referendum in which the United Kingdom remaining as a member of the European Union was the other option; and for connected purposes.
The Grieve bills have still not been published
The Yvette Cooper one has – but no second reading date has been announced
And possibly connected, or possibly not, this is interesting (but not yet published) – Peter Bone “the Prime Minister (Temporary Replacement) Bill 2017-19” – this one was first tabled in Feb 2017 so probably not related. A Bill to make provision for the carrying out of the functions of the Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister, or a person temporarily carrying out the functions of the Prime Minister, is incapacitated; and for connected purposes.
And that is enough for now…
TEF Review
The independent review of the TEF kicked off this week with a call to HE providers to share their views on the TEF. The review is being chaired by Dame Shirley Pearce and will contemplate the adequacy of the metrics on which judgements are based, the rating categories (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and the impact these have on providers, and whether TEF is fair, worth it, and in the public interest. The review will conclude and report in summer 2019.
The Minister said:“As Universities Minister I want you, the experts, to take part in Dame Shirley’s call for views and to give your thoughts so the TEF can work as well as it possibly can. It is important that we maximise the potential of this system and can only do that by getting invaluable insights from the sector.”
BU is compiling a response – please let us know if you want to input into this.
To coincide with the launch of the TEF review the DfE published their evaluation research into the TEF’s impact at year 2 (2016-17). They state it has driven providers to make improvements with positive changes in teaching quality and a focus on student employability. It also considers how widely prospective students used the TEF to determine their choice of institution.
A large majority considered that the TEF was either having a ‘positive’ or ‘neutral’ impact on their institutions. A small minority considered that the TEF had impacted their provider or the sector in a negative way.
Respondents reported that the TEF had contributed to an increased emphasis on student outcomes in the last two years (37%) and 29% noted that the TEF had contributed to an increased emphasis on teaching quality and the learning environment (rising to 45% among academic staff responding).
A slightly lower proportion reported that the TEF had contributed to a change in course content (22%), or enhanced interventions for improving student retention (21%).
With the exception of teaching quality/learning environment, HE providers which received a Bronze TEF award 2017 (Year 2) were more likely to report that the TEF had contributed to change over the last two years: 71% reported an increased emphasis on student outcomes, 38% noted change in course content, while 51% reported interventions for improving student retention.
They report a considerable amount of change in student employability over the last two years, attributing some of this change to the TEF.
The most common impact attributed (at least in part) to the TEF was an increase in student exposure to employability opportunities (21%).
A further 17% reported that communications with students about their careers had started sooner (rising to 37% among academic staff responding)
17% reported developments in the careers services as a result of the TEF. Only 11% reported that the TEF had enhanced employer partnerships.
28% of respondents reported an increased demand on staff to support students, at least in part as a result of the TEF (rising to 44% among academic staff responding)
A higher proportion of respondents noted that the TEF had contributed to a decrease in teaching morale (15%) than an increase (10%)
Among Gold providers, 43% said that the TEF had, at least in part, impacted on an improved institutional reputation among potential applicants.
Bronze award providers were more likely to attribute the TEF in a decline in reputation (25%).
Page 14 considers the level of influence the TEF rating had on applications and choice of a HE provider
Respondents reported that at least partly as a result of the TEF:
new initiatives were being developed to improve teaching standards (24%)
there was an increase in teaching qualifications or training schemes (24%)
staff were provided more support to deliver positive student experiences (23%)
there was an increase in sharing best practice across departments (21%, rising to 37% among academic staff responding)
TEF brought a focus to some areas:
increased investment in the monitoring of TEF-related metrics: 61% of TEF Contacts reported that the TEF – at least in part – contributed to increased monitoring of metrics such as NSS scores, continuation rates and employment data)
This rose to 79% among Bronze providers.
The qualitative interviews revealed a particular emphasis for some HE providers on monitoring retention rates, in part due to the financial implications of high retention rates.
This chart on page 34 shows a mapping of the perceptions of the impact that TEF has had: As Figure 3.2 shows, there are some clear patterns by broad category:
Student Experience – TEF Contacts reported a high amount of change in the last two years for all items, relative to other categories, and a moderate (average) amount of this was considered to be as a result of the TEF.
Student Employability – For four items, this followed a similar pattern to student experience, although generally both the amount of change and extent of TEF influence reported was slightly lower. Two items showed low change and low TEF impact.
Teaching Staff – With one exception, there had been low change in the last two years, and TEF influence was also primarily low.
Teaching Practices – Similar to student employability, with a higher level of change reported overall, and mostly a low amount of this was attributed to the TEF.
Prospective Students – All four items showed low or average levels of change in the last two years; with one exception TEF influence was also low.
Wider impacts – The extent of change in this category varied from very high to low, and in all instances where change had occurred, a high amount was attributed to the TEF, relative to other categories
Conclusions can be read at pages 120-123. One of the final points is that awareness and understanding of the TEF within the applicant population needs to increase for the TEF to fulfil its original purpose to better inform students’ choices about what and where to study.
The call for views is only the first step: “In addition to the call for views I will be holding a programme of listening sessions and commissioning specific assessments of specialist questions. These will include an independent analysis of the statistical base of the TEF process and an assessment of its international impact. See more on the workstreams here.“
The Student Room ran a survey with TSR research to obtain prospective students’ views on unconditional offers.
46% agreed the Government should regulate unconditional offers (33% didn’t, 22% unsure)
However, 70% would be happy to receive an unconditional offer and 58% felt they would feel positive about a university that gave them an unconditional offer believing it is offered as recognition of achievement (especially when from a high rank university or competitive course)
In keeping with the above theme of unconditional offer as recognition the survey found ‘for the most part’ the prospective students felt universities should be selective in who receives an unconditional offers
The prospective students felt these were genuine reasons to receive an unconditional offer:
Already have the grades (62% agreed)
An impressive personal statement (40%)
Successful interview (31%)
Very high predicted grades (31%)
Student is from a disadvantaged background (30%)
However, 10% felt that unconditional offers should never be made.
When asked if universities make unconditional offers to fill places rather than because of student aptitude or characteristics the opinion of unconditional offers became negative:
59% would perceive the university negatively if they believed they weren’t discerning and made too many unconditional offers (6% weren’t bothered about this)
Conditional unconditional offers (when the university makes a conditional offer unconditional after the application selects them as their firm choice) received mixed responses with 47% perceiving this negatively and 20% who approved of it.
However, the prospective students commented that the practice is manipulative. And while half said a conditional unconditional would not make them change their decision 27% said it would sway their choice to the unconditional university over the one they really wanted to attend. This was one of Sam Gyimah’s key criticisms on unconditional offers whilst he was HE Minister.
43% recognised that the unconditional offer was a boon to mental health – reducing the pressure of exams and allowing them to do better. Although others felt it would negatively impact motivation to perform well (39%) and that such students wouldn’t be sufficiently prepared for university study and exams.
Other students (without unconditional offers) were resentful and didn’t want to study alongside those with an unconditional offer that may not have worked as hard or achieved the required grades. One quote implied only the top universities should be allowed to make unconditional offers: “Ultimately I just think unconditional offers shouldn’t be handed out on a plate, and more regulation of less prestigious unis handing them out should be enforced.”
All in all the students back up Government concerns that unconditional offers sway capable students away from more prestigious universities, that they undermine the sector’s reputation, and that is it more about bums on seats within the crowded HE recruitment market. However, there is enough balancing student opinion to show the other side of the coin – young people value unconditional offers when they perceive they are a reward for aptitude, a reasoned boon to social mobility, and a balm to improve mental health. A large proportion were in favour of Government regulation, which the HE sector is keen to avoid.
And the OfS have responded with a press release, a briefing and interviews.
Some extracts from the briefing are here:
The growth of unconditional offers appears to be a consequence of increasing competition between universities. The OfS has a legal duty to have regard to the need to encourage competition where it is in the interests of students and employers. The question is whether the sorts of unconditional offer practices arising from this competition are in the interests of students
…The OfS is concerned about the rapid rise in unconditional offers, particularly those that require students to commit to a particular course. We will take action where they are not in students’ interests.
While some are seeking to justify unconditional offers as a tool to support fair access for disadvantaged students, contextual offer-making is a more effective way of achieving this.
We will make clear where ‘pressure selling’ practices are at risk of breaching consumer protection law, and empower students to challenge this as well as taking regulatory action if appropriate.
We will bring together a range of education, employer and other organisations to explore whether the admissions system serves the interests of students. We will work with the Department for Education, students, UCAS and others on a consultation on principles for how the admissions system can best achieve this goal.
….Are unconditional offers a good or bad thing? This is probably the wrong question. Most commentators agree that, used appropriately, unconditional offers have a legitimate and useful place in the university admissions system. The right question is probably more complex: what does an ‘appropriate’ unconditional offer look like?
Risk of reduced attainment
The most recent UCAS report, and our own analysis, support this concern. UCAS estimates that the proportion of applicants placed in higher education through unconditional offers who miss their predicted grades by two or more grades is around five percentage points higher than would be expected compared with those holding a conditional offer. UCAS’s modelling controls for different attainment at GCSE, background characteristics of the student and the course where they hold their firm offer to ensure that this estimate is not influenced by the group of applicants who hold unconditional offers. This proportion has remained fairly stable throughout the increase in unconditional offer-making. This means that as unconditional offers increase, more young people are attaining slightly weaker A-level results than expected each year.
….The rapid increase in unconditional offers means that it’s too early to assess with any certainty their effect on continuation rates, student satisfaction and degree attainment. The limited evidence we have on non-continuation rates is set out in Figure 3, which shows non-continuation rates by entry qualifications. Because of the timescale we have only been able to look at entrants in 2015-16, when the numbers of unconditional offers were much lower than in 2018, and the differences are not statistically significant. We will continue our analysis as more data becomes available.
Impact on disadvantaged students
There are particular concerns about the effect of unconditional offers on students from disadvantaged groups. Critics highlight the particular vulnerability of applicants who are the first in their family to attend university, and of those who lack parental support. These applicants may be more likely to accept an unconditional offer with limited information about their options and the potential drawbacks.UCAS analysis shows that more unconditional offers are being made to applicants from the areas with the lowest rates of participation in higher education: these applicants are more likely to receive an unconditional offer than applicants from areas with higher participation. This is illustrated in Figure 4.
…Our own analysis demonstrates that some of this difference may be attributable to types of university rather than to student characteristics. In other words, universities and colleges may not, in general, be directing their unconditional offers towards disadvantaged students; rather, those that take a greater proportion of disadvantaged students tend to use more unconditional offers. This is an important distinction. It suggests that unconditional offer-making to disadvantaged students may be driven more by the circumstances of universities and colleges than the needs of the students. This contrasts with the practice of contextual offer-making, which takes into account the circumstances in which academic results are achieved.
Constraining choice?
A concern is that applicants may choose an unconditional offer because they see it as a safer option than a conditional offer. In particular, students accepting a conditional unconditional offer are depriving themselves of the chance to
consider other universities and colleges. This can result in students making sub-optimal choices, without information on alternative options which may be more suitable for their career plans or may better reflect their abilities and talents. In other words, they may not necessarily be opting for the course and university or college that would be best for them overall.
Since they can have the effect of reducing attainment, unconditional offers may also limit students’ ability to choose a different higher education course, whether by changing their mind before starting, ‘trading up’ during adjustment or clearing, or transferring courses at a later stage. A connected concern centres on a perceived lack of transparency about how unconditional offers work. There is limited understanding of the criteria universities apply in selecting applicants to receive unconditional offers.
The OfS is taking action in relation to unconditional offers on a number of fronts:
We will continue to monitor and assess the way unconditional offers are being used across the sector.
We will ensure that provider-level data on unconditional offers is published on a regular basis, starting in 2019, including their impact at all stages of the student lifecycle where this can be monitored.
We will identify any cases where the evidence suggests that students with unconditional (or very low) offers are particularly at risk of poor outcomes, or not being properly supported. We will challenge the universities or colleges concerned, and intervene where necessary.
We will make clear our expectations that the governing bodies of universities and colleges are fully sighted on their institution’s admissions policy and its implications for the interests of individual students.
We will make clear where ‘pressure selling’ practices are at risk of breaching consumer law, and empower students to challenge this as well as taking regulatory action ourselves if appropriate.
We will work with UCAS and other bodies providing information, advice and guidance to improve students’ ability to make informed choices about unconditional offers.
The OFS research paper is here:
We are currently unable to include conditional unconditional offers (type B) which have not been recorded as unconditional (typically because the applicant has not made the offer their firm choice). The UCAS report includes an assessment of the conditional unconditional offers (type B) including those that are not recorded as unconditional. It suggests that the proportion of offers being made that have an unconditional component could be as much as 70 per cent higher than the unconditional offers reported here. Where possible we have shown the UCAS estimates of offers that contain an unconditional component alongside our estimates, for context.
On Thursday the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, announced £100 million investment for research and technology to future-proof the UK economy for the fourth industrial revolution and to boost UK innovation. The funding has been earmarked for the creation of 1,000 new PhD places across the UK for the next generation of Artificial Intelligence; to fund research into life-saving technology to be used in NHS hospitals; to address pollution hotspots within cities and develop an early warning system; and to improve voice-recognition software for business and consumers. Despite the rhetoric it’s not completely new money – it is part of the £7 billion that was promised for science and innovation in announcements since 2016. The Chancellor said:
“Britain is a great place to do business. And we are determined, as we leave the EU, to make sure it remains that way. We are leading the way in the tech revolution. The UK digital sector is now worth over £130 billion with jobs growing at twice the rate of those in the wider economy .I want to ensure we remain the standard bearer, so we must invest in our new economy so that it can adapt and remain competitive. We are backing British innovation to help create growth, more jobs and higher living standards.”
Last week we informed you that the regulations aiming to change the HE funding regime to facilitate accelerated degrees were presented in Parliament amid concerns from Labour. Labour feel that working throughout the summer break rules out lower income students who rely on holiday jobs to fund their study and living costs. This week the Commons voted and have passed the regulations authorising the 20% increase on yearly fees for accelerated students. While the vote wasn’t close there was substantial opposition with all Labour MPs voting against the increase. Other criticisms levied at the accelerated degree was the loss of the university experience and less time for students to settle into university life.
Chris Skidmore, Universities Minister, said the legislation was: “One of the great modern-day milestones for students and breaks the mould of a one-size-fits all system for people wanting to study in higher education.”
Next hurdle for the regulations is the House of Lords vote which will take place next Tuesday 29 January.
Encouraging International Students (link)
Q – Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the number of international students choosing to study in the UK grows over the next 10 years.
The government fully recognises the important economic and cultural contribution that EU and international students make to the UK’s higher education sector. The government welcomes international students and there continues to be no limit on the number who can come here to study, and there are no plans to limit any institution’s ability to recruit them.
The UK remains a highly attractive destination for non-EU students with their numbers remaining at record highs, with over 170,000 non-EU entrants to UK higher education institutions for the seventh year running. The UK is a world-leading destination for study, with four universities in the world’s top 10 and 16 in the top 100 – second only to the USA. The government actively promotes study in the UK through the GREAT Campaign and to over 100 countries through the British Council.
In the Immigration White Paper, published on 19 December 2018, the government proposed to increase the post-study leave period for international students following completion of studies to 12 months for those completing a PhD, and to six months for all full-time postgraduate students and undergraduate students at institutions with degree awarding powers. Going beyond the recommendations set out by the Migration Advisory Committee, these proposals will benefit tens of thousands of international students.
Q – Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there will be an independent review of credibility interviews within the student immigration system to ensure the system is (a) fit for purpose, (b) cost effective relative to current risk and (c) does not hinder universities’ ability to recruit a diverse range of students.
A – Caroline Nokes:
An internal review of point of application credibility interviews for international students was conducted in 2018 to ensure that interviews are adding value to the case consideration process and not unnecessarily inconveniencing customers.
Up to date risk information was factored in to this review. Regular engagement with universities and other educational institutions ensures that feedback is collected in relation to the application process.
Q – Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether EU students starting courses in England in the 2019-20 academic year will be eligible for home fee status in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
A: Chris Skidmore:
The department is aware that students, staff and providers are concerned about what EU Exit means for study and collaboration opportunities. To help give certainty, in July 2018, the department announced guarantees on student finance for EU nationals.
These guarantees are not altered if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. EU nationals (and their family members) who start a course in England in the 2019/20 academic year or before, will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee’ status and student finance support from Student Finance England for the duration of their course, provided they meet the residency requirement.
The House of Commons library also released an international and EU student briefing paper. You can download the pdf paper from the link at the very bottom of this page.
Q – Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to review the option of introducing a post-study work visa allowing up to two years of work experience for international students in the UK.
The independent Migration Advisory Committee’s report on international students, published in September 2018, recommended against the introduction of a separate post-study work visa. The report also made several positive recommendations with regard to the current post-study work offer. (Link.)
… As set out in the Immigration White Paper, published last month, under the new student route all students studying at a Masters’ level, or at Bachelors’ level at an institution with degree awarding powers, will be eligible for a six-month post study leave period. Doctoral students will be eligible for a 12-month post study leave period. This will benefit tens of thousands of international students by providing them with more time to gain valuable experience or find employment in the UK in accordance with the skilled work migration routes.
The rumours and leaks surrounding Augar’s Review of Post-18 education and funding have been a weekly affair over the last month with mass speculation over how degree tuition fees may change in the future. This week the BBC ran an article suggesting that Justine Greening planned to axe tuition fees in favour of graduate tax contributions before she was reshuffled out of office. The article says:
She [Justine] says she had been working on a radically different system which would have removed fees – but instead the prime minister launched a review of student finance, chaired by financier Philip Augar. Ms Greening is scathing about the review, which is expected to report back next month… She says its public remit is confused – without any “clear objectives of the problem it was trying to fix”. And she says its private purpose was to buy time and only “tweak” a few of the most politically toxic aspects of the current system.
Extremism:
On Monday the Henry Jackson Society published Extreme Speakers and Events: In the 2017-18 Academic Year. It claims that in 2017/18 there were 435 student focussed events which had extremist content and creates a league table of the institutions most regularly hosting events which contain such content. The Society garnered media attention in claiming such universities were failing in their Prevent duties. They also criticised the Office for Students (OfS) monitoring and questioned the OfS figure that 97% of universities are compliant with Prevent. Wonkhe highlighted that the report doesn’t consider the risk assessment and mitigation that may have been put in place by the host institutions. Responding to the report Queen Mary University replied that their speakers were subject to “stringent checks” and Birmingham University said “none of the speakers appear on any government list of proscribed organisations or individuals”. Nevertheless, The Times report that Robert Halfon, Chair of the Commons Education select committee, said: “This is incredibly distressing. We seem to be going backwards. There needs to be an urgent inquiry.”
By Wednesday the Home Office Minister of State for Security, Ben Wallace, announced a public independent review of the Prevent counter-radicalisation programme stating it was in response to an amendment by peers seeking such a move during scrutiny of the government’s counter-terrorism and border security bill. He continued:
“This review should expect those critics of Prevent, who often use distortions and spin, to produce solid evidence of their allegations.” On the timing he said: “The review of part 5 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, which provides the legislative foundation for the Prevent programme, is in any event due to take place early in 2020, just 12 months away. Given that, I have decided that the time is now right to initiate a review of Prevent. Communities across the country are behind the policy and are contributing to it because, like us, they want to protect their young people from being groomed and exploited by extremists.”
The Financial Times also reports Parliament’s joint committee on human rights, comprising both MPs and peers, has also called for the scheme to be scrutinised.
Civic Engagement: Narratives on HE: slumming it on civic engagement is a new blog on Wonkhe covering the social good that students do within a community.
International Education Strategy: Education Minister, Damian Hinds, announced the intention to develop a cross-Government international education strategy stressing that education is “a big part of our diplomacy”. The strategy will address and encourage incoming international students to the HE sector as well as supporting the expansion of UK universities abroad, Damian said:
Inbound international students is a really important part of [the strategy], both for the earnings reason – it’s an important part of business – but also, just as important, because of the role it plays in our place in the world and because it makes sure we have diverse, vibrant student communities where everyone is learning from each other.”
UUK International Director, Vivienne Stern, said:
“We’re delighted to hear the Secretary of State for Education speaking publicly about the new governmental international education strategy and we are looking forward to its launch. The sector has long called for an ambitious strategy, backed up by meaningful policy, to encourage international students to choose UK universities. International students are vital to our universities.”
The speech was also covered by The Financial Times.
Disadvantaged pupils:
The DfE have released data showing rising standards in secondary schools with disadvantaged pupils in multi-academy trusts making more progress than the equivalent national average. School Standards Minister, Nick Gibb, said:
Making sure that all pupils, regardless of their background, are able to fulfil their potential is one of this Government’s key priorities and these results show that more pupils across the country are doing just that.It’s been clear for some time that standards are rising in our schools and today’s data underlines the role academies and free schools are playing in that improvement, with progress above the national average and impressive outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
A level and other 16-18 results have also been published highlighting lower attainment for disadvantaged students compared to non-disadvantaged students across all qualification types.
Meanwhile the Public Account Committee have published a report on school academies accounts and performance. It concludes that a number of high profile academy failures have been costly to the taxpayer and damaging to children’s education, and recommends that the governance and oversight of academy trusts needs to be more rigorous. Furthermore that Academy trusts do not make enough information available to help parents and local communities understand what is happening in individual academy schools. And when things go wrong it is not clear who parents can turn to, to escalate concerns about the running of academy schools and academy trusts.
Contact Sarah if you would like a more in depth summary of any of the above three reports.
EDM: An interesting cross-section of MPs have signed the following Early Day Motion within Parliament which pushes back against the recent ‘let them fall’ mindset to Universities in financial difficulty:
That this House recognises the crucial role of our higher education sector in meeting the nation’s skills needs and supporting local economies; notes with concern the recent comments by Sir Michael Barber, chair of the Office for Students, which suggest that the new regulator will not support universities experiencing financial difficulties; further notes that allowing a higher education institution to fail would cause significant harm to its students, graduates and local area; awaits with interest the findings of Philip Augar’s review of post-18 education and funding which represents an opportunity to overhaul the current system predicated on student debt; and calls on the Government to introduce a fair and sustainable funding system which protects both student interests, institutional funding, and which recognises higher education is not a private commodity but an essential public good.
Tags: accelerated degrees Brexit fees and funding international students post-18 review research funding teaching excellence framework TEF unconditional offers
EU, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, policy jforster
Value for money (1) – cutting low value university courses
A report by Onward published on 7th January sets out some ideas for addressing the concerns about high student loans: A question of degree – Why we should cut graduates’ taxes and pay for it by reducing the number of low value university courses. Not much surprise about what they recommend then….
“Onward is a powerful ideas factory for centre-right thinkers and leaders. We exist to make Britain fairer, more prosperous and more united, by generating a new wave of modernising ideas and a fresh kind of politics that reaches out to new groups of people. We believe in a mainstream conservatism – one that recognises the value of markets and supports the good that government can do, is unapologetic about standing up to vested interests, and assiduous in supporting the hardworking, aspirational and those left behind. Our goal is to address the needs of the whole country: young as well as old; urban as well as rural; and for all parts of the UK – particularly places that feel neglected or ignored in Westminster.”
Its foreword is by two MPs: Neil O’Brien OBE MP and Gillian Keegan MP:
…at present we have a dramatically lop-sided system. University education dominates at the top of every profession, and every institution. In contrast, technical education and apprenticeships have been the poor relation for decades, neglected and underfunded. Until recently, these courses have not even provided any route to high level qualifications or top jobs. In recent years that has started to change, with the creation of higher level technical education, degree apprenticeships and the forthcoming Institutes of Technology. But still there’s a long way to go. And a lot to change. Thanks to new government data we now know that there are many people for whom it is not worth incurring over £50,000 of debt to obtain a university degree – either for them, or for the government. This paper concludes it is between a fifth and a quarter of university students. We now know specifically which courses, at which institutions, see their graduates earning too little for their degree to have been worth it financially. That’s not the only way in which the facts have changed in recent years either. New data on the dramatic imbalances of wealth between generations makes it clear that we need to take urgent action to help younger generations enjoy the same opportunities their parents had. ….
The challenges:
Graduates face some of the highest marginal tax rates of any taxpayers in England and Wales, compounding imbalances of wealth between the generations
In economic terms, university represents extremely poor value for money for some graduates, especially those studying certain subjects:
Earnings varies considerably by subject…. Graduates studying medicine, law, economics and the hard sciences (“STEM subjects”) enjoy high returns.
Lower earning courses included degrees in creative arts, psychology, agriculture, combined studies, mass communications, English and social studies (excluding economics).
The lowest earning subjects of all were creative arts courses, which had the largest number of graduates of any course type despite the lowest earnings. Ten years after graduating, the median creative arts graduate does not earn above the £25,000 repayment threshold and is not paying anything back.
There is little evidence that market forces are driving students towards courses with high returns.
Low returns and high interest rates combine to ensure most loans are never fully paid back
Despite being neglected, technical education is already a better route to higher earnings for many students. If we invested more in higher technical education, it could be even better
Those with the lowest prior attainment are the most likely to be financial losers under the current system
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the public do not believe the current system of student loans is fair or represents value for money
Simply abolishing tuition fees does nothing for graduates, and is prohibitively expensive for taxpayers, including many who have not themselves attended university
Reducing tuition fees from their current level would do little to reduce the day-to-day repayment burden of graduates
Replacing loans with a graduate tax is simpler but is unlikely to lead to lower graduate repayments and would worsen ‘brain drain’
Shifting the costs to employers would do little for graduates, and create significant distortions
Altering rates and thresholds might have the desired effects, but compound other issues with loan forgiveness and accounting
The recommendations:
Value for money (2) – no secrets revealed yet
The Education Committee published its report, Value for Money in Higher Education, on 5 November 2018. The government response to the Committee’s report was published on 3rd January 2019
Interestingly it starts by setting the tone for what is to follow:
This document sets out the government’s response to the Committee’s report and clarifies the responsibilities of the Office for Students (OfS) and the Institute of Apprenticeships in respect of the issues raised. It also reflects that the government is continuing to develop policy in these areas alongside the Review of Post 18 Education and Funding, which will conclude in 2019.
That about sums it up. We’ve set out the responses below in summary with some comments.
Value for money for students and the taxpayer
Recommendation: Every higher education institution should publish a breakdown of how tuition fees are spent on their websites. This should take place by the end of 2018, and we recommend that the Office for Students intervene if this deadline is not met.
Response: [this is for the OFS to deal with]
Recommendation: Unjustifiably high pay for senior management in higher education has become the norm rather than the exception and does not represent value for money for students or the taxpayer.
Response: Universities receive significant amounts of public funding, so it is only right that their senior staff pay arrangements command public confidence and deliver good value for both students and taxpayers. We want to see senior staff pay in universities that is fair and justifiable.
[ie, this is for the OFS to deal with]
Recommendation: The current system of self-regulation for senior management pay is totally unacceptable. We call for the Office for Students to publish strict criteria for universities on acceptable levels of pay that could be linked to average staff pay, performance and other measures that the Office for Students sees fit. The Office for Students should take swift action if this is not the case.
Response: In addition to the requirement for providers to publish justifications for their pay levels as outlined above, the OfS requires providers to publish the pay multiple of the head of the provider’s remuneration compared with that of all other employees. Universities are autonomous institutions and they are solely responsible for setting the pay of their staff, including senior managers. The government is not seeking to set pay levels within providers. These measures are designed to improve the transparency of pay levels for senior staff within HE providers.
Recommendation: Institutions must routinely publish the total remuneration packages of their Vice-Chancellors in a visible place on their website. Vice-Chancellors must never sit on their remuneration boards and this should be enforced by the Office for Students.
Response: The OfS requires universities to publish full details of the total remuneration package of their vice-chancellors, including bonuses, pension contributions and other taxable benefits. Similar requirements will be extended to cover all staff with a basic salary of over £150,000 per annum once the regulatory framework is in full force. The Committee of University Chairs (CUC) published its HE Senior Staff Remuneration Code in June 2018. This says that a provider’s remuneration committee must be independent and competent, and that the head of the institution must not be a member of this committee. The OfS accounts direction already states that registered providers must have regard to this code.
The quality of higher education
Recommendation: The TEF is still in its infancy and requires further improvement and embedding to become the broad measure of quality that we want it to be. We look forward to the independent review of TEF and recommend that it focuses on how the exercise is used by students to inform and improve choice. The review must include an assessment of how TEF is used in post-16 careers advice. For the TEF to improve value for money for students it must play a more significant role in the decision-making process of applicants.
Response: [it’s up to the OfS, but we have left some of the response here for you to read]
The OfS is planning targeted communications to improve awareness of TEF and will be undertaking specific research with applicants and students to understand how TEF ratings should be presented to ensure that they are meaningful to prospective students.
In June 2018, we published the findings of a report by IFF Research Ltd entitled ‘TEF and Informing Student Choice’. Although we recognise that only 15% of prospective students in that survey had used or intended to use TEF to inform their choice, the OfS had only published the first set of TEF outcomes in June 2017. For future cohorts it is worth noting that 68% of those surveyed considered that information on subject-level TEF would be useful.
Dame Shirley Pearce has been appointed as the independent reviewer of TEF in accordance with Section 26 of HERA. We will bring the concerns of the Committee to her attention, but as this is an independent review, with the reviewer’s obligations set out in statute, the department has no power to insist that her review addresses or excludes any particular issue.
Recommendation: Institutions should move away from a linear approach to degrees, and enable more part-time, mature and disadvantaged students to study in higher education. We recommend that the Government’s current post-18 review develop a funding model which allows a range of flexible options including credit transfer and ‘hopping on and off’ learning.
Response: [it’s all about the post-18 review and the OfS]
..Supporting arrangements for students who wish to switch provider or degree is already an important part of the reforms enacted by HERA. Section 38 of the act places a duty on the OfS to monitor the provision of student transfer arrangements by registered HE providers and the use of such arrangements by students, and a summary power to facilitate, encourage and promote awareness of these arrangements. Section 38 will come into force on 1 August 2019. In the meantime, the strategic guidance issued in February 2018 by the department asked the OfS to continue to collect data on student transfers ….
…Studying part-time and later in life can of course bring considerable benefits for individuals, employers and the wider economy. The OfS targets an element of the Teaching Grant to recognise the additional costs of part-time study. In 2017/18, £72 million was made available, and the same amount was allocated in 2018/19 for this purpose. Furthermore, within the strategic guidance, we have also asked the OfS and the Director for Fair Access and Participation to encourage providers to consider the different barriers that mature learners can face in their Access and Participation Plans. This covers access to, success in, as well as progression from HE.
….We launched a review of Level 4-5 technical education in October 2017, which is working closely with the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, to ensure a coherent vision for FE and HE. The review of level 4 and 5 education will examine how classroom-based level 4 and 5 education, particularly technical education, meets the needs of learners and employers. On the 6th December, the Secretary of State for Education set out his vision for why we need high quality technical education, and said – among other things -that we intend to establish a system of employer-led national standards for higher technical education. These will be based on existing apprenticeship standards and will provide progression opportunities for those completing T Levels from 2022.
Recommendation: More flexible approaches to higher education should be supplemented by the option for undergraduates of studying for two-year accelerated degrees alongside the traditional three-year model. The post-18 review should investigate potential funding models to clarify the benefits and costs of accelerated degrees, taking into account fees, living costs and post-study earnings.
Response: [we’ve already done this] …on 29 November 2018 government laid regulations to enable higher annual accelerated degree fee caps to be charged by providers. This change will enable potential course revenue of up to 80% of the standard equivalent, while still offering accelerated students a significant saving of 20% on the standard total fee costs. …
Recommendation: The introduction of two-year degrees must not create a two-tier system where students from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to take them on the basis of cost. The Government’s review of higher education should include an impact assessment of how accelerated degrees will affect disadvantaged students.
Response: We acknowledge the Committee’s concern, which was also expressed by a number of respondents to the accelerated degrees consultation in 2018, where we asked specifically about access arrangements. Nevertheless, 74% of respondents still wanted accelerated degree fees to be treated the same as other higher course fees for the purpose of access.
We are not aware of any empirical evidence to suggest either that accelerated degrees are a qualitatively inferior form of degree study compared to their standard equivalents, or that the fees saving of an accelerated degree is seen as their most significant benefit by students. As noted above, the SLC Customer Insight surveys conducted in August 2018 indicated that both accelerated and standard students regarded the time saved on an accelerated course and the advantage of starting work one year faster than their peers, was the most significant benefit.
We know that the specific characteristics and challenges of accelerated study will not be right for all students. We will assess the effectiveness of accelerated degree funding and expenditure on access measures (compared to their standard equivalents), in the review to be undertaken three years after implementation of the higher accelerated degree fee caps regulations.
Recommendation: We are extremely disappointed by the response from the Institute for Apprenticeships to widespread concerns from the higher education sector on the future of degree apprenticeships. We urge the Institute to make the growth of degree apprenticeships a strategic priority. Degree qualifications must be retained in apprenticeship standards, and the Institute must remove the bureaucratic hurdles which universities are facing. The Institute and the Education and Skills Funding Agency must engage much more actively with the higher education sector and take better account of their expertise.
Response: …The department is already working with the HE sector and will continue to do so, including meeting quarterly with a cross section of HE representative bodies to discuss apprenticeship policy issues. …In the last 3 months, 10 HE providers have undertaken user research and we will continue to involve these institutions in our ongoing research.
Recommendation: Degree apprenticeships are crucial to boosting the productivity of this country, providing another legitimate route to higher education qualifications and bringing more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education. We believe some of the money which is currently allocated by the Office for Students for widening access could be better spent on the development and promotion of degree apprenticeships and support for degree apprentices to climb the ladder of opportunity. All higher education institutions should offer degree apprenticeships, and we encourage students from all backgrounds to undertake them. We recommend that the Office for Students demonstrates its support for them by allocating a significant portion of its widening access funding to the expansion of degree apprenticeships specifically for disadvantaged students.
Response:…DfE have already provided the OfS with funding to support the expansion of degree apprenticeships and to widen participation through the Degree Apprenticeships Development Fund (DADF)
In March 2016 DfE launched a £10 million DADF to support the development and take up of degree apprenticeships over two years. In 2016-18, 18 projects were supported, involving over 45 universities and colleges. In 2017/18 funding was allocated to 26 projects…..
The government is looking forward to the forthcoming evaluation report of the Fund, which will help us and the OfS to consider how to focus spending on what has the greatest impact for students.
More widely, the National Apprenticeships Service has launched a number of projects to increase participation amongst underrepresented groups and to ensure apprenticeships are accessible to individuals from all backgrounds. This includes the ‘5 cities’ project, a partnership with five major cities to improve black, Asian and minority ethnic representation, and ‘Opportunities Through Apprenticeships’, a pilot project working with four local authorities to raise the value of apprenticeships in disadvantaged areas. The ‘Opportunities Through Apprenticeships’ project was launched in November 2018. It aims to support social mobility by creating opportunities for more apprentices from disadvantaged areas to undertake high value apprenticeship with higher earnings potential and progression.
…The HE sector is supportive of Level 6 plus and degree apprenticeships and is involved in their development – with at least 60 providers offering or intending to offer degree apprenticeships during the 2017/18 academic year from a pool of over 100 on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers.
The OfS will want to consider the Committee’s recommendations regarding the allocation of its widening access funding.
Recommendation: The implementation of T-Level qualifications from 2020 could offer improved access to university for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Government should engage with universities and UCAS in order to determine an appropriate tariff weighting prior to the introduction of T-levels. We also encourage universities to continue to accept BTECs and put in place additional academic and pastoral support to these students throughout their studies.
Response: The department expects T Levels to provide all students, regardless of their background, with a high quality technical offer that is valued as highly as A levels. With content designed by employers, T Levels will prepare students for skilled employment or progression to higher technical study. As we prepare for the first teaching of T Levels, we are working closely with a wide range of partners, stakeholders, schools and colleges to ensure successful delivery.
…Individual HE providers are responsible for determining the qualifications that they will accept for the purposes of entry to higher education. Whilst recognising the institutional autonomy of HE providers and, in particular, their freedom to determine the criteria for the admission of students, we would encourage them to consider the content of the qualifications they require before making offers. DfE committed in May 2018 to carry out a review of qualifications at level 3 and below (excluding A Levels, T Levels and GCSEs), so that all funded qualifications have a distinct purpose, are high quality and support progression to good outcomes…..
Recommendation: We recommend that universities look to include significant periods of work experience within undergraduate degree courses. This could be a year in industry, or shorter placements with local employers. We believe that practical experience of the workplace must become the norm in degrees and an integral part of making students ‘work ready’. There should also be a greater focus on the extent to which universities prepare their students for work in the TEF criteria.
Response: The numbers of undergraduates who undertake work experience within their degree courses are growing and we would like to see more universities and employers offering students these opportunities.
….We are working to support and encourage high quality new and innovative provision that has a strong offer for students, helping providers to navigate the regulatory system and we will continue to work with new providers to tackle any barriers that might arise.
There is a strong track record of collaboration and joint working between universities and businesses. For example, more than two-thirds of businesses have developed links with universities and more than a third are looking to grow their ties in the future. For example, Aston University has strong links to employers, and more than 70% of students undertake a year in industry as part of their degrees. Teesside University’s Digital City innovation initiative is helping local SMEs place graduate interns in their businesses by providing recruitment support and a 50% contribution towards their salary.
A traditional university course is not the only route to a successful career. Level 6 plus and degree apprenticeships allow universities to build partnerships with industry and professional bodies, working together to create a skilled workforce.
The Graduate Talent Pool is a government initiative designed to help new and recent graduates gain real work experience. This allows employers to advertise paid internships to new and recent graduates, free of charge. As of end of September 2018, 12,464 employers and 135,469 graduates had registered to use the service since the scheme’s launch…..
Recommendation: Higher education institutions spend a vast amount of public money on access and participation. The results of this expenditure are not always clear to see. There must be transparency on what they are investing in, a greater focus on outcomes for students and a rigorous evaluation process. In response to the Director of Fair Access’s new proposals we expect to see institutions focusing their efforts on value for money for the most disadvantaged students and facing penalties if sufficient progress is not made.
Recommendation: We recommend a move away from the simple use of entry tariffs as a league table measure towards contextual admissions, foundation courses and other routes to entry.
Response: The criteria for determining a HE provider’s position in a league table is a matter for its compilers. The government would not want the use of entry tariffs as a criterion to undermine the efforts of providers to take greater numbers of disadvantaged students.
Recommendation: The Office for Students must clamp down on the rise in unconditional offers. Their steep increase is detrimental to the interests of students and undermines the higher education system as a whole.
Response: The department agree with the committee and we are disturbed by the recent large increases in the number of unconditional offers received by students and the potential impact these offers can have. In this respect we welcome the recent announcement by St Mary’s University Twickenham that they will stop using unconditional offers, in the light of evidence that some students who had enrolled with them after an unconditional offer was made did not get the A level grades they expected.
[this is for the OFS to deal with]
Recommendation: The gap in entry rates between the most and least disadvantaged students remains too wide when it should be closing fast. We support the use of contextualised admissions to bring more students from lower socio-economic backgrounds into higher education. We recognise that this practice should not be used in isolation, and that more effective outreach should be followed by support for disadvantaged students throughout their degree. Institutions should state their contextualisation policies in their application information. By doing so disadvantaged students and schools in areas with lower rates of participation in higher education will have a better understanding of the entry requirements to different institutions.
Response: The department agrees that while good progress has been made in widening participation by under-represented and disadvantaged groups in HE, there is still more to be done. Control over admissions lies with institutions and this autonomy is protected under HERA.
Nevertheless, contextual admissions can play a role if they recognise the case for taking into account wider contextual factors in a student’s level of prior attainment: these type of admissions justify providers making offers of places to those they anticipate have strong potential to succeed in HE. It is important too that providers are transparent in their use of contextual information in offer and admission decisions, publish the rationale for any use of contextual offers, and make clear to applicants the circumstances in which they would make such offers. A clear policy on the use of contextual admissions should work in conjunction with effective outreach work, which is properly monitored and evaluated.
Recommendation: We are deeply concerned by the fall in both part-time and mature learners, and the impact this has had on those from lower socio-economic groups going into higher education. We recognise that although the number of disadvantaged school leavers going into higher education has increased, the total number of English undergraduate entrants from low participation areas decreased by 15% between 2011/12 and 2015/16.
Response: [it’s for the post-18 review]
Recommendation: The recent decline in part-time and mature learners should be a major focus of the Government’s post-18 education and funding review. We support calls for the review to redesign the funding system for these learners. The review should develop a tailored approach which moves away from the one size fits all approach which has driven the dramatic decline in numbers since 2012.
Response: [see above on flexible provision]
Recommendation: Based on the overwhelming evidence we have heard during the inquiry, we recommend that the Government return to the pre-2016 system and reinstate the means-tested system of loans and maintenance grants.
Graduate employability
Recommendation: We are encouraged by the increase in graduate outcomes information and believe this can both support more informed choices for students and make institutions more accountable for the destinations of their graduates. However, there is still a long way to go before students have access to robust data on graduate employment which will inform their choices.
Response: [it’s all about LEO]
Recommendation: Better information on graduate outcomes must lead to a greater focus in higher education on outputs and outcomes. Higher education institutions must be more transparent about the labour market returns of their courses. This is not simply a measure of graduate earnings but of appropriate professional graduate-level and skilled employment destinations. We recommend that the Office for Students instructs all providers to be transparent about levels of graduate employment and secure this through funding agreements.
Response: New sources of information such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA) Graduate Outcomes survey, replacing the Destination of Leavers from HE, have an important role in improving information for students. ..
[plus TEF]
The OfS and its partners are developing options for a new resource to replace Unistats in 2019. This will ensure that data is presented in a way which supports students to understand and use the data in a meaningful and robust way
Recommendation: The reforms introduced by successive governments to higher education have caused a growing tension between the perceived value of study to a student, the funding and the wider economic value of higher education. This has been caused in part by the way that the system has changed incrementally and is widely misunderstood. The current system of tuition fees and repayments is more akin to a graduate tax. Promoting better public understanding of this should form part of the HE funding review.
Recommendation: Students lack sufficient high-quality information to make informed choices about higher education and the career paths which might subsequently be open to them. Decisions to take on a financial burden lasting most of a working lifetime are often made by students without adequate information or advice. The long-term implications of an adverse choice can leave students in a vulnerable position. Student choice is central to the debate over value for money in higher education. Our inquiry found a woeful lack of pre-application and career information, advice and guidance, particularly awareness of degree apprenticeships. The Government’s current post-18 review must look at routes into higher education, and the quality of careers advice which students receive.
Response: DfE’s Careers Strategy, published in December 2017, sets out a long-term plan to make sure that all young people have the information, advice and guidance they need to make informed choices about their education, training and employment options….
[It’s all about the OfS and the post-18 review]
Value for money (3) – the OfS position
The Office for Students issued their own response on 10th January. They promise:
Work on transparency on value for money and calling for the sector to define best practice
More transparency on remuneration
Removing barriers to accelerated degrees
Supporting apprenticeships through the Access and Participation guidance [what will that look like?]
Gather and share evidence on work experience
Force the sector to improve assessment and evaluation of access and participation efforts and continue with fining and licence conditions
Raise concerns with league table compilers
Announce action on unconditional offers by Spring 2019
Challenge providers on mature students through access and participation guidance
Replacing unistats
The OfS have released the data for all institutions including those not actively participating in the new round of TEF. The data sits alongside a refreshed set of criteria and judgements, with specific definitions of the Gold, Silver, Bronze standards. The provider narrative looks to remain influential in the refreshed model and the significant emphasis on the data metrics continues (it is the initial determinant of award level). Wonkhe have crunched the data to make initial institutional judgements which are an interesting read (here). When contemplating Wonkhe’s article remember the metrics comprise only part of the final award judgement.
Wonkhe’s analysis results in less institutions receiving gold overall, with none of the Russell Group institutions reaching the top slot. The below chart shows the movement by displaying institutions with current Gold, Silver, Bronze, provisional, or no current award (-) as the colour of their Wonkhe calculated new award (based only on their metrics). The interactive tableau chart is here.
But it’s all a bit theoretical as it is expected few institutions will enter year 4, as most don’t need to again until 2021 – and by them it may all have changed after the Parliamentary Review and the subject level TEf pilot….
Brexit update
The House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee met to discuss the impact of the Horizon and Erasmus programmes and their future in a post Brexit Britain. Chris Skidmore, the Universities Minister, gave evidence. You can read the summary here.
Otherwise chaos continues – nothing has changed except that no deal looks a lot more likely…at least for this week.
Research England have launched their consultation on the Knowledge Exchange Framework. We’ll be working with colleagues across BU to prepare our response. They are also running a pilot.
We wrote about the build up to this in our policy update on 23rd November 2018 The proposal is for a set of metrics plus a narrative that gives the local context including strategic goals, context and local growth and regeneration, and public and community engagement.
Read more on Wonkhe:
Wonkhe’s Louis Coiffait breaks down the KEF consultation.
Richard Jones, Chair of the KEF Technical Panel and Professor of Physics at the University of Sheffield, hails the introduction of the KEF and its ability to recognise the economic contribution of universities.
Tamsin Mann, Head of Policy at Praxis Auril sets out a KEF wishlist for university staff working on knowledge exchange.
Widening Participation and Achievement
A lack of aspiration is not the problem is a new thought provoking blog in Wonkhe which shuns the traditional view that disadvantaged young people attend university less because they lack aspiration and knowledge about the HE sector. It views poor educational achievement at school, brought about by the young person’s accumulation of multiple disadvantages through their childhood, as the crux of the problem. It highlights a study which recognises that these disadvantaged children are rarely exposed to the economic benefits that educational success brings. It suggests drawing on the psychological concept of ‘possible selves’ (considering what/how they want to be in the future to align thinking and motivation and kick start the attainment process needed to get there) as an alternative to aspiration raising in the future. (WP buffs will also want to check out this research on the topic.) Possible selves is a nice alternative to the deficit model approach to WP but it in isolation it seems unlikely to work. Broad and robust careers support would likely be needed to open the eyes of disadvantaged young people to the myriad of future employment possibilities they may not have been exposed to through their home and social environment. Yet careers support remains a long standing thorny problem that no Government has been able to resolve – it is costly, patchy, and cannot meet all needs. Ironically for a blog which favours Bourdieu’s thinking it is this concept of lack of social capital and networks which means possible selves cannot be a neat solution all by itself.
Attracting Mature Students – the barriers
Coincidentally the ONS (Office for National Statistics) have analysed DfE survey data and report that the least qualified adults and vulnerable members of society have the least access to training to boost their employment opportunities and life chances. Lack of confidence was a factor in not accessing opportunities and there was an interesting finding that those without qualifications tended to focus on education or training as a way of improving their wellbeing, whereas those at the other end of the educational spectrum, with degrees or equivalent, seemed more driven by improving their job prospects.
The biggest barriers to adults accessing training were, unsurprisingly, cost, caring/family responsibilities, poor health, and the aforementioned lack of confidence. Interestingly a past negative educational experience was rarely a barrier. Below is the full chart.
The take up of education and training was exacerbated by a gender effect: Men responded more to incentives that were job or pay-related while women tended to choose more personal reasons such as meeting new people and building confidence. A higher proportion of men than women said an increased income would encourage further training and learning in the future and that their jobs and their ability to do them would be improved. Furthermore, more women than men said family and/or caring responsibilities would cause difficulties. Personal reasons, such as a lack of confidence also showed themselves as an issue for a higher proportion of women than men
It would be interesting to compare these barriers that prevent adults from accessing or aspiring to HE study with mature student drop out reasons. Similarities would provide clear signposting on how HE institutions could better attract, support, and retain mature students which, while important in itself, is particularly acute during this period of squeezed recruitment and the young population dip.
Care Leavers – LSE have released a blog explaining why the national figure that only 6% of care leavers progress to HE is inaccurate and that tracking care leavers (who are rarely in a position to perform well educationally at age 16) to age 23 bring the entry rate up to almost 12% (research here). The article goes on to explore other care leaver related factors such as the importance of alternative vocational routes into HE and warns against using the entry statistics as they mask the difficulties with retention of care leavers whilst studying.
Alternative Spending – Wonkhe’s Let’s go fly a kite series sees three bloggers come up with some alternative ideas by which to tackle Access and Participation.
Impact of Selective Secondary Education in progressing to HE
HEPI have published The impact of selective secondary education on progression to HE. It finds that grammar schools potentially contribute to social mobility by enabling better access to elite higher education. It considers the shortcomings of research which mainly utilise Free School Meals as the main data indicator.
The report highlights that:
A pupil from the most disadvantaged POLAR quintile is more than twice as likely to progress to Oxbridge if they live in a selective area rather than a non-selective area.
BME pupils are more than five times as likely to progress to Oxbridge if they live in a selective area. It notes that England’s has 163 grammar schools which contribute 30% more BME students to Cambridge than all 1,849 non-selective schools combined.
The report calls for:
Government to expand the Select School Expansion Fund in disadvantaged areas where this is supported by the relevant local authority.
Non-selective schools to improve their efforts at enabling progression of high-ability pupils to highly selective universities and Oxbridge, working with grammar schools where appropriate.
Department for Education to commission research explicitly considering the impact of selective schooling on the social mobility of children from households below median income.
On the report Wonkhe state: The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published a provocative new paper on grammar schools and selective university access…It argues that grammars increase the likelihood of progression for pupils from the bottom two quintiles of social disadvantage and for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) pupils. The analysis attempts to factor in the chances of children from different groups getting into a grammar school, and how those children who do get in perform.
It also examines the performance of new specialist maths schools and considers positive attitudes towards grammar schools among some of the public (compared to educational experts).
The report received much press attention:
The i – Grammar schools ‘significantly boost chances of poor pupils attending top universities’
Schools Week – Poor pupils at grammar schools twice as likely to attend Oxbridge, study claims
tes – Grammars boost poorer pupils’ chances of getting into top universities
The Times – Beacon grammars could take more poorer pupils
The Times – The Times view on grammar schools: they provide only part of the answer
Telegraph – Grammar schools send more ethnic minority students to Cambridge than all comprehensives combined
Sky news – Grammar schools benefit disadvantaged kids says think tank
The Daily Mail – Pupils from the poorest families are TWICE as likely to get into Oxbridge if they attend a grammar school, report finds
Nick Hillman, HEPI Director, stated:
‘The debate on grammar schools has become very one sided. Researchers line up to condemn them for inhibiting social mobility, and the schools do not perform well on every single measure. But the full evidence is more nuanced and shows some pupils benefit a great deal.
Compared to other countries, we have a hyper-selective university system. Given so many people benefit from attending a grammar school, it seems what works for universities may also sometimes work for schools.’
Unconditional Offers: The OfS response to the Commons Education Committee’s report on value for money suggests the review of unconditional offer making will be published in Spring 2019.
Knowledge Exchange: Explaining a PhD thesis to the public can be tricky. In this light hearted article read how Canada is tackling this through the medium of cake.
Essay Mills: the ASA banned online advertising by essay mill Oxbridge Essays – here is QAA’s coverage of the judgement. The Independent also covered the decision.
Academic Freedom: Oxford law students have petitioned for a professor to be dismissed due to his opinions on homophobia. It is debated here on the Today programme and then featured in Parliament:
Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con): May we have a debate on the importance of academic freedom? Universities are about the free and frank exchange of ideas, even if they are unfashionable and unpopular. Is it not wholly unacceptable to suggest that a respected academic such as John Finnis, emeritus professor of law and legal philosophy, who has taught at the University of Oxford for some 40 years, should be removed from office simply for holding traditional Catholic views? Is that not the opposite of diversity and open, robust debate?
Andrea Leadsom: My hon. Friend raises an important point. It is essential that young people at university learn how to engage in robust debate and to challenge views with which they may not agree. The solution is not to silence those who make them. The Government said in our response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ report that we have concerns about the culture in universities in relation to free speech, and we made it clear that all “education is a place where students should be exposed to a range of ideas, including those that may be controversial and unpopular—and where they learn to think critically and challenge those who they disagree with, not shut them down.”
Accounting of student loans:
Q – Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will ensure that the level of funding allocated to universities is not reduced as a result of the ONS decision on the treatment of student loans in Government accounts.
A – Chris Skidmore: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced a new treatment of student loans in the public sector finances and national accounts on 17 December 2018. The decision by the ONS relates to the recording of student loans in the national accounts and public sector finances. Prior to the announcement of the ONS review, the government had already launched the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding in which, amongst other features of the system, funding is being considered.The review is considering how to ensure that the education system for those aged 18 years and over is accessible to all, is supported by a funding system that provides value for money and works for students and taxpayers. In addition, the review is considering how the education system incentivises choice and competition across the sector and encourages the development of the skills that we need as a country.
Q – Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount by which the deficit will increase in 2018 as a result of the ONS decision on the treatment of student loans in Government accounts.
A – Elizabeth Truss: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published estimates of potential impacts of the new treatment on the deficit in their October 2018 Economic and fiscal outlook. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has made it clear that there is a lot to decide before their methodology is finalised. The ONS currently aim to fully implement the new treatment for student loans in the public sector finances in September 2019.
Immigration:
Q – Lord Goodlad: Whether they have conducted an evaluation of the Tier 4 visa pilot for masters students; if so, when it was completed; and what changes are now proposed in the Immigration Rules.
A – Baroness Williams Of Trafford: An initial evaluation of the Tier 4 Visa Pilot was published on gov.uk on 19 December. The evaluation supported the proposals set out in the Immigration White Paper: The UK’s future skills-based immigration system.
Tags: academic freedom Brexit grammar schools KEF mature students post-18 review subject level TEF TEF value for money widening participation
HE policy update for the w/e 30th November 2018
Lots of news this week – and some negative headlines as a result.
Have you been following the changes to the TEF announced in February? Are you up to date with the metrics and proposed structure. Did you know that year 5 has been postponed? We have prepared some slides on TEF which will bring you up to date – you can see them via the Policy pages on the intranet.
Unconditional offers – the next phase of the debate
Sarah wrote a long piece on unconditional offers last week, and this week we have this year’s data from UCAS. The headline of the report is that unconditional offers were made to a third of young applicants in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in the 2018 admissions cycle The actual report is here. The report also notes that most unconditional offers (i.e. around two thirds of those made) were made to those aged 19 and over – i.e. post qualification. This share has fallen since 2013 when it was 98%. (more…)
Tags: Brexit fees and funding grade inflation Graduate Outcomes LEO Review of post-18 education teaching excellence framework TEF unconditional offers
EU, international, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, policy, Public engagement, Research news, Student Engagement jforster
Last week was dominated by the Brexit political turmoil and no major HE reports were launched (although there are some coming later this week). The media continued to wring all the coverage they could out of the fee cut speculations and there was news on an American university who is currently registering with the OfS to takeover a London university college. And on Monday there was news for the TEF review and on accelerated degree fees.
The details for the Independent Review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) have been announced. The Terms of Reference are here and the 2016 policy paper has also been shared here.
Tags: accelerated degrees access and participation BME attainment Brexit fees and funding immigration inclusivity international staff KEF Knowledge exchange framework reputation Review of post-18 education social mobility subject level TEF teaching excellence framework TEF widening participation
HE Policy Update for w/e 26 October 2018
Knowledge Exchange, policy, Research news carters
To read the policy update in full with the infographics click here or continue to read below without the infographics for widening participation.
It’s been a busy week for activity in Parliament along with several new reports published, including the subject level TEF details and a focus on part time and flexible provision. Meanwhile the sector continues to lobbying efforts in hope of influencing the forthcoming outcomes of the Review of post-18 Education and Funding. It’s a bumper update this week so do scan through to read the sections of most interest to your role.
TEF and Grade Inflation
Sam Gyimah spoke on Monday to outline a new measure to discourage grade inflation within HE institutions which will be piloted through the second year of TEF subject level pilots. The DfE news story states:
Announcing a second year of pilots to move subject-level TEF a step closer, Sam Gyimah confirmed today that these will also look at grade inflation, with TEF panellists reviewing evidence to see whether universities are taking a responsible approach to degree grading and not awarding excessive numbers of firsts and 2:1s. It means a university’s provider-level rating of gold, silver or bronze will take their approach to tackling grade inflation into account.
Grade inflation will be an important feature of the criteria considered alongside how a university is stretching its students through course design and assessment, and through their ability to develop independence, knowledge and skills that reflect their full potential. It forms a key part of the government’s commitment to delivering real choice for prospective students.
This is one of the first measures taken by the government to tackle grade inflation, with the plans confirmed in the government’s response to the subject-level TEF consultation.
In the last five years alone, figures from the Higher Education Stats Authority show the proportion of graduates who gained a first class degree has increased from 18% in 2012/13 to 26% in 2016/17, which means over a quarter of graduates are now securing the top grade.
Despite Gyimah’s speech the grade inflation presence within the subject level TEF pilot will be light touch this year because of the level of opposition to the metric during the consultation process:
Grade inflation is an important issue and the Government is committed to ensuring it is addressed so that students and employers can have confidence in the value of higher education qualifications. It was one of the more contentious topics in the consultation. In response to the question posed, the consultation demonstrated support for our proposal to apply the grade inflation metric only at provider-level and we will therefore maintain this approach. We acknowledge however that challenges to the grade inflation metric were raised in both the consultation and pilot findings. While almost half of respondents agreed to our proposal, many respondents also stated that they did not support the continued use of this metric in the TEF at any level and the pilot found the metric was limited in its current form. To address these concerns, the OfS will use the second year of the subject-level pilots to test some refinements to the grade inflation metric, exploring how it can be improved. This includes presenting additional data such as trends in prior attainment alongside the grade inflation data to help panels better account for other factors that might influence grades. (Pages 6-7 of Government’s response link.)
Research Professional write about the removal of the ‘contentious’ teaching intensity measure.
Conservative Women have an article by Chris McGovern supporting Gyimah’s plans to address grade inflation. While the BBC considers: Does it matter what degree grade you get?
Subject level TEF
The Government issued its analysis and response to the subject-level TEF consultation. The first year of subject level TEF pilots have concluded (read the findings here). The second year pilots are underway; their design is based on the outcomes from the first pilots and the subject level TEF consultation.
While the second year of subject-level TEF pilots runs the Independent TEF Review (required by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017) will also take place. The Government expects this timing will allow full implementation of subject-level TEF for 2019/20. The subject-level pilots will trial the introduction of LEO (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data) within the core metrics. And Wonkhe report that the teaching intensity metric has been removed and all the TEF awards currently conferred on Universities will cease by 2021 to dovetail the roll out of subject-level TEF.
There are a plethora of new TEF blogs and opinion on the Wonkhe website.
Yvonne Hawkins, Director of Teaching Excellence and Student Experience at the Office for Students, said:
“The TEF assesses the things that students care about: teaching quality, the learning environment that supports them; and employment and further study outcomes. The development of a robust model for subject-level TEF is progressing well…last year we tested and evaluated two different assessment models for generating subject-level ratings. This year we will consolidate this work, piloting a single approach that draws on feedback about the best elements from the previous models. The TEF’s strength relies not on any single source of evidence, but in drawing together multiple sources and making holistic judgements. This ensures no one issue is over-weighted. The changes we will be piloting are designed to strengthen this approach, so that ratings are informed by comprehensive contextual information. The input of students to last year’s pilot was invaluable, so this year we are also introducing ways to further strengthen their involvement.”
The House of Commons debated the regulations surrounding the Transparency Condition (the requirement for HE institutions to publish data on access and success for disadvantaged and under-represented students). An Opposition spokesperson argued for the inclusion of data on students with disabilities, the age profile of students, and care leavers to be included:
We also believe that, if the transparency duty is to have any impact, it needs to include as many different dimensions of participation as possible by social background. That view was echoed strongly by the Sutton Trust, which did not believe that the Bill and the regulations went far enough in that area. It said, “evidence suggests many universities are favouring more privileged candidates even when levels of attainment are taken into account”…The Bill should be amended to require universities to publish their contextual admission policies clearly on their websites”.
The Opposition spokesperson also raised the key workforce data that has the potential to impact on the quality of students’ education, such as the use of insecure contracts and student-staff ratios as a potential measure to be included within the Transparency Duty. Finally he argued for the OfS to use broader measures and rely less on POLAR data to examine socio-economic disadvantage. The new MEM measure was highlighted (a multiple equality measure which combines various data sources including free school meals) for inclusion to prevent overreliance on just one data source.
Sam Gyimah responded: Quite rightly, the hon. Gentleman brought up the subject of care leavers. Our guidance to the OfS asks it to monitor care leavers as a key target group, which it has done. We expect to see providers focusing on that in their access and participation plans. Whether to add age and disability is a decision for the OfS, but I am pleased that it has included that in its consultation, as we asked.
Further to Gyimah’s show of support for care leavers mentioned above the DfE have launched the Care Leavers Covenant aiming to provide more opportunities and support for Care Leavers through work placements, internships and training sessions (supported by bursaries and accommodation provided by the local universities). Chris Millward, OfS Director for Fair Access and Participation stated: “Disadvantage goes on to follow care leavers through their adult lives. We need a collective effort to ensure that care leavers are not denied opportunity simply because they’ve had a challenging start in life”. Read the Government’s news story on this new post-care scheme here.
Graduate Premium – female living standards
The Institute of Fiscal Studies have released a new paper analysing the female graduate premium: The impact of higher education on the living standards of female graduates. As the title suggests it looks wider than just wages on the benefits that achieving a degree brings. It uses data from two longitudinal surveys providing a sample of 1,000 women born in 1970 (so all attended university before tuition fees were introduced) and quantifies the role of working hours, life partners, and tax liability. It finds a graduate premium (compared to female non-graduates) and demonstrates how the above mechanisms vary in importance over women’s life cycles and have changed over time to impact on female graduates’ living standards.
HE significantly increases the probability a women is in work and the number of hours they work, boosting labour market returns.
HE increased the likelihood women worked in their early thirties, but there was no impact on the likelihood of working in their early forties. This reflects the fact that higher education causes women to delay childrearing until later in their careers.
HE also increases the probability of a woman having a partner who also has a HE qualification, the degree qualified partner is typically more likely to work and earn more.
However, focusing on gross earnings returns overstates the private benefits of HE, as higher-earning graduates pay more in tax and receive fewer (family based) benefits. This reduces the net financial returns from a graduate wage.
The benefits of HE can also vary over the life cycle. While HE increases net family income by around 20% (£9,500 per year) for women in their early 30s and early 40s, the mechanisms change over time:
For women in their early 30s, the impact of HE on income primarily comes through their own labour market earnings;
By age 40 the importance of the impact on partners’ earnings has increased, likely because at this age women have an increased propensity to work part-time.
It appears that, through the higher education level of partners, HE provides some insurance for women taking time out of the labour market after having children. The role of partners’ earnings remains an important channel of returns, particularly at older ages.
You can read the research assumption caveats surrounding the impact of children (page 13/14), particularly their effect on the choice to work and the wage rate.
In summary, as a result of a degree, it is higher wages, more working hours and assortative mating (degree qualified life partner) that explain the graduate females higher living standards
Both the Times and Mail Online articles pick up on the report but mainly emphasise the aspect that female graduates are more likely to marry graduate men – boosting their joint earning potential. The Times go on to consider the male/female gender gap and report that after graduation, women are more likely to have a job or go on to further study than men, but they earn less from the very start of their careers. These figures, taken from The Times, show how the gender earnings gap expands:
When Male Female
At graduation (-£1,600 less than men)
3 years post-graduation £24,200 £21,800 (-£2,400 less)
5 year post-graduation £27,800 £24,500 (-£3,300 less)
10 years post-graduation £35,100 £27,100 (-£8,000 less)
Technological Innovation and Regulation
The Council for Science and Technology have written to the Prime Minister to make four recommendations on how to ensure Britain’s regulatory landscape creates an attractive and welcoming environment for technological innovation. Greg Clark’s (Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) response is warm and picks up on several of the recommendations. Furthermore, on Tuesday Greg chaired the new Ministerial Working Group on Future Regulation. One of the aims of the working group is to transform regulation to support innovators to bring new ideas to market. Greg stated:
“We have a world-beating regulatory environment in the UK which has set standards that have been exported around the world. But we can’t move forward by standing still and we must prepare for the technologies and industries of the future.
I am grateful to the work done by the Council and for their recommendations on how we can put the UK at the forefront of these industries. Through the Working Group on Future Regulation we are going to build on our exceptional foundations, ensuring our regulations keep pace with the technological advances that will reshape our economy.”
Those with an interest in this area can read more on the new working group here.
Civic Universities – Mature Education
UPP Foundation has released a progress report from their Civic University Commission which aims to explore and understand what a modern civic university does and how it benefits local people. This additional report was released to inform the Government’s review of post-18 tertiary education as the research uncovered a link between the decline in adult learning and universities’ civic mission.
They found that adult education used to be an integral part of universities’ civic activities but is now in major decline (non-degree courses for over 30’s have declined by 42% since 2012). The Commission states the decline will become more acute as more professional jobs become automated forcing changes in the labour market structure and increasing the need for retraining. The conditions on part time loans for retaining are noted as a barrier:
Those restrictions mean, for example, that a mother returning to work after a prolonged absence from the labour market — but who might have a degree from 15 years earlier — cannot retrain unless she can just pay the fees upfront, and support herself, from her own resources.
The Commission argues for a better adult university education system:
This is precisely the wrong moment to have closed off adult education. Graduate jobs will change, and as we leave the European Union the need for a good domestic skills base will be greater. We have already lost long-term capacity in universities — courses have closed and they are difficult to re-open. Rebuilding this capacity will take effort and time. In our view, that work needs to begin now.
It is also too limiting to see this education in terms of immediate fulfilling of skills gaps. It is extremely hard to predict exactly what the future skills needs of areas are likely to be — many would not have predicted, for example, the size and growth of creative industries and their importance to the economic wellbeing of places.
And even outside pure economic benefit — short and long-term — the benefits of education for adults are huge. It passes down into how children are educated at home — which has a much greater impact on their future success than the school environment. It improves peoples’ health and makes them more engaged in the labour market. It makes people more fulfilled and engaged in civic life. There is clear latent demand. A recent survey by Universities UK (UUK) found that as much as 24% of adults had seriously considered doing higher education, of which around half did not already have a post-A level qualification. …we believe it [is] important to offer education to existing professionals, women returning to the labour market and struggling to attend courses in intensity, and people who want to learn particular things rather than necessarily qualifications.
The report calls for the Government to:
Relax the ELQ rule so that graduates are able to do further learning;
Remove the 25% intensity rule so that both short courses, and longer-term learning, are eligible for loans and funding (they consider this particularly important for women with children);
Allow education that is not deliberately directed towards a qualification (such as a degree).
It also seems clear that the lack of direct public funding, and the funding of adult education mostly through traditional loans with RAB charges, is off-putting to many adults. Postgraduate provision and re-graduate provision, as well as first time undergraduate provision, needs to have some public subsidy. So the government should consider whether the apprenticeship levy has some part to play. Two options could be:
Hypothecating some proportion of the apprenticeship levy for courses that are shorter and more modular;
Having an additional, smaller levy for this particular purpose.
The Commission also favours greater pressure on universities to focus on widening participation initiatives that target adults, to be specifically monitored by OfS.
On Knowledge Exchange the Commission stated:
The new KEF metrics should have a strong weighting on knowledge transmission and knowledge exchange between universities and their local population. In our view it is as important that university staff spend time conveying ideas to the local population, and involving them in their activity, as it is to interact with traditional economic stakeholders.
Part time learning and Flexibility
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) are calling for more flexible routes to higher skills noting that the decline in part time students is of crucial importance to the UK’s future economic prosperity. UUK and CBI have published a joint statement drawing on a previous report on the generation of ‘lost learners’. The lost learners are those who are:
mainly 25-44 years old,
48% only have a level 2 or 3 qualification,
54% are in full time work
they are motivated to upskill and train to develop their careers.
However, the study found many of the learners didn’t enrol or were unable to complete their studies. Familiar barriers are cited: unaffordability of tuition fees (44%) and managing cost of living whilst studying (42%), and an inflexible course that couldn’t be managed against other life commitments (26%). Other difficulties were employer inflexibility and lack of employer financial support plus benefits challenges created by studying. Of those that did enrol but subsequently dropped out 33% stated lack of flexibility (even with part time study) was the cause.
CBI emphasise the need for flexible and part time provision is greater now than it ever has been because technological advances are creating different and higher level jobs for which re-training is essential. CBI states: “Meeting the needs of the economy, therefore, rests on widening access to higher-level education and promoting routes that appeal to people for whom a traditional, three-year university degree may not be the best option.
For a whole range of reasons – from family to work commitments, caring responsibilities and many more – if flexible study isn’t accessible then many people don’t study at all.”
CBI and UUK’s calls are very similar to that of the Civic University Commission (described above).
They urge the Post-16 Review of tertiary funding to:
Reform the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible skills levy so that it can cover a wider range of training (more detail on page 5 here).
Develop shorter and more flexible provision – enabling students to move between work and study across their lifetimes. Government and higher education providers should work together to consider how a modular or credits-based system for undergraduate study could increase flexibility in the long term.
Support collaboration between employers, HE and FE – helping learners progress into provision which falls between A levels and a university degree (level 4 and 5 provision). Government should support… through changes in the regulatory environment, funding new partnerships and collaborations and/or facilitating sharing of information on the need for level 4 and 5 skills.
CBI acknowledge that many universities already have extensive collaboration with employers but state this, alongside flexible provision, needs to shift up a gear.
UUK state:
While in the longer-term, the post-18 education system should move to a modular or credits-based system, we must also ensure higher education institutions can deliver more flexible options as soon as possible. Evidence from our project suggests that while institutions are developing innovative and more flexible methods of course delivery there is a limit on the extent they can test the market and/or roll these out due to financial constraints.
Therefore, Universities UK recommends greater government support being given to higher education institutions wishing to innovate, scale up activity or further develop systems for flexible learning in order to overcome financial barriers and future uncertainties relating to these activities. This could be through targeted funding by government. Targeted funding could help institutions achieve greater clarity on the extent of market demand and how best to tailor their courses to meet the needs of students, so that over time more flexible courses become a central part of the institution’s offer.
Matthew Fell, CBI’s UK Policy Director, stated:
“Investing in our skills base is the best strategy for growth a nation can have…The findings of this project are clear. We need to raise overall levels of education and skills in the workforce. Universities need to play a critical role in responding to the changing world of work by offering education and training for learners for whom a three-year bachelor’s degree doesn’t quite fit their circumstances”.
Professor Julie Lydon, VC University of South Wales and Chair of the group that produced the study, stated: “For many years, discussion about higher education has focused only on the traditional route of school leavers heading away to study full-time at university for three or four years.
The evidence from this project shows there is significant demand from learners and employers for more flexible learning, where learners combine study with work, and other life commitments. Learning and improved life chances should not stop when you reach your 20s. It must continue over a lifetime.”
Read UUK’s news blog here, the joint statement here, and their previous publications: the economic case for flexible learning; the employer perspective of Skills Needs In England; report on ‘lost learners’; and the report on flexible learning.
Finally, Research Professional provide their take on the statement here.
Recruitment – record applicants
UCAS report a record number of applicants at the early deadline for the 2019 undergraduate cycle. This deadline mainly covers medicine, dentistry, veterinary and Oxbridge applications, however of interest are the higher than usual rates of applications (+9% from 2018 cycle rates). There are also increases in English applicant rates (+9%) and an 11% rise in 18 year old applicants – despite the further 1.8% 18 year old population decrease. EU applications remained at 2018 levels. The Guardian covers the story and places the high rates within the context of the additional 500 places available through the newly approved medical schools. UCAS are careful to manage expectations in their press release and remind the sector that the recruitment boost seen by these programmes may not mean a corresponding rise in applications for the January 2019 deadline.
There is coverage in the Guardian and the Herald.
Widening participation – evaluating student outcomes
The Sutton Trust has published Student Destinations which looks at the successful impact of their outreach and participation programmes delivered over the 10 year period 2006-2016. They offer three programmes – UK summer schools, a US programme to visit and support applications to study in the US, and pathways to law. Drawing on destinations data from multiple sources and benchmarking progression against controls they have been able to boast excellent outcomes resulting from participation in the programmes.
See this link to view the infographics detailing the impact of the programmes.
Despite their success the Sutton Trust are keen to point out the difficulties in evaluating such programmes brought about by a lack of access to the needed data sources which are owned by multiple other organisations.
By no means is our work on evaluation complete. It will be years of ongoing work looking to refine our methods and working in collaboration with our partners to constantly improve the evaluation we undertake. It will be challenging.
Access to the data needed to evaluate interventions is inconsistent, disjointed and often expensive. Working with NPD, UCAS, HESA, HEAT and co. to negotiate and navigate data requests can be a full time job and typically there is a delay in receiving the data.
We are calling for access to data to become more coordinated and for outreach activity to have a broader definition of success than simply progression to a particular institution. Source.
The Sutton Trust believe their evaluation success lies partly within their unique position whereby they collaborate with groups of universities to deliver their programmes “…this has enabled us to act as a facilitator to outreach collaboration. This allows for larger data sets to analyse, and data sharing across institutions, which we believe ultimately leads to stronger evaluation.”
A gaggle of parliamentary questions related to HE were answered this week.
On Brexit this answer covers the negotiation of science and innovation – excerpt: The White Paper set out that the UK is committed to establishing a far-reaching science and innovation accord with the EU as part of our future relationship. As part of this accord, the UK would like to explore association to EU research funding programmes, including Horizon Europe and the Euratom R&T Programme.
And another on participation in the Ninth EU Framework Programme.
A variation on a questioning theme that regularly surfaces with the House – how a Brexit no deal will affect universities
Q – Jared O’Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to replace potential lost funding for universities as a result of the UK leaving the EU without a deal (link).
A- Sam Gyimah: We remain confident that we will agree a mutually advantageous deal with the EU – we do not want or expect a no deal scenario. It is, however, the duty of a responsible government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes, including the unlikely event of no deal. Extensive work to prepare for this scenario has been under way for almost two years and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave. We have now published 106 specific technical notices – including on Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ – to help businesses, universities, citizens and consumers prepare for a no deal scenario.
In the event of a no deal scenario the government’s underwrite guarantee will cover funding for successful competitive bids to Horizon 2020 submitted before exit day. In July 2018, we extended this guarantee to cover all successful competitive bids by UK entities to Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participation submitted between exit day and the end of 2020. The guarantee will apply for the lifetime of qualifying projects, even where this extends beyond 2020.
The government will cover funding for successful Erasmus+ bids from UK organisations that are submitted while the UK is still a Member State, even if they are not approved until after we leave. The government will need to reach agreement with the EU for UK organisations to continue participating in Erasmus+ projects and is seeking to hold these discussions with the EU. The government has also extended the underwrite guarantee to cover the payment of awards under successful Erasmus+ bids submitted post-March 2019 until the end of 2020. The eligibility of UK organisations to participate in calls for bids once the UK is no longer a Member State is subject to agreement between the EU and the UK.
Student Loan Sale
Several questions from Angela Rayner delving into the cost effectiveness of both the prior and intended new student loan book sales – with little in the way of a clear answer given.
First a question requesting the estimated proceeds of the (new) student loan sale and for information shared to be accessed centrally.
Sam Gyimah’s response: The government and its advisers are continuing to refine the range of estimates for the expected proceeds of the sale. A report on the sale arrangements, and the extent to which they gave good value, will be placed in the House Libraries within three months of the date of the transfer arrangements.
Followed by another on the book value of the new student loans sale.
Gyimah responded: The department calculates the book value for the pool of loans for any given sale after the sale has completed, and the fully audited number for the second sale will be available in the 2018-2019 annual accounts.
On the previous student loan book sales Rayner questioned:
This asking for the value for money evidence and assessment for the prior student loan book sale and this querying the minimum price for the sale.
Gyimah responded that the report is available within the Parliamentary libraries and disclosing the minimum price was counterproductive as it is commercially sensitive.
On the TEF it is promised there will soon be news on who will conduct the independent review:
Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on appointing the Chair of the Independent Review into the Teaching Excellence Framework (link).
A – Sam Gyimah: We have made excellent progress in appointing an independent reviewer of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework and I hope to make an announcement shortly.
On Immigration
Q- Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to replicate the provisions of Tier 2 visa requirements for EU students studying in the UK after the UK has left the EU (link).
A – Caroline Nokes: The Government is considering a range of options for the future immigration system and we will publish a White Paper later in the autumn.
The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its report on the impact of international students in the UK in September 2018. The Government welcomes this report and thanks the MAC for their work. The report makes it clear that international students offer a positive economic benefit to the UK and offers a number of policy recommendations. We will be considering this report carefully and engaging widely as we develop proposals for the future system which will be implemented from 2021.
Q – Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for the Government’s ambition to increase the number of BAME students going to university by 20 per cent by 2020 of implementing the recommendations in the University and College Union report entitled Investigating higher education institutions and their views on the Race Equality Charter; and if he will make a statement.
A – Sam Gyimah: I welcome the report from the University and College Union. Widening access to Higher Education is a priority for this government. We want everyone with the capability to succeed in Higher Education to have the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of background, ethnicity, or where they grew up.
In 2017, 18 year olds from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to enter full-time undergraduate higher education than ever before. However, we still have more to do. That is why we asked the Office for Students to continue to ensure ethnic minority groups are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.
A new transparency condition will also require HE providers to publish application, offer, acceptance, non-continuation and attainment rates by socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity, which will provide greater transparency and help to shine a light on those providers who need to do more.
Finally, a question on artificial Intelligence (autonomous weapons).
Click here to view the updated consultation tracker. There aren’t any new consultations and inquiries this week, however, there have been several outcome reports and Government responses to the consultations and inquiries we are tracking. Look out for the yellow highlighting to find the new information.
Free Speech: i news has an article reporting on the BBC’s research stating universities are not restricting free speech. Here is the description of the BBC’s research findings. The findings suggest there are only a small number of isolated cases where free speech is restricted. However, the article continues: A Department for Education spokesperson said while there was no evidence of widespread censorship, there were some “genuine problems”, including the effect of the “complex web of rules and guidance”, as well as the behaviour of protestors and student groups. The OfS Free Speech guidance is expected to be published before Christmas.
Science after Brexit: Fans of Radio 4’s Today programme will have heard Sam Gyimah grasping for answers during a Brexit discussion with Nobel Prize winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse. Total Politics and The National both reported following the discussion.
Sexual Harassment: The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee published the outcome of their inquiry into sexual harassment of women and girls in public spaces. The report has a whole section devoted to women’s safety at university. BU readers can access a summary of the report provided by Dods Political Monitoring Consultants here.
Cost of Post Study Work Visas: Wonkhe report on UUK analysis which estimates that the UK economy could have lost out on £8bn in export earnings from international students due to changes to student migration policy in 2012, which include the closure of the Tier 1 Post Study Work Route.
Simon Marginson, writing for Research Professional, also had much to say on the post study work visa this week:
“The notion that we beckon [international students] in through the narrow Home Office doorway, extract as much money as possible from them while they are here, and push them out the moment they graduate, is uncivilised, exploitative and counterproductive.
A mature country will recognise the connections between international education and skilled migration, and understand that while the primary purposes of international education are economic and educational, an important secondary purpose is attracting outstanding future citizens.
Post-study work visas are not only a cornerstone of education exports policy, they are a cornerstone of economic policy on skilled labour.”
Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of UUK, stated:
“To keep up with competitors, the UK government needs to promptly develop a reshaped immigration system that recognises the value of international students as temporary visitors and tells the world that they are welcome here. This should include improved post-study work opportunities”
Students Union officers: Students Union officers are in the news this week with an article on the York University Students Union Working Class Officer and UWE’s short lived men’s officer, which was scrapped after the candidate withdrew citing harassment.
The Budget: The 2018 Autumn budget will be delivered on Monday 29 October. The House of Commons Library has produced a brief on the background to the budget. Political consultants have also been producing speculation documents detailing what has been leaked or is expected within the budget – so far there has been little content directly on Higher Education within the speculations.
Social economic comparators: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released Equity in Education which tracks the impact of socio-economic background on the academic performance and outcomes of young people. It notes that high performance and more positive attitudes towards schooling among disadvantaged 15-year-old students are strong predictors of success in higher education and work later on. Furthermore, adults in England with tertiary-educated parents were 9 times more likely to complete tertiary education than adults with less-educated parents. However, this is still below the OECD average of 11 times more likely.
The Independent covers the report stating only 1 in 6 of the disadvantaged UK pupils surveyed report they are satisfied with their lives, socially integrated at school and do not experience test anxiety. The UK also trails behind in that only 15% of disadvantaged students are socially and emotionally resilient (compared to 26% average across all countries surveyed). Although the report does state: Disadvantaged students who are socially and emotionally resilient tend to do better academically which suggests that helping disadvantaged students develop positive attitudes and behaviours towards themselves and their education would boost their academic development. It also notes that greater school choice doesn’t necessarily have a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils and that there can be a lack of sense of belonging amongst pupils. The Equity in Education report utilises PISA data (Programme for International Student Assessment). Click here for an interesting short set of infographics.
FE and Sixth Form Funding Crisis: Twelve associations that represent school and college leaders, governors, students, teachers and support staff in England have written to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond urging him to increase funding for sixth form education in next week’s Budget. The letter launched the Raise the Rate campaign which hopes to increase the funding rate for sixth form students that has been frozen at £4,000 per student, per year since 2013. In the letter, the associations claim that a combination of funding cuts and cost increases “has left much less money for schools and colleges to spend on the front line education of students at a time when the needs of young people have become increasingly complex (for example the sharp rise in students experiencing mental health problems).” The associations use recent research from London Economics to call for a “minimum” £760 per student funding increase. Without this the campaign states that minority subjects such as languages are at risk of being dropped and there will be decreased extra-curricular activities, work experience opportunities and university visits. As major funding decisions are not likely to be taken until next year’s spending review, and would not take effect until 2020/21, the associations urge the Chancellor to introduce a “modest increase” to the funding rate of at least £200 per student in next week’s Budget “to provide some much needed financial stability and ensure that schools and colleges can continue to deliver the high class education our young people deserve.”
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders stated:
“It makes no sense whatsoever that the basic funding rate in sixth forms and colleges is a miserly £4,000 per student, while universities are charging tuition fees of up to £9,250, often for fewer teaching hours. Government cuts to 16-18 education have severely damaged a sector which is pivotal to the life chances of young people, and an immediate funding uplift is essential.”
Emily Chapman, Vice President (Further Education) of the National Union of Students said:
“Successive budget cuts have left many colleges in a state of financial instability. The result has been course closures, cuts to student support, and reductions in teaching provision.”
Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association said:
“Sixth form education is not just about exam results, it includes a host of essential wrap-around experiences. If we don’t fund it properly, something must give and young people won’t get the high-quality education they deserve. Every year, colleges are being asked to do more with less, and we must not sit idly by while young people are short-changed.”
Student Opinion: Read this blog on the latest research from an amalgamation of students’ unions: Asking the right questions on student lifestyle which covers wellbeing, living, eating and community identification. There are also previous research summaries giving the student perspective on Value for Money and Teaching Excellence.
Allied Health Professions: The OfS have published the blog Let’s shine a light on the opportunities in allied health professions educating about the wider NHS careers opportunities and how the OfS is supporting growth in recruitment to these programmes.
Immigration salary threshold: Research Professional discuss how the proposed retention of the £30,000 salary threshold for skilled migrant visa will dissuade talented social science researchers from considering a career in the UK.
Unconditional offers: Unconditional offers continue to make headlines as UCAS confirm they will publish data highlighting which HE providers make significant levels of unconditional offers. The data will be shared when UCAS release the annual end-of-cycle data in January 2019. A spokesperson for UCAS stated: “Unconditional offers can be made for a variety of reasons… Universities may also need to provide necessary context of their figures when they are published for the first time.” Research Professional state that UCAS will publish an analysis of unconditional offers during November to explore the different types of offers and how they are made.
Tags: allied health professions artifical intelligence Brexit care leavers Civic Universities evaluating student outcomes flexible learning free speech gender pay gap grade inflation Graduate premium immigration mature students MEM modules parliamentary questions part time study post study work visas Recruitment regulation research subject level TEF Technological Innovation TEF transparency unconditional offers widening access widening participation
HE Policy update for the w/e 22nd June 2018
EU, Funding opportunities, innovation, international, nhs, policy, Student Engagement jforster
Another big week in policy land. We’ve big features on grade inflation and post-qualification admissions to get your brain buzzing.
Brexit news for EU citizens setting in the UK
This week the Government released further details on how EU citizens and their families could apply for settled status through the EU settlement scheme. The link also contains the draft immigration rules. The Government issued a news story on the settlement scheme, it sets out the 3 steps applicants will complete – prove identity, demonstrate they live in the UK, declare that they have no serious criminal convictions.
Key information on the scheme:
It is proposed that an application will cost £65 and £32.50 for a child under 16. For those who already have valid permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain documentation, they will be able to exchange it for settled status for free.
The Home Office will check the employment and benefit records held by government which will mean that, for many, their proof of residence will be automatic. Those who have not yet lived in the UK for five years will be granted pre-settled status and be able to apply for settled status once they reach the five-year point. From April 2019, this second application will be free of charge.
The new online application system will be accessible through phones, tablets, laptops and computers. The Government will provide support for the vulnerable and those without access to a computer, and continues to work with EU citizens’ representatives and embassies to ensure the system works for everyone.
The settlement scheme will open in a phased way from later this year and will be fully open by 30 March 2019. The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.
The Home Office will continue to engage with stakeholders, including employers, local authority representatives and community groups, about the detailed design of the scheme before the Rules are laid before Parliament.
Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes, said: “EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and to our society. They are our friends, family and colleagues and we want them to stay. This is an important step which will make it easy for EU citizens to get the status they need to continue working and living here. We are demonstrating real progress and I look forward to hearing more detail on how the EU will make reciprocal arrangements for UK nationals living in the EU.”
On Tuesday the Commons Science and Technology select committee debated an immigration system that works for science and innovation. The witnesses highlighted that flexibility and speed of application were essential and advocated for a frictionless reciprocal immigration system between the UK and the EU. Read the full text of the session here. Key points:
Science and Technology to be within the broader immigration system rather than separate special arrangements or a two tier system. A transition period may be necessary.
One witness argued for a reciprocal arrangement with EU scientists.
It was noted the EU are currently developing a directive allowing free movement within the EU of individuals on science visas from outside the EU.
Mobility for short stays is essential, e.g. conferences and discussion groups – these short stays should not require visas.
One witness noted the limited ability of small British companies that needed to bring in talent to grow. She raised that this successful navigation of the immigration system was essential and the needs of small business had to be considered within the general immigration system design.
The problems with using salary as a proxy for awarding tier 2 visas was discussed, particularly with the regional variability within the UK
One witness argued that research activity needed to be permitted in the indefinite leave to remain rules.
The limitations of the shortage occupations list were noted, i.e. retrospective analysis of data created a significant lag within the system and it wasn’t responsive enough. It was postulated that these problems would resolve if the cap was removed.
Parliamentary Questions – Immigration
Sam Gyimah responded to a parliamentary question on visa requirements for students of Indian nationality studying in the UK (full text here) stating there was no limit on the number of genuine international students who can come to the UK to study and
“we welcome the increase in study related visa applications from Indian students since last year and the fact that over 90% of Indian students who apply for a UK visa get one. This shows that international students continue to recognise the benefits of studying in the UK, and are responding to our excellent higher education offer.”
Commenting on student immigration, Alp Mehmet, Vice Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “Genuine students are, of course, welcome but this is a slippery slope. The last time that the student visa system was loosened in 2009 it took years to recover from the massive inflow of bogus students, especially from India. We cannot afford another episode like that.”
And there was a further question on immigration:
Q – Gordon Marsden: What additional criteria will be used to decide whether (a) India and (b) other additional countries will be eligible for inclusion in the low-risk Tier 4 visa category for overseas students.
A – Caroline Nokes: We have regular discussions with the Indian Government on a range of issues including on visas and UK immigration policy. Careful consideration is given to which countries could be added to Appendix H of the Immigration Rules, taking into account objective analysis of a range of factors including the volume of students from a country and their Tier 4 immigration compliance risk. The list of countries in Appendix H will be regularly updated to reflect the fact that countries’ risk profiles change over time.
There were three further questions on Indian students this week, all received the same response as above.
British Nationals Abroad – home fees?
Q – Paul Blomfield: whether UK nationals resident in the EU who fall within the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement will be treated as home students for the purpose of university fees after December 2020.
A – Sam Gyimah:
There are currently specific provisions in the rules that provide access to student support for persons who hold settled status in the UK, and who have left England to exercise a right of residence elsewhere in the Economic European Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
We have agreed with the EU that equal treatment principles will continue to apply for those covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. This means that UK nationals resident in the EU (and EU nationals resident in the UK) before the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020 will be eligible for support on a similar basis to domestic students in the relevant member state. It will be for member states to decide how they will implement the citizens’ rights deal in accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement. Entitlement to student finance and home fees status after 31 December 2020 for those outside the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement is under consideration.
Thursday’s headlines for the sector were all about grade inflation, the actual report is here. The biggest increases are shown on page 16 – Surrey, East Anglia, Dundee, University of West London, Imperial, Huddersfield, Greenwich, Southampton Solent, Wolverhampton and Aston. These charts showing the absolute highest and lowest proportion are interesting and do raise some questions about whether the call for benchmarks is partly driven by the juxtaposition of our oldest and some of our newer universities in this first group. The arguments about prestige (made in the context of a discussion about REF and TEF) in this HEPI paper by Paul Blackmore come to mind. “Although the basis on which graduates and employers make decisions is a complex one, some institutions clearly have more powerful signalling effects than others.”
Research Professional have another helpful summary with responses from Nicola Dandridge, Nick Hillman and others
Between 1997 and 2009, the proportion of “firsts” awarded increased from 7 to 13 per cent, and in the next seven years it doubled, reaching 26 per cent by 2017. The percentage of students being awarded a 2:1 has also risen from 40 to 49 per cent since 1995, meaning that the proportion of undergraduates awarded either a first or 2:1 has risen from 47 to 75 per cent in the last 22 years. There are now 40 institutions that award firsts to at least 30 per cent of their students. The report, A degree of uncertainty: An investigation into grade inflation in universities, says that one of the most likely explanations for the grade inflation is a lowering of degree standards by institutions. It states that some academics have reported pressure from senior managers to do so, and says that half of universities have recently changed the way that they calculate their students’ final grade so that the proportion of top grades they award keeps pace with other institutions”….
“Harriet Barnes, head of higher education and skills policy at the British Academy—which operates the Humanities and Social Sciences Learned Societies and Subject Associations Network—told HE it was “difficult to see how a national assessment would work without encouraging universities to standardise course content and assessment in some way”. “This would threaten academic diversity, limiting students’ opportunities to fully explore their discipline, and undermining teaching by academics who are leaders in a specialist area,” she said. “We also have concerns about the feasibility of learned societies setting national assessments. Not every discipline is represented by a single body, and many are run by volunteers without the capacity to set and monitor assessments.”
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, told HE that asking learned societies to design assessments was “an odd suggestion”, and that it was “surprising to see Reform recommending less autonomy for institutions” “I’ve long been interested in getting learned societies and others more involved in preparing course materials and helping shape courses,” he said, “but it would make most sense to do that for first-year students adapting to higher education rather than those specialising later on in their degree.”
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said in a statement that “if there is artificial grade inflation this is not in the interests of students, employers or the higher education sector”. She added that work was “currently under way by the OfS and other partners to assess the complex issues” tackled in the report.”
The BBC story is here.
With the counter arguments, Jim Dickinson writes on Wonkhe:
““Establishing causality is problematic, yet the correlational evidence suggests that when tuition fees rise, so does the proportion of top degree outcomes”. Maybe that big investment means they’re working harder. Maybe more students are working hard to achieve the standard. Maybe teaching has improved, and assessment has become more diverse. Maybe more students are taking resists. After all, “inflation itself must be driven by factors that directly translate into universities awarding higher marks”.
Trouble is, the report then goes on to look at all the other reasons that the sector has cooked up for the miracle. A pro-VC from UEA is mocked for citing improved entry qualifications, though without mentioning the student to staff ratio shift from 18:1 to 13:1 in the rest of his quote. Degree algorithm fiddling is cited, recycling a debunked quote. And without any reference to hard work or student support or assessment techniques, it then finds a handful of academics’ anecdotes to say they’ve been pressured to lower standards. Cue the A-levels chorus of “we worked harder and so did students” from the sector, falling on deaf ears in the press and the think tanks.”
There is an interesting comment in response on the Wonkhe article:
“Quick summary of previous responses, querying the assumption that grade inflation is necessarily bad.
1) If attainment gaps have closed (e.g. male/female gap, affluent/deprived student background gap, white/ethnic minority gap) by the under-achieving group catching up with the higher-achieving group, grade inflation is probably a positive thing.
2) If average marks awarded have risen (i.e. it is not just the case that the degree classification proportions have shifted), and if positive skew in the distribution has not been replaced with negative skew, this indicates that grade inflation is not the only potential explanation.
3) Even if grade inflation as conventionally understood has occurred, the cure could be worse than the disease. The cure could take the form of students undermining each other rather than working collaboratively, seeking to manipulate or complain against lecturers, students motivated by mark gain rather than a desire to learn (not the same thing), even higher levels of mental health anxiety than present.
4) In most subjects, students achieving first class degrees do not have better career outcomes than students with lower second class degrees. This suggests that employers do not rely on degree class as a signal and have developed effective recruiting mechanisms”
The sector wasn’t standing still on grade inflation before this week’s announcements. UUK were already tackling the issue:
The first element of this work responds to the specific request to clarify how the sector defines degree classifications. This work is on course to produce a reference document by September, and this will aid the transparency and consistency of approaches to degree classification and standards across the sector. The work is founded on the view that students should be assessed against clear criteria rather than setting quotas for the number of students who can achieve a 1st or 2.1. Quotas can demotivate students and devalue the level of knowledge gained over the course of their studies. The reference document is intended as a practical tool to aid academic practice and to improve understanding of the classification system, including among employers. The reference point will also be useful for new providers who gain degree awarding powers without prior validation by an existing degree body, and the established academic frameworks that come with this relationship. However, it will still be essential for universities to set and maintain their own academic standards, rather than simply marking against an off-the-shelf set of criteria.
This is also discussed on Wonkhe. “There is also a need for the sector to take meaningful and timely action to respond to stakeholder concerns on grade inflation, as other contributions to Wonkhe and elsewhere have suggested in recent days. UKSCQA will lead the coordination of a sector response on this issue.”
HEPI have published a guest blog – The hard truth about grade inflation – by Dr Andrew Hindmarsh, Head of Planning at the University of Nottingham, and he also oversees the preparation of data for the Complete University Guide. It busts a number of theories:
So-called grade inflation has been greatest at universities with low average tariff scores and least at those with high average tariff scores. One explanation for this could be that the average tariff score has increased more at universities where the average score was lower to start with. If those low tariff score universities had had entry standards that had been rising faster, then you might expect there to be an impact on the subsequent attainment of the students. See Graph 3 shows that this has not been the case. In fact, the average tariff score of universities in quartiles 1 to 3 have all gone down, while only those in quartile 4 (the highest) have gone up.
What about teaching quality – could that explain the pattern of changes? Could it be that the universities with the best teaching quality have seen outcomes improve the most? One possible measure of teaching quality is the TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) outcomes. …the hypothesis fails – it is the Bronze institutions which have seen the biggest changes in degree outcomes.
The questions on teaching in the NSS could be an alternative measure of teaching quality and this time there is a run of data so the change in NSS scores can be correlated with the changes in degree classification.However, once again the hypothesis fails: there is no correlation between the change in NSS scores on questions 1 to 4 between 2013 and 2016 and the change in degree classifications
So, what is going on? There are plenty of hypotheses left which our database cannot test. One change that has been happening is an increasing use of the full range of marks, particularly in Arts subjects. In the past, there was a tendency to avoid giving high marks with those above 80 in the Arts being very rare indeed. These high marks are much more common in the Sciences, particularly the numerical sciences, where it is possible to achieve maximum marks on mathematical problems. However, many universities are now actively encouraging all subjects to use the full range of marks with the result that, when an average mark is calculated, this is more likely to fall above a particular class boundary as the higher marks pull up the average. This hypothesis also explains why the proportion of first-class degrees has risen faster than the proportion of 1st/2:1s as you would expect more of the high marks to be obtained by students already at or close to a first-class standard. The conclusion must be that this is a complex subject and, while some explanations for changes in degree classifications can be ruled out, there are plenty more to be considered. The accusation that grade inflation is the cause needs to be justified with evidence rather than simply asserted as if it were a self-evident truth.
We’ll have to wait for the outcome of the OFS work referred to above to see what happens next.
Sam Gyimah gave a reassuring answer to a parliamentary question this week. It was focused on the TEF but if extrapolated into the context of the single national assessment recommended to tackle grade inflation it is reassuring to know the Government doesn’t anticipate going even further to observe ‘classrooms’.
Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Office for Students on the merits of observing teaching as an element for assessment in the teaching excellence framework.
Higher Education (HE) institutions, as independent and autonomous bodies, are responsible for the range and quality of the courses they deliver. Assessing the performance of an institution through observation would jeopardise the autonomy of the HE sector.
The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) uses a range of existing metrics related to teaching and learning to make an assessment of teaching excellence, alongside a submission of evidence from the providers themselves. The metrics used for the assessment are all well-established, widely used and trusted in the HE sector. The department consulted extensively on the metrics used in the TEF.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not discussed with the Office for Students, the observation of teachers as an additional element within the TEF.
Senior Pay Guidance
The OfS has now issued guidance on VC and senior pay. Universities are required to report and justify the VC’s total remuneration package and details of senior staff paid over £100,000. OfS will publish these details across the sector annually commencing in 2019. Nicola Dandridge commented: The Office for Students is today setting out our increased expectations around senior pay. Higher education providers will have to give us full details of the total pay package of their vice-chancellor. In addition, they will have to provide detailed justification of this package. As part of this, we will be looking at the ratio between the head of institution’s pay and the pay of the other staff at the institution. This will provide additional visibility and transparency – and enable us all to ask tough questions as necessary.
In response to the guidance UCU general secretary Sally Hunt noted of the OfS requirements: much of the information being called for is already available in universities’ accounts or through freedom of information (FOI) requests.
The guidance was well covered in the media this week: Times, Guardian, THE, Independent.
In the Independent article Michael Barber is reported as stating the OfS will look for salaries that ‘stick out like a sore thumb’… such as … “Like a modest size university, and you are regional and you are not playing globally, and your pay is the same as a top university competing in the global market for research.”
Political Crystal Ball
Dods (political monitoring consultants) have produced a series of short policy lookahead guides contemplating what is coming up politically in the following spheres over the next six months:
Science Tech and Digital
The Education Sector
Environment and Rural Affairs
The Post Qualifications Admissions – how it works across the world report was released on Tuesday comparing the UK’s HE admissions system with that of 29 other countries worldwide. The document critiques the UK’s system of offering a HE place before a student’s final grades are known, particularly noting the unreliability of provisional grades (only 1 in 6 accurately predicted).
The report calls for more than just post-qualification offer making. It outlines enhanced support for choices and decisions and a pre-results preparation week to aid social mobility (see page 17 onwards). The report does acknowledge the benefits of the current pre-qualifications admissions system: it aids students from under-represented backgrounds because they are often predicted higher grades than they achieve (page 5); changing to a post qualifications system would squeeze teaching as exams would need to move earlier in the year, it would also reduce the time HE providers have to consider applications and decide on whether to offer a student a place.
The report was commissioned by UCU and compiled by Dr Graeme Atherton (Director of social mobility organisation NEON). Given the author’s champion of disadvantage it’s interesting the report has received conflicting responses with no clear consensus of whether a change would support or further hinder underrepresented or disadvantaged groups in society.
UCAS responded to the report stating changing to a post qualifications admission system would force structural change to the school system and stating it would be harder for poorer pupils who would have to make decisions after they had finished their exams and left school. Clare Marchant (UCAS): “students from disadvantaged backgrounds would be less likely to have access to teachers and support in making application choices“.
Meanwhile The Sutton Trust argue that Atherton’s claim that under-represented students receive higher predicted grades is incorrect stating ‘high attaining disadvantaged students are more likely to have their grades under-predicted than their richer counterparts. This could result in them applying to universities which are less selective than their credentials would permit.’
UCU’s press release leads a further attack on unconditional offer making. Unconditional offers were previously seen as a supportive measure for social mobility, for example, for a young student within the care system who needed stability and security over their university destination prior to giving up their living accommodation. However, unconditional offers have increasingly received poor press over the last two years claiming students become lazy and don’t try so hard at exams once they have a guaranteed offer or that it pushes an able student towards a lower tariff university when their results would be accepted at a more prestigious institution. Concerns were also raised about unconditional offers last week at Buckingham’s Festival of HE.
The BBC has covered the report.
The report also highlights some of the challenges that the other systems face. One notable issue in some European countries is that almost automatic admission based on results plus low fees leads to huge dropout rates, e.g. in France. And if the focus is almost exclusively on grades it’s likely another subset of WP students will be disadvantaged. The report raises some questions but it would be interesting to do an analysis of other metrics such as completion and satisfaction, and WP indicators as well as graduate outcomes.
There are other issues with the current system that have been raised in recent times – e.g. concerns about the role of personal statements and the role of social capital. Given the author’s day job at the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON), there is a focus in the report on equity in the system.
The article below raises the question of conflict of interests – would such a system reduce or increase game playing in the competition for students? – note last week’s discussions in Buckingham about unconditional offers (which many commentators see as a “bad thing”).
Research Professional have a great article on the report. As the article notes there is unlikely to be a rush to review this given all the other government priorities. But as new A levels come in, raising uncertainty about grades this year, might there be more applicants choosing to use clearing to trade up or take a year to consider and apply afterwards. And whether over time this might therefore become more of a priority for review?
On Thursday there was a debate in the House of Commons on the Erasmus+ programme and discusses the future position of the UK with regard to the scheme post Brexit. The House of Commons Library have produced a briefing note on Erasmus+.
Some fun facts on Erasmus+ taken from the briefing:
The EU sees Erasmus+ programmes as a means of addressing socio-economic issues that Europe may face like unemployment and social cohesion.
10,944 students in higher education in the UK participated in the 2016 applications for study placements abroad through the Erasmus+ scheme.
In 2015-16, the most popular host countries were France (2,388), Spain (2,131), Germany (1,312), Netherlands (701), and Italy (687).The UK was the 7th highest participating country in the programme in 2015.
The total value of all Erasmus+ projects funded in the UK has increased in each year from €112million in the 2014 ‘call’ to €143million in 2017.
The Erasmus+ programme is run on run seven yearly cycles and the current cycle will end in 2020.
The UK Government has promised to underwrite funding that was due to continue after Brexit and UK citizens are currently encouraged to apply for funding under Erasmus+.
On 30 May 2018 the EU Commission announced that it is proposing that for the next cycle starting in 2021 any country in the world will be able to participate if they meet set requirements. It is unclear at present what the UK’s participation in Erasmus+ will be after Brexit but the announcement opens up the possibility of the UK’s continued involvement in the programme.
The Future of the Erasmus+ Scheme after 2020: House of Commons Debate
The Erasmus+ debate span a number of topics: social mobility, UUK’s Go International project, strategy for how students would continue exchanges with EU universities in the event of a Brexit no deal.
Sam Gyimah stated: he recognised that international exchanges were “important to students, giving them social mobility and widening their horizons, and it is valuable to our soft power.” And to clarify the Government’s position on the future participation of Erasmus+ post 2020 within the uncertainty of Brexit he committed that the Government would “discuss with the EU the options for future participation as a third country, as the Prime Minister has made clear, on the basis of a fair and ongoing contribution. So we have accepted that we will want the option to participate and we know we must pay into the programme, but obviously we want the contribution to be fair and we will have to negotiate the terms.” He reassured the House that the Government were “actively engaged in the discussions on the design of the programme and we have made the EU aware of our desire to participate in the programme, and there is a lot to welcome in the framework proposals.” On cost, he said the Government had noted “the proposal for the budget to be doubled, so we need to discuss our participation based on a sensible and hard-headed assessment of the UK’s priorities and the substantial benefit to the EU should the UK decided to participate.”
Read the full text of the debate here.
STEM skills
The Public Accounts Committee has been running an inquiry into Delivering STEM skills for the economy and published a report on Friday. STEM is recognised as essential to the future of UK industries and the Government has been running initiatives to improve STEM skills in the workforce including a substantial focus on STEM curriculum in schools. Although some initiatives to address STEM skills shortages have been successful there remain problems:
Women remain underrepresented in STEM courses and jobs – only 8% of STEM apprenticeship starts are undertaken by women.
In 2016 only 24% of those with STEM degrees were working in a STEM field six months after graduation.
The Government has focussed on schools to grow the next generation of skilled STEM workers. However, the report finds that the quality of careers advice in schools is patchy at best, perpetuating misconceptions about STEM careers. In addition, the way that schools are funded will restrict the likelihood of pupils moving to other, more STEM-focused learning providers, such as the new institutes of technology.
The Government is also unable to accurately assess the volume of the STEM skills shortage.
To make better informed decisions, [Government] departments also need to tackle the apparent lack of industry and commercial experience on their STEM boards and working groups.
Government departments spent almost £1 billion between 2007 and 2017 on initiatives to encourage more take-up of STEM subjects.
The Committee made 8 recommendations:
Following publication of the Migration Advisory Committee report in September 2018, BEIS and DfE should, within six months, set out the further steps they will take to ensure that STEM skills shortages are addressed.
DfE should set out what specific steps it will take to ensure that Skills Advisory Panels are sufficiently aware of national and global skills supply issues to be fully effective.
By summer 2018, the departments should review the membership of all STEM boards and working groups, and address any shortfalls in expertise—for example, in industry knowledge or experience in STEM learning and work.
DfE must identify as soon as possible whether financial incentives for teacher training have delivered value for money, and report its findings to the Committee as promised (i.e. have the teachers remained in the profession).
By the end of 2018, the departments should establish, and start to monitor progress against, specific targets relating to the involvement of girls and women in key STEM learning programmes such as apprenticeships.
DfE should make better use of data on career destinations and salaries to incentivise young people to work towards careers in particular STEM sectors where there is higher need. As part of its plans to improve the quality of careers advice, DfE should work with Ofsted to consider rating the quality of advice provided in schools.
As a matter of urgency, DfE needs to develop a clearer plan for how new types of learning institution, such as the institutes of technology, will attract the numbers of students they need to be viable.
DfE should ensure it has effective monitoring systems in place to quickly identify apprenticeship programmes that are not fit-for-purpose, along with poor quality provision, and the action it will take in each case
Meg Hillier MP chaired the inquiry, she commented:
“Warm words about the economic benefits of STEM skills are worth little if they are not supported by a coherent plan to deliver them. Government must take a strategic view, properly informed by the requirements of industry and the anticipated impact of Brexit on the UK’s skills mix.
But Government also needs to sharpen its focus on the details, from providing sound advice to pupils through to ensuring schools have the right skills in the classroom and STEM-focused institutions are properly supported. Poor-quality apprenticeships must be weeded out and there is still much work required to address the striking gender imbalance in STEM apprenticeships.”
Read the Committee’s press release: Sharper focus needed on skills crucial to UK productivity
STEM Parliamentary Questions
Q – Robert Halfon: what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of students with a qualification in Design and Technology GCSE to filling the skills gap in engineering.
A – Nick Gibb:
The design and technology (D&T) GCSE is a useful qualification for those pupils considering a career in engineering. The Department has reformed the D&T GCSE to ensure that it is a valuable qualification and includes the knowledge and skills sought by leading employers. Content has been aligned with high-tech industry practice with strengthened technical, mathematical and scientific knowledge.
Q – Robert Halfon: what information he holds on the reasons for the decline in the number of entries to Design and Technology GCSE since 2010
Design and Technology GCSE entries have declined since before 2010. In 2016/17 over 150,000 pupils in England entered a Design and Technology (D&T) GCSE at the end of Key Stage 4, which is over 25% of all pupils (data source).
Subject experts identified a number of issues with the previous suite of D&T GCSEs. They advised that the GCSEs were out of date, did not reflect current industry practice, and lacked sufficient science, technology, engineering and mathematics content. These issues could have had an effect on take up. One issue was that there were six separate GCSEs focusing on different materials (such as resistant materials and textiles) or particular aspects of D&T (such as product design and systems and control). These did not allow pupils to gain a broad knowledge of the design process, materials, techniques and equipment that are core to the subject. The Department has reformed the D&T GCSE to address these issues. There is now just one GCSE title which emphasises the iterative design processes that is at the core of contemporary practice and includes more about cutting edge technology and processes. The new GCSE now effectively provides pupils with the knowledge they need to progress to further study and careers, including in high-tech industries.
Q – Robert Halfon: what steps he is taking to revise the national curriculum to ensure that students are prepared for T-levels.
T-levels will provide students with knowledge and the technical, practical skills needed to get a skilled job. They will also allow students to progress into higher levels of technical training including degree courses in subjects relevant to their T-level.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced in April that he would make no changes to the National Curriculum within the lifetime of this Parliament; and there should be no need to do so to prepare pupils for T-levels. All state schools are required to teach broad and balanced curricula that will provide young people with the skills and knowledge they need to undertake post-16 education and training; and the design of T-levels will take into account the knowledge and skills that pupils obtain through the current National Curriculum and reformed GCSEs.
The DfE has published the research report: TEF and informing student choice: Subject-level classifications, and teaching quality and student outcome factors. The report notes that TEF was introduced to measure teaching quality and student outcomes to drive up teaching quality within the HE sector and inform prospective students so they can make more informed choices when choosing a HE institution. The research behind the report consider the methodology behind how subject level TEF could be delivered and gathered applicant and student views on what was important to them. The report will help inform the next iteration of the TEF.
Here are the key conclusions:
For subject level TEF CAH2 was preferred due to its accuracy for making subject-level classifications, and is considered most sufficient for providing information to help applicants choose where to study. (See here from bottom of page 39 to understand CAH2.) It was recognised some the CAH2 categories needed rewording, particularly subjects allied to medicine which needs more in-depth consideration. The Broad (7 subject) classification system was not helpful to applicants.
The study also highlights a number of teaching quality and student outcome factors that could be considered when further developing subject-level TEF. It’s important to consider teaching quality factors that have a short term impact on student satisfaction whilst at University with those having a longer term impact (such as graduate outcomes). There were a handful of factors that were low on the analyses and potentially, from a student perspective, could be deprioritised from subject-level TEF development. This includes teaching staff contracts, class sizes and the academic qualifications of teachers.
The research looked at the awareness and influence of the TEF awards on students currently or about to start at a HE institution.
2/5 (two-fifths) of 2018/19 applicants were aware of what TEF refers to;
1/8 had used the TEF to inform their choice of institution, or intended to do so.
1/4 were aware of the TEF award given to their first-choice institution.
The research stated that as TEF becomes more embedded, we would expect applicant and student awareness and usage of TEF to grow over time, and the results from this research will form the baseline against which future awareness and student engagement can be measured.
The research concluded:
The study demonstrates that applicants and students would value the introduction of subject-level TEF ratings. Around three-quarters of all applicants and students (68 -78%) reported that they would find subject-level TEF awards useful while only a tiny minority (3-5%) suggested it was of no use. Applicants that were aware of the provider-level TEF and its purpose were also more likely to consider subject level TEF to be useful.
Some parliamentary questions from this week relevant to the TEF:
Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Office for Students on the adequacy of the metrics for the Teaching Excellence Framework.
To enable students to make the best decisions about their future, it is important that they have consistent independent information about the courses they are considering. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) metrics focus on what matters to students: teaching quality, the learning experience, and student outcomes. The development of subject-level TEF will give students more information than ever before. The department has worked collaboratively with the Office for Students (OfS), and the Higher Education Funding Council for England before that, throughout the development of the TEF.
The metrics used for TEF assessments are all well-established, widely used and trusted in the HE sector. We consulted the sector extensively on the design of TEF, including the metrics to be used, in 2016. We have recently concluded a consultation on subject-level TEF and the OfS has completed the first year of the pilot of subject-level TEF. Findings from those exercises, including on the operation of the metrics, will be shared between the department and OfS and will inform the further development of the TEF.
Q – Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of efficacy of untrained PhD students being employed by universities to teach undergraduates.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects and publishes data on the teaching qualifications of academic staff, but this does not enable an assessment of the efficacy of those staff or any PhD students that are teaching in universities. The Higher Education and Research Act enshrines the principle that higher education institutions are autonomous organisations with freedom to select, appoint, or dismiss academic staff without interference from government. However, the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) recognises and rewards excellent teaching in higher education. The Teaching Quality measure within the TEF core metrics uses data from the National Student Survey, including student views of the teaching on their courses. In addition, the new Office for Students published its regulatory framework in February of this year. This includes a condition that all registered higher education institutions must deliver well designed courses that provide a high quality academic experience for all students – and that providers should have sufficient appropriately qualified and skilled staff to deliver that high quality academic experience.
Science and Innovation Investment
On Thursday Greg Clark (Secretary of State, BEIS) highlighted new investment in UK talent and skills to grow and attract the best in science and innovation. Key points:
£1.3 billion boost to attract and retain world-class talent and guarantee the UK’s position at the forefront of innovation and discovery through the modern Industrial Strategy
Prestigious £900 million UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship Scheme – open to best researchers from around the world the investment will fund at least 550 new fellowships for the brightest and best from academia and business
The inaugural UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Scheme will receive £900 million over the next 11 years, with 6 funding competitions and at least 550 fellowships awarded over the next 3 years. The investment will provide up to 7 years of funding for early-career researchers and innovators, including support for part-time awards and career-breaks, providing flexibility to researchers to tackle ambitious and challenging areas. For the first time ever, this type of scheme will now be open to businesses as well as universities. The scheme aims to help the next generation of tech entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators get the support they need to develop their careers. It is open to best researchers from around the world, ensuring the UK continues to attract the most exceptional talent wherever they may come from.
Complementing the Future Leaders Fellowship Scheme, the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy, and Academy of Medical Sciences will collectively receive £350 million for the prestigious fellowships schemes. This funding will enhance the research talent pipeline and increase the number of fellowships on offer for high skilled researchers and innovators.
Over the next 5 years, £50 million has been allocated through the National Productivity Investment Fund for additional PhDs, including 100 PhDs to support research into AI, supporting one of the Grand Challenges within the Industrial Strategy and ensuring Britain is at the forefront of the AI revolution.
There was a Parliamentary Question about UKRI this week.
Q – Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fulfils its mission to push the frontiers of human knowledge and understanding by appointing active research scientists to the UKRI Board.
A – Sam Gyimah: In line with the Higher Education and Research Act (2017), the Government has appointed UKRI Board members with experience across research, innovation and development, and on commercial and financial matters. This enables the UKRI Board to support and hold the organisation to account, ensuring it delivers effectively, rather than to supply discipline-specific expertise. That expertise is provided by the councils, who are uniquely positioned to understand the latest challenges and opportunities in their specific field, and they include a range of experts, including active researchers.
New LEO data
The DfE have issued the Graduate outcomes (LEO): subject by provider, 2015 to 2016, and have also published employment and earnings outcomes of graduates for each higher education provider broken down by subject studied and gender. The longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) data includes information from the Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs. The release uses LEO data to look at employment and earnings outcomes of higher education first degree graduates 1, 3, and 5 years after graduation in the tax years 2014 to 2015 and 2015 to 2016.
Main Document: Graduate Outcomes (LEO): Subject by Provider, 2015 to 2016
Full data release: Official Statistics, Graduate outcomes (LEO): subject by provider, 2015 to 2016
New consultations and inquiries this week:
Gender stereotypes in advertising
Growth in creative industries
Home Office immigration charges
Resignation: The Trade Minister, Greg Hands, resigned this week in protest at the Heathrow expansion. George Hollingbery has been appointed. Previously George was Theresa May’s Parliamentary Private Secretary.
Environment: Research Professional report on the Plastics Pollution Research fund. And there is a parliamentary question on the Environment Plan.
Q – Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to involve scientists, economists and environmentalists in developing a set of metrics to measure the progress of the 25 Year Environment Plan; and when those metrics will be published.
A – Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We have engaged with scientists, economists and environmentalists from a number of external organisations since January to inform the development of a comprehensive suite of metrics and indicators.We will engage further with interested parties over the summer to canvas views on what this suite of indicators and metrics ought to cover. This will be achieved through a combination of publicly available briefing papers and targeted technical meetings with individual organisations and small groups of interested parties. The package of metrics we propose will then be subject to a further period of formal consultation in order to ensure we get this important measure absolutely right.
HE Sector Finances: The House of Commons Library has released information on HE Finance Statistics. It considers how the balance and make-up of university income and expenditure has changed over time, particularly since 2012. Summary from Dods: After many years of increased income, expenditure, more staff and students, the higher education sector in England especially faces on ongoing fall in income from the public sector, falling numbers of some types of students, particularly those studying part-time and much less certainty about the future make-up and nature of the sector as a whole. This has meant that the future public/private funding mix, size and role of the sector are the focus of more attention than at any time in the recent past. This note gives a short factual background on changes in income, expenditure and staffing since the sector took its present form in the mid-1990s. It also gives some information on variations between institutions. It includes data on all Higher Education Institutions in the UK.
Social Impact of Sport: The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee held an evidence session on the social impact of participation in culture and sport this week. The witnesses stated that sports, arts, and cultural provision yielded significant social benefits, including educational and health benefits. However, it was noted that data collection and analysis needed to improve to fully demonstrate this. There was discussion that good programmes were underway but best practice needed to be shared more effectively and communication of what was available needed to improve. It was felt that the Government should link up the various programmes underway and communicate the holistic benefits of sporting and cultural interventions. Contact Sarah for a fuller summary.
Tags: admissions Brexit erasmus grade inflation Graduate Outcomes immigration innovation investments LEO skills STEM subject level TEF teaching excellence framework TEF UKRI
HE policy update for the w/e 15th June 2018
Centre for Excellence in Learning, EU, Events, international, policy, Student Engagement jforster
A busy week for publications this week, while the government have been busy with Brexit votes and there is a positive story about immigration rules.
The Economics of HE
Commons Public Accounts Committee – The Commons public accounts committee published its report on the higher education market on Friday. After some interesting evidence sessions, Research Professional report that the outcome is disappointing:
“Rather than providing an analysis of the problem and proposed solutions as we saw in the Lords economic affairs committee’s report [see below], the PAC report takes the form of an exam question and moves rapidly—after two pages—to conclusions and recommendations. The recommendations mostly involve asking the Department for Education to return to the committee.
Those who work in universities will be familiar with complaints from students about the lack of detailed feedback they receive after going to all the effort of submitting a considered piece of work. The PAC might want to reflect on whether this report is an adequate response given the public concern over whether the fees and loans system is fair on students….
It’s all a bit vague, which is terribly disappointing given the very good evidence the committee received in this area. The recommendation is formulaic and is drawn in a broad way that lets the department off the hook. It will be quite easy to provide evidence of how the department is putting pressure on universities.”
The conclusions and recommendations are here. No new news – please define the market, set up an evaluation framework for careers (a CEF?), evidence of success in WP and put pressure on providers, guidance to help students to change institution and a performance framework for the OfS (OfSEF?).
The Department treats the higher education sector as a market, but it is not a market that is working in the interests of students or taxpayers. There is greater competition for students between higher education providers, but no evidence that this will improve the quality of the education they provide. Higher education providers have increased their marketing budgets in order to attract students rather than compete by charging different tuition fees. However, the amount of funding for higher education (primarily via tuition fees) has increased by 50% since 2007/08. It is therefore critical that the higher education market is delivering value for money, both for individual students and the taxpayer. The new sector regulator, the OfS, has a primary objective that students “receive value for money”. But neither the OfS nor the Department has articulated well enough what value for money means in higher education, or how they will seek to monitor and improve it.
Recommendation: The Department should write to the committee by October 2018 to explain what it expects a successful higher education market to look like.
Young people are not being properly supported in making decisions on higher education, due in large part to insufficient and inconsistent careers advice. The substantial financial commitment required and wide variation in outcomes from higher education mean prospective students need high-quality advice and support to make decisions that are right for them. The complexity of the market and the volume of information available makes it difficult for prospective students, most of whom are teenagers, to assess the quality and suitability of higher education institutions, raising questions over whether student choice alone will drive up the quality of provision. A wide range of other factors influence students’ decisions, such as marketing by higher education providers, the reputation of institutions and their perceived prestige, a student’s family background, as well as the location and costs of travel and accommodation. High-quality, impartial careers advice is critically important, but the support available to students in schools is not good enough. The Department acknowledged that it needs to improve the quality of careers advice for young people. It told us that its Careers Strategy, published in December 2017, will have a “real impact” on young people’s lives and help students make choices which best fit their own aptitude, skills and preferences, but it is not clear how or whether the department will ensure high quality careers advice at school level. It is too early to judge its success, but action is needed quickly and the strategy should be robustly evaluated to ensure it is achieving its aims.
Recommendation: The Department should write to the Committee by October 2018 with details of progress it has made with its careers strategy and the impact it is having. It should set up an evaluation framework to enable it to assess progress.
The Department does not have enough of a grip on actions to widen participation in higher education, and is over-reliant on the actions of some universities. The Department’s reforms are designed in part to ensure equal access to higher education, regardless of a student’s background. However, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are still far less likely to enter into higher education than those from more advantaged backgrounds. There have also been substantial drops in part-time and lifelong learning, which are critical to social mobility. The Department told us that it has introduced a Social Mobility Action Plan to address inequalities across the education system, and one of the roles of the OfS will be to ensure best practice in reaching out to students from disadvantaged background is being applied across the higher education sector. However, we are concerned that the incentives in the higher education market do not sufficiently support widening participation. Outreach activities are primarily conducted by universities and while there are areas of good practice, some universities who find it easy to recruit students are not pulling their weight. The OfS told us that each higher education provider will set targets for widening participation and improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups, and it will oversee these Access and Participation Plans, which will be a condition of registration. But it remains to be seen whether the plans to improve performance will have an impact on the life chances for disadvantaged groups.
Recommendation: The Department should provide us with evidence of how it is widening participation and opening higher education to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Department should demonstrate how they will maintain pressure on providers to measure success.
Students have limited means of redress if they are unhappy with the quality of their course, even if they drop out. The relationship between students and higher education institutions has changed substantially since tuition fees were introduced, with a much greater emphasis on whether a course or institution offers value for money. An effective market requires empowered consumers who can switch provider if they are dissatisfied, but this is not the case in the higher education market. Across the sector, only 2% of students transfer provider each year, and students are more likely to drop-out altogether if they are dissatisfied with their course rather than switch provider. When students do switch providers or drop out, they are unlikely to get any of their fees back unless they can demonstrate that they were misled in some way. The OfS will require universities to demonstrate what arrangements they have in place for facilitating transfers, and it will have a responsibility to make sure there is better use of transfers where appropriate. However, given the relative weakness of students as consumers, it is vital that the OfS uses its full powers actively, and works effectively with other regulators, such as the Advertising Standards Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority, to ensure the market functions in the interests of students.
Recommendation: In developing the new regulatory framework, the Department and OfS must ensure students’ interests are protected. The OfS should include clear guidelines to enable students to shift courses or institutions more easily.
The new Office for Students has not yet articulated how it will support the varied and complex interests of students. It told us that, as the sector regulator, its role is to regulate universities and colleges “on behalf of students”. However, it is clear that these interests are varied, complex and often competing. The OfS told us that it has established a student panel, although it has chosen not to work with the National Union of Students, to inform how it makes decisions and to ensure that its definition of the student interest is defined by students themselves. It also told us that it plans to develop a student engagement strategy to clarify what the interests of students are so that it can feed these into its regulatory framework, which would include quality of teaching, feedback and graduate outcomes as key areas of focus. But until the OfS has sufficient clarity over what it is trying to achieve in the interests of students, it will not be able to effectively monitor and evaluate the success of its regulatory approach.
Recommendation: The Office for Students should report back in six months to set out in detail how it will measure and report on its performance in regulating for students, and be clear about what its priorities are in protecting student interests.
The summary of the summary is this bit: “We spoke to the Office for Students at its inception and hope that it will set a clear marker that it really is acting in the interests of students from day one. It is still unclear how it will gauge the real concerns of students and ensure that institutions are delivering and sanctioned when they let students down.”
House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee – The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the Economics of higher, further and technical education inquiry has reported. They find that the system of post-school education in England is unbalanced with too much emphasis on full time university degrees, and as a result offers poor value for money to individuals, taxpayers and the economy – and they stress the need for immediate reform. As an official Committee the Government are expected to take note of, and respond to, the report – although it’s not binding on the Government. The current HE Review will certainly include these findings within its deliberations. There is a short summary pamphlet issued by the Committee here.
The report notes that undergraduate HE studies dominate post-school choices. They attribute this to the HE Finance system making it an easy option, alongside the lack of alternative viable, consistent and quality alternatives. The report notes this is not in the country’s best interest.
The key recommendations are:
Other post-school options need more funding – Funding for post-school education is too heavily skewed towards degrees. Public funding across all forms and institutions in higher and further education should be better distributed. There should be a single regulator for all higher education (Level 4 and above – the Office for Students is noted) and a single regulator for other post-school education (Level 3 and below).
Reversing the decline of part-time and flexible learning – The decline in part-time learning in higher education is a result of restrictions around accessing loans for students who already have a degree, the increase in tuition fees in 2012 and the lack of maintenance support for part-time students (which will be available from 2018/19). Funding restrictions have also led to a decline in part-time study in further education. A credit-based system whereby people can learn in a more modular way and at their own pace should be introduced.
Apprenticeships – The Government’s target of three million apprenticeships has prioritised quantity over quality, and should be scrapped. The Government must renew its vision for apprenticeships, concentrating on the skills and choices that employers and individuals really need. The Institute for Apprenticeships should be abolished and replaced with a new regulator for Level 3 and below qualifications, and the Office for Students should take responsibility for those at Level 4 and above.
Reforms to student loans and widening maintenance support – The Government claims the high level of interest charged on student loans makes the system progressive, but it is middle-earning graduates who end up paying back most in real terms. The interest rate should be reduced to the 10-year gilt rate, currently 1.5 per cent, from the current rate of RPI plus 3 per cent.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, said:
“The way we expect students to access higher and further education is deeply unfair. We must create a single system, including apprenticeships, that offers more choice and better value for money.
Maintenance support should be available for all students studying at Level 4 and above. The means-tested system of loans and grants that existed before 2016 should be re-instated, and total support increased to reflect the true cost of living.
We recommend that the interest rate charged on post-2012 student loans should be reduced to the level of the ten-year gilt rate. This would mean reducing the interest rate from around about 6 per cent today, to 1.5 per cent. No student should incur interest while studying.”
The report also noted:
The statistical claims made by the Government about the relationship between higher education and economic growth are oversimplified. Whatever relationship may or may not have existed in the past, the assumption that sending increasing numbers of today’s young people to university to study undergraduate degrees is the best option for individuals and the economy is questionable. The evidence suggests that there is a mismatch between the qualifications and skills provided by the higher education system and the needs of the labour market. A substantial proportion of current graduates may have been better off pursuing other higher education qualifications in areas where there are skills shortages.
The aim of the 2012 reforms to create an effective market amongst universities has not been achieved, as evidenced by the lack of price competition. We have seen little evidence to suggest that the higher education sector is suitable or amenable to market regulation. We are concerned that the replacement of nearly all grant funding by tuition fees, coupled with the removal of the cap on student numbers, has incentivised universities to attract prospective students onto full-time undergraduate degrees. This may also explain the striking increase in grade inflation.
The combination of incentives to offer and study for undergraduate degrees has had a negative effect on the provision and demand for other types of higher education.
The Teaching Excellence Framework will not impose sufficient discipline on the sector to ensure the quality of the ever-increasing provision of undergraduate degrees. The framework is based on metrics which are too general to relay much information about the quality of an institution or course and are too dependent on unreliable surveys. Risk is borne almost entirely by students and taxpayers rather than the institutions.
With this in mind, there was a parliamentary question on TEF this week:
Q – Gordon Marsden: T what external organisations he plans to consult to take forward his Department’s commitment to appoint an independent reviewer of the teaching excellence framework and its criteria of operation.
A – Sam Gyimah: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will appoint a suitable independent person for the purpose of preparing a report on the operation of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF), in accordance with the Higher Education and Reform Act 2017. In taking decisions about the TEF, he will take account of advice from partners in the higher education sector. That includes the department’s TEF Delivery Group, which is comprised of representative organisations from the sector plus the Office for Students and the devolved administrations, and gives advice on the design and development of the TEF.
Wonkhe have an analysis of TEF year 3 grade inflation data:
“Every institution where data is presented showed evidence of grade inflation [Ed: or just improvement in outcomes?] when comparing the most recent year of first class awards with the supplied historical comparator, in some cases up to a 20 percentage point difference. Most institutions also showed a steady increase over the most recent three years, all of which were substantially above the earlier figure.
Every institution showed a rise in the number of first class degrees, and a fall in the number of 2:2, third class or other honours degrees.
What doesn’t the data tell us? Resits, basically. We don’t know to what extent degree candidates are simply not accepting lower awards, and instead choosing to resit elements of their course to achieve a higher award. We also do not know to what extent institutions are encouraging this – in light of the continued idiocy of certain parts of the rankings industry in including “percentage of first class degrees” in league tables, or in the light of student care (and a weather eye on DLHE metrics).
The simple proportions are also less reliable for smaller institutions, where you would expect to see a greater fluctuation year on year and cohort by cohort. And we don’t (yet – this may come in future years when the data is derived centrally from HESA) get any splits – of particular interest here would be prior qualifications, but we already know that various student attributes are a good predictor of final grade.”
And the BBC has cut last week’s IFS data and has an interactive tool – adding “But remember, there’s more to life than money…” and the all-important qualifier: “Earnings for different professions may vary over time. The figures are based on students graduating between 2008 and 2012.” Read last week’s policy update for some critical perspectives on the relevance of this data for current applicants. Past performance is not really a guide to future performance – and some graduates may end up doing a different job to the rest of the cohort….
There were two Parliamentary questions about research funding, one in the context of Brexit
Q – Kemi Badenoch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the maintenance of funding for (a) universities and (b) research projects after the UK ceases to receive European Research Council funding.
The UK is eligible to fully participate in all aspects of the Horizon 2020 programme, including the European Research Council (ERC) while we remain a member of the EU. The Joint Report, reflected in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, envisages that UK entities’ right to participate will remain unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU for the duration of the programme and the lifetime of projects funded under Horizon 2020.
If necessary, the Government’s underwrite remains in place. This guarantees the funding for UK participants in projects ongoing at the point of exit, as well as any successful bids submitted before the UK leaves the EU.
As part of our future partnership with the EU, the UK will look to establish a far reaching science and innovation pact. The UK would like the option to fully associate to the excellence-based European research and innovation programmes, including Horizon Europe, the successor to Horizon 2020. The UK intends to play a full and constructive role in shaping these proposals and we look forward to discussing the detail of any future UK participation with the Commission.
Q – Rebecca Long Bailey: When the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy plans to publish a roadmap for meeting his target of increasing investment in R&D to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.
A – Sam Gyimah: Since the publication of the Industrial Strategy, we have been speaking to businesses, academics and other stakeholders to develop the roadmap. Through this engagement we are exploring the barriers to increased R&D investment by business, the greatest opportunities for R&D growth over the next decade, and the key policies Government should prioritise to reach the 2.4% goal and deliver economic and societal impact.
Immigration & International Students
EU Students – This week both Layla Moran (Lb Dem Education Spokesperson) and Universities UK have been pressurising the Government to clarify the fee status of EU students for the 2019/20 academic year, warning of a further drop in EU numbers. The Scottish Government confirmed the fee status for EU students in February this year.
Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “Students from across the EU, who bring great economic and academic value, are already enquiring about 2019 study, but face uncertainty on the expected financial costs of doing so. We know from research that the majority of international students start their research about studying abroad more than 12 months in advance of actual enrolment…there is now an urgent need for clarification to be provided across all parts of the UK. It is critical that action is taken to prevent a drop in EU applications next year.”
Non-EU Doctors and Nurses – Immigration Relaxation – The Government have announced a relaxation on the Tier 2 visa cap which currently limits immigration of non-EU skilled workers to 20,700 per year (see Politics Home) to ensure that non-EU doctors and nurses will be outside of the cap.
The Telegraph reported that a much wider review is expected: “businesses and employers will be able to recruit an extra 8,000 skilled migrants a year from other professions including IT experts, engineers and teachers, effectively increasing the cap by 40 per cent.”
Changes to the immigration rules were announced on Friday that come into force on 6th July that do not seem to go that far:
increasing the number of countries that benefit from a streamlined Tier 4 student visa application process – 11 additional countries including China have been added
leave to remain for children under the Dubs amendment – including study and healthcare for children who do not qualify for refugee or humanitarian protection leave
changes applying to Afghan interpreters and their families that were announced recently
the change relating to non-EU doctors and nurses who will no longer be in the Tier 2 visa numbers cap
including fashion designers and TV and film professionals in the exceptional talent visa
Opposition to Theresa May’s immigration policies, including whether international students should be included in the overall net immigration target, has been widely reported in the press over the last couple of years, including a lack of support for the current approach from Cabinet members. The change in relation to the NHS may be the start of something bigger. The promised Immigration White Paper was postponed due to the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) investigations into workers within the UK labour market and the impact of international/EU students (due to report in September). Meanwhile there have been pressing calls from the sector (notably from HEPI following the publication of their research into benefits of international students) for the MAC Committee to report ahead of September.
The Immigration White Paper is now rumoured to be scheduled for release in July, to allow for consultation prior to the European Council leaders’ summit on the 18 and 19 October (the target date to agree a withdrawal treaty). The Immigration Bill is expected to be presented to Parliament before 2019.
‘Start up’ Visas – The Home Secretary has announced that people who want to start a business in the UK will be able to apply for a new “start-up” visa from Spring 2019. This is aimed to widen the applicant pool of talented entrepreneurs and make the visa process faster and smoother for entrepreneurs coming to the UK. It will replace the previous visa for graduates, opening it up to a wider pool of talented business founders. It will require applicants to have acquired an endorsement from a university or approved business sponsor, including accelerators.
The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, said:
“The UK can be proud that we are a leading nation when it comes to tech and innovation, but we want to do more to attract businesses to the UK and our migration system plays a key part in that.
That’s why I am pleased to announce a new visa for people wanting to start a business in the UK. This will help to ensure we continue to attract the best global talent and maintain the UK’s position as a world-leading destination for innovation and entrepreneurs.
This initiative builds on other recent reforms to the visa system – including doubling the number of visas available on the Exceptional Talent route to 2,000 per year – and shows the government’s commitment to making the UK a dynamic, open, globally-trading nation.”
International Students – During an American Senate hearing the US confirmed they will limit the study visa of Chinese students studying in ‘sensitive’ fields (robotics, aviation, high-tech manufacturing) to a one year duration with an option to renew and extend study into subsequent years after consideration. The hearing, Student Visa Integrity: Protecting Educational Opportunity and National Security, (originally titled ‘A Thousand Talents: China’s Campaign to Infiltrate and Exploit US Academia’). A spokesperson from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated the policy decision was not driven by race or ethnicity but by the need to safeguard American Intellectual Property in the face of “the fact that China has a publicly-stated policy goal of acquiring sensitive information in technology around the world …that they seek access and recruit global experts regardless of their nationality to meet their science and technology aims.” In opposition to the visa limitations testimony was given on the value of international students at the hearing. What is most interesting is the difference in attitude between the US and UK in the consideration of the benefits of an international student population that the hearing revealed.
In the UK international students are welcomed for the diversity they bring, the further invigoration and internationalisation of the curriculum, the income boost through tuition fees, the levels of postgraduate students, and the significant economic ‘side effects’ benefiting the geographical community (see HEPI). There is also an assumption that (due to the visa system) most international students will return home, having originally chosen to study here to enhance their own international career standing or bring fresh skills back to their own community (a personal motivation).
Yet the opinion expressed in the American Senate hearing was that the international students should be contributing to American society (and paying for the privilege of doing so): “Most students and visiting scholars come to US for legitimate reasons. They are here to… contribute their talents to [the US].” Senator Cornyn (Chair of the hearing). Most likely American academia would have alternative viewpoints to Senator Cornyn on the valuing of international students. Also this appears to be a niche policy decision to infuse intellectual property security concerns into the visa approval process rather than a blanket policy.
Britain and America are two of the major world players in attracting international students and both now have elements of unwelcome emanating through policy decision. It’s notable that Chinese student numbers are the biggest international group to access UK universities; in 2015/16 1 in 4 international originated from China..
There were several parliamentary questions within the widening participation sphere this week.
Part Time Students – Q – Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to higher education funding on student numbers at the Open University in each year since 2011.
The government recognises the decline in part-time study within the sector, and is aware of the impact this has had on the Open University. That’s why the government is committed to supporting part time students and since 2012, it has paid the tuition fees of students studying on part-time courses up-front through a system of subsidised fee loans.
In addition, new part-time students attending degree level courses from August 2018 onwards will, for the first time, be able to apply for up-front loans to help them with their living costs. Subject to the development of a robust control regime, these loans will be extended to students on distance learning courses from August 2019.
The government continues, through the Office for Students (previously Higher Education Funding Council for England), to provide direct grant funding to support successful outcomes for part-time students. This was worth £72 million in the current academic year (2017/18), and the Open University received a sizeable amount of this funding.
This funding reflects the particular costs associated with recruiting and retaining part-time students and includes funds to support successful outcomes for part-time students. The Open University received £48 million to support teaching activity in 2017/18.
Effective Deployment of WP – Q – David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the widening participation funding is deployed effectively. And Q – David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds attending university.
The following response covered both questions: A – Sam Gyimah:
Widening participation in higher education remains a priority for this government. We want everyone with the potential to have the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of background or where they grew up.
University application rates for 18 year olds to full-time study remain at record levels. The proportion of disadvantaged 18 year olds entering full time higher education has increased from 13.6 per cent in 2009 to 20.4 per cent in 2017. Building on this our major review of post-18 education and funding will consider how disadvantaged students receive maintenance support both from government and from universities and colleges and how we can ensure they have equal opportunities to progress and succeed in all forms of post-18 education.
We have set up the Office for Students (OfS) with powers to drive forward improvements in access and participation and we have asked the OfS to do more to maximise the impact of spending in this area. In their business plan the OfS plans to evaluate the return on investment on access and participation. We have also asked the OfS to set up an Evidence and Impact Exchange to improve the impact and value for money of providers’ access and participation expenditure.
In addition, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, we have introduced the Transparency Duty requiring registered higher education providers to publish data on application, offer, acceptance, dropout and attainment rates of students by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background. This will hold the sector to account for their record on access and retention of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and shine a light on where they need to go further
Targeted Outreach – Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with (a) the Director for Fair Access and Participation and (b) the Office for Students on strengthening university programmes aimed at potential applicants between the ages of 11 and 16 from disadvantaged black, working-class white and other communities. And Q – Gordon Marsden: what discussions he has had with universities and their representative bodies on extending their outreach activities for disadvantaged groups of young people between the ages of 11 and 16.
In our first guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) we have asked them to challenge higher education (HE) providers to drive more progress through their Access and Participation Plans. Prior attainment is a critical factor in entering higher education and we are asking providers to take on a more direct role in raising attainment in schools as part of their outreach activity. The OfS have also established the National Collaborative Outreach Programme to target areas where progression into higher education is low overall and lower than expected given typical GCSE attainment rates.
Through the Higher Education and Research Act, we have introduced a Transparency Duty requiring higher education providers to publish data on application, offer, acceptance, dropout and attainment rates of students by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background. This will hold the sector to account for their record on access and retention of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and shine a light on where they need to go further.
Officials and I are in regular contact with the OfS, including the Director for Fair Access and Participation, and the higher education sector to discuss issues around widening access.
Disabled Applicants – Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Office for Students on encouraging university applications from potential applicants with disabilities.
Widening access to higher education among under-represented or disadvantaged groups is a priority for this government. In our first guidance to the Office for Students we have asked them to ensure that higher education providers include, within their access and participation plans, those students that have been identified as requiring the most support. This includes students with disabilities.
Higher education providers have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities
Through access agreements – in future known as access and participation plans – higher education providers expect to spend more than £860 million in 2018/19 on measures to improve access and student success for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a significant increase from £404 million in 2009.
Change in turbulent times
HEPI released Policy Note 7 – Change is coming: how universities can navigate through turbulent political times. It focussed on three key drivers for Universities: internationalisation, the impact of disruptive technologies, and changes to education delivery – the power not only to change the way we teach and learn, but also how we manage information and collect data.
“Rebooting learning for the digital age? As shown by HEPI report 93, improvements across the world in technology have already led to improved retention rates and lower costs:
in the US, technology-enhanced learning has produced better student outcomes in 72 per cent of projects and average savings of 31 per cent;
in the University of New England in Australia, student drop-out rates have reduced from 18 per cent to 12 per cent via learning analytics; and
at Nottingham Trent University, 81 per cent of first year students increased their study time after seeing their own engagement data “
“Demand for higher education to 2030 As HEPI report 105 uncovers, universities in England should be preparing themselves to take on at least 300,000 additional full-time undergraduate places by the end of the next decade. This is good news in the long-term but the scale of the transformation that is required now – in terms of increasing capacity – is substantial.
Many universities are already concentrating on the long-term picture. This is best shown by the improvements to university estates. Yet, with a smaller pool of prospective students being relied upon to fill these resources in the short-term, we can expect competition between institutions to increase sharply over the coming years – particularly if it becomes more common for students to switch providers of higher education mid-course under the new regularly landscape of the Office for Students (OfS).”
To steer effectively through the troubled waters the policy note suggests:
“On the one hand, this involves coming together to:
learn from each other’s experiences in the global context;
identify common challenges;
develop appropriate fixes; and
present a collective voice in the sector against current political sentiment.
On the other hand, this also involves enhancing the distinctiveness of higher education institutions to:
ensure they make a real difference on the ground in other parts of the world;
ensure challenges specific to different institutions do not get lost in the general policy debate;
develop appropriate strategies for success; and
get ahead in an environment of increased competition.
Coming together in unity to learn from one another and develop appropriate strategies, while still maintaining the diversity that is unique to UK higher education, is what will help universities to overcome some of the biggest emerging policy challenges of our time – posed by the pressures of internationalisation, advancements in technology and domestic political developments. Universities today ultimately have two obligations on their hands – the first, to ensure their own individual successes and, the second, to preserve their part in a healthy, wider higher education sector, complete with variety and choice, for generations to come.”
Student experience – what students really want and why it matters
BU hosted Dr Diana Beech from the Higher Education Policy Institute on Wednesday morning for a policy breakfast, part of this year’s CELebrate symposium. In a packed room and despite the early start, we had a great discussion about student perceptions, value (and value for money). You can read about it and find links to the survey, her slides and other HEPI reports referred to elsewhere on the research blog here.
Student loans – the numbers
The Student Loans Company have published their statistics for England for the financial year 2017-18.
The amount lent in financial year 2017-18 to Higher Education borrowers was £15.0billion, an increase of 11.9% when compared with 2016-17. A total of £222.3m was lent to Further Education borrowers.
The amount lent in financial year 2017-18 for Postgraduate Masters was £582.9million.
Net repayments posted to customer accounts within Higher Education amounted to £2.3billion in the financial year 2017-18, an increase of 16.0% compared with 2016-17 (including £399.2million in voluntary repayments).
The balance outstanding for Higher Education (including loans not yet due for repayment) at the end of the financial year 2017-18 was £104.6billion,an increase of 17.0% when compared with 2016-17.
With the entry of the Higher Education 2018 repayment cohort into repayment in April 2018, there were 3.8 million borrowers liable for repayment and still owing (an increase of 4% compared to April 2017). There were a further 1.2 million borrowers not yet liable for repayment bringing the total still owing to 5.0 million.
The average Loan Balance for the Higher Education 2018 repayment cohort on entry to repayment was £34,800. This is a £2,380 increase on the previous year average of £32,420.
880,400 (18.6%) of the Higher Education borrowers who had become liable to repay since ICR loans were introduced in 1998 have fully repaid their loan.
Student Drug Attitudes
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and University of Buckingham have released a YouthSight survey on attitudes towards drug use based on the responses of 1,059 full-time undergraduate (UG) students. On the number of students who have never (71%) or regularly (11%) use drugs the findings contrast slightly from the April 2018 NUS report which noted higher usage. HEPI explain that the NUS sample was targeted and believe this report is more representative of full-time UG students.
Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI said:
‘This survey provides an important corrective to some of the wilder ideas about today’s students. They are more hardworking and less hedonistic than is often supposed… Our survey shows most students support their institutions taking a tougher, rather than a more relaxed, line on the use of illegal substances by fellow students.’
The survey explains student drug use as attributable to:
47% peer pressure
81% took drugs for recreational purposes
6% took drugs to cope with difficulties with exams
When considering if their HE institution has a drug problem the respondents split with 39% identifying a problem, and 44% stating there wasn’t. The students were concerned about the impact of drug use personally and in society. 88% were concerned drugs negatively impacted mental health; 68% felt it contributed to crime; and 62% were concerned about the cost of the health care burden caused by drug users. Many students recognised excessive alcohol consumption as a serious threat (87% considered alcohol overuse as very serious or quite serious compared to 64% on drug use). The report stated 62% of students want their university to ‘take a stronger line’ on drug dealers and ‘students who repeatedly use drugs’.
There is still time to contribute to the industrial strategy topical blogs because they’ve extended the deadline until 21 July – yippee! Get your thinking caps on and get in touch with Sarah!
Local MPs: Richard Drax (South Dorset) used his prime minster question this week to call for her to support a grant for Weymouth’s harbour wall. The PM responded that there were various options that grant funding had to look at carefully, but said that this project was on a list of potential recipients. She anticipated a decision by the summer.
The House of Commons library have let an AI programme loose in Hansard looking at Brexit.
Tags: apprenticeships Brexit credit transfer Graduate Outcomes HE review immigration international students part-time students research funding Review of post-18 education student experience student finance teaching excellence framework Technology Enhanced Learning TEF widening participation
What students really want (and why it matters)
Centre for Excellence in Learning, Impact, policy, Student Engagement, student research, Uncategorized jforster
BU hosted Dr Diana Beech from the Higher Education Policy Institute on Wednesday morning for a policy breakfast, part of this year’s CELebrate symposium. In a packed room and despite the early start, we had a great discussion about student perceptions, value (and value for money).
Diana started with a review of the HEPI/AdvanceHE 2018 Student Academic Experience Survey, which was published last week. The survey was established in 2006, so is now in its 12th year, giving useful data trends. It surveys over 14,000 full-time undergraduate students in all years of study (not just final year students like the NSS). The full survey is available to download for free.
It seems from the data, that contact time and private study have not changed much since 2006, despite the many changes in the sector, including growing student numbers, changes in funding etc. However, since 2012, when fees were increased, perceptions of value for money by the students surveyed have fallen consistently – until this year. This year the percentage of respondents saying that they believed that they were getting good, or very good value for money for their course, moved up from 35% to 38%. And the percentage saying they got poor, or very poor value for money went down from 34% to 32%. [Ed: These figures are often cited by Ministers, and were by Sam Gyimah at his speech last week (see our policy update last week for more on this topic) – “only [just over] a third of students think they get value for money” is the headline, and the government’s own initiatives in terms of a relentless focus on quality through the TEF, the new regulatory environment etc are credited with the improvement].
Diana described how this year a new question had been asked about what the reasons were behind the rating that had been given for value for money – for those saying that they received good or very good value, the top 5 reasons (in order) were teaching quality, course content, course facilities, career prospects and quality of campus. On the other side, the top 5 reasons given by those who received poor or very poor value for money were tuition fees, teaching quality, contact hours, course content and cost of living. It is interesting that teaching quality and course content are levers for good or bad value for money, that concern about money is clearly linked to perceptions of poor value. It is also unsurprising to see contact hours linked to perceptions of poor value, but it may be of some surprise to see quality of campus linked to good value.
So on contact hours, Diana noted that those students with the highest perceptions of value for money also seem to be studying subjects with the greatest overall workload. [Ed: This is not necessarily linked to contact hours – looking at contact hours the subjects seem to fall into three groups, with medicine, dentistry and veterinary and physical sciences standing out for the number of contact hours (15-19) and history, languages, business and social studies at the other end (8-10). The rest fall in the middle, but the chart looks at total workload including independent study and work outside the course].
Diana also flagged another trend – the percentage of students saying that their experience has been better than they expected has fallen fairly consistently since a high point in 2013, and has fallen again this year from 25% to 23%. Again, when students saying that the experience was worse than expected (12%), teaching quality came top of the reasons, with course organisation [Ed: a familiar NSS question], lack of support in independent study, lack of interaction with staff, poor feedback (Ed: NSS again) and contact hours featuring again. The last two of the top 8 reasons were “not put in enough effort myself” (30%) and “too little interaction with other students” (26%).
Diana talked about commuter students, who are less likely to be satisfied, and more likely to say that if they had known what they know now, would not have entered HE – along with those who are employed for more than 10 hours and Asian students. There is intersectionality here, Asian students and those who are employed for more than 10 hours have a higher propensity to be commuter students. Diana talked about her recent report for HEPI looking at the potential growth in undergraduates by 2030 (as many as 500,000 more) – and the possibility that many of those may be commuter students – a challenge for the sector given the concerns raised above.
Developing this theme, Diana mentioned the recent paper written by Sir Anthony Seldon and Dr Alan Martin on the “positive and mindful university“.
Diana referred to the HEPI/Unite Students report “Reality Check – a report on university applicants’ attitudes and perceptions”. One concern is that only 49% of applicants realise that rent will be their biggest cost apart from tuition fees. Diana discussed concerns about whether students understand where their tuition fees are spent, and the interesting response to the question about how tuition fees should be spent (teaching facilities (65%), teaching staff (60%), student support services (57%) come top, campus development (52%), financial support for students (49%) and research facilities and resources (49%) come next. Interestingly student recruitment and marketing are lower on the list (at 16% and 15%) and investing in the local community is supported by only 12%.
You can read Diana’s slides here.
We then had a Q and A and discussion session with a panel consisting of Debbie Holley, Lois Farquharson, Alex Hancox and Diana and chaired by Jane.
We discussed commuter students and the particular issues of making the campus “sticky” for these students, particularly in relation to HSS students who live near work and final year students who may have put down roots in their placement year and becoming commuter students is one reason why they can find it hard to reintegrate in their final year (there may be other reasons too). [Ed: see an interesting article on Wonkhe this week on stickiness generally)
We discussed issues linked to value for money – should we talk about value, and not focus on financial return [Ed: see last week’s policy blog for our take on the latest ministerial pronouncements about graduate salaries]
We also talked about the wider value of university in terms of life experience, friendships, soft skills- and how this is important but often overlooked [Ed: there are a couple of interesting articles on this in last week’s policy blog]
We talked about student information and the importance of making sure that applicants could access the information about the things that mattered for them, and how talking to students, and spending more time than just an open day, might be an important part of this. We discussed briefly the importance of students understanding how their fees are spent (which is in the survey) and how to do this better.
In terms of expectations, Alex pointed out that students were overloaded with information in induction week and it was suggested that we need to follow up, drip feed etc.
We talked briefly about tuition and living costs. Points were made about how challenges with living costs might be increasing the number of commuter students and affecting their outcomes. We also discussed the unhelpful terminology around loans, debt, value for money, tuition fees that are really “university fees”. [Ed: This is a very big subject, you might want to read BU’s response to the review of post-18 education and we gave links to other sector responses in our policy update on 4th May.]
We talked about mental health and wellbeing – including about how some students might choose to live at home for support. We also discussed challenges with the definition of “living at home” – it may be different issues for mature students who have families than 18 year old students who live with parents – although the impact on extra-curricular engagement may be the same
We talked about engaging students with research and equality of access to these sorts of opportunities for broader engagement
We discussed the TEF and the use of splits data – are universities really using their splits data and is it driving change?
In the context of contact hours, Alex made the point that quality of contact is as important as the amount – students may want more help not more lectures.
HEPI are interested in further research and policy publications, using this data or other data – please contact policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to discuss this further.
Many thanks to all who attended and we look forward to continuing the dialogue on many of these issues.
Tags: HE review Review of post-18 education student experience subject level TEF TEF value for money widening participation
international, policy, Student Engagement jforster
HEPI Student Experience Survey
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Advance HE have published a joint report on student academic experience. The report was launched at the annual HEPI conference and Sam Gyimah gave the keynote address.
The report includes a lot of insight and is worth looking at – there are some new questions this year too. The headlines focussed on two things – value for money (which has had a step up this year after years of decline) and mental health and wellbeing (which is declining amongst students).
They asked the respondents to consider what influenced their views on value for money – price driving perceptions of poor value and quality of good – perhaps not surprising – and that doesn’t tell the whole picture. They also asked about how fees should be spent and it is interesting to note that campus development is high.
Commenting on the publication of the 2018 HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey, Yvonne Hawkins, director of teaching excellence and student experience at the Office for Students, said:
‘We welcome the publication of the HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey – this kind of analysis underlines the importance of listening to students and capturing their voices. It also improves our understanding of what matters to them.
‘While we note the survey’s findings on value for money, and the fact that a slightly higher proportion of students feel they have received good value for money this year, significant numbers of students report not being satisfied with their higher education experience. Overall the results send a clear signal that there is more work to be done.
‘The concerns identified in the survey about the experience of particular student groups, and about student wellbeing, go to the heart of the OfS’s aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
‘Students have a diversity of perspectives on what constitutes ‘value for money’. We are working closely with our student panel to ensure that we understand and respond to students’ priorities. Our goal is to ensure that students have the information they need to make informed choices, receive high quality teaching and support, and know how providers are spending their income from tuition fees.’
Commenting on the Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) Student Academic Experience Survey, Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust said:
“It is good to see that more students feel their degrees are providing value for money. However, there’s only been a 3 percentage point increase and it’s just not good enough that only 38% perceive they are getting good or very good value from their course.
“In sharp contrast 60% of students in Scotland and 48% in Wales – where fees are lower or non-existent – think their courses are good value.
“English graduates leave university with debts of over £50,000. A more fair and affordable fees system would increase the number of students who believe they are getting value for money. To do this we need to see the reintroduction of maintenance grants and means-tested tuition fees.”
Sam’s speech at the HEPI event focussed on value for money – linked to student choice. The Minister referred extensively to the latest IFS research into the LEO (Longitudinal Education Outcomes) data. The research is here and the LEO data is being released in full on 21st June.
The IFS analysis shows that women who study one of the bottom 100 courses have earnings up to 64% (approximately £17,000) less than the average degree after graduation. For men, it can be up to 67% (approximately £21,000). The analysis – commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) – finds that family background has an important impact on graduates’ future earnings, as well as subject and institution choice.
The Minister said
“Today’s publication has important and far-reaching ramifications for the debate on value for money in Higher Education.
These findings demonstrate that studying the same subject at a different institution can yield a very different earnings premium. The choices that students make about what and where to study does matter.
We must build a system where everyone with the ability to benefit from a university education has the opportunity to attend, the information they need to make the right decision, and that when they go to university, they receive a first-rate education that delivers real value for money.
The Minister went on to challenge universities to review their offer to students:
The clutch of underperforming degrees is a problem for students – it is likely they include many of the courses whose students feel they are not getting value for money.
I believe mass participation in higher education is here to stay and is key to our economic future. But for this vision to be realised in full, universities need to focus relentlessly on value for money.”
In the coming weeks, Sam Gyimah will launch an Open Data competition – the first of its kind in the UK Higher Education sector – allowing tech companies and coders to use government data on universities to help students decide where to apply.
After his recent visit to BU, Sam mentioned us in his speech:
One sometimes hears the critique that Britain focuses too much on university degrees and not enough on vocational learning. Vocational and technical skills are vital.
But I reject the false dichotomy between university and vocational education. In fact, much of Britain’s best vocational education goes on in degree courses in universities.
Take Bournemouth University’s computer animation and visual effects courses, whose graduates have gone on to work on some of the biggest movies of the past decade… In all these cases – and countless others – universities have engaged with the wider world and are delivering courses that combine first-rate education with excellent outcomes for students.
Responding to the IFS report and comments from the minister, Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities UK , said: “It is right to expect that students receive a high quality education and that all universities offer a high value experience.
“A university degree remains an excellent investment. On average, graduates continue to earn £10,000 per year more than the average non-graduate and are more likely to be in employment. When looking at graduate salaries, it is important also to take into account the regional differences and socio-economic inequalities that exist in society, that a university degree cannot fully address.
“It is important that we do not use graduate salaries as the single measure of value. Many universities specialise in fields such as the arts, the creative industries, nursing and public sector professions that, despite making an essential contribution to society and the economy, pay less on average.
“A priority must be to make sure that all students receive timely and accurate information about different university courses, to ensure that their experience matches their expectations. Universities are keen to work with government to enhance information for students.”
At the conference and since, there has not surprisingly been some pushback on the research and the use that the Minister is making of it. “The clutch of underperforming degrees is a problem for students – it is likely they include many of the courses whose students feel they are not getting value for money.”
The problem with this assertion of course is that there are no students on these courses. This data is from students who graduated years ago. Those courses may not be offered any more or will have changed out of all recognition since those students graduated.
And that’s before you start unpicking the other challenges with using this data in this way. Louis Coiffait from Wonkhe and Pam Tatlow both asked about regional employability differences and the issues with comparing nationally. See the article on Research Professional here and the Wonkhe article here and here.
The research report itself questions this use of the results (page 10):
“Our findings significantly expand understanding of the variation in graduate earnings; however, we cannot argue that our findings can definitely be interpreted as the true causal effect of different subjects and institutions. We use new exciting data and apply sophisticated methodologies to control for the selection into HE courses, and in so doing move beyond the existing literature in UK. However, selecting an institution and subject to study is an inherently non-random process. It reflects the skills and preferences of young people, and may be affected by unobservable traits, such as confidence or other soft skills, that also determine labour market outcomes.”
“Furthermore, we do not observe identical people (even on observable characteristics) at multiple different institutions and the impact of a specific course may be different for different types of people. We estimate the average effect based on the people that take that course. For example, we are not claiming that all individuals would have higher earnings if they studied medicine.”
Your policy team are finding it rather frustrating to see everything reduced to an average in this way. Although this sort of comparison might (subject to all of the issues above) make sense for a programme that leads directly to a specific career, it makes no sense at all if graduates are going on to do a range of jobs that bear no relation to each other.
In the old days, if you planned to do languages at university, a careers adviser would suggest that you could go on to teach or be an interpreter (I had that conversation). Of course even in those days language students actually could go on to do a whole range of things, many of them nothing to do with their language skills, with salaries that varied enormously.
So applicants thinking about a degree in modern foreign languages (if they are interested in salary outcomes at all, which is another question) might be interested in the differences between salaries earned by languages graduates from one university rather than another, if they have a particular career in mind. If I want to be an interpreter I might (and I mean might) want to know where the best paid interpreters studied. But a cohort of language graduates from uni b who earned less than a cohort from uni a –where both cohorts include a random number of graduates who teach, become bankers, are academics, translate novels, are civil servants, work for the BBC world service, are ski instructors, lawyers, mountaineers, professional cricket players, work in advertising, are poets, musicians or artists, run a cupcake business, write computer software, work in Sainsbury’s or anything else– really, what is the point?
Whether your degree pays for itself is a function of a lot of things – such as what your degree is, and where you do it, but also what you did before you went there, where you live, where you work, the state of the national and local economy, what career path you choose now and in the future, your gender, your age, your ethnic group, your family background, your disabilities, how hard you work at university and at work, the culture, policies and success of the organisation you work for, your other life choices…and many more.
So putting aside for now the philosophical debate about whether the value of higher education should be measured by salaries, there is also a practical problem here – it just can’t be done. The timelines are too long and there are too many variables. And this debate is not just philosophical –the TEF now includes an assessment based on LEO of whether graduates earn above the median earnings threshold – and it might have a role to play in differential fees in the HE review.
Meanwhile Nicola Dandridge wrote for Wonkhe on how the Ofs will address value for money.
We will be doing this partly through our regulation of individual providers where our conditions of registration will ensure a common, high quality threshold for all registered providers. These conditions include requirements that applicants and students should be provided with accurate information about their course and their provider, and also that effective arrangements are in place to provide transparency and value for money for all students and taxpayers.
At the same time we will seek to empower students to make informed decisions about where and what to study. We will want to ensure that all students have a general understanding of what their higher education experience will be like and how much it will cost – including, as our survey highlighted, additional costs outside of tuition fees. Achieving this depends on the provision of information which makes sense to students. We will seek to empower students to make informed decisions about where they study, and strengthen their ability to challenge poor value for money once they are enrolled. Transparency will be one of the ways we will make this happen.
This is still work to be developed and we will be working with our Student Panel and engaging with students and other stakeholders over the coming months to ensure their views inform our response. But our objective is clear: by addressing these common themes, we will have more students reporting that they have received value for money, and that has to be a priority for us all.
Jim Dickinson wrote for Wonkhe on value for money from a different perspective – not related to salaries
Inside universities, it’s almost too easy to debunk. You can argue that multiple meanings and motivations make “value” impossible to meaningfully measure. You can argue that the total “money” that is paid varies according to earnings and the rules of the loans system. You can argue that “value” is only created in later life. You can point out that in many cases the money isn’t paid by the user, or that the benefits are to wider society, or that it distorts student behaviour, or that what you get is difficult to compare or that, anyway, it’s all neoliberalism.
One of the often-used arguments against this agenda centres on deferred benefits and impacts. “Value is created when students realise their potential”, goes the argument – or it’s created when students “benefit from their education in later life”, or even “when they earn more”- all of which render the measurement of VfM meaningless.
But the argument misses the point. Of course, I only get “value” from a TV if I watch it, or “value” from a gym membership if I bother to go. But that doesn’t change the fact that unlike a gym or a TV purchase, university is a public endeavour jointly funded by the taxpayer and the student. Both groups have the right to demand standards in the service being offered. Both groups also have the right to ask that regulation ensures that their money isn’t being wasted.
One of the classic public policy mistakes of universities in their response to massification and marketisation has been simply to sneer. But VfM gets deployed by policymakers not just as a fig leaf in return for high fees, but because it’s popular – right across society, there is something simplistically positive about getting good value for money and something viscerally unpleasant about the feeling of being ripped off.
Ministers know this. The public wants it. Being part of society rather than above it, spending oodles of its money and engaging with half the population in the endeavour requires engagement with it, not dismissal. And accepting the desire for value for money as a legitimate concept is central to understanding how government policy and the new market regulator will develop over the next decade.
And some more perspectives from Louis Coiffait on Wonkhe here “The argument here is not to ignore money and efficiency, but also not to be too myopic about such things. It’s necessary not sufficient, a means not an end. Money is an output, not an outcome.” Hurray.
It’s been a busy week for TEF news with the year 3 results coming out. Much of the sector press commentary has focussed on the potential for gaming – a Guardian article criticised the gold/silver/bronze awards system and suggested the Minister would be wise to cancel the TEF, that it doesn’t really measure what it sets out to do and the costs to run it are far higher than the benefits. There is a planned parliamentary review in 2019
Subject-level TEF continues to be mentioned in parliament. This week Gordon Marsden asked:
Q – Gordon Marsden: what discussions he has had with representatives from universities on his proposals for a subject-level version of the Teaching Excellence Framework.
A – Sam Gyimah: The department has met regularly with university representatives about the development of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) at subject level. Between 12 March and 21 May, we also undertook a technical consultation on subject-level TEF. This consultation provided an opportunity for all stakeholders, including universities and other higher education providers, to comment on the proposals for subject-level TEF both in writing and at consultation events.
It was interesting that in his speech, the Minister said very little about it. We were expecting a defence of it, but there wasn’t one.
The latest news on our regularly featured topics.
Immigration – Immigration Caps remain controversial. The HE sector is concerned to maintain freedom to recruit from the international talent pipeline and attract the brightest and best minds to teach and research in the UK – but without additional fees and charges. This week at Prime Minister’s Questions the fear around immigration fees was highlighted in the case of Grimsby Hospital. Melanie Onn MP (Labour) stated that Grimsby Hospital had been forced to pay £50,000 a month on fees for doctors’ visas. 85% of those applications had been rejected because of restrictions that May imposed as Home Secretary. Onn asked if NHS staff would be exempted from the cap. May responded that she was aware of the issue. The Government had already taken action in relation to nurses and were currently looking at recent figures to determine what further action should be taken to solve the problem.
Brexit – A parliamentary question clarifying whether the Brexit White Paper will specifically cover HE matters:
Q – Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to include sections on (a) higher education and (b) further Education in the forthcoming Brexit White Paper.
A – Robin Walker: The White Paper will offer detailed, precise explanations of our position, and set out what will change and what will feel different outside the European Union. It will cover all aspects of our future relationship with the European Union, building on the ambitious vision set out by the Prime Minister in her speeches in Mansion House, Florence and Munich.
As the Prime Minister said in her Mansion House speech on 2 March, ‘There are many other areas where the UK and EU economies are closely linked – including education and culture.’ And we will continue to take part in specific policies and programmes which are greatly to the UK and the EU’s joint advantage, such as those that promote science, education and culture.
Senior Pay – The Committee of University Chairs has published The Higher Education Senior Staff Remuneration Code for senior staff. Commenting on the publication of the new code Nicola Dandridge (Chief Executive, OfS) stated: “Later this month, the Office for Students will publish its accounts direction for universities and colleges. We will set out our increased expectations around transparency for senior pay, and will be expecting all higher education providers to justify how much those who lead their organisations are paid. Where an institution breaches our regulatory conditions, we will not hesitate to intervene.”’ The Universities and Colleges Employers Associated have commented here.
OfS – The Office for Students (OfS) is set to take on a greater regulatory role and be differently focussed than HEFCE was. If you’re not quite sure what the OfS encompasses the House of Commons library have a neat little reference briefing to catch you up. Its sets out how the OfS was established, their duties, the regulatory framework, the Provider Registers, Degree Awarding Powers and University Title, quality and standards, data collection, participation and access and the issues of contention raised against OfS so far.
Admissions – On Thursday the Lords debated equality within Admissions. Contact Sarah if you would like the content of this. – School attainment has kept up with the rise in undergraduates – the growth in student numbers has not lead to university entrants having lower qualifications. This week Universities UK published Growth and Choice in University Admissions. Wonkhe report that since 2010, increased competition for students has emerged in the UK higher education sector due to the nationwide decrease in the number of 18-year-olds and the removal of student number controls. Universities are now making more offers to a wider range of students throughout the recruitment cycle. The report shows that this has not led to a decline in the prior attainment of the students going to university. As undergraduate acceptances have increased, average student attainment has also risen. The story is covered in the Times here.
Alistair Jarvis, Universities UK Chief Executive, said the analysis shows the changing face of university admissions:
“Reforms to the university system have led to more students, greater choice for them and increased competition among universities. This analysis shows that university entrants continue to be highly qualified and increasing numbers of applicants are accepted with vocational qualifications at all types of universities. This has made it possible for people from a broader range of backgrounds to benefit from a university education.
“There are a growing range of university courses with a vocational focus, from traditional undergraduate degrees such as architecture and engineering to newer courses like degree apprenticeships in cyber security. In fact, four in ten university courses could be considered vocational in some way.”
Nursing Application Decline
Q – Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the withdrawal of NHS bursaries on the number of applications for nursing degrees.
A – Stephen Barclay: The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) published data 5 April 2018 which shows that the number of students applying to study nursing and midwifery has decreased by 13% from this point in the cycle last year.
There is still strong demand for nursing courses with more applicants than available training places. The UCAS data show that up to March 2018 there had been around 1.4 nursing and midwifery applicants per available training place. The university application cycle for 2018/19 is on-going up until 30 June 2018. Applications received after 30 June are entered in to Clearing.
In support of this, Health Education England has recently launched a national clearing campaign to recruit more students to courses in the lead up to the end of clearing, 23 October 2018. Further information is available at: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/knowaboutnursing
Officials in the Department are also introducing the ‘golden hello’ incentive scheme for postgraduate nursing students, which I announced on 9 May.
These payment incentives offer £10,000 to future postgraduates who completed courses funded by loans in the 2018/19 academic year and are anticipated to be contingent on these graduates working in specific fields of the health and care sector including mental health, learning disability and community, including district, nursing.
Digital Student ID Cards
Inside Higher Ed report that Apple and Blackboard are using Near-Field Communications technology to create a digital student ID card for the iphone and Apple Watch. The student’s device can be waved past the card reader for standard services such as taking out library books, gym or halls access, paying for lunch or printing credits. Six American Universities go live with the system this autumn.
Widening Participation & Achievement
Dominating Monday was criticism towards Cambridge for their poor diversity and acceptance of black applications. It was widely discussed on Radio 4 and in the press: Cambridge: BBC, Guardian, FT and TImes. Oxford was discussed in the FT and Wonkhe delved a little more widely in their consideration of Oxford as an institution. Malia Bouattia took to the Guardian to reemphasise the UCAS troubles but also to highlight that racism in education is entrenched as a far earlier age.
On Wednesday UUK and NUS launched a joint call for evidence to help universities tackle the BME attainment gap. Between 2007 and 2016 there was an almost 50% increase in the number of BME undergraduates in England. However, the disparity in achievement outcomes continues – 78% of white students who graduated last year ended up qualifying with a first or a 2:1, 66% of Asian students achieved the same, and 53% of black students. Prior qualifications have an influence on the attainment gap, however are not the whole story.
The BME attainment gap is well known in the sector and many universities are trialling a wide range of initiatives to reduce the gap. However, progress has been slow and inconsistent across the sector. UUK and NUS have made a direct call to students, their representatives and university staff to identify best practice in closing the attainment gap.
The work aims to:
Increase understanding of the barriers to BME student success
Identify initiatives that have been successful in addressing this
Share experiences and best practice of what works in narrowing the BME attainment gap
A series of evidence gathering sessions and online survey data from students and staff are planned for later in 2018, with the outcome recommendations to be published in December 2018. Parliament have shown interest in this initiative so we can expect the HE Minister and OfS to be pressing universities for faster progress.
Following this call for evidence NEON are encouraging Universities to attend their working group on 13 July (free to BU staff as we are a NEON member).
The place of good careers advice
This week HEPI blogged a manifesto idea from Justin Madders MP: The Class Ceiling report by the Social Mobility APPG on access to the leading professions advocates increasing the use of contextual recruitment, and the Office for Students should encourage exactly the same in higher education.
While universities have made much more progress towards this than the elite professions, the exact mechanisms of the recruitment process can too often be a mystery to the young people approaching it. This is particularly prevalent in those from schools without a history of sending pupils to top universities.
In relation to this, good careers advice can be transformative for young people and can drive them towards educational opportunities that they have never considered, but it is far too variable. There is a place for much greater collaboration between schools, universities and employers in spreading a ‘what works’ approach, so that as many people as possible find the options that suit them best.
This should be part of a far more strategic approach to social mobility, led by government, requiring cross-sector leadership and real collaboration. While there are excellent examples of good practice, too often this work is carried out in isolation.
Youth Employment and Social Mobility – At Prime Minister’s question time this week youth employment and social mobility was discussed:
Alex Chalk (Conservative) noted that the number of children growing up in workless households in the UK was at a record low. He stated that to further drive opportunity and social mobility in the UK, it was vital to support projects like the Cheltenham Cyber Park to ensure children had the opportunity to go as far as their talents would take them.
May, responded that, to continue to lift people out of poverty, helping young people get into the workplace was pivotal. She noted that employment sat at a record high and unemployment at a 40 year low. May concluded there were one million fewer people in absolute poverty since 2010.
Social Mobility featured again in the PM’s questions. This time Thelma Walker (Labour) criticised gaps that had been left unfilled on the Social Mobility Commission following resignations and said that it showed the Government did not take the issue of social mobility seriously. May dismissed the claims, saying the Government had implemented policies specifically to address issues of social mobility.
Disabled Students’ Allowance – There continue to be questions asked about the Disabled Students’ Allowance computing equipment.
Q – Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2018 to Question 137102 on Disabled Students’ Allowances, excluding the cost of a standard computer, what other equipment his Department includes as a mainstream cost to participate in Higher Education; and what items are covered by a maintenance loan.
A –Sam Gyimah: Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) is available solely where a student is obliged to incur additional costs while studying as a result of their disability. In the case of computer equipment, it was clear from evidence that this had become a mainstream cost for all students and that disabled students should therefore contribute towards the cost of computer equipment recommended through DSA. On receipt of a DSA Needs Assessment Report, the Student Loans Company will make a decision where necessary as to whether a particular piece of equipment that has been recommended is a mainstream cost or not.
Maintenance loans are available to help fund the costs of study that all students incur. However, the department does not issue guidance to students on how they should spend these funds.
World Access to Higher Education Day – NEON are asking Universities with widening access activities taking place on Wednesday 28 November 2018 to sign up to World Access to HE Day to showcase the activities to an international audience. Follow World Access HE day on Twitter: @WorldAccessHE
And a shameless additional plug for the industrial strategy topical conversations. These are a fab chance for academics to have a mini (2 paragraphs) elevated pitch on their research hitting directly at the heart of Government and sharing your ideas for the future with the public too. The engaging set up allows the public (and other academics) to directly comment and support your research and future vision. An opportunity academics won’t want to miss! Think laterally about how your work fits with the themes of: AI and data, Ageing society, Clean Growth, and the Future of mobility. Have a chat with Sarah and then get involved!
APPG’s: A new register of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) is available. First up are the Country interest groups, after this all the topical interest groups. Have a browse through and follow those that fit with your work and personal interest areas. APPG’s are cross-party groups convened by Members of the Commons and Lords who come together with a joint purpose and interest in the specified area. The administration of APPGs is often provided by external sector bodies and the APPG members may visit organisations and sites of relevance to their remit. APPGs have no officials status within Parliament, however, some are very successful at canvassing Government and influencing policy making. Some groups are more active than others, and easier to follow. Some have a clear and up to date web based presence, whilst others are more aloof!
Nursing: The Education Committee interrogated nursing degree apprenticeships this week finding low uptake, high supervisory costs, insufficient dedicated learning time and difficulties arising from the inflexibility of the apprenticeship model. Read the summary of the session here.
Rankings: U-Multirank have released their annual world university ranking.
Tags: careers HE review Office for Students parliament social mobility student experience teaching excellence framework TEF value for money widening participation
BU Challenges, BU research, EU, Funding opportunities, innovation, international, policy, Research news, Student Engagement jforster
In the PM’s speech this week referred to below, she mentioned the implications of Brexit for research:
…. since 2010 the number of overseas students coming to study at UK universities has increased by almost a quarter. The UK will always be open to the brightest and the best researchers to come and make their valued contribution. And today over half of the UK’s resident researcher population were born overseas.
When we leave the European Union, I will ensure that does not change.
Indeed the Britain we build together in the decades ahead must be one in which scientific collaboration and the free exchange of ideas is increased and extended, both between the UK and the European Union and with partners around the world.
I know how deeply British scientists value their collaboration with colleagues in other countries through EU-organised programmes. And the contribution which UK science makes to those programmes is immense.
I have already said that I want the UK to have a deep science partnership with the European Union, because this is in the interests of scientists and industry right across Europe. And today I want to spell out that commitment even more clearly.
The United Kingdom would like the option to fully associate ourselves with the excellence-based European science and innovation programmes – including the successor to Horizon 2020 and Euratom R&T. It is in the mutual interest of the UK and the EU that we should do so.
Of course such an association would involve an appropriate UK financial contribution, which we would willingly make.
In return, we would look to maintain a suitable level of influence in line with that contribution and the benefits we bring.
The UK is ready to discuss these details with the Commission as soon as possible.
Some more flesh was put on these bones by a policy paper from the Department for Existing the EU: Framework for the UK-EU partnership Science, research and innovation
AI, data and other Industrial Strategy news
The PM made a speech this week announcing 4 “missions” that sit below the Industrial Strategy with a focus on AI and data, amongst other things– you can read my blog of the highlights here
In related news, Innovate UK published a report on the immersive economy
And the government issued 4 calls for ideas and evidence on the PM’s 4 missions. They want new ideas here:
AI and data: “we have one question: Where can the use of AI and data transform our lives?”
Ageing society: “we would like to hear your thoughts on the following: How can we best support people to have extra years of being healthy and independent?
Clean Growth: “we would like to hear your thoughts on the following: How can our construction industry use its existing strengths to halve energy use in buildings?”
Future of mobility: “we have one question: How can we ensure that future transport technologies and services are developed in an inclusive manner?.
If you’d like to contribute to any of these, please contact policy@bournemouth.ac.uk
You can read BU’s response to the subject level TEF consultation here. We agree with the issues raised below and we advocated a new model because of serious problems with both Model A and Model B. We also suggested a longer time frame (because of the volume of work involved, not complacency), and disagreed with both grade inflation and teaching intensity metrics. And we challenged the awards at both institutional and subject level, proposing instead two awards (good and excellent/ excellent and outstanding) with stars for subjects.
Interesting developments for TEF (and more generally), the OfS have published their timetable for NSS and Unistats data for 2018:
The Office for Students (OfS) is applying the Code of Practice for Statistics to its data publication in anticipation of its designation as a producer of official statistics by July 2018. This has implications for the pre-publication access that we can grant to NSS outcomes and Unistats data, as these will now be treated as official statistics. As a consequence, we will now publish the NSS public dataset at the same time as providers are able to access their own data 2 on Friday 27 July 2018.
There will also be no provider preview as part of the annual Unistats data collection and publication process, and data available in system reports will be limited to that essential for quality processes associated with the Unistats return.
In June 2018, we will add earnings data from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset for English providers to Unistats.
From September 2018, we will begin to use the Common Aggregation Hierarchy developed for the Higher Education Classification of Subjects to present data on Unistats in place of the current subject hierarchy.
The Unistats website will be updated in June 2018 to include Year three outcomes from the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.
And :
Following consultation on the outcomes of the Review of Unistats in 2015, the funding bodies are working together on options for a replacement for the Unistats website. This new resource would draw on the findings from the review about decision-making behaviour and the information needs of different groups of prospective students. We will progress this work in stages – ensuring that it is developed in a way that meets the needs of prospective students across all countries of the UK – and will provide the sector with periodic updates, the first of which will be in summer 2018.
Research Professional have a neat summary of the sector response.
On Wonkhe:
panel chair Janice Kay of the University of Exeter reflects on progress made and the challenges – and opportunities – arising from the exercise. “when breaking down the metrics into 35 subjects, cohort sizes can be small” “ it is clear that the current format of the seven subject groupings poses challenges. For example, while it may reduce the writing load by asking institutions to describe its subjects in a summated way, it has sometimes limited what subjects can say about themselves, making it difficult to identify what happens in individual subjects. And we have heard that the format can increase writing effort, even if volume is reduced… It’s critical during this exercise that the written judgments can continue to do this, and that holistic judgments are not captured by metrics. There is therefore a question whether metric and written submission data can be better balanced in Model B.” Plus some credibility issues with Model A
Melanie Rimmer, chief planner at Goldsmiths, University of London, ponders the likely outcomes of the subject-level TEF consultation. “Model B best meets the primary intention of Subject-Level TEF – that being to provide greater information to students – since it allows for greater variation between outcomes for subjects. However, highlighting variation in provision will only be attractive to institutions where that differentiation is a better rating than the current provider-level rating. If you want to hide weaker performance, then opt for Model A. The main argument in favour of Model A is that it will reduce the burden of submission and assessment. That will be attractive to institutions which, having been through the exercise once and established their credentials, perceive the requirements of TEF as an unnecessary additional imposition that will deliver minimal return. Solid Golds and Silvers are likely to prefer Model A for this reason. Those at the borders of the ratings, with an eye on how close they are to moving between them, are more likely to see value in the greater effort required by Model B.” “Those which are unlikely to see their rating change, or indeed which might see their metrics moving in the wrong direction and worry about a lesser rating, will naturally support longer duration awards. Those hoping to gain a shinier medal as a result of improving performance will see value in more regular submissions.” “There are, however, bound to be areas of common ground on the consultation proposals. Every institution I have spoken to has identified a problem with the subject classifications, highlighting why combining disciplines X and Y makes no sense in their institution. However, in each case the disciplines cited are different because the issues stem primarily from institutional structures.”
Stephanie Harris of Universities UK (UUK) looks ahead to the future of TEF and the forthcoming statutory review of the exercise.
Claire Taylor of Wrexham Glyndŵr University looks at TEF from a quality enhancement perspective and considers the options for institutions in devolved nations. “perhaps the very act of putting together the written submission also provides an opportunity for us to engage with an enhancement agenda. By reflecting upon TEF metric performance within the written submission, providers have an opportunity to outline the qualitative evidence base in relation to enhancement, evaluation and impact, within the context of their own overall institutional strategic approach to improving the student experience”. But: “the introduction of grade inflation metrics during TEF3 is of questionable value. Such a metric does not consider the contexts within which providers are operating. Providers have robust and detailed mechanisms for ensuring fair and equitable assessment of student work, including the use of external examiners to calibrate sector-wide, a system that contributes positively to the enhancement agenda and to which the grade inflation metric adds little value.”, and “The consultation asks for views around the introduction of a measure of teaching intensity. In my view, the proposed measure has no meaning and no connection to excellence, value or quality, let alone enhancement. There is the potential for the information to be misleading as it will need specialist and careful interpretation”
with an updated TEF diagram, “The Incredible Machine”, David Kernohan and Ant Bagshaw look at TEF3 and question its compatibility with the earlier versions of the exercise. “So what – honestly – is TEF now for? It doesn’t adequately capture the student experience or the quality of teaching. It does not confer any benefit – other than a questionable marketing boost – to providers, and there is no evidence that students are making serious use of it to choose courses, universities, or colleges. Internationally, concerns have already been raised that the three-level ratings are confusing – it’s been widely reported that “Bronze” institutions are often not considered to meet the UK’s laudably stringent teaching quality thresholds. And it is not even a reliable time series – a TEF3 Gold is now achievable by an institution that would not have passed the test under TEF2 rules. Later iterations may well be built “ground up” from subject TEF assessments, once again changing the rules fundamentally. Let’s not even mention TEF1 (it’s OK, no-one ever does) in this context.”
From Dods: The Science and Technology Committee have published its report from the Algorithms in decision-making inquiry which acknowledges the huge opportunities presented by algorithms to the public sector and wider society, but also the potential for their decisions to disproportionately affect certain groups.
Press Release: Committee sets the agenda for new algorithmic ethics agency
Full Report PDF: Algorithms in decision making
Report Summary: Link
Report Conclusions and Recommendations: Link
The report calls on the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation – being set up by the Government – to examine algorithm biases and transparency tools, determine the scope for individuals to be able to challenge the results of all significant algorithmic decisions which affect them (such as mortgages and loans) and where appropriate to seek redress for the impacts of such decisions. Where algorithms significantly adversely affect the public or their rights, the Committee highlights that a combination of algorithmic explanation and as much transparency as possible is needed.
It also calls for the Government to provide better oversight of private sector algorithms which use public sector datasets, and look at how best to monetise these datasets to improve outcomes across Government. The Committee also recommends that the Government should:
Continue to make public sector datasets available for both ‘big data’ developers and algorithm developers through new ‘data trusts’, and make better use of its databases to improve public service delivery
Produce, maintain and publish a list of where algorithms are being used within Central Government, or are planned to be used, to aid transparency, and identify a ministerial champion with oversight of public sector algorithm use.
Commission a review from the Crown Commercial Service which sets out a model for private/public sector involvement in developing algorithms.
Social Mobility Commission
Under the 10 minute rule, the Chair of the Education Committee Robert Halfon introduced legislation to give greater powers and resources to the Social Mobility Commission (SMC), the body set up to promote social justice. (Link here at 13.52.09pm). It will have its second reading on 15th June.
The Committee published a draft Bill in March alongside its report. In its report, the Committee called for the establishment of a new implementation body at the heart of Government to drive forward the social justice agenda.
And in the meantime, the Government have announced a recommendation for a new Chair. Dame Martina Milburn has spent 14 years as Chief Executive of the Prince’s Trust, supporting more than 450,000 disadvantaged young people across the country in that time, with three in four of these going on to work, education or training. She is also a non-executive director of the National Citizen Service and the Capital City College Group, and was previously Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need and of the Association of Spinal Injury Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration.
From Dods: Last Friday the Science and Technology Committee announced that it intends to develop its own proposals for immigration and visa rules for scientists post-Brexit. This work follows the Government’s rejection of the Committee’s call for the conclusions of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) relating to science to be brought forward to form part of an ‘early deal’ for science and innovation.
News Story: An immigration system that works for science and innovation inquiry launched
Inquiry Page: An immigration system that works for science and innovation inquiry
The Committee published its report on “Brexit, Science and Innovation” in March, and has recently received the Government’s response. The report welcomed the Prime Minister’s call for a “far-reaching pact” with the EU on science and innovation and recommended that an early deal for science—including on the ‘people’ element—could set a positive tone for the rest of the trade negotiations, given the mutual benefits of cooperation on science and innovation for the UK and the EU.
The Committee will draw on the submissions to its previous Brexit inquiry and the sector’s submissions to the MAC to construct its proposals for the immigration system, but further input to this process is welcome on the following points:
If an early deal for science and innovation could be negotiated, what specifically should it to contain in relation to immigration rules and movement of people involved with science and innovation?
What are the specific career needs of scientists in relation to movement of people, both in terms of attracting and retaining the people the UK needs and supporting the research that they do?
What aspects of the ‘people’ element need to be negotiated with the EU-27, as opposed to being simply decided on by the Government?
On what timescale is clarity needed in relation to future immigration rules in order to support science and innovation in the UK?
Tags: ageing society artificial intelligence Big data Brexit clean growth environment environmental sustainability immigration industrial strategy social mobility subject level TEF TEF
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2456
|
__label__wiki
| 0.771384
| 0.771384
|
MEC Website
Icons of the Nation: The Military Factor in the UAE’s Nation-Building
by Eleonora Ardemagni
Wahat Al Karama, or the ‘Oasis of Dignity’, the memorial site dedicated to honouring fallen Emirati soldiers being opened in 2016. Source: https://www.wahatalkarama.ae/?lang=en
In the ongoing process of Emirati nation-building, the military has a salient role: in the eyes of government officials it contributes to shaping a cohesive and recognisable national identity, also differentiating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the neighbouring monarchies. In official discourse, Emirati soldiers embody the sacrifice, sense of belonging and patriotism, that render them ‘heroes’ and ‘positive models’ for the nation. What, then, are the military drivers of nation-building in the UAE?
As a matter of fact, the process of building the Emirati state (which today consists of the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ajman, ‘Umm al-Quwain and Fujairah), following the 1971–2 unification, was driven by oil revenues, unlike many state-building trajectories in the Arab world which had been marked by the unifying experience of independence wars. However, from the 1990s onwards, efforts toward strengthening the federation of the UAE have focused on modern integration among the seven armed forces (especially after the federal integration of Dubai’s military structure in 1997), which has allowed Abu Dhabi to solidify its leading role.
In recent years, the UAE has been publicly emphasising the topic of Emirati national identity, with the purpose of consolidating a sense of group-ness at a time of multidimensional threats in the region: naturally this also relates to national security. As a result, the UAE has engineered a series of top-down measures and initiatives aimed at fostering national feeling, including art exhibitions and festivals centring on shared history, national museums and heritage sports. Concomitantly, it has implemented conscription for nationals, held celebrations for Emirati soldiers sent abroad (including public commemorations of the war dead) and developed a national defence industry: these are the primary military drivers of nation-building in the UAE.
The introduction of conscription for male citizens in 2014 has represented a shift in thinking regarding the UAE’s state–society relations: for the first time, nationals have been called upon to defend the country by serving in the military, so as to build a reserve force. Emirati males between the ages of 18–30 must now complete a term of service of between 16 months and two years, depending on their level of education. Emirati women can voluntarily enrol for twelve months. In addition to the strictly military rationale, conscription aims to “Emiratise” citizens’ collective identity, beyond social, tribal and local differences: it acts as a cultural tool of nation-building, forging the identity through collective experiences to instil a sense of belonging and group loyalty vis-à-vis the nation. In the UAE, nationals represent less than 20 percent of the whole population with 61 percent of them living in the northern emirates (such as Ras al-Khaimah) the compulsory draft further serves as a way to better integrate peripheral emirates within a national project promoted from and by Abu Dhabi, strengthening the ties with the federal political centre. Not by chance, conscription is designed firstly as a national education programme, although encompassing a lengthy (16 months is significantly longer than the term of service required by neighbours Qatar and Kuwait) military component. Lectures on patriotism form a key part of the programme.
The military intervention in Yemen, which began in March 2015, has also represented a watershed moment for the Emirati armed forces, until that point only accustomed to mobilising for peacetime support operations. In Yemen, Emirati soldiers have focused on ground operations, including stabilising areas and critical infrastructure, and fighting jihadi groups, but primarily their mission has been to train and assist local forces in the country’s south. In the UAE, citizens have become familiar with the images and stories of soldiers deployed abroad, widely disseminated in the media; and they have been shocked by the death of a number of Emirati soldiers in Yemen (more than 200 so far according to an unofficial estimate), a new experience for the country.
On 4 September 2015, forty-five Emirati soldiers (many of them nationals) were killed in a Houthi attack in Yemen’s Mareb region. To mark that occasion of collective mourning, local media and officials established the country’s Commemoration Day, which celebrates the ‘martyrs of the Nation’ killed while performing their duty abroad. In November 2016, the Martyrs Families’ Affairs Office of the UAE installed the Wahat al-Karama (Oasis of Dignity) in Abu Dhabi, a permanent memorial to the Emirati soldiers who lost their lives serving the nation. Fostering a ‘rally around the flag’ effect, soldiers also serve as effective identity-mobilisers, drumming up national, and in some cases nationalist, feelings in a society even as heterogenous as the UAE: an important step in nation-building.
The development of a national defence industry has indirectly supported the politics of nation-building. The UAE, with Abu Dhabi at the forefront, has worked hard to become an emerging arms producer, with an eye on the regional export market: this commitment aims not only to diversify the rent-driven Emirati economy, but also to sustain an increasingly ambitious foreign policy. The ‘Made in the UAE’ defence industry brand functions to support national awareness and prestige, despite actual Emirati production only playing a small part in it, given the tiny national population and the lack of nationals with advanced technical skills. Some of the ‘Made in the UAE’ defence manufacturing, including the Nimr II Ajban 440A 4×4 tactical vehicle and the Baynunah class corvettes, have been sent to Yemen for use in active service, thus providing a direct military link between national projection and military production.
Identity formation in the United Arab Emirates is an ongoing process, with the military component a distinctive feature. Top-down initiatives (including conscription and the commemoration of soldiers killed in Yemen) trigger bottom-up feedbacks at a social level, especially among young urban-based nationals, who are often less attached to the traditional Bedouin values of their parents. As a result, connecting military principles, duties and prestige with the nation is a way to bond the second generation of Emirati nationals to a new collective myth, contributing to forging national cohesion for current and future generations.
Eleonora Ardemagni is Associate Research Fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), Teaching Assistant at the Catholic University of Milan and Gulf Analyst for the NATO Defense College Foundation. Her research focuses on Yemen, the Gulf monarchies and Arab military forces.
February 1st, 2019|GCC, Yemen|1 Comment
dubai May 7, 2019 at 14:02 - Reply
Great facts on the United Arab Emirates. They are really interesting. Keep up the great work!
Receive our posts by email
@LSEMiddleEast on Twitter
Between Vulnerability and Resilience – ‘Refugeeness’ as Political Subjectivity
Three Years of the Jordan Compact: The (Gendered) Challenges of Providing Work Permits for Syrian Refugees
Contested Meanings of Resilience Building: How Great Expectations in Brussels are Dashed in Beirut
Questioning Dominant Refugee Narratives and Research Methodologies
Counting Mass Atrocity: A Demographic Documentation of ISIS’s Attack on the Yazidi Village of Kocho
Book Review – ‘Towards a Westphalia for the Middle East’ by Patrick Milton, Michael Axworthy and Brendan Simms
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2457
|
__label__cc
| 0.727826
| 0.272174
|
What a Surreal World! Fellow Connects English and Art in Timor-Leste
With her students facing the stress of final exams, Fellow Joanie Andruss turned to art to create a more relaxed, yet innovative workshop for her students at the English Language Center through the National University of Timor-Leste. The workshop, titled “Exploring English through Surrealism Art”, allowed students to practice both their spoken and written English outside of the lecture style typically used at their campus in Dili.
Andruss first introduced the Surrealism movement by presenting a variety of mediums in the style- including film, art and music. Students used sentence frames to describe examples of the art style before playing a Surrealist word game of chance. Finally, the students created Surrealist collages inspired by dreams. One of the students said of the project, “I like this, because never in my life have I seen something like this.”
The workshop not only provided group, which contains many future educators, with a stress-free haven to practice their English skills and create art, but exposed them to different teaching styles and methods of designing English lessons.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2460
|
__label__wiki
| 0.552604
| 0.552604
|
Graphics (4) Apply Graphics filter
Displaying 526 - 548 of 548 items.
Ectoderm
Ectoderm is one of three germ layers--groups of cells that coalesce early during the embryonic life of all animals except maybe sponges, and from which organs and tissues form. As an embryo develops, a single fertilized cell progresses through multiple rounds of cell division. Eventually, the clump of cells goes through a stage called gastrulation, during which the embryo reorganizes itself into the three germ layers: endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm. After gastrulation, the embryo goes through a process called neurulation, which starts the development of nervous system.
Subject: Processes
Victor Jollos (1887-1941)
Victor Jollos studied fruit flies and
microorganisms in Europe and the US, and he introduced the concept of
Dauermodifikationen in the early 1900s. The concept of
Dauermodifikationen refers to environmentally-induced traits that are
heritable for only a limited number of generations. Some scientists
interpreted the results of Jollos's work on Paramecium and Drosophila as
evidence for cytoplasmic inheritance. Jollos was forced to emigrate from
Germany to the United States due to anti-semitic government policies in
Keith Henry Stockman Campbell (1954-2012)
Keith Henry Stockman Campbell studied embryo growth and cell differentiation during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in the UK. In 1995, Campbell and his scientific team used cells grown and differentiated in a laboratory to clone sheep for the first time. They named these two sheep Megan and Morag. Campbell and his team also cloned a sheep from adult cells in 1996, which they named Dolly. Dolly was the first mammal cloned from specialized adult (somatic) cells with the technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Experiments by Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka in 2006 and 2007
In 2006, Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka reprogrammed mice fibroblast cells, which can produce only other fibroblast cells, to become pluripotent stem cells, which have the capacity to produce many different types of cells. Takahashi and Yamanaka also experimented with human cell cultures in 2007. Each worked at Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan. They called the pluripotent stem cells that they produced induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) because they had induced the adult cells, called differentiated cells, to become pluripotent stem cells through genetic manipulation.
The hedgehog signaling pathway is a mechanism that directs the development of embryonic cells in animals, from invertebrates to vertebrates. The hedgehog signaling pathway is a system of genes and gene products, mostly proteins, that convert one kind of signal into another, called transduction. In 1980, Christiane Nusslein-Volhard and Eric F. Wieschaus, at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, identified several fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) genes.
Jan Evangelista Purkyne (1787-1869)
Jan Evangelista Purkyne, also called Johannes or Johann Evangelist Purkinje, studied cells in the cerebellum, fibers of the heart, subjective visual phenomenon, and germinal vesicle, in eastern Europe during the early nineteenth century. His investigations provided insights into various mechanisms and structures of the human body. Purkyne introduced techniques for decalcification of bones and teeth, embedding of tissue specimens, and eye examinations.
The Pasteur Institute (1887- )
L'Institut Pasteur (The Pasteur Institute) is a non-profit private research institution founded by Louis Pasteur on 4 June 1887 in Paris, France. The Institute's research focuses on the study of infectious diseases, micro-organisms, viruses, and vaccines. As of 2014, ten scientists have received Nobel Prizes in physiology or medicine for the research they have done at the Pasteur Institute.
"Viable Offspring Derived from Fetal and Adult Mammalian Cells" (1997), by Ian Wilmut et al.
In the 1990s, Ian Wilmut, Jim McWhir, and Keith Campbell performed experiments while working at the Roslin Institute in Roslin, Scotland. Wilmut, McWhir, and Campbell collaborated with Angelica Schnieke and Alex J. Kind at PPL Therapeutics in Roslin, a company researching cloning and genetic manipulation for livestock. Their experiments resulted in several sheep being born in July 1996, one of which was a sheep named Dolly born 5 July 1996.
"Mitochondrial DNA and Human Evolution" (1987), by Rebecca Louise Cann, Mark Stoneking, and Allan Charles Wilson
In 1987 Rebecca Louise Cann, Mark Stoneking, and Allan Charles Wilson published Mitochondrial DNA and Human Evolution in the journal Nature. The authors compared mitochondrial DNA from different human populations worldwide, and from those comparisons they argued that all human populations had a common ancestor in Africa around 200,000 years ago. Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) is a small circular genome found in the subcellular organelles, called mitochondria.
Subject: Publications, Theories
A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery, (1752-1764) by William Smellie
A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery is a three volume collection of patient accounts that William Smellie published from 1752 to 1764. Smellie, a physician and instructor in obstetrics in Great Britain, published these compilations to share his expertise in reproductive medicine, while also providing his students and colleagues with a source of reference in their own medical practices. Smellie wrote these books to shift obstetrics from a discipline practiced by midwives with limited medical training to one practiced in a medical context by physicians.
Carol Downer (1933– )
Carol Downer was a reproductive health and abortion rights activist in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in the US and other countries. During the late 1960s, many women reported knowing little about female anatomy and receiving little information from their physicians. Downer advocated for women’s reproductive anatomy education and encouraged women to not rely on the intervention of a medical doctor for all reproductive issues.
William Thomas Astbury (1898–1961)
William Thomas Astbury studied the structures of fibrous materials, including fabrics, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, in England during the twentieth century. Astbury employed X-ray crystallography, a technique in which scientists use X-rays to learn about the molecular structures of materials. Astbury worked at a time when scientists had not yet identified DNA’s structure or function in genes, the genetic components responsible for how organisms develop and reproduce. He was one of the first scientists to use X-ray crystallography to study the structure of DNA.
California Proposition 71 (2004)
The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, also called Proposition 71, was a ballot
initiative proposed by California voters in 2004 to allocate three billion dollars of state
funds for stem cell research over ten years. Endorsed by California scientists and
patient-advocates, Prop 71 passed on 2 November 2004, amending the state constitution to make
stem cell research a constitutional right. In addition, Prop 71 led to the creation of the
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), in San Francisco, California to allocate
The Hershey-Chase Experiments (1952), by Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase
In 1951 and 1952, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase conducted a series of experiments at the Carnegie Institute of Washington in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, that verified genes were made of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Hershey and Chase performed their experiments, later named the Hershey-Chase experiments, on viruses that infect bacteria, also called bacteriophages. The experiments followed decades of scientists’ skepticism about whether genetic material was composed of protein or DNA.
Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services v. Lakey (2012)
In the 2012 case Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services v. David Lakey, a US appeals court ruled as constitutional a Texas law that required abortion providers in the state to show women receiving abortions the ultrasound images of their fetuses. The law also required providers to describe the sounds of the fetuses' nascent hearts. In doing so, the court set precedent that ultrasound readings are necessary medical information for pregnant women seeking abortions, increasing the wait-period for women seeking abortions.
Methylmercury and Human Embryonic Development
Methylmercury (MeHg) is an organic form of mercury that can damage the developing brains of human fetuses. Women who consume methylmercury during pregnancy can bear children who have neurological issues because methylmercury has toxic effects on the nervous system during embryonic development. During the third week of gestation, the human nervous system begins to form in the embryo. During this gestational period, the embryo's nervous system is particularly susceptible to the influence of neurotoxins like methylmercury that can result in abnormalities.
Subject: Reproduction, Disorders
Nelson v. Planned Parenthood Center of Tucson (1973)
The 1973 case Nelson v. Planned Parenthood Center of Tucson established the legality of abortion in Arizona. The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that the Arizona Revised Statutes 13-211, 13-212, and 13-213, collectively called the Arizona abortion statutes, were unconstitutional. The statutes had made illegal receiving, providing, or advertising abortions. After the Arizona Appeals Court heard the case, it decided that the Arizona abortion statutes were constitutional. However, two weeks later the US Supreme Court decided in Roe v.
The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was created by Maurice Hilleman in 1971 at the Merck Institute of Therapeutic Research, a pharmaceutical company in West Point, Pennsylvania. It combined three separate vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, common and sometimes fatal diseases. Measles causes a red skin rash and severe fevers that can be fatal. Mumps causes fever and swelling of the salivary glands in the mouth and jaw, while rubella causes milder fevers and skin rashes.
Infant Mortality: Results of a Field Study in Johnstown, PA., Based on Births in One Calendar Year (1915), by Emma Duke
The book Infant Mortality: Results of a Field Study in Johnstown, PA., Based on Births in One Calendar Year (1915), written by Emma Duke, detailed one of the first infant mortality field studies conducted by the US Children's Bureau. In the study, Duke and her colleagues collected information about over one thousand infants in the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They used that information, along with interviews conducted with the families of the infants, to identify factors that affected infant mortality rates in the community.
Subject: Experiments, Publications
Teratogens are substances that may produce physical or functional defects in the human embryo or fetus after the pregnant woman is exposed to the substance. Alcohol and cocaine are examples of such substances. Exposure to the teratogen affects the fetus or embryo in a variety of ways, such as the duration of exposure, the amount of teratogenic substance, and the stage of development the embryo or fetus is in during the exposure.
Subject: Disorders
The concept Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a set of birth defects that occur in children born to mothers who abused alcohol during pregnancy. The alcohol-induced defects include pre- and post-natal growth deficiencies, minor facial abnormalities, and damage to the developing central nervous system (CNS).
The US President's Council on Bioethics (2001-2009)
The US President's Council on Bioethics was an organization headquartered in Washington D.C. that was chartered to advise then US President George W. Bush on ethical issues related to biomedical science and technology. In November 2001, US President George W. Bush created the President's Council on Bioethics (PCB). Convened during a nationwide cloning and embryonic stem cell research debate, the Council stated that it worked to address arguments about ethics from many different perspectives.
Subject: Organizations, Legal, Ethics
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2461
|
__label__cc
| 0.705096
| 0.294904
|
Home / The school
Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) has earned both national and international recognition. More than just a school, GEM represents an open-ended laboratory through which 8,000 students and 500 employees learn and work every day to solve complex problems and overcome major challenges for business and society.
Founded in Grenoble, a city of science and technology, the school has developed solid expertise in the management of technology and innovation. This foundation has enabled GEM to expand its research, teaching and expertise to meet challenges in the digital world, healthcare, energy, entrepreneurship, sharing economy and geopolitics.
By developing its own educational model, GEM has become a center for experimentation, study and creation. The school offers 50 educational programs in French and English that cover all levels of study from undergraduate to graduate, doctoral and continuing education. Students can take part in programs delivered in Grenoble, Paris, Berlin, Glion, Singapore, Moscow, Tbilisi, Casablanca, Hong Kong, or Beijing.
As an institution for higher education (EESC) affiliated with the Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GEM is a founding member of the GIANT Innovation Campus in Grenoble as well as an associate member of the Université Grenoble Alpes Community. The school is accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA and member of the French “Conférence des Grandes Ecoles”. Its programs are regularly ranked by major international economic newspapers and magazines.
Jinnie Hoine
2016 Activity Report
10 key facts
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2468
|
__label__wiki
| 0.918128
| 0.918128
|
Hurricane Donna
This article is about the 1960 Atlantic hurricane. For the 2017 South Pacific tropical cyclone, see Cyclone Donna.
Hurricane Donna was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the East Coast of the United States, especially Florida, in August–September. The fifth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, Donna developed south of Cape Verde on August 29, spawned by a tropical wave to which 63 deaths from a plane crash in Senegal were attributed. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Donna by the following day. Donna moved west-northwestward at roughly 20 mph (32 km/h) and by September 1, it reached hurricane status. Over the next three days, Donna deepened significantly and reached maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) on September 4. Thereafter, it maintained intensity as it struck the Lesser Antilles later that day. On Sint Maarten, the storm left a quarter of the island's population homeless and killed seven people. An additional five deaths were reported in Anguilla, and there were seven other fatalities throughout the Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, severe flash flooding led to 107 fatalities, 85 of them in Humacao alone.
Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Donna over the Florida Keys on September 10
Dissipated
(Extratropical after September 13)
Highest winds
1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h)
Lowest pressure
930 mbar (hPa); 27.46 inHg
$980 million (1960 USD)
Areas affected
Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, Bahamas, East Coast of the United States, New England, Atlantic Canada, Greenland
Part of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season
Donna further intensified to a Category 4 hurricane early on September 6, and attained peak winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) twenty-four hours later. The storm then weakened over the next few days, making multiple landfalls in The Bahamas as a Category 3 hurricane. Donna generated severe wind gusts of up to 173 mph (278 km/h) over southern portions of the archipelago nation, and prolific rains affected the country and the nearby Turks and Caicos Islands. Several small island communities in the southern regions of The Bahamas were leveled, but no damage total or fatalities were reported.
As it neared the United States, Donna encountered weaker steering currents, turned northwestward, and re-intensified. Early on September 10, Donna made landfall on the Florida Keys with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h), the most severe observed there since 1935. Donna then weakened as it paralleled the southwestern Florida peninsula, making landfall south of Naples with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). In the Florida Keys, coastal flooding severely damaged 75% of buildings, destroyed several subdivisions in Marathon. On the mainland, 5,200 houses were damaged, which does not include the 75% of homes damaged at Fort Myers Beach; 50% of buildings were also destroyed in the city of Everglades. Crop losses were also extensive. A total of 50% of grapefruit crop was lost, 10% of the orange and tangerine crop was lost, and the avocado crop was almost destroyed. In the state of Florida alone, there were 13 deaths and $300 million in losses.
Donna weakened over Florida and was a Category 1 hurricane when it re-emerged into the Atlantic from North Florida. By early on September 12, the storm made landfall near Topsail Beach, North Carolina, as a Category 2 hurricane. Donna brought tornadoes and wind gusts up to 100 mph (155 km/h), damaging or destroying several buildings in Eastern North Carolina, while crops were damaged as far as 50 miles (80 km) inland. Additionally, storm surge caused significant beach erosion and structural damage at Wilmington and Nags Head. Eight people were killed and there were over 100 injuries. Later on September 12, Donna reemerged into the Atlantic Ocean and continued to move northeastward. The storm struck Long Island, New York, late on September 12 and rapidly weakened inland. On the following day, Donna became extratropical over Maine.
Meteorological historyEdit
Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
On August 29, a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa near Dakar. That day, it is estimated a tropical depression developed along the wave southeast of Cape Verde. There was a lack of data for several days, but it is estimated that the system gradually intensified. On September 2, ships in the region suggested there was a tropical storm after reporting winds of over 50 mph (80 km/h). That day, the Hurricane Hunters flew into the system and observed a well-defined eye, along with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h).[1] Based on the data, the United States Weather Bureau office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, initiated advisories on Hurricane Donna at 22:00 UTC on September 2,[2] about 700 miles (1,100 km) east of the Lesser Antilles.[3] It is estimated that the storm attained hurricane status a day prior. The Azores High to the north was unusually powerful, which caused Donna to move to the west-northwest.[1] When advisories began, Donna was intensifying into a major hurricane, which is the equivalent of a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale; it would ultimately maintain this status for nearly eight days.[4]
Continuing to the west-northwest, Donna strengthened further, attaining maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (201 km/h) at 00:00 UTC on September 4—an intensity it maintained for two more days.[4] Operationally, winds were estimated to be 145 mph (233 km/h).[5][6] Late on September 4, the eye of Donna moved over Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, and Anguilla, and passed just south of Anegada. Donna was then well-organized, described in the Monthly Weather Review as akin to "an intense, idealized hurricane." A weakening trough to the north turned the hurricane more northwesterly, bringing it within 85 miles (137 km) of the north coast of Puerto Rico.[1] The storm then underwent further intensification to Category 4 status on September 6, and reached its first peak of 145 mph (230 km/h) by 00:00 UTC on September 7.[4] At that time, Donna began turning more to the west as a ridge built to its north, and it soon weakened back to Category 3 status. Over the next few days, the intense hurricane moved slowly through the southern Bahamas without defined steering currents, and the eye passed near or over Mayaguana, Acklins, Fortune Island, and Ragged Island.[1]
While passing through the Straits of Florida, Donna brushed the northern coast of Cuba on September 9 with gale-force winds. Subsequently, a cold front moved eastward through the United States and weakened the ridge, causing the hurricane to turn more to the northwest. It re-intensified over warm sea surface temperatures,[1] and the hurricane's minimum barometric pressure dropped to 930 mbar (27 inHg) on September 10.[4] Between 02:00 and 03:00 UTC that day, the 21-mile-wide (34 km) eye of Donna crossed through the Florida Keys at Conch Key, just northeast of Marathon, with sustained winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) and gusts to 178 mph (286 km/h). The hurricane continued to the northwest along the southwest coast of Florida, passing over Goodland with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h).[4][1] Donna traversed Naples and Fort Myers before turning inland to the northeast.
At 0800 UTC on September 11, Donna exited Daytona Beach into the western Atlantic with winds of about 85 mph (165 km/h), still as an organized hurricane. Accelerating to the northeast due to an approaching trough, the hurricane re-intensified slightly before making landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, early on September 12 with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). At 0900 UTC that day, Donna again emerged over open waters near Virginia, although it had weakened, and the eye expanded to over 50 miles (80 km) in diameter. Late on September 12, the hurricane made landfall in Westhampton, New York, as a low-end Category 2 hurricane.[1] On September 13, Donna became extratropical over northern Maine before entering eastern Canada, having become associated with the approaching cold front. After moving across Quebec and Labrador, Donna reached the Labrador Sea and dissipated early on September 14.[1][4]
PreparationsEdit
At noon on September 3, a hurricane watch was issued for the Leeward Islands, which at 6 p.m. was upgraded to a warning. Also at 6 p.m., hurricane watches were raised for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which at 6 a.m. on September 4, were upgraded to warnings. By 6 a.m. on September 5, hurricane warnings were dropped for the Leeward Islands, and at 9 a.m., southwest Puerto Rico and the Virgin Island's hurricane warnings were downgraded to gale warnings. By noon, all remaining hurricane warnings for Puerto Rico were changed to gale warnings.[7] In Puerto Rico, flood warnings were issued on September 5, although some residents in the region did not heed the notice; many returned to their homes after the hurricane passed to the north.[1] On Vieques Island, about 1,700 United States Marines evacuated to naval ships.[8] Officials advised small boats to remain at port, and thousands of residents evacuated to schools set up as Red Cross shelters.[9] Along the Cuban coast, about 3,000 people evacuated inland or to churches and schools;[10][11] while in the Bahamas, stores closed and boats were sent to port.[12]
Radar animation of Hurricane Donna approaching the Florida Keys
Beginning on September 7, hurricane watches were put in place for the Florida coast from Key West to Melbourne. The next day, the watches were upgraded to hurricane warnings from Key West to Key Largo, with hurricane watches raised on the west coast northward to Fort Myers, and gale warnings issued from Key Largo to Vero Beach. By September 11, hurricane warnings were in effect for southern Florida from Daytona Beach on the east coast to Cedar Key on the west coast, including Lake Okeechobee. Gale warnings were in place northward from Cedar Key to St. Marks, as well as from Daytona Beach northward to Savannah, Georgia.[7] Evacuations in the Florida Keys disrupted traffic along the Overseas Highway.[10] The Air Force evacuated 90 Boeing B-47 Stratojets from Homestead Air Reserve Base. At Cape Canaveral, the threat of the storm caused the launching of two missiles to be postponed.[12] Most flights out of Miami International Airport were canceled during the storm's approach. Officials closed schools in Miami and the Florida Keys,[11] and recommended residents in low-lying areas of the Florida Keys and southwestern Florida to evacuate. Ultimately, about 12,000 people in southern Florida sought refuge in storm shelters, two of which were damaged during the storm.[13] In Miami-Dade County alone, there were 77 storm shelters housing 10,000 people.[14]
At 5 p.m. on September 10, gale warnings were extended northward to Myrtle Beach. At 11 p.m., hurricane warnings were lowered in the Florida Keys but extended northward from Daytona Beach to Savannah, Georgia.[7] At 11 a.m. on September 11, all warnings were lowered south of Vero Beach and along the Florida west coast, while hurricane warnings were extended northward from Savannah to Myrtle Beach. At 5 p.m., hurricane warnings were lowered south of Fernandina Beach, while they were extended northward to include the entire North Carolina coast. Gale warnings were issued northward to Cape May. At 9 p.m., hurricane warnings were extended northward to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while gale warnings and a hurricane watch were issued northward to Eastport, Maine.[15] Ships at dock in Newport, Rhode Island were towed out into the bay to weather the storm.[16] On September 12 at 5 a.m., hurricane warnings were extended northward to Eastport, and dropped south of Cape Hatteras. At 7 a.m., hurricane warnings were lowered south of Cape Charles. At 2 p.m., hurricane warnings were dropped south of Cape May. At 5 p.m., hurricane warnings were discontinued south of Manasquan, New Jersey. At 8 p.m., hurricane warnings expired south of Block Island. By 11 p.m. on September 12, all hurricane warnings had been lowered.[15]
ImpactEdit
Donna's Rainfall around Puerto Rico
Hurricane Donna was a very destructive hurricane that caused extensive damage from the Lesser Antilles to New England. At least 364 people were killed by the hurricane and property damage was estimated at $900 million (1960 USD).[17]
West AfricaEdit
The precursor to Hurricane Donna brought severe weather to the Dakar area of Senegal.[18] Air France Flight AF343, which was flying from Paris, France to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, attempted to land at the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport as a layover. However, due to squally weather, the plane instead crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 63 people on board.[19] Heavy rainfall was also reported in Cape Verde on August 30.[1]
CaribbeanEdit
Hurricane Donna caused very extensive damage on Saint-Martin, killed 7 and left at least a quarter of the island's population homeless. A weather station in Sint Maarten reported sustained wind gusts of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a 952 mbar (28.1 inHg) pressure reading in the main airport.[1] Donna killed two people on Antigua.[20] During the passing of Hurricane Donna, Anguilla recorded five deaths, including a woman who died when the roof of her house collapsed.
Despite passing only 35 mi (56 km) north of the island, Donna caused only minor damage on St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. A station there reported a wind gust of 60 mph (97 km/h).[1] Some fences were toppled, while several houses were reported to have been damaged or destroyed. Electrical and telephone services were also disrupted. The highest daily rainfall total on the island was 8.78 inches (223 mm), causing minor local flooding. On Saint John, several small boats capsized.
While passing to the north of Puerto Rico, Donna produced winds of 38 mph (61 km/h) in San Juan. Along the north coast of the island, high tides of around 6 ft (1.8 m) and strong waves caused coastal flooding.[1] The hurricane dropped torrential rainfall, peaking at 16.23 in (412 mm) at Naguabo in the central portion of the island. Large areas of eastern Puerto Rico received over 10 in (250 mm) of precipitation.[21] The hurricane left about 2,500 people homeless on the island.[12] Despite advanced warning of the floods, the hurricane killed 107 people on the island, of which 84 were in Humacao.[1]
In Haiti, the southern periphery of the hurricane killed three people in Port au Prince.[20] Later, Donna brushed the north coast of Cuba with strong winds and heavy rainfall,[1] causing damage along much of the coast.[10] In Gibara, the storm wrecked 80 houses.[11]
Turks and Caicos and BahamasEdit
On Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos, Donna produced winds of 58 mph (93 km/h), as the strongest winds remained north of the island. However, the storm dropped heavy rainfall of over 20 in (510 mm), much of which fell in a 12‑hour period.[1] Despite the rains, damage there was minor.[12]
In the Bahamas, the anemometer at Ragged Island blew away after registering a 150 mph (240 km/h) wind gust. At Mayaguana, where residents evacuated to a missile tracking base, hurricane-force winds raged for 13 hours.[1] The winds largely destroyed the village of Abraham's Bay on the island.[22] Andros experienced hurricane-force winds for a few hours, and winds on Fortune Island were estimated at 173 mph (278 km/h) before the anemometer blew away. The strongest winds remained south of the northwestern Bahamas, which limited damage there.[1] Donna cut communications between several islands.[12]
Several small island communities in the southern Bahamas were leveled. North Caicos reported 20 inches (510 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours.[23]
United StatesEdit
Donna's Rainfall in the United States
Fifty people were reported dead in the United States, with damages totaling to $3.35 billion.[24] Donna crossed directly over Texas Tower 4, causing severe damage to the structure and leading to its eventual loss in January 1961.[25]
Donna was the only hurricane to affect every state along the East Coast with hurricane-force winds.[26]
FloridaEdit
Flooding along Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, Florida
The U.S. state of Florida received the most damage from Hurricane Donna. Portions of southern and western Florida received over 10 in (250 mm) of rainfall from the hurricane, peaking at 13.24 in (336 mm).[21] Strong winds were observed in the state, with a sustained wind speed of 120 mph (190 km/h) in Tavernier and a gusts up to 150 mph (240 km/h) at Sombrero Key Light.[27] In Miami, winds reached 97 mph (156 km/h). Southeast of the city, high waves washed a 104-foot (32 m) freighter onshore an island.[13] The highest observed storm surge of 13 ft (4.0 m) was reported at Marathon. The hurricane also lashed Southwest Florida, where tides were 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m) above normal.[27]
In Miami-Dade County, thousands of low-lying homes in the Homestead area were flooded. Overall, 857 houses in the county were destroyed, while about 2,317 others suffered damage. Significant agricultural losses were also reported. Donna was the first hurricane to affect Miami, Florida, since Hurricane King in October 1950.[28]
In the Florida Keys, some areas experienced "almost complete destruction".[27] Further north between Marathon and Tavernier, an estimated 75% of buildings were extensively damaged. In the former, tides inundated the city and destroyed several subdivisions.[27] In Key West, one death was confirmed, and 71 people were injured. About 564 homes were demolished, and an additional 1,382 were damaged, 583 of them severely.[29] Storm surge inundated parts of the Overseas Highway and washed out several portions near bridges. Many boats and docks were severely damaged or destroyed. Additionally, the pipeline supplying water to the Florida Keys was wrecked in three places.[27]
Large tracts of mangrove forest were lost in the western portion of Everglades National Park, while at least 35% of the white heron population in the park were killed.[30] In Everglades, FL, about 50% of buildings were destroyed due to strong winds and coastal flooding. Late on September 11, 2 to 3 feet (0.61 to 0.91 m) of water was reported throughout the area. The city briefly became inaccessible due to inundated roads. Many small buildings were destroyed, and roofs were blown off or damaged. Thousands of trees were toppled,[27] blocking portions of the Tamiami Trail.[13] Throughout Collier County, strong winds and coastal flooding combined destroyed 153 homes, inflicted major impact on an additional 409, and 1,049 others suffered minor damage.[31] The turn into southern Florida lessened damage in the Tampa area.[32]
Throughout the state of Florida, the storm destroyed 2,156 homes and trailers, severely damaged 3,903, and inflicted minor impact on 30,524 others. Approximately 391 farm buildings were destroyed, an additional 989 suffered extensive impact, and 2,499 others received minor damage. Roughly 174 buildings were demolished, 1,029 received major impact, and 4,254 suffered minor damage. Additionally, 281 boats were destroyed or severely damaged. A total of 50% of grapefruit crop was lost, 10% of the orange and tangerine crops were ruined, and the avocado crop was almost destroyed. With at least $350 million in damage in Florida alone, Donna was the costliest hurricane to impact the state, at the time. Additionally, there were 14 confirmed fatalities: six from drowning, four from heart attacks, two from automobile accidents, and two from electrocution. About 1,188 others were injured.[33]
Southeastern United States and Mid-AtlanticEdit
The facade of the 1840s-era Bennett's Rice Mill in Charleston, South Carolina; much of the structure was destroyed by a tornado.
The storm brought minor impact to Georgia. Wind gusts of 50 mph (80 km/h) along the coast felled trees and tree limbs, resulting in electrical and telephone-service outages. In Brunswick, GA, a power outage at the power plant caused a minor explosion. Heavy rainfall temporarily flooded some streets in the city. Further north in South Carolina, gale-force winds were reported along the coast, but caused little damage. A tornado spawned in the Charleston area destroyed several houses and severely damaged a number of others, and injured a few people by flying glass. Damage from this tornado was over $500,000. Another tornado touched down in Garden City, SC and destroyed or extensively damaged six buildings.[27] In Beaufort County, SC, many trees were uprooted, power lines were downed, homes were unroofed, piers were destroyed, and there was significant damage to corn and soybean crops.[34]
In North Carolina, Donna brought two tornadoes to the state. The first damaged several small buildings in Bladen County; The second tornado spawned in Sampson County, where it destroyed a dwelling with eight occupants, all of whom were hospitalized. Along the coast, wind gusts as high as 100 mph (155 km/h) damaged or destroyed several buildings. Additionally crops were damaged as far as 50 miles (80 km) inland. Storm tides ranging from 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 m) above normal caused significant beach erosion and structural damage at Wilmington and Nags Head.[27] Additionally, Topsail Beach was reported to have been 50% destroyed. In Southport, the town docks were almost completely demolished.[35] There were eight deaths, including three from drowning, two from falling trees, two from weather-related traffic accidents, and one from electrocution. At least 100 people were injured enough to require hospitalization.[27] Damage in North Carolina exceeded $5 million, with the worst impact occurring in New Hanover County.[35]
In Virginia, the east coast of the state reported hurricane-force winds, while gusts reached up to 89 mph (143 km/h) in Virginia Beach.[18] Strong winds toppled trees and electrical wires, which blocked streets. Additionally, buildings suffered roof damage and broken windows; some structures were completely destroyed. Offshore, rough seas sank or destroyed numerous small crafts, while a 12,000 tonnes (26,000,000 lb) vessel was driven aground. The storm killed three people in Virginia; two of the deaths occurred when a barge collided with a freighter and later sank, and another after a man attempted to safeguard his boat. Strong winds and heavy rains were observed in eastern Maryland. Ocean City suffered the worst impact, with over $300,000 in property damage. The storm also damaged crops in the area, especially corn and apples. Effects from the storm in Delaware were similar, with property damage and considerable losses to corn and apple crops. In Pennsylvania, wind gusts up to 59 mph (95 km/h) in the southeastern portions of the state toppled many trees and utility wires. Heavy rains and poor drainage in some areas flooded basements, lawns, and streets. Low-lying areas in Bucks and Montgomery counties were inundated with up to 3 feet (0.91 m) of water after many streams and creeks nearby overflowed. One death in the state was reported after a boy was swept into a swollen creek behind his home in Sharon Hill.[27]
Winds as strong as 100 mph (160 km/h) were observed along the coast of New Jersey. Rainfall in the state was generally between 5 and 6 inches (130 and 150 mm),[27] with a peak of 8.99 inches (228 mm) near Hammonton.[36] Damage from the storm was most severe in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean counties, where numerous boats, docks, boardwalks, and cottages were damaged or destroyed.[27] A resort area in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey saw its boardwalk and tourist attractions destroyed by the hurricane, and the area has never recovered. Losses to agriculture were significant, with damage to apple and peach trees "considerable", the former of which lost about one-third of its crops. Wind damage to corn, Sudan grass, and sorghum resulted in a delay in their harvest. Nine deaths were reported in the state of New Jersey. In southeastern New York, heavy rains, hurricane-force winds, and "unprecedented" high tides were observed. Severe small stream flooding caused significant damage, especially on Long Island, the waterfront of New York City, and further north in Greene County. The storm caused three fatalities in the state, two from drowning and another from a person crushed by a falling tree.[27]
Elsewhere in North AmericaEdit
In Connecticut, strong winds left 15,000 people without telephone service, while 88,000 homes lost electricity. Along the coast, tides caused beach erosion, inundated streets, and weakened foundations. Four seaside cottages were destroyed. Crop damage was isolated and mainly limited to apples and corn. In Rhode Island, the storm brought a wind gust as strong as 130 mph (210 km/h) to Block Island. Telephone and electrical services were severely disrupted. Along the coast, high tides significantly damaged or destroyed about 200 homes at Narragansett Bay and Warwick cove. Damage to these vessels collectively totaled to over $2 million. Agriculture also suffered impact, particularly to fruit, timber, and poultry, especially in Newport and Portsmouth.[27]
Strong winds were also observed in Massachusetts, with a wind gust of 145 mph (233 km/h) at the Blue Hill Observatory.[1] Extensive losses to apple orchards occurred, as the fruit was blown out of trees. Widespread telephone and power outages were reported.[27] The strong southwest winds associated with Donna, in combination with very little rainfall, led to a significant deposit of salt spray, which whitewashed southwest-facing windows. Many trees and shrubs saw their leaves brown due to the salt.[37] However, in other areas, 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 mm) of precipitation fell, causing some washouts and local flooding. Waves along the coast ripped small boats and pleasure craft from their moorings and subsequently smashed them against rocks or seawalls.[27]
In Vermont, winds damaged trees, tree branches, and power lines, causing telephone and electrical service outages in a few communities. Rainfall totals ranged 2–5 inches (51–127 mm), resulting in washouts in some areas. Damage to apple orchards totaled $50,000. Along the coast of New Hampshire, many boats were smashed or damaged in some way. Strong winds felled trees and power lines, causing residents in the southern portions of the state to lose telephone service and electricity. Additionally, apple orchards suffered $200,000 in damage. Rainfall in the state peaked at 7.25 inches (184 mm) near Peterborough, resulting in local flooding and washouts.[27]
Along the coast, large waves damaged 15 to 20 boats in Falmouth, Maine harbor. Total boat damage was estimated at $250,000. Coastal residents in low-lying beach areas of Cumberland and York counties were evacuated in Maine. Several counties lost power during the storm. In Southwest Harbor, lightning struck the Dirigo Hotel, causing a fire that resulted in $100,000 in damages. Winds caused a lost of telephone and electrical services in the Auburn-Lewiston area due to falling trees or tree branches. Television antennas were damaged, as were several signs, including a Sears sign. In addition, 25% to 40% of the apple crop was destroyed.[38]
After becoming extratropical, the remnants of Donna continued northeastward into New Brunswick, Quebec, and then Labrador. Wind gusts of 53 mph (85 km/h) in Quebec snapped electrical poles and trees. One death occurred when a man suffered a heart attack when his home was threatened by a fire. Additionally, weather-related traffic accidents in the province resulted in two injuries.[39]
Depictions in popular cultureEdit
Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck wrote about Hurricane Donna in his 1962 non-fiction memoir Travels with Charley: In Search of America. Steinbeck had had a truck fitted with a custom camper-shell for a journey he intended to take across the United States, accompanied by his poodle Charley. He planned on leaving after Labor Day from his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. Steinbeck delayed his trip slightly due to Donna, which made a direct hit on Long Island. Steinbeck wrote of saving his boat during the middle of the hurricane, during which he jumped into the water and was blown to shore clinging to a fallen branch driven by the high winds. It was an exploit which foreshadowed his fearless, or even reckless, state of mind to dive into the unknown.[40]
The winds of Donna can be seen in the feature film Blast of Silence (1961); a fist fight scene on Long Island had been previously scheduled, and the filmmakers decided to go ahead and shoot the exterior scene despite the hurricane.[41]
Aftermath, records and retirementEdit
See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
Following the storm, President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a disaster declaration for Florida and North Carolina, allowing residents of those states to be eligible for public assistance.[42][43]
The United States military sent a plane carrying doctors and food from Patrick Air Force Base to Mayaguana in the Bahamas.[22] Crews of doctors and workers with food and supplies left from Key West and Miami to traverse the Florida Keys, bringing aid to affected residents.[13] In Marathon, a large reconstruction program rehabilitated the key by Christmas.[44]
Coral reefs were damaged in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary by the hurricane.[45] Donna caused a significant negative impact on aquatic life in north Florida Bay. Marine life was either stranded by retreating salt water which had been driven inland or killed by muddied waters in its wake. Oxygen depletion due to animals perishing in the hurricane caused additional mortality. Although salinity levels returned to normal within six weeks, dissolved oxygen concentrations remained quite low for a longer time frame. Marine life was scarce for several months in areas of greatest oxygen depletion. Sports fishing in the area took a few months to recover. Juvenile pink shrimp moved from their estuarine nursery grounds into deeper water about 60 miles (97 km) offshore, where they were subsequently captured by fishermen.[46] A Caspian tern was swept up the North American coast well to the north of its traditional breeding grounds, to Nova Scotia, which was witnessed four hours after the storm went by Digby Neck.[47]
Because of its devastating impacts and the high mortality associated with the hurricane, the name "Donna" was retired, and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane; the name was replaced by "Dora" in 1964.[48]
Tropical cyclones portal
1935 Labor Day hurricane – most intense hurricane to strike the United States
Hurricane Irma – another intense hurricane with a similar track in Florida
Hurricane Charley – similar track across I-4 corridor
Hurricane Luis – similarly strong hurricane in 1995 that struck the northeastern Caribbean Sea, but subsequently turned out to sea
List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
List of Delaware hurricanes
List of Florida hurricanes (1950–74)
List of New England hurricanes
List of New York hurricanes
List of North Carolina hurricanes (1950–79)
List of wettest tropical cyclones in Massachusetts
List of disasters in the United States by death toll
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Gordon E. Dunn (March 1961). "The Hurricane Season of 1960" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. United States Weather Bureau. 89: 99, 104–107. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1961)089<0099:thso>2.0.co;2. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
^ Ralph Higgs (September 2, 1960). Hurricane Advisory Number 1 Donna (GIF) (Report). San Juan Weather Bureau. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
^ Tropical Storm "Donna" September 2-13, 1960 Preliminary Report (GIF) (Report). United States Weather Bureau. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
^ a b c d e f "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. May 10, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^ NOAA. "Hurricane and Tropical Cyclones: Major Hurricane Donna". The Weather Underground. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
^ a b c Hurricane "Donna" Chronology, September 2-13, 1960 (Report). United States Weather Bureau Office of Climatology. 1960. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
^ "Puerto Rico Braces for Hurricane". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. September 5, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ "Hurricane Howls Towards Mainland". The Gadsden Times. Associated Press. September 5, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ a b c "Deadly 'Donna' Seems Sure to Slam into Florida". The Times-News. United Press International. September 9, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ a b c "Storm Nears Florida Coast". The Windsor Star. September 9, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ a b c d e "Savage Hurricane 'Donna' Aims for Florida; Winds 150 MPH". The Times-News. United Press International. September 8, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ a b c d "Gulf Beaches Evacuated; Donna Slashes Pinellas". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. September 11, 1960. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
^ "Donna Late, But Miami Hurt". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. September 11, 1960. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
^ a b Hurricane "Donna" Chronology page 2, September 2-13, 1960. United States Weather Bureau Office of Climatology (1960). Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ Ron Fritz (2008). USS Fred T. Berry DD/DDE 858 Ship's History Addenda: Hurricane Donna. Ron Fritz. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ Edward N. Rappaport and Jose Fernandez-Partagas. The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1996. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2008-10-13.
^ a b David M. Roth (July 16, 2001). Late Twentieth Century. Weather Prediction Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
^ Accident description (Report). Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
^ a b "Hurricane Donna Threatens Florida". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. September 6, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ a b David M. Roth (March 6, 2013). Hurricane Donna - September 3-12, 1960 (Report). Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
^ a b "Hurricane Donna Turns Slightly Toward North". Associated Press newspaper The News and Courier. September 9, 1960. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
^ 2007 Hurricane Guide: Are You Prepared? Turks & Caicos Islands Red Cross (2007). Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ Eric S. Blake; Edward N. Rappaport; Christopher W. Landsea (April 15, 2007). "The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones from 1851 to 2006 (And Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts)" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ Thomas Ray. "A history of Texas Towers in air defense 1952-1964". The Texas Tower Association. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ "Hurricane History". National Hurricane Center. 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena: September 1960 (PDF). ncdc.noaa.gov (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Climatic Data Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
^ National Climatic Data Center (1960). Climatological Data: Florida - September 1960, pp. 2. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ Special Storm and Flood Report by the American Red Cross for U.S. Weather Bureau. nhc.noaa.gov (Report). United States Weather Bureau. American Red Cross. October 20, 1960. p. 2. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
^ Jason P. Dunion; Christopher W. Landsea; Samuel H. Houston; Mark D. Powell (2003). A Reanalysis of the Surface Winds for Hurricane Donna of 1960 (PDF) (Report). Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
^ Dick Bothwell (September 11, 1960). "Back to Normal By Friday". St. Petersburg Times. United Press International. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
^ "Here's What Donna Did". nhc.noaa.gov. National Hurricane Center. 1960. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
^ "Losses Heavy As Donna Rips Through County" (PDF). Beaufort County Community College. 1960. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
^ a b Scott Nunn (September 15, 2010). "Back Then - Hurricane Donna rushes ashore in 1960". Star-News. p. 2. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
^ Roth, David M; Weather Prediction Center (2012). "Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic United States". Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Point Maxima. United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
^ Arnold Arboretum (September 8, 1961). "Hurricane "Donna" and its After Effects to a Chatham, Massachusetts, Garden" (PDF). Harvard University. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
^ Wayne Cotterly (October 21, 2002). Hurricane Donna-(1960) (Report). Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
^ 1960-Donna. ec.gc.ca (Report). Environment Canada. November 5, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
^ John Steinbeck (1962). Travels with Charley: In Search of America. Penguin Books. pp. 20–21. ISBN 1101615168. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
^ "Trivia for Blast of Silence (1961)". tcm.com/tcmdb. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ Florida Hurricane Donna (DR-106). fema.gov (Report). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
^ North Carolina Hurricane Donna (DR-107). fema.gov (Report). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
^ Larry Solloway (December 25, 1960). "Face-Lifting Erases Scar Donna Left in Keys". New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ "The Effects of African Dust on Coral Reefs and Human Health". er.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. June 14, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ Tabb, Durbin C.; Jones, Albert C. (1962). "Effect of Hurricane Donna on the Aquatic Fauna of North Florida Bay". Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 91 (4): 375–378. doi:10.1577/1548-8659(1962)91[375:eohdot]2.0.co;2.
^ "Caspian Tern". Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. February 20, 1998. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
^ Retired Hurricane Names Since 1954 (Report). National Hurricane Center. April 22, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hurricane Donna.
Images from the Naples Daily News of Donna
Historic Images of Florida Hurricanes (Florida State Archives)
NOAA Hurricane Research Division Donna page
HPC Rainfall Page on Donna
Diane Costliest Atlantic hurricanes on Record
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hurricane_Donna&oldid=905504908"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2469
|
__label__wiki
| 0.918872
| 0.918872
|
A year on, Germany's PEGIDA radicalised by refugee influx
They gather in the dark, wave German flags and vent their fury at foreigners they fear are overrunning their homeland – next week Germany's anti-Islamic PEGIDA movement turns one year old. Radicalised by Germany's record influx of refugees and migrants, the long-dormant protest movement has come back with a vengeance onto the streets of Dresden in the former communist East. Last week one protester carried a mock-gallows with the names of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her deputy, despised by the protesters as "Berlin dictators" and "traitors" for their open-door policy to refugees.
PEGIDA – short for "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident" – started life as a xenophobic Facebook group around co-founder Lutz Bachmann, 42. From a few hundred people who showed up for their first evening "Monday stroll" on October 20 last year, it grew to a peak of 25,000 in January, shortly after the Paris jihadist attacks against satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. "We are the people," they have chanted, co-opting the slogan of demonstrators before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and suggesting a righteous revolt against an out-of-touch political elite and the "lying press". A mix of hardcore neo-Nazis and a far greater number of self-proclaimed "concerned citizens", the movement triggered broad distaste in Germany and sparked larger anti-fascist counter protests nationwide.
It seemed to have crashed and burned at the start of the year after Bachmann's racist online slurs and "selfies" sporting a Hitler moustache surfaced, sparking outrage and a leadership split. PEGIDA, and its smaller clone groups in Germany and abroad, disappeared from the streets and the newspaper headlines – until a spike in migrant arrivals in September brought them back from the dead. "The turning point was when Angela Merkel opened the borders to let in people from Hungary," said Nele Wissmann of the French Institute for International Relations. "This was the trigger point." TV footage of volunteers cheering refugees arriving on packed trains, and handing them donated drinks, food and clothes, went around the world.
To PEGIDA's followers it set off alarm bells, and the movement regrouped, angrier than ever. Groups were once more cheering Bachmann, undeterred by a prosecution case against him for inciting racial hatred online by having labelled migrants "animals", "trash" and "filthy rabble". One banner at a recent rally accused Merkel of "ethnocide against the German people". And the offensive gallows prop has sparked another official inquiry by prosecutors. Experts warn the movement is turning more radical, after members recently attacked journalists, and as police report a spike in attacks against asylum-homes.
"Since the autumn it's become really radicalised to become a right-wing movement... focused on refugees," said Wissmann. "It is very, very serious." German police union chairman Rainer Wendt said security forces must keep a close eye on PEGIDA and "prevent the spread of a new, organised right-wing terrorism". Germany was shocked to learn in 2011 that a neo-Nazi death squad calling itself the National Socialist Underground (NSU) had gone on a seven-year killing spree that claimed 10 lives, nine of them migrants. "There must not be a second NSU," said Wendt. Others have argued that the re-emergence of the movement must not be overplayed, given that PEGIDA has so far drawn an estimated 9,000 protesters – compared to at least 150,000 at a Berlin rally last weekend against a planned EU-US trade agreement.
Germany, haunted by shame over the Nazi era and Holocaust, so far does not have an openly anti-immigrant party represented in parliament, unlike France, Austria, Britain and other European nations. Timo Lochocki of think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States argued that despite a dip in the polls for Merkel, the ratings in fact show that the broad majority of Germans is not lured by extremists but maintains a basic trust in her government to manage the migrant wave.
The small populist right-wing Alternative for Germany party – whose leaders have voiced sympathy for PEGIDA – had so far failed to capitalise in a major way on any anti-migrant backlash, gaining just two points to seven percent, he said. "Germany is facing its greatest challenge since reunification, maybe since World War II," Lochocki said. "And at this very moment, the German far-right is gaining two percent, and the governing parties have slipped from 41 to 38 percent. It's indicating that the lion's share of German voters still entirely trusts the German established parties."
How PEGIDA develops will depend on how Germany manages its historic migrant influx, say experts. Werner Patzelt of Dresden Technical University warned that PEGIDA has already become "a protest movement decoupled from the mainstream political system that could become the right-wing populist party we never wanted". (AFP)
Visit Qantara.de's dossier on PEGIDA
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2471
|
__label__wiki
| 0.725872
| 0.725872
|
Real Madrid trains Palestinian refugee camp coaches
Usually they're the ones giving the orders, but on Monday 20 Palestinian football coaches were taking instructions from a trainer sent by Real Madrid at a West Bank refugee camp. For the past five years the legendary Spanish club have been sending representatives of their charitable foundation to pass on their skills to coaches in a joint programme with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which cares for Palestinian refugees.
This year's teach-in was attended by coaches from all over the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but their colleagues from the Gaza Strip were absent after being denied permits by Israel to cross its territory to reach the small training ground in Qalandia, between Ramallah and Jerusalem.
As the starting whistle blew, the coaches were allocated to groups of Palestinian youngsters where they conducted quizzes on sport, general knowledge and the benefits of a balanced diet. The aim, said Spanish UNRWA worker Lucia Martinez, is to promote sport as a therapy for the "very stressed" Palestinian children.
"This helps them to feel better, relieve stress and anxiety created by the situation in the refugee camps or in Gaza," she told reporters.
Rita Amdaghlas, 34, has been passing on her passion for football for the past six years to children aged eight to 14 at a school run by the Roman Catholic church. She joined the Real Madrid programme for the first time this year and says the experience has already taught her "games to boost the children's capacities and participation." The training, she adds, is conducted "in a good atmosphere, without tension, which makes the children help one another."
The Real Madrid Foundation's technical manager for the training scheme, David Gil Chapado, says he wants to "pass on methods which have already been tried in over 70 countries."
Sport in the Palestinian territories is hampered by the conflict with Israel and its restrictions on Palestinian movement as well as a chronic lack of facilities. In coming to Qalandia, Real made a decision to focus on coaches in refugee camps, which are home to many children with "social and economic problems," said Gil Chapado. (AFP)
Essay by Tony Klug: Two states – by design or disaster
Secular versus religious in the Israel Defence Forces: Into battle with the Bible
Interview with Raji Sourani in Gaza: "We are just soft targets: we are very cheap"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2472
|
__label__wiki
| 0.825398
| 0.825398
|
Director-General condemns murder of Iraqi journalist Adel Mohsen Hussien and cameraman Wahdan Al-Hamdani
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today expressed grave concern about the safety of journalists in Iraq following news of the murder of two reporters in recent days: Adel Mohsen Hussien and Wahdan Al-Hamdani.
“I condemn the killing of Adel Mohsen Hussien and Wahdan Al-Hamdani,” the Director-General said. “It is essential that the authorities investigate and bring to justice those responsible for crimes against media workers that affect the whole of Iraqi society,” Ms Bokova added.
Adel Mohsen Hussien, 43, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq on 2 December. Hussien was a writer and journalist who worked for several Iraqi media and was a representative of the Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association.
TV journalist Wahdan Al-Hamdani was killed on 27 November while covering a funeral in Basra. Al-Hamdani worked as a cameraman for Baghdad-based satellite channel Al Taghee.
This year, the Director-General condemned the killing of seven journalists in Iraq, including Hussien and Al-Hamdani. Their names are registered on the dedicated webpage UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.
Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray(at)unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12
UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2474
|
__label__cc
| 0.645986
| 0.354014
|
Genesis creation narrative
(Redirected from Genesis creation myth)
Creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity
"Genesis 1" redirects here. For other uses, see Genesis 1 (disambiguation).
Part of a series on the
Canons and books
Christian biblical canons
Old Testament (OT)
New Testament (NT)
Deuterocanon
Antilegomena
Chapters and verses
Authorship and development
Hebrew canon
Old Testament canon
New Testament canon
Documentary hypothesis
Mosaic authorship
Petrine epistles
Johannine works
Translations and manuscripts
Samaritan Torah
Targumim
Peshitta
Gothic Bible
Vetus Latina
Luther Bible
Historicity
Internal consistency
Novum Testamentum Graece
Synoptic problem
NT textual categories
Pesher
Allegorical interpretation
Bible conspiracy theory
Qur'anic
Inerrancy
Infallibility
Criticism of the Bible
Outline of Bible-related topics
Bible book Bible portal
The Genesis creation narrative is the creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity.[1] The narrative is made up of two stories, roughly equivalent to the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis. In the first, Elohim (the Hebrew generic word for God) creates the heavens and the Earth in six days, then rests on, blesses and sanctifies the seventh. In the second story, God, now referred to by the personal name Yahweh, creates Adam, the first man, from dust and places him in the Garden of Eden, where he is given dominion over the animals. Eve, the first woman, is created from Adam and as his companion.
Borrowing themes from Mesopotamian mythology, but adapting them to the Israelite people's belief in one God,[2] the first major comprehensive draft of the Pentateuch (the series of five books which begins with Genesis and ends with Deuteronomy) was composed in the late 7th or the 6th century BCE (the Jahwist source) and was later expanded by other authors (the Priestly source) into a work very like the one we have today.[3] The two sources can be identified in the creation narrative: Priestly and Jahwistic.[4] The combined narrative is a critique of the Mesopotamian theology of creation: Genesis affirms monotheism and denies polytheism.[5] Robert Alter described the combined narrative as "compelling in its archetypal character, its adaptation of myth to monotheistic ends".[6]
Misunderstanding the genre of the Genesis creation narrative, meaning the intention of the author(s) and the culture within which they wrote, can result in a misreading;[7] misreading the story as history rather than theology leads to Creationism and the denial of evolution.[8] As scholar of Jewish studies, Jon D. Levenson, puts it:
How much history lies behind the story of Genesis? Because the action of the primeval story is not represented as taking place on the plane of ordinary human history and has so many affinities with ancient mythology, it is very far-fetched to speak of its narratives as historical at all."[9]
1 Composition
1.2 Structure
1.3 Mesopotamian influence
1.4 Creation by word and creation by combat
2 Genesis 1:1–2:3
2.2 Pre-creation: Genesis 1:1–2
2.3 Six days of Creation: Genesis 1:3–2:3
2.3.1 First day
2.3.2 Second day
2.3.3 Third day
2.3.4 Fourth day
2.3.5 Fifth day
2.3.6 Sixth day
2.4 Seventh day: divine rest
3 Genesis 2:4–2:25
4 Creationism and the genre of the creation narrative
8.1 Biblical texts
8.2 Mesopotamian texts
8.3 Related links
Composition[edit]
Cuneiform tablet with the Atra-Hasis Epic in the British Museum
See also: Documentary hypothesis
Although tradition attributes Genesis to Moses, biblical scholars hold that it, together with the following four books (making up what Jews call the Torah and biblical scholars call the Pentateuch), is "a composite work, the product of many hands and periods."[10] A common hypothesis among biblical scholars today is that the first major comprehensive draft of the Pentateuch was composed in the late 7th or the 6th century BCE (the Jahwist source), and that this was later expanded by the addition of various narratives and laws (the Priestly source) into a work very like the one existing today.[3]
As for the historical background which led to the creation of the narrative itself, a theory which has gained considerable interest, although still controversial, is "Persian imperial authorisation". This proposes that the Persians, after their conquest of Babylon in 538 BCE, agreed to grant Jerusalem a large measure of local autonomy within the empire, but required the local authorities to produce a single law code accepted by the entire community. It further proposes that there were two powerful groups in the community – the priestly families who controlled the Temple, and the landowning families who made up the "elders" – and that these two groups were in conflict over many issues, and that each had its own "history of origins", but the Persian promise of greatly increased local autonomy for all provided a powerful incentive to cooperate in producing a single text.[11]
Structure[edit]
The creation narrative is made up of two stories, roughly equivalent to the two first chapters of the Book of Genesis[12] (there are no chapter divisions in the original Hebrew text, see Chapters and verses of the Bible). The first account (1:1 through 2:3) employs a repetitious structure of divine fiat and fulfillment, then the statement "And there was evening and there was morning, the [xth] day," for each of the six days of creation. In each of the first three days there is an act of division: day one divides the darkness from light, day two the "waters above" from the "waters below", and day three the sea from the land. In each of the next three days these divisions are populated: day four populates the darkness and light with Sun, Moon and stars; day five populates seas and skies with fish and fowl; and finally land-based creatures and mankind populate the land.[13]
Consistency was evidently not seen as essential to storytelling in ancient Near Eastern literature.[14] The overlapping stories of Genesis 1 and 2 are contradictory but also complementary, with the first (the Priestly story) concerned with the creation of the entire cosmos while the second (the Yahwist story) focuses on man as moral agent and cultivator of his environment.[12] The highly regimented seven-day narrative of Genesis 1 features an omnipotent God who creates a god-like humanity, while the one-day creation of Genesis 2 uses a simple linear narrative, a God who can fail as well as succeed, and a humanity which is not god-like but is punished for acts which would lead to their becoming god-like.[15] Even the order and method of creation differs.[15] "Together, this combination of parallel character and contrasting profile point to the different origin of materials in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, however elegantly they have now been combined."[16]
The primary accounts in each chapter are joined by a literary bridge at Genesis 2:4|, "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created." This echoes the first line of Genesis 1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth", and is reversed in the next phrase, "...in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens". This verse is one of ten "generations" (Hebrew: תולדות toledot) phrases used throughout Genesis, which provide a literary structure to the book.[17] They normally function as headings to what comes after, but the position of this, the first of the series, has been the subject of much debate.[18]
Mesopotamian influence[edit]
See also: Panbabylonism
Marduk, god of Babylon, destroying Tiamat, the dragon of primeval chaos
Comparative mythology provides historical and cross-cultural perspectives for Jewish mythology. Both sources behind the Genesis creation narrative borrowed themes from Mesopotamian mythology,[19][20] but adapted them to their belief in one God,[2] establishing a monotheistic creation in opposition to the polytheistic creation myth of ancient Israel's neighbors.[21][22]
Genesis 1–11 as a whole is imbued with Mesopotamian myths.[19][23] Genesis 1 bears both striking differences from and striking similarities to Babylon's national creation myth, the Enuma Elish.[20] On the side of similarities, both begin from a stage of chaotic waters before anything is created, in both a fixed dome-shaped "firmament" divides these waters from the habitable Earth, and both conclude with the creation of a human called "man" and the building of a temple for the god (in Genesis 1, this temple is the entire cosmos).[24] On the side of contrasts, Genesis 1 is monotheistic, it makes no attempt to account for the origins of God, and there is no trace of the resistance to the reduction of chaos to order (Gk. theomachy, lit. "God-fighting"), all of which mark the Mesopotamian creation accounts.[2] Still, Genesis 1 bears similarities to the Baal Cycle of Israel's neighbor, Ugarit.[25]
The Enuma Elish has also left traces on Genesis 2. Both begin with a series of statements of what did not exist at the moment when creation began; the Enuma Elish has a spring (in the sea) as the point where creation begins, paralleling the spring (on the land – Genesis 2 is notable for being a "dry" creation story) in Genesis 2:6 that "watered the whole face of the ground"; in both myths, Yahweh/the gods first create a man to serve him/them, then animals and vegetation. At the same time, and as with Genesis 1, the Jewish version has drastically changed its Babylonian model: Eve, for example, seems to fill the role of a mother goddess when, in Genesis 4:1, she says that she has "created a man with Yahweh", but she is not a divine being like her Babylonian counterpart.[26]
Genesis 2 has close parallels with a second Mesopotamian myth, the Atra-Hasis epic – parallels that in fact extend throughout Genesis 2–11, from the Creation to the Flood and its aftermath. The two share numerous plot-details (e.g. the divine garden and the role of the first man in the garden, the creation of the man from a mixture of earth and divine substance, the chance of immortality, etc.), and have a similar overall theme: the gradual clarification of man's relationship with God(s) and animals.[16]
The Garden of Eden story is compared to the Sumerian myth in which the goddess Ninhursag created a beautiful garden full of lush vegetation and fruit trees, called Edinu, in Dilmun, the Sumerian earthly Paradise, a place which the Sumerians believed to exist to the east of their own land, beyond the sea.[27][page needed] Ninhursag charged Enki, her lover and half brother, with controlling the wild animals and tending the garden, but Enki became curious about the garden, and his assistant, Adapa, selected seven plants (eight in some versions) and offered them to Enki, who ate them. This enraged Ninhursag, and she caused Enki to fall ill. Enki felt pain in his rib, which is a pun in Sumerian, as the word "ti" means both "rib" and "life".[28] The other deities persuaded Ninhursag to relent. Ninhursag then created a new goddess (seven or eight to heal his seven or eight ailing organs, including his rib), who was named Ninti, (a name composed of "Nin", or "lady", and "ti", and which may be translated both as "Lady of Living" and "Lady of the Rib"), to cure Enki.[29] Some scholars suggest that this served as the basis for the story of Eve as "the mother of life" and lady of the rib, created from Adam's rib in the Book of Genesis.[30][page needed]
Creation by word and creation by combat[edit]
The narratives in Genesis 1 and 2 were not the only creation myths in ancient Israel, and the complete biblical evidence suggests two contrasting models.[31] The first is the "logos" (meaning speech) model, where a supreme God "speaks" dormant matter into existence. The second is the "agon" (meaning struggle or combat) model, in which it is God's victory in battle over the monsters of the sea that mark his sovereignty and might.[32] Genesis 1 is an example of creation by speech, while Psalm 74 and Isaiah 51 are examples of the "agon" mythology, recalling a Canaanite myth in which God creates the world by vanquishing the water deities: "Awake, awake! ... It was you that hacked Rahab in pieces, that pierced the Dragon! It was you that dried up the Sea, the waters of the great Deep, that made the abysses of the Sea a road that the redeemed might walk..."[33]
Genesis 1:1–2:3[edit]
The Ancient of Days (William Blake, 1794)
The cosmos created in Genesis 1 bears a striking resemblance to the Tabernacle in Exodus 35–40, which was the prototype of the Temple in Jerusalem and the focus of priestly worship of Yahweh; for this reason, and because other Middle Eastern creation stories also climax with the construction of a temple/house for the creator-god, Genesis 1 can be interpreted as a description of the construction of the cosmos as God's house, for which the Temple in Jerusalem served as the earthly representative.[34]
The word bara is translated as "created" in English, but the concept it embodied was not the same as the modern term: in the world of the ancient Near East, the gods demonstrated their power over the world not by creating matter but by fixing destinies, so that the essence of the bara which God performs in Genesis concerns bringing "heaven and earth" (a set phrase meaning "everything") into existence by organising and assigning roles and functions.[35]
The use of numbers in ancient texts was often numerological rather than factual – that is, the numbers were used because they held some symbolic value to the author.[36] The number seven, denoting divine completion, permeates Genesis 1: verse 1:1 consists of seven words, verse 1:2 of fourteen, and 2:1–3 has 35 words (5x7); Elohim is mentioned 35 times, "heaven/firmament" and "earth" 21 times each, and the phrases "and it was so" and "God saw that it was good" occur 7 times each.[37]
Pre-creation: Genesis 1:1–2[edit]
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.[38]
Although the opening phrase of Genesis 1:1 is commonly translated in English as above, the Hebrew is ambiguous, and can be translated at least three ways:
as a statement that the cosmos had an absolute beginning ("In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.");
as a statement describing the condition of the world when God began creating ("When in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was untamed and shapeless."); and
essentially similar to the second version but taking all of Genesis 1:2 as background information ("When in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth — the earth being untamed and shapeless... — God said, Let there be light!").[39]
The second seems to be the meaning intended by the original Priestly author: the verb bara is used only of God (people do not engage in bara), and it concerns the assignment of roles, as in the creation of the first people as "male and female" (i.e., it allocates them sexes): in other words, the power of God is being shown not by the creation of matter but by the fixing of destinies.[35]
The heavens and the earth is a set phrase meaning "everything", i.e., the cosmos. This was made up of three levels, the habitable earth in the middle, the heavens above, and an underworld below, all surrounded by a watery "ocean" of chaos as the Babylonian Tiamat.[40] The Earth itself was a flat disc, surrounded by mountains or sea. Above it was the firmament, a transparent but solid dome resting on the mountains, allowing men to see the blue of the waters above, with "windows" to allow the rain to enter, and containing the Sun, Moon and stars. The waters extended below the Earth, which rested on pillars sunk in the waters, and in the underworld was Sheol, the abode of the dead.[41]
The opening of Genesis 1 continues: "And the earth was formless and void..." The phrase "formless and void" is a translation of the Hebrew tohu wa-bohu, (Hebrew: תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ), chaos, the condition that bara, ordering, remedies.[42] Tohu by itself means "emptiness, futility"; it is used to describe the desert wilderness; bohu has no known meaning and was apparently coined to rhyme with and reinforce tohu.[43] The phrase appears also in Jeremiah 4:23 where the prophet warns Israel that rebellion against God will lead to the return of darkness and chaos, "as if the earth had been 'uncreated'".[44]
The opening of Genesis 1 concludes with a statement that "darkness was on the face of the deep" (Hebrew: תְהוֹם tehôm), [the] "darkness" and the "deep" being two of the three elements of the chaos represented in tohu wa-bohu (the third is the "formless earth"). In the Enuma Elish, the "deep" is personified as the goddess Tiamat, the enemy of Marduk;[42] here it is the formless body of primeval water surrounding the habitable world, later to be released during the Deluge, when "all the fountains of the great deep burst forth" from the waters beneath the earth and from the "windows" of the sky.[45]
The Rûach of God moves over the face of the deep before creation begins. Rûach (רוּחַ) has the meanings "wind, spirit, breath", and elohim can mean "great" as well as "god": the ruach elohim may therefore mean the "wind/breath of God" (the storm-wind is God's breath in Psalms 18:16 and elsewhere, and the wind of God returns in the Flood story as the means by which God restores the Earth), or God's "spirit", a concept which is somewhat vague in the Hebrew Bible, or it may simply signify a great storm-wind.[46]
Six days of Creation: Genesis 1:3–2:3[edit]
The Creation – Bible Historiale (c. 1411)
God's first act was the creation of undifferentiated light; dark and light were then separated into night and day, their order (evening before morning) signifying that this was the liturgical day; and then the Sun, Moon and stars were created to mark the proper times for the festivals of the week and year. Only when this is done does God create man and woman and the means to sustain them (plants and animals). At the end of the sixth day, when creation is complete, the world is a cosmic temple in which the role of humanity is the worship of God. This parallels Mesopotamian myth (the Enuma Elish) and also echoes chapter 38 of the Book of Job, where God recalls how the stars, the "sons of God", sang when the corner-stone of creation was laid.[47]
First day[edit]
3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. [48]
Day 1 begins with the creation of light. God creates by spoken command and names the elements of the world as he creates them. In the ancient Near East the act of naming was bound up with the act of creating: thus in Egyptian literature the creator god pronounced the names of everything, and the Enûma Elish begins at the point where nothing has yet been named.[49] God's creation by speech also suggests that he is being compared to a king, who has merely to speak for things to happen.[50]
Second day[edit]
6 And God said: 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.' 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.[51]
Rāqîa‘, the word translated as firmament, is from rāqa‘, the verb used for the act of beating metal into thin plates.[52] Created on the second day of creation and populated by luminaries on the fourth, it is a solid dome which separates the Earth below from the heavens and their waters above, as in Egyptian and Mesopotamian belief of the same time.[53] In Genesis 1:17 the stars are set in the raqia‘; in Babylonian myth the heavens were made of various precious stones (compare Exodus 24:10 where the elders of Israel see God on the sapphire floor of heaven), with the stars engraved in their surface.[54]
Third day[edit]
And God said: 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.[55]
On the third day, the waters withdraw, creating a ring of ocean surrounding a single circular continent.[56] By the end of the third day God has created a foundational environment of light, heavens, seas and earth.[57] The three levels of the cosmos are next populated in the same order in which they were created – heavens, sea, earth.
God does not create or make trees and plants, but instead commands the earth to produce them. The underlying theological meaning seems to be that God has given the previously barren earth the ability to produce vegetation, and it now does so at his command. "According to (one's) kind" appears to look forward to the laws found later in the Pentateuch, which lay great stress on holiness through separation.[58]
Fourth day[edit]
14 And God said: 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.[59]
On Day Four the language of "ruling" is introduced: the heavenly bodies will "govern" day and night and mark seasons and years and days (a matter of crucial importance to the Priestly authors, as religious festivals were organised around the cycles of the Sun and Moon);[60] later, man will be created to rule over the whole of creation as God's regent. God puts "lights" in the firmament to "rule over" the day and the night.[61] Specifically, God creates the "greater light," the "lesser light," and the stars. According to Victor Hamilton, most scholars agree that the choice of "greater light" and "lesser light", rather than the more explicit "Sun" and "Moon", is anti-mythological rhetoric intended to contradict widespread contemporary beliefs that the Sun and the Moon were deities themselves.[62]
Fifth day[edit]
And God said: 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.' 21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.' 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.[63]
In the Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythologies, the creator-god has to do battle with the sea-monsters before he can make heaven and earth; in Genesis 1:21, the word tannin, sometimes translated as "sea monsters" or "great creatures", parallels the named chaos-monsters Rahab and Leviathan from Psalm 74:13, and Isaiah 27:1, and Isaiah 51:9, but there is no hint (in Genesis) of combat, and the tannin are simply creatures created by God.[64]
Sixth day[edit]
The Creation of the Animals (1506–11), by Grão Vasco
24 And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.' 29 And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food; 30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.[65]
When in Genesis 1:26 God says "Let us make man", the Hebrew word used is adam; in this form it is a generic noun, "mankind", and does not imply that this creation is male. After this first mention the word always appears as ha-adam, "the man", but as Genesis 1:27 shows ("So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."), the word is still not exclusively male.[66]
Man was created in the "image of God". The meaning of this is unclear: suggestions include:
Having the spiritual qualities of God such as intellect, will, etc.;
Having the physical form of God;
A combination of these two;
Being God's counterpart on earth and able to enter into a relationship with him;
Being God's representative or viceroy on earth.[67]
The fact that God says "Let us make man..." has given rise to several theories, of which the two most important are that "us" is majestic plural,[68] or that it reflects a setting in a divine council with God enthroned as king and proposing the creation of mankind to the lesser divine beings.[69]
God tells the animals and humans that he has given them "the green plants for food" – creation is to be vegetarian. Only later, after the Flood, is man given permission to eat flesh. The Priestly author of Genesis appears to look back to an ideal past in which mankind lived at peace both with itself and with the animal kingdom, and which could be re-achieved through a proper sacrificial life in harmony with God.[70]
Upon completion, God sees that "every thing that He had made ... was very good" (Genesis 1:31). This implies that the materials that existed before the Creation ("tohu wa-bohu," "darkness," "tehom") were not "very good." Israel Knohl hypothesized that the Priestly source set up this dichotomy to mitigate the problem of evil.[71]
Seventh day: divine rest[edit]
And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made. [72]
Creation is followed by rest. In ancient Near Eastern literature the divine rest is achieved in a temple as a result of having brought order to chaos. Rest is both disengagement, as the work of creation is finished, but also engagement, as the deity is now present in his temple to maintain a secure and ordered cosmos.[73] Compare with Exodus 20:8–20:11: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
Genesis 2:4–2:25[edit]
Seventh Day of Creation (from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle)
Genesis 2–3, the Garden of Eden story, was probably authored around 500 BCE as "a discourse on ideals in life, the danger in human glory, and the fundamentally ambiguous nature of humanity – especially human mental faculties".[74] The Garden in which the action takes place lies on the mythological border between the human and the divine worlds, probably on the far side of the Cosmic ocean near the rim of the world; following a conventional ancient Near Eastern concept, the Eden river first forms that ocean and then divides into four rivers which run from the four corners of the earth towards its centre.[74] It opens "in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens", a set introduction similar to those found in Babylonian myths.[75] Before the man is created the earth is a barren waste watered by an ed; Genesis 2:6 the King James Version translated this as "mist", following Jewish practice, but since the mid-20th century Hebraists have generally accepted that the real meaning is "spring of underground water".[76]
In Genesis 1 the characteristic word for God's activity is bara, "created"; in Genesis 2 the word used when he creates the man is yatsar, meaning "fashioned", a word used in contexts such as a potter fashioning a pot from clay.[77] God breathes his own breath into the clay and it becomes nephesh, a word meaning "life", "vitality", "the living personality"; man shares nephesh with all creatures, but the text describes this life-giving act by God only in relation to man.[78]
Eden, where God puts his Garden of Eden, comes from a root meaning "fertility": the first man is to work in God's miraculously fertile garden.[79] The "tree of life" is a motif from Mesopotamian myth: in the Epic of Gilgamesh the hero is given a plant whose name is "man becomes young in old age", but a serpent steals the plant from him.[80][81] There has been much scholarly discussion about the type of knowledge given by the second tree. Suggestions include: human qualities, sexual consciousness, ethical knowledge, or universal knowledge; with the last being the most widely accepted.[82] In Eden, mankind has a choice between wisdom and life, and chooses the first, although God intended them for the second.[83]
The mythic Eden and its rivers may represent the real Jerusalem, the Temple and the Promised Land. Eden may represent the divine garden on Zion, the mountain of God, which was also Jerusalem; while the real Gihon was a spring outside the city (mirroring the spring which waters Eden); and the imagery of the Garden, with its serpent and cherubs, has been seen as a reflection of the real images of the Solomonic Temple with its copper serpent (the nehushtan) and guardian cherubs.[84] Genesis 2 is the only place in the Bible where Eden appears as a geographic location: elsewhere (notably in the Book of Ezekiel) it is a mythological place located on the holy Mountain of God, with echoes of a Mesopotamian myth of the king as a primordial man placed in a divine garden to guard the tree of life.[85]
"Good and evil" is a merism, in this case meaning simply "everything", but it may also have a moral connotation. When God forbids the man to eat from the tree of knowledge he says that if he does so he is "doomed to die": the Hebrew behind this is in the form used in the Bible for issuing death sentences.[86]
The first woman is created to be ezer kenegdo – a term notably difficult to translate – to the man. Kenegdo means "alongside, opposite, a counterpart to him", and ezer means active intervention on behalf of the other person.[87] God's naming of the elements of the cosmos in Genesis 1 illustrated his authority over creation; now the man's naming of the animals (and of Woman) illustrates Adam's authority within creation.[88]
The woman is called ishah, "Woman", with an explanation that this is because she was taken from ish, meaning "man"; the two words are not in fact connected. Later, after the story of the Garden is complete, she receives a name: Hawwah (Eve). This means "living" in Hebrew, from a root that can also mean "snake".[89] The word traditionally translated "rib" in English can also mean "side", "chamber", or "beam".[90] A long-standing exegetical tradition holds that the use of a rib from man's side emphasizes that both man and woman have equal dignity, for woman was created from the same material as man, shaped and given life by the same processes.[91] Medieval homilies about marriage as a sacrament stated that Eve was made from a more noble material (the better half) than Adam;[92]
Creationism and the genre of the creation narrative[edit]
Neo-creationism
Old Earth
Day-age
Biblical cosmology
Creation narrative
Framework interpretation
As an allegory
Omphalos hypothesis
Created kind
Flood geology
Creationist cosmologies
Creation–evolution controversy
Creation myth
"Teach the Controversy"
Non-creation
Creator in Buddhism
Jainism and non-creationism
Theistic evolution
See also: Literary genre, Myth (disambiguation), and Narrative
Eden (Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1472–1553)
The meaning to be derived from the Genesis creation narrative will depend on the reader's understanding of its genre, the literary "type" to which it belongs: "it makes an enormous difference whether the first chapters of Genesis are read as scientific cosmology, creation myth, or historical saga".[93] Misunderstanding of the genre of the text, meaning the intention of the author/s and the culture within which they wrote, will result in a misreading.[7] Reformed evangelical scholar Bruce Waltke cautions against one such misreading, the "woodenly literal" approach which leads to "creation science" and such "implausible interpretations" as the "gap theory", the presumption of a "young earth", and the denial of evolution.[8] Another scholar, Conrad Hyers, sums up the same thought in these words: "A literalist interpretation of the Genesis accounts is inappropriate, misleading, and unworkable [because] it presupposes and insists upon a kind of literature and intention that is not there."[94]
Whatever else it may be, Genesis 1 is "story", since it features character and characterisation, a narrator, and dramatic tension expressed through a series of incidents arranged in time.[95] The Priestly author of Genesis 1 had to confront two major difficulties. First, there is the fact that since only God exists at this point, no-one was available to be the narrator; the storyteller solved this by introducing an unobtrusive "third person narrator".[96] Second, there was the problem of conflict: conflict is necessary to arouse the reader's interest in the story, yet with nothing else existing, neither a chaos-monster nor another god, there cannot be any conflict. This was solved by creating a very minimal tension: God is opposed by nothingness itself, the blank of the world "without form and void."[96] Telling the story in this way was a deliberate choice: there are a number of creation stories in the Bible, but they tend to be told in the first person, by Wisdom, the instrument by which God created the world; the choice of omniscient third-person narrator in the Genesis narrative allows the storyteller to create the impression that everything is being told and nothing held back.[97]
It can also be regarded as ancient history, "part of a broader spectrum of originally anonymous, history-like ancient Near Eastern narratives."[98] It is frequently called myth in scholarly writings, but there is no agreement on how "myth" is to be defined, and so while Brevard Childs famously suggested that the author of Genesis 1–11 "demythologised" his narrative, meaning that he removed from his sources (the Babylonian myths) those elements which did not fit with his own faith, others can say it is entirely mythical.[99]
Genesis 1–2 can be seen as ancient science: in the words of E.A. Speiser, "on the subject of creation biblical tradition aligned itself with the traditional tenets of Babylonian science."[100] The opening words of Genesis 1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth", sum up the author(s) belief that Yahweh, the god of Israel, was solely responsible for creation and had no rivals.[101] Later Jewish thinkers, adopting ideas from Greek philosophy, concluded that God's Wisdom, Word and Spirit penetrated all things and gave them unity.[102] Christianity in turn adopted these ideas and identified Jesus with the creative word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).[103] When the Jews came into contact with Greek thought it led to a major reinterpretation of the underlying cosmology of the Genesis narrative. The biblical authors conceived the cosmos as a flat disc-shaped Earth in the centre, an underworld for the dead below, and heaven above.[104] Below the Earth were the "waters of chaos", the cosmic sea, home to mythic monsters defeated and slain by God; in Exodus 20:4, God warns against making an image "of anything that is in the waters under the earth".[101] There were also waters above the Earth, and so the raqia (firmament), a solid bowl, was necessary to keep them from flooding the world.[105] During the Hellenistic period this was largely replaced by a more "scientific" model as imagined by Greek philosophers, according to which the Earth was a sphere at the centre of concentric shells of celestial spheres containing the Sun, Moon, stars and planets.[104]
The idea that God created the world out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) is central today to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism – indeed, the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides felt it was the only concept that the three religions shared[106] – yet it is not found directly in Genesis, nor in the entire Hebrew Bible.[107] The Priestly authors of Genesis 1 were concerned not with the origins of matter (the material which God formed into the habitable cosmos), but with assigning roles so that the Cosmos should function.[35] This was still the situation in the early 2nd century AD, although early Christian scholars were beginning to see a tension between the idea of world-formation and the omnipotence of God; by the beginning of the 3rd century this tension was resolved, world-formation was overcome, and creation ex nihilo had become a fundamental tenet of Christian theology.[108]
Adapa
Atra-hasis epic
Allegorical interpretations of Genesis
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
Babylonian mythology
Bereishit (parsha)
Biblical chronology
Christian mythology
Creation (disambiguation)
Creation mandate
Cultural mandate
Enûma Eliš
Genesis flood narrative
Hexameron
Islamic creation narrative
Human timeline
Jewish mythology
List of creation myths
Mesopotamian mythology
Nature timeline
Primeval history
Sanamahi creation myth
Sumerian creation myth
Sumerian literature
Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
^ Leeming & Leeming 2009, p. 113.
^ a b c Sarna 1997, p. 50.
^ a b Davies 2007, p. 37.
^ Bandstra 2008, p. 37.
^ Wenham 2003b, p. 37.
^ Alter 2004, p. xii.
^ a b Andersen 1987, p. 142.
^ a b Waltke 1991, pp. 6–9.
^ Levenson 2004, p. 11.
^ Speiser 1964, p. xxi.
^ Ska 2006, pp. 169, 217–18.
^ a b Alter 1981, p. 141.
^ Ruiten 2000, pp. 9–10.
^ Levenson 2004, p. 9 "One aspect of narrative in Genesis that requires special attention is its high tolerance for different versions of the same event, a well-known feature of ancient Near Eastern literature, from earliest times through rabbinic midrash. ... This could not have happened if the existence of variation were seen as a serious defect or if rigid consistency were deemed essential to effective storytelling."
^ a b Carr 1996, pp. 62–64.
^ a b Carr 1996, p. 64.
^ Cross 1973, pp. 301ff.
^ Thomas 2011, pp. 27–28.
^ a b Lambert 1965.
^ a b Levenson 2004, p. 9.
^ Leeming 2004.
^ Kutsko 2000, p. 62, quoting J. Maxwell Miller.
^ McDermott 2002, pp. 25–27.
^ Smith 2001, Chapter 6.
^ Van Seters 1992, pp. 122–24.
^ Kramer 1956.
^ Collon, Dominique (1995). Ancient Near Eastern Art. University of California Press. p. 213. ISBN 9780520203075. Retrieved 27 April 2019. the strange store' of Adam’s ‘spare rib’ from which Eve was created (Genesis 2:20-3) makes perfect sense once it is realised that in Sumerian the feminine particle and the words for rib and life are all ti, so that the tale in its original form must have been based on Sumerian puns.
^ Charles Russell Coulter; Patricia Turner (eds.). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities.
^ Meagher, Robert Emmet (1995). The meaning of Helen : in search of an ancient icon. United States: BOLCHAZY-CARDUCCI PUBS (IL). ISBN 0865165106.
^ Dolansky 2016.
^ Fishbane 2003, pp. 34–35.
^ Hutton 2007, p. 274.
^ a b c Walton 2006, p. 183.
^ Hyers 1984, p. 74.
^ Wenham 1987, p. 6.
^ Genesis 1:1–1:2
^ Bandstra 2008, pp. 38–39.
^ Spence 2010, p. 72.
^ Knight 1990, pp. 175–76.
^ a b Walton 2001.
^ Alter 2004, p. 17.
^ Thompson 1980, p. 230.
^ Wenham 2003a, p. 29.
^ Blenkinsopp 2011, pp. 33–34.
^ Walton 2003, p. 158.
^ Hamilton 1990, p. 122.
^ Seeley 1991, p. 227.
^ Walton 2003, pp. 158–59.
^ Genesis 1:9–1:13
^ Kissling 2004, p. 106.
^ Genesis 1:14–1:19
^ Walsh 2001, p. 37 (fn.5).
^ Genesis 1:24–31
^ Alter 2004, pp. 18–19, 21.
^ Kvam et al. 1999, p. 24.
^ Davidson 1973, p. 24.
^ Rogerson 1991, pp. 19ff.
^ Knohl 2003, p. 13.
^ a b Stordalen 2000, pp. 473–74.
^ Van Seters 1998, p. 22.
^ Andersen 1987, pp. 137–40.
^ Alter 2004, pp. 20, 22.
^ Levenson 2004, p. 9 "The story of Adam and Eve's sin in the garden of Eden (2.25–3.24) displays similarities with Gilgamesh, an epic poem that tells how its hero lost the opportunity for immortality and came to terms with his humanity. ... the biblical narrator has adapted the Mesopotamian forerunner to Israelite theology."
^ Kooij 2010, p. 17.
^ Propp 1990, p. 193.
^ Stordalen 2000, pp. 307–10.
^ Turner 2009, p. 20.
^ Hastings 2003, p. 607.
^ Jacobs 2007, p. 37.
^ Hugenberger 1988, p. 184.
^ Schnell, Rüdiger (1 January 1998). Geschlechterbeziehungen und Textfunktionen: Studien zu Eheschriften der Frühen Neuzeit (in German). Walter de Gruyter. pp. 167 ff. ISBN 9783110940398.
^ Wood 1990, pp. 323–24.
^ Cotter 2003, pp. 5–9.
^ a b Cotter 2003, p. 7.
^ Cotter 2003, p. 8.
^ Carr 1996, p. 21.
^ Hamilton 1990, pp. 57–58.
^ Seidman 2010, p. 166.
^ a b Wright 2002, p. 53.
^ Kaiser 1997, p. 28.
^ Parrish 1990, pp. 183–84.
^ a b Aune 2003, p. 119.
^ Ryken et al 1998, p. 170
^ Soskice 2010, p. 24.
^ Nebe 2002, p. 119.
^ May 2004, p. 179.
Alter, Robert (1981). The Art of Biblical narrative. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465004270.
Alter, Robert (2004). The Five Books of Moses. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-33393-0.
Andersen, Francis I. (1987). "On Reading Genesis 1–3". In O'Connor, Michael Patrick; Freedman, David Noel (eds.). Backgrounds for the Bible. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9780931464300.
Aune, David E. (2003). "Cosmology". Westminster Dictionary of the New Testament and Early Christian Literature. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664219178.
Bandstra, Barry L. (2008). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth Publishing Company. p. 576. ISBN 0-495-39105-0.
Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2011). Creation, Un-Creation, Re-Creation: A Discursive Commentary on Genesis 1–11. T&T Clarke International. ISBN 9780567372871.
Bouteneff, Peter C. (2008). Beginnings: Ancient Christian Readings of the Biblical Creation Narrative. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0-8010-3233-2.
Brettler, Mark Zvi (2005). How To Read the Bible. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610019.
Brueggemann, Walter (1982). "Genesis 1:1–2.4". Interpretation of Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 382. ISBN 978-0-8042-3101-5.
Carr, David M. (1996). Reading the Fractures in Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 0-664-22071-1.
Carr, David M. (2011). "The Garden of Eden Story". An Introduction to the Old Testament. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781444356236.
Cotter, David W (2003). Genesis. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814650400.
Cross, Frank Moore (1973). "The Priestly Work". Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel. Harvard University Press. p. 394. ISBN 0-674-09176-0.
Dalley, Stephanie (2000). Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192835895.
Davidson, Robert (1973). Genesis 1–11. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521097604.
Davies, G.I. (2007). "Introduction to the Pentateuch". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199277186.
Dolansky, Shawna (2016). "The Multiple Truths of Myths". Biblical Archaeology Review. 42 (1): 18, 60.
Fishbane, Michael (2003). Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-826733-9.
Friedman, Richard Elliott (2003). The Bible with Sources Revealed. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061951299.
Ginzberg, Louis (1909). The Legends of the Jews (PDF). Jewish Publication Society. p. 695.
Graves, Robert; Patai, Raphael (1986). Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis. Random House. ISBN 9780795337154.
Hamilton, Victor P (1990). The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17. New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 540. ISBN 0-8028-2521-4.
Hastings, James (2003). Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, Part 10. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7661-3682-3.
Heidel, Alexander (1963). Babylonian Genesis (2nd ed.). Chicago University Press. ISBN 0-226-32399-4.
Heidel, Alexander (1963). The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels (2nd Revised ed.). Chicago University Press. ISBN 0-226-32398-6.
Hugenberger, G.P. (1988). "Rib". In Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (ed.). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume 4. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837844.
Hutton, Jeremy (2007). Isaiah 51:9–11 and the Rhetorical Appropriation and Subversion of Hostile Theologies. Journal of Biblical Literature. 126. Society of Biblical Literature. JSTOR 27638435.
Hyers, Conrad (1984). The Meaning of Creation: Genesis and Modern Science. Westminster John Knox. ISBN 9780804201254.
Jacobs, Mignon R (2007). Gender, Power, and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Perspectives. Baker Academic.
Janzen, David (2004). The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Study of Four Writings. Walter de Gruyter Publisher. ISBN 978-3-11-018158-6.
Kaiser, Christopher B. (1997). Creational Theology and the History of Physical Science. Brill. ISBN 9004106693.
Kaplan, Aryeh (2002). "Hashem/Elokim: Mixing Mercy with Justice". The Aryeh Kaplan Reader: The Gift He Left Behind. Mesorah Publication, Ltd. p. 224. ISBN 0-89906-173-7. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
Keel, Othmar (1997). The Symbolism of the Biblical World. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060149.
King, Leonard (2010). Enuma Elish: The Seven Tablets of Creation; The Babylonian and Assyrian Legends Concerning the Creation of the World and of Mankind. Cosimo Inc.
Kissling, Paul (2004). Genesis, Volume 1. College Press. ISBN 9780899008752.
Knight, Douglas A (1990). "Cosmology". In Watson E. Mills (General Editor) (ed.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
Knohl, Israel (2003). The Divine Symphony: The Bible's Many Voices. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610187.
Kooij, Arie van der (2010). "The Story of Paradise in the Light of Mesopotamian Culture and Literature". In Dell, Katherine J; Davies, Graham; Koh, Yee Von (eds.). Genesis, Isaiah, and Psalms. Brill. ISBN 9004182314.
Kramer, Samuel Noah (1956). History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History.
Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick (2009). An Introduction to the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846365.
Kutsko, John F. (2000). Between Heaven and Earth: Divine Presence and Absence in the Book of Ezekiel. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060415.
Kvam, Kristen E.; Schearing, Linda S.; Ziegler, Valarie H., eds. (1999). Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender. Indiana University Press. p. 515. ISBN 0-253-21271-5.
Lambert, W. G. (1965). "A New Look at the Babylonian Background of Genesis". The Journal of Theological Studies. 16 (2). pp. 287–300. JSTOR 23959032.
Leeming, David A. (2010). Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia. 1. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598841749.
Leeming, David A. (2004). "Biblical creation". The Oxford Companion to World Mythology. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
Leeming, David A.; Leeming, Margaret (2004). A Dictionary of Creation Myths. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195102758.
Levenson, Jon D. (2004). "Genesis: Introduction and Annotations". In Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi (eds.). The Jewish study Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195297515.
Louth, Andrew (2001). "Introduction". In Andrew Louth (ed.). Genesis 1–11. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830814718.
May, Gerhard (2004). Creatio Ex Nihilo (English trans. of 1994 ed.). T&T Clarke International. ISBN 9780567083562.
McDermott, John J. (2002). Reading the Pentateuch: A Historical Introduction. Paulist Press. ISBN 9780809140824.
McMullin, Ernin (2010). "Creation Ex Nihilo: Early History". In Burrell, David B.; Cogliati, Carlo; Soskice, Janet M.; Stoeger, William R. (eds.). Creation and the God of Abraham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139490788.
Nebe, Gottfried (2002). "Creation in Paul's Theology". In Hoffman, Yair; Reventlow, Henning Graf (eds.). Creation in Jewish and Christian Tradition. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9780567573933.
Parrish, V. Steven (1990). "Creation". In Watson E. Mills (General Editor) (ed.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
Penchansky, David (November 2005). Twilight of the Gods: Polytheism in the Hebrew Bible. U.S.: Westminster/John Knox Press. ISBN 0-664-22885-2.
Propp, W.H. (1990). "Eden Sketches". In Propp, W.H.; Halpern, Baruch; Freedman, D.N. (eds.). The Hebrew Bible and its Interpreters. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9780931464522.
Ruiten, Jacques T. A. G. M. (2000). Primaeval History Interpreted. Brill. ISBN 9004116583.
Rogerson, John William (1991). Genesis 1–11. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567083388.
Sarna, Nahum M. (1997). "The Mists of Time: Genesis I–II". In Feyerick, Ada (ed.). Genesis: World of Myths and Patriarchs. New York: NYU Press. p. 560. ISBN 0-8147-2668-2.
Ryken, Leland; Wilhoit, Jim; Longman, Tremper; Duriez, Colin; Penney, Douglas; Reid, Daniel G., eds. (1998). "Cosmology". Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830867332.
Sawyer, John F.A. (1992). "The Image of God, the Wisdom of Serpents, and the Knowledge of Good and Evil". In Paul Morris, Deborah Sawyer (ed.). A Walk in the Garden: Biblical, Iconographical and Literary Images of Eden. Sheffield Academic Press Press. ISBN 9780567024473.
Schwartz, Howard; Loebel-Fried, Caren; Ginsburg, Elliot K. (2007). Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Oxford University Press. p. 704. ISBN 9780195358704.
Seidman, Naomi (2010). "Translation". In Ronald Hendel (ed.). Reading Genesis: Ten Methods. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521518611.
Seeley, Paul H. (1991). "The Firmament and the Water Above: The Meaning of Raqia in Genesis 1:6–8" (PDF). Westminster Theological Journal. Westminster Theological Seminary. 53: 227–40.
Seeley, Paul H. (1997). "The Geographical Meaning of 'Earth' and 'Seas' in Genesis 1:10" (PDF). Westminster Theological Journal. Westminster Theological Seminary. 59: 231–55.
Ska, Jean-Louis (2006). Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061221.
Smith, Mark S. (October 2002). The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel (2nd ed.). William B Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8028-3972-X.
Smith, Mark S. (November 2001). The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts (New ed.). Oxford University Press USA. ISBN 0-19-516768-6.
Soskice, Janet M. (2010). "Creatio ex nihilo: its Jewish and Christian foundations". In Burrell, David B.; Cogliati, Carlo; Soskice, Janet M.; Stoeger, William R. (eds.). Creation and the God of Abraham. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139490788.
Speiser, Ephraim Avigdor (1964). Genesis. Doubleday.
Spence, Lewis (2010) [1916]. Myths and Legends of Babylonia and Assyria. Cosimo, Inc. p. 72. ISBN 978-1616404642.
Stenhouse, John (2000). "Genesis and Science". In Gary B. Ferngren (ed.). The History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia. New York, London: Garland Publishing, Inc. p. 76. ISBN 0-8153-1656-9.
Stagg, Evelyn and Frank (1978). "Genesis and Science". Woman in the World of Jesus. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press. p. 135. ISBN 0-664-24195-6.
Stordalen, Terje (2000). Echoes of Eden. Peeters. ISBN 9789042908543.
Thomas, Matthew A. (2011). These Are the Generations: Identity, Covenant and the Toledot Formula. T&T Clark (Continuum). ISBN 9780567487643.
Thompson, J. A. (1980). Jeremiah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 831. ISBN 0-8028-2530-3.
Tsumura, David Toshio (2005). Creation And Destruction: A Reappraisal of the Chaoskampf Theory in the Old Testament. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061061.
Turner, Laurence A. (2009). Genesis. Sheffield Phoenix Press. ISBN 9781906055653.
Van Seters, John (1998). "The Pentateuch". In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, M. Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Van Seters, John (1992). Prologue to History: The Yahwist As Historian in Genesis. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 0-664-22179-3.
Walsh, Jerome T. (2001). Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814658970.
Waltke, Bruce (1991). "The Literary Genre of Genesis, Chapter One" (PDF). Crux. Westminster Theological Seminary. 27:4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2014.
Walton, John H. (2006). Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2750-0.
Walton, John H. (2003). "Creation". In T. Desmond Alexander, David Weston Baker (ed.). Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830817818.
Walton, John H. (2001). Genesis. Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-86620-6.
Walton, John H.; Matthews, Victor H.; Chavalas, Mark W. (2000). "Genesis". The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830814190.
Wenham, Gordon (2003a). Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch. Exploring the Bible Series. 1. IVP Academic. p. 223.
Wenham, Gordon (2003b). "Genesis". In Dunn, James Douglas Grant; Rogerson, J. John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
Wenham, Gordon (1987). Genesis 1–15. 1 and 2. Texas: Word Books. ISBN 0-8499-0200-2.
Whybray, R.N (2001). "Genesis". In John Barton (ed.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005.
Wood, Ralpth C (1990). "Genre, Concept of". In Watson E. Mills (General Editor) (ed.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
Wright, J. Edward (2002). The Early History of Heaven. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195348491.
Wylen, Stephen M. (2005). "Chapter 6 Midrash". The Seventy Faces of Torah: The Jewish way of Reading the Sacred Scriptures. Paulist Press. p. 256. ISBN 0-8091-4179-5.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Creation according to Genesis.
Biblical texts[edit]
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (Hebrew-English text, translated according to the JPS 1917 Edition)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 (Hebrew-English text, with Rashi's commentary. The translation is the authoritative Judaica Press version, edited by Rabbi A.J. Rosenberg.)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (New American Bible)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (King James Version)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (Revised Standard Version)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (New Living Translation)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (New American Standard Bible)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (New International Version (UK))
Mesopotamian texts[edit]
"Enuma Elish", at Encyclopedia of the Orient Summary of Enuma Elish with links to full text.
ETCSL—Text and translation of the Eridu Genesis (alternate site) (The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford)
"Epic of Gilgamesh" (summary)
British Museum: Cuneiform tablet from Sippar with the story of Atra-Hasis
Related links[edit]
Human Timeline (Interactive) – Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History (August 2016).
Genesis creation narrative in the Book of Genesis
Awan
"Probe 7, Over and Out" (1963)
Mama's Affair (1921)
Good Morning, Eve! (1934)
The Broken Jug (1937)
The Original Sin (1948)
The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960)
El pecado de Adán y Eva (1969)
La Biblia en pasta (1984)
The Annunciation (1984)
Adipapam (1988)
Adam (1992)
Babs (2000)
The Last Eve (2005)
Year One (2009)
The Tragedy of Man (2011)
Adam and Dog (2011)
Tropico (2013)
Le Jeu d'Adam (12th century)
The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972)
The Apple Tree (1966)
Dude (1972)
Up from Paradise (1973)
Children of Eden (1991)
The Creation (1798)
La mort d'Adam (1809)
Ève (1875)
Genesis Suite (1945)
Lilith (2001)
Apocalypse of Adam
Book of Moses
Book of Abraham
Books of Adam
Book of the Penitence of Adam
Cave of Treasures
"El y Ella"
Genesis A and Genesis B
Harrowing of Hell
Life of Adam and Eve
Testimony of Truth (3rd century)
Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan (6th century)
"Old Saxon Genesis" (9th century)
"Adam lay ybounden" (15th century)
Paradise Lost (1667)
Le Dernier Homme (1805)
Extracts from Adam's Diary (1904)
Eve's Diary (1905)
The Book of Genesis (2009)
The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve (2017)
Bernward Doors (1015)
Tapestry of Creation (11th century)
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (1425)
Vienna Diptych (15th century)
The Last Judgment (1482)
The Garden of Earthly Delights (1504)
Adam and Eve (1507)
Paradise and Hell (1510)
The Creation of Adam (1512)
The Haywain Triptych (1516)
Eve, the Serpent and Death (1510s or 1520s)
The Fall of Man (1550)
Maps of ancient Israel
The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man (1617)
The Four Seasons (1660s)
The Koren Picture-Bible (1692–1696)
The First Mourning (1888)
Eve (1931)
The Serpent Chooses Adam and Eve (1958)
"Dese Bones G'wine Rise Again"
"Adam-ondi-Ahman" (1835)
"Forbidden Fruit" (1915)
"The Garden of Eden" (1956)
"Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance" (1970)
"Man Gave Names to All the Animals" (1979)
The Cainian Chronicle (1996)
Visions of Eden (2006)
Adam–God doctrine
Adam and Eve (LDS Church)
Adam in Islam
Adam in rabbinic literature
Al-A'raf
Manu (Hinduism)
Mashya and Mashyana
Serpent seed
Tree of Jiva and Atman
Tree of life (Quran)
Our Lady of Endor Coven
Tomb of Eve
Mitochondrial Eve
Y-chromosomal Adam
The Real Eve
Story within a story
Doraemon: Nobita's Diary on the Creation of the World
Island of Love
Demon: The Fallen (2002)
Related theology
Serpents in the Bible
Figs in the Bible
Adam's ale
Camael
Shamsiel
Pre-Adamite
Generations of Adam
Cave of the Patriarchs
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela"
"Simpsons Bible Stories"
Second Time Lucky
Adam and Eve cylinder seal
Timeline of Genesis patriarchs
Genealogies of Genesis
Carnal knowledge
Legend of the Rood
Ystorya Adaf
Snakes for the Divine
Ransom theory of atonement
History of creationism
Flood myth
Ussher chronology
Gap creationism
Islamic creationism
Old Earth creationism
Progressive creationism
Young Earth creationism
Creation and evolution in public education
Edwards v. Aguillard
Kansas evolution hearings
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical literalism
Category:Creationism
Bible portal
Christianity portal
Evolutionary biology portal
Islam portal
Judaism portal
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Genesis_creation_narrative&oldid=906439568"
Comparative mythology
Creation myths
Mythological cosmologies
Bereshit (parsha)
Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2018
Articles containing Sumerian-language text
Use dmy dates from April 2011
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2475
|
__label__wiki
| 0.918437
| 0.918437
|
Rashad in 1998
Phylicia Ayers-Allen
(1948-06-19) June 19, 1948 (age 71)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Singer, actress, stage director
William Lancelot Bowles Jr. (m. 1972–1975)
Victor Willis (m. 1978–1982)
Ahmad Rashād (m. 1985–2001)
2, including Condola Rashād
Debbie Allen (sister)
Phylicia Rashād (/fɪˈliːʃə rəˈʃɑːd/ fih-LI-shə rə-SHAHD) (née Ayers-Allen; June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and stage director. She is known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–92), which earned her Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986. She was dubbed "The Mother" of the black community at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards.
In 2004, Rashad became the first black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, which she won for her role in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun.[1][2] Her other Broadway credits include Into the Woods (1988), Jelly's Last Jam (1993), Gem of the Ocean (2004), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008). She won a NAACP Image Award when she reprised her A Raisin in the Sun role in the 2008 television adaptation. She has also appeared in the films For Colored Girls (2010), Good Deeds (2012), Creed (2015), and Creed II (2018).
1 Early life
3 Film and television
5 Filmography
6 Awards and honors
Phylicia Ayers-Allen was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Vivian Ayers (born 1923), is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated artist, poet, playwright, scholar, and publisher. Phylicia's father, Andrew Arthur Allen, (1921–1984), was an orthodontist.[3][4] Rashad's siblings are jazz-musician brother Tex (Andrew Arthur Allen, Jr., born 1945), sister Debbie Allen (born 1950), an actress, choreographer, and director, and brother Hugh Allen (a real estate banker in North Carolina). While Rashad was growing up, her family moved to Mexico, and as a result, Rashad speaks Spanish fluently.
Rashad studied at Howard University, graduating magna cum laude in 1970 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She was initiated into the Alpha Chapter during her tenure at Howard University.[5]
Theatre[edit]
Rashad first became known for her stage work with a string of Broadway credits, including Deena Jones in Dreamgirls (she was Sheryl Lee Ralph's understudy until leaving the show in 1982 after being passed over as Ralph's full-time replacement) and playing a Munchkin in The Wiz for three and a half years. In 1978, she released the album Josephine Superstar, a disco concept album telling the life story of Josephine Baker. The album was mainly written and produced by Jacques Morali and Rashad's second husband Victor Willis, original lead singer and lyricist of the Village People. She met Willis while they were both cast in The Wiz.
Other Broadway credits include August: Osage County,[6] Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Gem of the Ocean, Raisin in the Sun (2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play/Drama Desk Award), Blue, Jelly's Last Jam, Into the Woods, and Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death. Off-Broadway credits include Lincoln Center's productions of Cymbeline and Bernarda Alba; Helen, The Story and Everybody's Ruby at the Public Theater; The Negro Ensemble Company productions of Puppet Play, Zooman and the Sign, Sons and Fathers of Sons, In an Upstate Motel, Weep Not For Me, and The Great Mac Daddy; Lincoln Center's production of Ed Bullins' The Duplex; and The Sirens at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In regional theatre, she performed as Euripides' Medea and in Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Other regional theatres at which she has performed are the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and the Huntington Theatre in Boston.
Rashad was the first black actress of any nationality to win the Best Actress (Play) Tony Award, which she won for her 2004 performance as Lena Younger in a revival of the play A Raisin in the Sun by playwright Lorraine Hansberry. She was nominated for the same award the following year, for Gem of the Ocean. Several Black women have won in the Best Actress (Musical) category, including the late Virginia Capers, who won in 1973 for her portrayal of Lena in the musical adaptation of Hansberry's play, entitled Raisin. Rashad also won the 2004 Drama Desk award for Best Actress in a Play for A Raisin in the Sun by tying (split award) with Viola Davis for the play Intimate Apparel.
In 2007, Rashad made her directorial debut with the Seattle Repertory Theatre's production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean.[7] More recently, in early 2014 Rashad directed a revival of Fences, also by Wilson, at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, which ran to generally positive reviews, and continued an ongoing focus on Wilson's work, including a well-received production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom that she directed at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in late 2016.[8]
In 2008, Rashad starred on Broadway as Big Mama in an all African-American production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof directed by her sister Debbie Allen. She appeared alongside stage veterans James Earl Jones (Big Daddy) and Anika Noni Rose (Maggie), as well as film actor Terence Howard, who made his Broadway debut as Brick. In 2009, she appeared as Violet Weston, the drug-addicted matriarch of Tracy Lett's award-winning play August: Osage County at the Music Box Theatre.
From March 17 to May 1, 2016, Rashad played the lead role of Shelah in Tarell Alvin McCraney's play Head of Passes at The Public Theater. Her performance was positively reviewed.[9]
Film and television[edit]
Rashad received a career boost when she joined the cast of the ABC soap opera One Life to Live to play publicist Courtney Wright in 1983. She is best known for the role of attorney Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. The show, which ran from 1984 to 1992, starred Bill Cosby as obstetrician Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, and focused on their life with their five children. In 1985, Rashad co-hosted the NBC telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Pat Sajak and Bert Convy.
When Cosby returned to TV comedy in 1996 with CBS's Cosby, he called Rashad to play Ruth Lucas, his character's wife. The pilot episode had been shot with Telma Hopkins, but Cosby then fired the executive producer and replaced Hopkins with Rashad.[10] The sitcom ran from 1996 to 2000.[11] That year, Cosby asked Rashad to work on his animated television series Little Bill, in which the actress voiced Bill's mother, Brenda, until the show's end in 2004. She also played a role in the pre-show of the Dinosaur ride at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park as Dr. Helen Marsh, the head of the Dino Institute.[12]
Rashad at the 2007 Red Dress Collection for The Heart Truth Foundation
Rashad played "Kill Moves" wealthy mother on Everybody Hates Chris on December 9, 2007. In 2007 she appeared as Winnie Guster in the Psych episode Gus's Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy. She returned to the role in 2008, in the episode Christmas Joy.[13]
In February 2008, Rashad portrayed Lena Younger in the television film adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon. Starring core members of the cast of the 2004 Broadway revival at the Royale Theatre of Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 play, including Audra McDonald as Ruth Younger, and Sean Combs as Walter Lee Younger. The television film adaption debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast by ABC on February 25, 2008.[14] According to Nielsen Media Research, the program was watched by 12.7 million viewers and ranked #9 in the ratings for the week ending March 2, 2008.[15]
In November 2010, Rashad featured as Gilda in the ensemble cast in the Tyler Perry film For Colored Girls, based on the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. Rashad explained in an interview with Vibe Movies & TV in 2010, that "I saw the original Broadway play. I thought it was amazing how such a story that wasn’t pretty was poetry. Usually poetry is about lofty things and this was the poetry of speech and the movement of everyday people. I found a little bit of it off-putting to tell you the truth, because it was so angry when I saw it. And I think Tyler Perry has added an element here that wasn't in the original stage production, and that is the necessity for taking responsibility for one's own self otherwise you are just living to die. That is where he wrote the line [in the film], "You gotta take some responsibility in this. Otherwise you are just living to die".[16]
In 2012, she starred in another Tyler Perry movie Good Deeds.[17] Also in 2012, Rashad played Clairee Belcher in the remake of Steel Magnolias (the role originated by Olympia Dukakis). This version has an all African American A-list cast, including Queen Latifah as M'Lynn, Jill Scott as Truvy, Condola Rashād as Shelby, Adepero Oduye as Annelle, and Alfre Woodard as Ouiser.[18]
In 2016, Rashad was cast as a recurring guest star in the role of Diana DuBois in the third season of the Lee Daniels-produced Empire television series on Fox.[19]
In 2017, Rashad portrayed Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, pastor of The City of Refuge Church in San Francisco, CA, as past of the Dustin Lance Black mini-series When We Rise. Her appearance in show highlighted the compassion of the church, the commitment of its leadership and the loving home the church provides to minister in the tough, primarily African-American community in San Francisco.[20]
Rashad's first marriage, in 1972, was to dentist William Lancelot Bowles, Jr. They had one son, William Lancelot Bowles III, who was born the following year. The marriage ended in 1975. Rashad then married Victor Willis (original lead singer of the Village People, whom she met during the run of The Wiz) in 1978. Their divorce was finalized in 1982.
She married former NFL wide receiver and sportscaster Ahmad Rashād on December 14, 1985. It was a third marriage for both of them and she took his last name. They were married after he proposed to her during a pregame show for a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day football game between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions on November 28, 1985.[21][22] Their daughter, Condola Phylea Rashād,[23] was born on December 11, 1986 in New York. The couple divorced in early 2001.[24]
Filmography[edit]
1995 Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored Ma Ponk
1999 Loving Jezebel Alice Melville
2010 Just Wright Ella McKnight
Frankie and Alice Edna
For Colored Girls Gilda
2012 Good Deeds Wililemma
2013 Gods Behaving Badly Demeter
2015 Emily & Tim Emily Hanratty
Creed Mary Anne Creed Replaced Sylvia Meals in the role
2018 Creed II
2020 Jingle Jangle[25]
1976 Delvecchio Ventita Ray Episode: "Wax Job"
1983–84 One Life to Live Courtney Wright Regular role
1984–92 The Cosby Show Clair Hanks Huxtable 193 episodes
1985 Santa Barbara Felicia Dalton 3 episodes
The Love Boat Lonette Becker Episode: "A Day in Port"
1987 Uncle Tom's Cabin Eliza Television movie
1988 Mickey's 60th Birthday Herself
1988–90 A Different World Clair Huxtable 4 episodes
1989 False Witness Lynne Jacobi Television movie
Polly Aunt Polly
1990 Reading Rainbow Herself Episode: "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters"
Polly: Comin' Home! Aunt Polly Television movie
The Earth Day Special Clair Huxtable Special
1991 Jailbirds Janice Grant Television movie
Blossom Blossom's Dream Mom Episode: "Blossom's Blossom"
1993 American Playhouse Mayor Turner Episode: "Hallelujah"
1994 David's Mother Gladys Johnson Television movie
Ghostwriter Herself Episode: "A Crime of Two Cities"
1994–2002 Touched by an Angel Elizabeth Jessup 2 episodes
1995 The Possession of Michael D Dr. Marion Hale Television movie
In the House Rowena Episode: "Sister Act"
1996 The Babysitter's Seduction Detective Kate Jacobs Television movie
1996–2000 Cosby Ruth Lucas 93 episodes
1998 Intimate Portrait Herself/Narrator 4 episodes
1999 Free of Eden Desiree Television movie
1999–2004 Little Bill Brenda (voice) Main role (21 episodes)
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Lady Fulten (voice) Episode: "The Princess and the Pauper"
2001 Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man Cassandra Hawkins Television movie
The Old Settler Elizabeth
2007 Working in the Theatre Actor Episode: "August Wilson's Legacy"
Everybody Hates Chris Kathleen Devereaux Episode: "Everybody Hates Kwanzaa"
2007–14 Psych Winnie Guster 3 episodes
2008 A Raisin in the Sun Lena Younger Television movie
The Life & Times of Tim The Boss's Wife (voice) Episode: "Theo Strikes Back/Amy Gets Wasted"
2012–13 The Cleveland Show Dee Dee Tubbs (voice) 4 episodes
2012 Steel Magnolias Clairee Television movie
2013 Do No Harm Dr. Vanessa Young Supporting role (all 13 episodes)
2014 Sofia the First Glacia the Ice Witch (voice) Episode: "Winter's Gift"
2016–17 Empire Diana DuBois 14 episodes
2017 When We Rise Bishop Yvette A. Flunder 2 episodes
Tour de Pharmacy Victoria Young Television movie
Jean-Claude Van Johnson Jane 5 episodes
2019 This Is Us Carol "Our Little Island Girl"
David Makes Man Dr. Woods Trap Series regular
Awards and honors[edit]
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.
Find sources: "Phylicia Rashad" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
1985 Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series The Cosby Show Nominated
1986 Nominated
1988 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Won
1989 Won
1997 Cosby Won
1999 Satellite Awards Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated
2002 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special The Old Settler Nominated
2004 Tony Awards Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play A Raisin in the Sun[2][26] Won
2005 Gem of the Ocean[2] Nominated
2008 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie A Raisin in the Sun Nominated
2009 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special[citation needed] Won
Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated
2011 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress For Colored Girls Won
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated
2015 The BET Honors Theatrical Arts Award N/A (Honoree) Won
2003: Honored as Woman of the Year by the Harvard Black Men's Forum
2005: received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) degree from Brown University[27]
2011: received an honorary doctorate degree from Spelman College for her work in the Arts[28]
2011: named the first Denzel Washington Chair professor in Theatre at Fordham University, supported by a $2 million gift from the actor[29]
^ "Rashad makes Tony Awards history". Today.com. June 6, 2004. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
^ a b c Tony Awards (official site) Archived February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^ "Phylicia Birthday-01948-June-19". Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
^ Lawrence, Muhammad. - "One-woman dynamo". - The Courier-Journal. - September 12, 1999.
^ "About Phylicia Rashad". Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
^ "Phylicia Rashad". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
^ "Phylicia Rashad to direct Seattle Repertory Theatre's Gem of the Ocean". Monsters and Critics. December 6, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
^ "Phylicia Rashad directs August Wilson's 'Fences' at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton". The Star Ledger. January 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
^ Dana Kennedy (September 20, 1996). "Pilot Errors This Fall Season". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
^ ""Cosby" (1996)". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
^ "Guide to Disney World - DINOSAUR, Dinoland USA, Animal Kingdom". Guide-to-disney.com. August 23, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ "'Cosby Show' Star Phylicia Rashad Cringes At The Current State Of Sitcoms". Huffingtonpost.com. April 3, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Ginina Bellafante (February 25, 2008). "A Raisin in the Sun - Television - Review". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Ginia Bellafante, "Raisin in the Sun: A Tale of Race and Family and a $10,000 Question", The New York Times, February 25, 2008.
^ "Phylicia Rashad Says Tyler Perry 'Kept The Poetry' Of 'For Colored Girls'". Vibe.com. November 5, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ David DeWitt (February 24, 2012). "'Tyler Perry's Good Deeds,' With Thandie Newton". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Corneau, Allison (October 1, 2012). "Queen Latifah: Phylicia Rashad "Really Delivered" in Steel Magnolias Remake". Usmagazine.com. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (August 29, 2016). "'Empire' Season 3 Guest Stars: Phylicia Rashad Joins Mariah Carey & More". Variety. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Elizabeth Wagmeister (June 22, 2016). "'When We Rise' Guest Stars: Pauley Perrette, Rob Reiner, T.R. Knight & More". Variety. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ Moses, Gavin (December 16, 1985). "Sportscaster Ahmad Rashād Scores with a Televised Proposal to Cosby's Phylicia Ayers-Allen". People. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
^ Shouler, Ken (1994). "Catching It All". Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
^ [2][dead link]
^ "Actress Phylicia Rashad Divorcing Sportscaster Husband Ahmad Rashād". Jet. March 5, 2001. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
^ Netflix ‘Jingle Jangle’ Musical Adds Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose & Madalen Mills
^ Monsters & Critics: "Tony Awards Wrap Up", by Amy Somensky. Jun 9, 2004 Archived November 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ "04-126 (Honorary Degrees 2005)". Brown.edu. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ "Michelle Obama Addresses 2011 Spelman Class; Joins Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad as Honorees". Rolling Out. May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
^ "Denzel Washington donates $2.25 million to Fordham". The Wall Street Journal. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
Phylicia Rashad at the Internet Broadway Database
Phylicia Rashad on IMDb
Phylicia Rashad at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
Awards for Phylicia Rashad
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
Ellen Burstyn (1975)
Rosemary Harris (1976)
Irene Worth (1977)
Jessica Tandy (1978)
Constance Cummings / Carole Shelley (1979)
Pat Carroll (1980)
Joan Copeland (1981)
Zoe Caldwell (1982)
Joan Allen (1984)
Lily Tomlin (1986)
Linda Lavin (1987)
Stockard Channing (1988)
Pauline Collins (1989)
Geraldine James (1990)
Mercedes Ruehl (1991)
Laura Esterman (1992)
Jane Alexander (1993)
Myra Carter (1994)
Cherry Jones (1995)
Janet McTeer (1997)
Kathleen Chalfant (1999)
Eileen Heckart (2000)
Mary-Louise Parker (2001)
Lindsay Duncan (2002)
Vanessa Redgrave (2003)
Viola Davis / Phylicia Rashad (2004)
Lois Smith (2006)
Eve Best (2007)
Deanna Dunagan (2008)
Jan Maxwell (2010)
Frances McDormand (2011)
Tracie Bennett (2012)
Cicely Tyson (2013)
Audra McDonald (2014)
Helen Mirren (2015)
Laura Linney (2017)
Glenda Jackson (2018)
Elaine May (2019)
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Beah Richards (1970)
No Awards (1971–1985)
Oprah Winfrey (1986)
Traci Wolfe (1987)
Juanita Waterman (1988)
Suzzanne Douglas (1989)
Whoopi Goldberg (1990)
Angela Bassett (1994)
No Award (1995)
Loretta Devine (1996)
Irma P. Hall (1998)
Alfre Woodard (2001)
Halle Berry (2003)
Regina King (2005)
Jennifer Hudson (2007)
Janet Jackson (2008)
Taraji P. Henson (2009)
Mo'Nique (2010)
Kimberly Elise (2011)
Octavia Spencer (2012)
Kerry Washington (2013)
Lupita Nyong'o (2014)
Carmen Ejogo (2015)
Phylicia Rashad (2016)
Viola Davis (2017)
Tiffany Haddish (2018)
Danai Gurira (2019)
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Ingrid Bergman / Helen Hayes (1947)
Judith Anderson / Katharine Cornell / Jessica Tandy (1948)
Martita Hunt (1949)
Shirley Booth (1950)
Uta Hagen (1951)
Julie Harris (1952)
Audrey Hepburn (1954)
Nancy Kelly (1955)
Margaret Leighton (1957)
Helen Hayes (1958)
Gertrude Berg (1959)
Anne Bancroft (1960)
Joan Plowright (1961)
Sandy Dennis (1964)
Beryl Reid (1967)
Tammy Grimes (1970)
Maureen Stapleton (1971)
Sada Thompson (1972)
Colleen Dewhurst (1974)
Phyllis Frelich (1980)
Jane Lapotaire (1981)
Glenn Close (1984)
Maggie Smith (1990)
Madeline Kahn (1993)
Diana Rigg (1994)
Marie Mullen (1998)
Judi Dench (1999)
Jennifer Ehle (2000)
Cynthia Nixon (2006)
Julie White (2007)
Marcia Gay Harden (2009)
Nina Arianda (2012)
Laurie Metcalf (2017)
MusicBrainz: 3998d125-68ec-4c6e-9f57-adf234cf90cc
SNAC: w60c7w3c
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phylicia_Rashad&oldid=906025179"
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American female singers
African-American television producers
Television producers from New York City
Women television producers
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Howard University alumni
Tony Award winners
Drama Desk Award winners
Television producers from Texas
American women film producers
Film producers from New York (state)
Film producers from Texas
American Theater Hall of Fame inductees
Articles with dead external links from October 2012
Use mdy dates from August 2015
BLP articles lacking sources from January 2015
Articles with IBDb links
The Interviews name ID same as Wikidata
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2476
|
__label__wiki
| 0.80839
| 0.80839
|
USS Columbia (C-12)
For other ships with the same name, see USS Columbia.
Colorized picture of USS Columbia (C-12), c. 1890s
Name: Columbia
Namesake: City of Columbia, South Carolina
Ordered: 30 June 1890
Awarded: 19 November 1890
Builder: William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Cost: $2,725,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Yard number: 269
Laid down: 30 December 1890
Sponsored by: Miss H. Morton
Completed: 19 May 1893
Acquired: 22 December 1893
Commissioned: 23 April 1894
Decommissioned: 21 August 1919
Renamed: Old Columbia, 17 November 1921
Reclassified: CA-16, 17 July 1920
Struck: 26 January 1922
Hull symbol:C-12
Hull symbol:CA-16
Fate: sold, 21 June 1922
General characteristics (as built)[1][2]
Class and type: Columbia-class protected cruiser
7,350 long tons (7,468 t) (standard)
8,270 long tons (8,403 t) (full load)
413 ft 1 in (125.91 m) oa
411 ft 7 in (125.45 m)pp
Beam: 58 ft 2 in (17.73 m)
Draft: 22 ft 7 in (6.88 m)
8 × Double-ended boilers, 2 × Single-ended boilers
21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
3 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines
2 × screws
Sail plan: Schooner
23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
22.80 knots (42.23 km/h; 26.24 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Complement: 45 officers 338 enlisted men
1 × 8 in (200 mm)/40 caliber Mark 5 gun
2 × 6 in (150 mm)/40 guns
12 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) guns saluting guns
4 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns
4 × gatling guns
4 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Deck: 4 in (100 mm) (slope)
2 1⁄2 in (64 mm) (flat)
Conning Tower: 5 in (130 mm)
Shields: 4 in (100 mm)
General characteristics (1914)[1]
3 × 6 in (150 mm)/45 caliber Mark 10 gun
2 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) saluting guns
General characteristics (1920)[2][3]
2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 anti-aircraft guns
2 × 3-pounder(47 mm (1.9 in)) saluting guns
The fourth USS Columbia (C-12/CA-16) was a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War and World War I. She was the lead ship of her class of two cruisers; her sister ship was Minneapolis (C-13). The class was originally designed with three funnels; however, Columbia was built with four and Minneapolis with two. This may have been to make them resemble specific passenger liners.[4]
Columbia was launched 26 July 1892 by William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company, Philadelphia; sponsored by Miss H. Morton; and commissioned 23 April 1894, Captain George Watson Sumner in command.[5]
1 Service history
Service history[edit]
USS Columbia at night, 1898
USS Columbia in Guantanamo Bay.
Image of the USS Columbia published in THE BLISS MAGAZINE
Columbia joined the North Atlantic Squadron, and from 30 July 1894 to 5 January 1895 cruised to protect American interests in the Caribbean. She participated in the intervention in Nicaragua from July to August 1894. She visited Europe in the summer of 1895 and represented the United States at the ceremonial opening of the Kiel Canal in June. Returning to the east coast in August, she operated in the western Atlantic until going in ordinary, in reserve at Philadelphia Navy Yard 13 May 1897.[5]
Recommissioned 15 March 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War, Columbia patrolled along the Atlantic coast and in the West Indies until 26 August. She convoyed troops to Puerto Rico and aided in its occupation between July and 14 August. Columbia was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Philadelphia Navy Yard 31 March 1899.[5]
Following recommissioning on 31 August 1902, Columbia served as receiving ship at New York and from 9 November 1903 as a part of the Atlantic Training Squadron. Once more out of commission at Philadelphia between 3 May 1907 and 22 June 1915, the cruiser then joined the Submarine Flotilla as flagship. After cruising between the various Atlantic submarine bases on inspection tours, she was detached 19 April 1917.[5]
Columbia patrolled off the Delaware Breakwater from 21 April 1917 as flagship of Squadron 5, Patrol Force until July when she joined the Cruiser Force as a convoy escort. Between 1 January and 13 November 1918 she made five Atlantic escort voyages, protecting the passage of men and supplies for the American Expeditionary Force in France. On her detachment 7 January 1919, she became flagship of Squadron 2, Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, operating along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. She was relieved as flagship on 29 May but continued cruising until decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 29 June 1921.[5]
Reclassified CA-16, 17 July 1920, she was renamed Old Columbia 17 November 1921, struck 21 June 1922[citation needed] and sold 26 January 1922.[5]
Awards[edit]
Sampson Medal
Navy Expeditionary Medal
Spanish Campaign Medal
Cuban Pacification Medal
World War I Victory Medal with "Atlantic Fleet" clasp
^ a b "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels, 1911-". US Naval Department. 1 January 1914. pp. 36–39. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ a b Toppan, Andrew (8 September 1996). "US Cruisers List: Protected Cruisers and Peace Cruisers". Hazegray.org. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
^ "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels". US Naval Department. 1 July 1920. p. 58. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
^ Friedman, Norman (1984). U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 39–40. ISBN 0-87021-718-6.
^ a b c d e f "Columbia IV (Cruiser No. 12)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
Media related to USS Columbia (C-12) at Wikimedia Commons
Photo gallery of USS Columbia at NavSource Naval History
Naval Historical Center: USS Columbia
Columbia-class cruisers
Preceded by: Montgomery class
Followed by: Denver class
List of cruisers of the United States Navy
United States naval ship classes of World War I
Dreadnought battleships
TennesseeC
ColoradoC
South DakotaX
Pre-dreadnought battleships
IowaS
Kearsarge
LexingtonX
Armored cruisers
New YorkS
BrooklynS
Protected cruisers
ChicagoS
BaltimoreS
San FranciscoS
OlympiaS
Scout cruisers
Unprotected cruisers
Truxtun
Aylwin
ClemsonC
M-1S
BostonS
Single ship of class
Completed after the war
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Columbia_(C-12)&oldid=894822763"
Protected cruisers of the United States Navy
Spanish–American War cruisers of the United States
World War I cruisers of the United States
Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
Ships built in Philadelphia
United States Navy South Carolina-related ships
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2477
|
__label__wiki
| 0.931025
| 0.931025
|
U.S. rules out nuclear talks with N. Korea
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- The White House said Monday that now is not the time for talks with North Korea, a day after President Donald Trump called the effort a waste of time.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday that the U.S. maintains channels of communication with Pyongyang, raising hopes for a thaw in tensions over the regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
"We've been clear that now is not the time to talk," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said at a press briefing. "The only conversations that have taken place, or that would, would be on bringing back Americans who have been detained. Beyond that, there will be no conversations with North Korea at this time."
Tillerson is "wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," Trump tweeted Sunday, using his nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" he said.
Trump earlier threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary. Pyongyang responded with threats to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean and shoot down U.S. bombers even in international air space.
The regime recently conducted its sixth nuclear test and launched a series of ballistic missiles, accelerating its pursuit of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.
Three Americans are currently detained in the North, all of them Korean-Americans.
Two, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-dok, were detained earlier this year, while the third, Kim Dong-chul, was arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor on charges of espionage and subversion.
hague@yna.co.kr
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2478
|
__label__wiki
| 0.518259
| 0.518259
|
5 Myths Sex-Positive Feminism Can Perpetuate About Women Who Don’t Do Casual Sex
May 8, 2016 by Suzannah Weiss
Source: iStock
I’m one of the most feminist, sex-positive and, frankly, sexually preoccupied people I know. And yet, when given the opportunity to have casual sex, I almost always turn it down.
This confused me for quite some time. The sex-positive feminist circles I traveled in taught me that you should have sex whenever you feel the physical desire to do so, and if you don’t, it’s because of internalized societal pressures.
As such, my sexual decisions have confused my friends, too. Several have tried to convince me to just “let loose a little.” One even asked, “But aren’t you all about women’s liberation?” when I said I wasn’t interested in sex outside of a relationship.
“Yes,” I told her – and that’s why I owe it to myself to make choices regarding my body that make me comfortable, even if others feel I should behave differently.
That’s what sex-positive feminism is about, after all: helping people have the sex lives that work best for them. This might mean having a lot of sex, or it might not, and both choices are equally acceptable.
Sex-positive feminism is also about consent, which means only engaging in activities that all parties involved are 100% sure they want to participate in. The same way I would never do anything with someone else without their enthusiastic consent, I refuse to do anything I’m not stoked about myself.
But why am I not interested in casual sex, specifically?
After all, I do desire and enjoy sex – a lot – and I don’t believe it’s ever wrong between consenting adults. And according to the (warped) version of sex-positivity I learned, you should have sex as long as those two conditions are met.
But that philosophy has gotten me into situations I didn’t feel good about afterward. And that’s why it’s not feminist – because it favored what I “should” do over what was actually best for me.
The bad feelings I got after casual hookups have many roots, some more problematic than others. One is that society has made me fear having “too many” sexual partners, and that’s something I’m battling – but there are other reasons.
First of all, I take time to warm up to people. Since my boundaries haven’t always been respected, I’m protective of them. I won’t even cuddle with someone unless I feel confident they won’t expect more. Sex with strangers scares me.
Plus, purely physical interactions feel empty to me. I feel disingenuous engaging in acts that I consider signs of affection with people I don’t actually feel affection toward. Hooking up with people I don’t truly know makes me feel sad, as if I’m not fully appreciating them, and it falls short of the loving, connected sexual relationships I’ve had (not that all sex has to be loving or connected).
But as a feminist and as a woman, I’m often questioned for this decision. However, I believe that you can be uninterested in casual sex and be a feminist, and neither of those things take away from each other.
So here are some of the myths I’ve run up against as a feminist woman who doesn’t engage in casual hookups – and why they actually undermine feminism.
Myth #1: We Just Need to Liberate Ourselves from Sex-Shaming
Some sex-positive feminists seem to believe that if there were no societal constraints, everyone would elect to have lots of sex with many partners. But that’s not what everyone wants from their sexuality.
Sometimes, there’s truth to the belief that women who don’t have casual sex are sex-shaming themselves. I experience a lot of anxiety around the possibility of my “number” increasing.
But that doesn’t mean that’s the only reason I’m not interested in casual sex. And even if it were, I still shouldn’t do anything that makes me uncomfortable.
There are many reasons other than sex-shaming that people might not like casual hookups. They may be on the asexual spectrum. They may have traumatic sexual pasts that make trust difficult. They may prefer stronger emotional connections.
Casual sex isn’t immoral. But morality aside, it just doesn’t work for all of us.
The belief that you must have casual sex in order to be liberated is actually anti-feminist and sex-negative because it forces people into a narrow definition of liberation rather than helping people liberate themselves on their own terms.
Myth #2: We’re Less Sexual
People sometimes assume that because I turn down hookups with people I’m not dating seriously, I have a low sex drive. I’ve had women tell me they could never do things my way because they have too big a sexual appetite.
I’ve also had people mislabel me demisexual, which means you don’t feel attracted to people you haven’t bonded with emotionally.
But my decision actually has nothing to do with that.
Because I still feel desire for people I’m not dating. I just don’t act on it.
On the other hand, when people don’t know how I conduct my sex life, but simply know I’m open about liking sex, they assume the opposite: that I must be very interested in casual hookups.
This assumption stems from the belief that women’s sexuality exists for other people. If we’re openly sexual beings, the story goes, we’re looking to please men.
The idea that women must have lots of sex to be sexual can actually encourage the notion that women can only be sexual in relation to others. It can also encourage the anti-feminist idea that outsiders get to define a woman’s sexuality, rather than the woman herself.
Feminism really says that you can be an extremely sexual person without sleeping with every interested party – or anyone – because you can be sexual on your own terms.
I may not have a lot of sex, but that doesn’t make me less sexual. I still have sexual thoughts and feelings and desires that nobody else is privy to. They belong to me, and they define my sexuality just as much as any external behavior.
Myth #3: We’re Missing Out On an Integral Part of Being an Adult
When I’ve hooked up with people I wasn’t seriously dating, I’ve expected to feel like an adult in the morning. That was what grown-ups did, after all, right? At least on Sex and the City.
But actually, casual hookups made me feel unsure of what I was doing and unable to control my physical impulses. So, basically, they made me feel like a little kid.
One thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is how to parent myself.
The same way a parent might say “I know your favorite show’s on, but you need to go to bed or you won’t be a happy camper tomorrow,” I sometimes need to tell myself, “I know you want to sleep with that person, but it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth.”
That’s maturity: being the parent, not the kid.
Having casual sex doesn’t make you any more mature than staying up all night as a kid because you’re at home without a babysitter for the first time. Being a grown-up isn’t about doing “grown-up” things just because you can; it’s about not doing things that don’t make you feel good in the long-term even though you can.
And casual sex has never made me feel good in the long-term, even though I respect others’ right to engage in it.
When feminists tell other feminists how to be empowered, they’re contributing to an anti-feminist culture that treats women like children.
Sex-positive feminism should be about trusting women to be adults and figure out what’s good for them, even if it’s not what’s good for you.
Myth #4: We’re ‘Withholding’ Sex from Potential Partners
In college, I dated a guy casually for about two months. We fooled around a little bit, but didn’t go very far. It wasn’t clear whether the relationship was going anywhere, and given that he once unbuttoned my shirt after I’d told him not to, I didn’t really trust him.
But being nineteen and not the best judge of people, I was still bummed out when he ended our relationship, saying he wasn’t looking for anything serious.
Seeing how down I was and wanting to help me avoid feeling that way in the future, a family member asked me, “Well, were you intimate with him?” and explained that of course a twenty-something guy will skedaddle if he’s not getting what he wants.
And maybe that was why he ended it. But that’s a good thing. If he wasn’t open to taking things slowly, we wanted very different things and wouldn’t have been compatible in the long run.
Then there were the potential partners who gave me a hard time themselves for not sleeping with them. I’ve been called a “tease” and told I was “leading on” guys just for kissing them or hanging out in their rooms.
This has even happened with self-identified sex-positive feminists. I’ve been on dates with men who have spoken passionately against sex-shaming but had no problem prude-shaming me because my version of liberation didn’t benefit them.
Too often, women’s sexual freedom is defined as “freedom” to do what men want.
But no matter where it manifests, the belief that a woman owes sex and is therefore wrong to “withhold” it is part of rape culture.
When we decide not to sleep with someone and they’re bummed out about it, that’s their problem, not ours. And if someone wants to end a relationship over it, that’s okay because they’re not right for us anyway.
And if someone’s really sex-positive and a feminist, they won’t want anyone to do something they’re not ready for.
Myth #5: We’ve Made This Choice Because We’re Women
My biggest fear as a woman who doesn’t do casual sex is that I’ll confirm gender stereotypes.
Many people have told me there are biological reasons behind my decision that I’m just not aware of.
They’ve said that women get hormonally attached even to casual hookup partners (never happened to me), that women are more complex and require love poems and candlelit dinners to be turned on (not me), that women have lower sex drives (so not me), and that women don’t get as much out of casual sex because they’re harder to please (not quite).
But you don’t have to be a woman to decide casual sex isn’t for you. And, of course, you can be a woman and love casual sex.
Because of stereotypes like these, a lot of women feel pressure to have fewer casual hookups than they want, and a lot of men feel pressure to have more. One study found that women are as interested in casual sex as men when they know their partner will give them a good experience and they won’t be judged for it. Another study found that teenage boys feel more pressure to have sex than girls do. (These studies unfortunately did not include people who don’t identify as men or women.)
Feminism and sex-positivity have made a lot of progress in challenging the stereotype that men want to sow their wild oats and women want to settle down. But when sex-positive feminists say that a woman should sow her wild oats because she’s a feminist, as my friend did, they’re pressuring someone to represent women.
When we attribute the decision to have or not have casual sex to someone’s gender, not who they are as individuals, we reduce people to their genders, which only serves to perpetuate stereotypes.
Just as people shouldn’t have to defend their decision to have many sexual partners, they shouldn’t have to defend their decision to have few or none. We already judge women by their sex lives too much, and we don’t need more of that from within the feminist community.
Feminism should give us the option to follow or reject gender roles – not the compulsion to reject them.
The fight against sex-shaming and for women’s right to have a lot of sex with a lot of partners is important, but it doesn’t have to exclude or put down women who make the opposite decision. There’s no point in feminism or sex-positivity, after all, if they don’t let women make the choices they want.
As I told my friend, my identity as a feminist has nothing to do with how many sexual partners I’ve had and everything to do with how I’ve made that decision: with sole consideration for what’s best for me.
Suzannah Weiss is a Contributing Writer for Everyday Feminism and a New York-based writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Salon, Seventeen, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, Bustle, and more. She holds degrees in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Modern Culture and Media, and Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University. You can follow her on Twitter @suzannahweiss.
Filed Under: Articles, Posts Tagged With: Sex
About Suzannah Weiss
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2480
|
__label__cc
| 0.508092
| 0.491908
|
Far Resources Expands Communications Program
October 18, 2017 – Far Resources Ltd (CSE:FAT) (FSE:F0R) (OTC:FRRSF) (www.farresources.com) (“Far Resources” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has completed a financing to raise funds to be used for the Company’s communications program (the “Financing”). The Company is committed to furthering exploration at the Zoro Lithium Property and keeping stakeholders informed of its progress. The funds raised pursuant to the Financing are specifically targeted for the communications program, in this way the Company continues to maintain the cash it has on hand for its exploration program. The Financing consists of 338,983 units (the “Units”) at a price of $0.295 where each Unit is comprised of one common share and one half of one common share purchase warrant (the “Warrants”). Each whole Warrant is exercisable into one common share in the equity of the Company (the “Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price of $0.40 per Warrant Share. The Warrants expire one year from date of issuance.
The Company also announces that it is continuing and expanding its current communications strategy to ensure that shareholders and other stakeholders who opt in continue to receive timely reports on the Company’s news and activities as they are publicly announced and that the Company’s website, social media presence, in-house marketing and awareness services and other communications tools are kept up to date. Far Resources is extending the engagement of two of its service providers and adding an additional service provider to expand its reach to stakeholders. As part of its equity for services policy which the Company believes engages its providers by giving them the opportunity to share in the rewards and risks associated with being a shareholder, the Company will pay a portion of the compensation to its team in common shares. It has entered into an agreement with a service provider for services at the rate of $5000 per month, payable monthly in arrears in common shares at an issue price to be based on the closing price of the shares on the last trading day of the month in which the services were performed, except that the shares will not be issued at a price that is less than $0.10 per share. The Company has agreed to pay another service provider a total of $32,000, of which $10,000 will be paid in cash and the remaining $22,000 to be payable in shares at an exercise price of $0.295 per share.
The Company also announces that it has granted 300,000 options to acquire common shares in the equity of the Company to certain consultants (the “Options”). Each Option is exercisable into one (1) common share in the equity of the Company at an exercise price of $0.295 per option share, expiring 5 years from date of grant.
The issuance of securities described in this news release are subject to acceptance by the Canadian Securities Exchange. All amounts quoted in this news release are in Canadian funds.
Far Resources Ltd. is an exploration company, publicly traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol FAT, focused on the identification and development of high potential mineral opportunities in stable jurisdictions. Far Resources may acquire or option properties of merit to meet its ongoing goal to locate, advance and unlock the potential of these mineral opportunities. Far Resources currently has two mineral projects in place. The Zoro Lithium project covers a number of known lithium pegmatite occurrences and is located near Snow Lake, MB. Manitoba has been ranked as the world’s second best jurisdiction for mining investment by the Fraser Institute. The second project is the Winston project in New Mexico, USA, another historic mining property with potential for silver and gold; New Mexico is also listed by the Fraser Institute, ranking in the top 25 mining jurisdictions in the world. Please visit our website at www.farresources.com for full details on our current projects. Far Resources has optioned its wholly owned Tchentlo Lake Property in British Columbia, Canada to Alchemist Mining Inc.
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance (including our planned exploration for the Winston Project and the Zoro Lithium Property) and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
Newer PostFar Resources Receives High Grade Assays of 1.42% to 2.71% Li2O and Mobilizes Prospecting Team to Zoro Lithium Property and Prepares for Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention
Older Post Far Resources Completes Drill Program and Intersects up to 40.5 metres of Spodumene Pegmatite in Dyke 1, Zoro Lithium Property, Manitoba
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2482
|
__label__wiki
| 0.826054
| 0.826054
|
Adam Emerson
Director, Program on Parental Choice
Adam Emerson is the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s school choice czar, directing the Institute’s policy program on parental choice and editing the Choice Words blog. He coordinates the Institute’s school choice-related research projects, policy analyses and commentaries on issues that include charter schools and public school choice along with school vouchers, homeschooling and digital learning. Previously, Adam helped direct the policy and public affairs initiatives for Step Up For Students, the scholarship organization responsible for administering the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship for low-income students, the nation’s largest such program offering private school tuition assistance. In that role, he developed the program’s communication strategies and policy analyses while launching and editing the redefinED blog. Most recently, he forged a publishing alliance on redefinED with choice advocates John E. Coons and Stephen D. Sugarman and their nonprofit, the American Center for School Choice at the University of California at Berkeley.
Before his work on school choice, Adam worked as a journalist for nearly a decade at newspapers in Michigan and Florida. He left the The Tampa Tribune in 2009, where he worked as the news organization’s lead education reporter after having covered higher education throughout the state of Florida for several years. Before that, he covered education and social services at the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, and currently lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., with his wife, Kelly, a middle school science teacher for the Pinellas County school district, and their daughter, Audrey.
Authored Commentary & Research
Public accountability & private-school choice
Adam Emerson 1.8.2014
NationalReport
Charter advocates should demand only the best
Adam Emerson 12.16.2013
NationalBlog
A Growing Movement: America’s Largest Charter School Communities
Testing voucher students: A reasonable quality-control measure with minimal threats to school diversity
Lots of school choices, and so little information about them
Adam Emerson 11.8.2013
Moody’s shortchanges investors
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2486
|
__label__wiki
| 0.688756
| 0.688756
|
Homeland Security Department Agrees to Berman Request Changing I-94 Customs Document Reflecting Taiwan as Country of Citizenship, Not China (Taiwan)
Berman: “This is about fairness and today is a victory for the entire Taiwanese community.”
On June 19, Berman wrote U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, asking that I-94 documents issued by Customs and Border Protection to Taiwanese citizens entering the United States list their country of citizenship as Taiwan, rather than China (Taiwan).
Washington, DC – Congressman Howard L. Berman, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the decision by the Department of Homeland Security allowing Taiwanese citizens entering the United States to list Taiwan as their country of citizenship rather than China (Taiwan) on their Form I-94 and in the Global Entry Program.
Rep. Berman (D-CA) thanked Secretary Napolitano, her staff, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their dedicated effort on this issue, and for recognizing that a correction needed to be made.
“This is about fairness and today is a victory for the entire Taiwanese community,” said Berman. “It is an indignity to force Taiwanese citizens to list anything other than Taiwan on their U.S. entry documents, and together we righted this unfortunate wrong.”
On June 19, Berman wrote U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and asked: “It has been a long-standing U.S. policy that the U.S. government refers to Taiwan as ‘Taiwan’… Many Taiwanese citizens travel across our borders every day. These individuals should not be required to sign their name under an inaccurate statement in an official government document.”
A longtime champion on this issue, Rep. Berman passed legislation allowing Taiwanese-Americans to have “Taiwan” recorded as their birthplace on their American passports. Berman authored H.R. 5034 along with then Rep. Olympia Snow (R-ME) in September 1994 providing the U.S. Secretary of State the authority to write Taiwan as the place of birth in a passport when requested by the applicant who was born there. The bill passed and was signed into law. Until then, “China” had been listed as the birthplace for Taiwanese Americans.
In May, Rep. Berman wrote to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen requesting that the California state government change its online voter registration system to allow Taiwanese-Americans to list “Taiwan” as their country of birth, rather than “Taiwan, Province of China.” Less than a week after Rep. Berman sent the letter, the California state government changed its online voter registration system.
Permalink: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2012/7/homeland-security-department-agrees-berman-request-changing-i-94-customs
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2489
|
__label__cc
| 0.748807
| 0.251193
|
Techtiangong-1
Here’s How To Keep Track of China’s Space Station as It Plunges To Earth
Tiangong 1 is coming home—though it’s not going to be particularly welcome.
China’s dilapidated space station is falling back to earth and is expected to enter the atmosphere this weekend. And if you’re concerned about being conked on the head by space debris, there are a few ways to monitor the descent.
First, know this: You’re probably worried about nothing. The bus-sized spacecraft will largely burn up in the atmosphere—and the odds of being hit by a piece of it are fewer than 1 in 300 trillion.
But if you’re bored with the Easter Egg hunt and want to keep an eye on the station, you’ve got a few options:
The official source
China’s National Space Agency isn’t offering moment-by-moment updates on its satellite, but you can find occasional notifications. It will certainly confirm when Tiangong 1 has fallen out of orbit.
The European Space Agency is keeping tabs on the station as well, saying that the current reentry window is somewhere between Saturday night and late Sunday evening, with current thinking that it will lean more towards Apr. 1 (not, this is not an April Fool’s Joke). That’s a far cry from the early estimates of last October. And experts there say the window could change again.
There’s good news if you’re in Seattle, Montana, or North Dakota. You don’t have to worry about debris, according to the most recent re-entry area map. The rest of us? We’re still in the danger zone (along with all of Africa and Australia).
The European Space Agency’s map of the potential crash zones for China’s Tiangong 1 space station.
There are several experts closely monitoring the situation and keeping the world apprised via social media. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, is being especially cheery, offering regular updates and letting us know that there’s another piece of celestial debris that’s headed our way.
After the Tiangong reentry, a 1 tonne Indian rocket stage is probably next. PSLV-C19 fourth stage, launched in 2012, currently in a 205 x 218 km orbit.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 30, 2018
The Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques is tweeting at a fairly brisk pace if you’re especially obsessive.
Recent measurement of #Tiangong1: It has now an altitude of about 184 km (perigee), yesterday about 190 km. #radar #Tiangong #tira #reentry #ownmeasurement #space #observation
— Fraunhofer FHR engl. (@Fraunhofer_FHRe) March 30, 2018
A real time look
Don’t care what the experts say? Want to watch the satellite plunge to earth in real time? Head over to Satview.org, which tracks the positioning of Tiangong 1 in real time. While it has an estimate on the time to re-entry, keep in mind there’s no way to know precisely when it will hit the atmosphere and when small debris might fall to earth.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2491
|
__label__wiki
| 0.535749
| 0.535749
|
Five years of hard work to create a 'non-story'.
So it’s on. Another election ‘coming soon’ to Australia, and once again refugees are on the front pages. In the last week, nearly every Australian TV, radio and television network has visited Indonesia looking for a story. To their surprise, they found something that didn’t fit their preconceived narrative. Instead of depressed and isolated refugees, they found a strong, connected and educated community. Instead of refugees pooling at the borders, they found a community determined to wait for an official chance to resettle. To get to this point it took five years of hard work by the refugee community in Indonesia, but when I read the media’s stories, it was my turn to be surprised. In an effort to find something, anything, that suited their Australian-centric narrative, the Australian media had looked straight past the many remarkable and unprecedented refugee-led initiatives in Indonesia.
In 2013, when Australia reinstated its offshore detention policy, around 15,000 refugees were stuck in Indonesia. I was living in Jakarta and decided to find out more. I wanted to know who they were, where they came from, and what they were going to do now? What I found was desperate people. With no way forward or back, their mental, financial and social stress was acute. They were isolated and didn't even know each other. One refugee would not look at another when they crossed the street and smugglers had spread many rumours and untruths. The refugees thought that Indonesians carried knives under their clothes and would slit their throats at night.
It was a dark time, but when a small group of refugees started a learning centre, it represented a glimmer of hope and they flocked to the school. That school is called the Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre (CRLC) and it has inspired a refugee-led education revolution in Indonesia. CRLC has 20 volunteer refugee teachers and nearly 300 students. The older women and men, many illiterate even in their own language, come in the afternoon to learn English. The school provides much more than education. It is the space around which a community has formed. For children whose parents lost their childhoods to war, it is a safe place for them to enjoy their own childhoods. For parents, it represents everything they hoped for their children when they left their home countries. For the teachers, it a place to contribute, away from the nightmares and worries that they carry inside them. It has also become a space for the refugees to educate and connect with Australians. There are over 100 visitors to the Centre every year. Some stay for months and the CRLC community has built thousands of friendships around the world.
Other refugees heard about CRLC and started their own schools. There are now over 10 refugee-led schools and around 1,500 refugees receiving education in Indonesia. Other initiatives include: karate classes, handicrafts groups, scrabble and chess competitions, football tournaments and more. If the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) wants to share information with refugees, then the schools provide a space for them. The managers of the various schools get together each month to discuss issues. Over five years this has created a strong community, which our media looked straight past when they visited Indonesia.
The difficulties still remain. There is no possibility for resettlement in Indonesia, creating the constant mental pressure of never knowing if, or when, you will be resettled. They cannot work in Indonesia and their financial situation is dire. They survive with support from family and friends overseas. In the past five years the Australian Government has reduced the number of refugees it takes from Indonesia from 900 to under 50. In a particularly nasty twist, the UNHCR has been told that any refugee whose family arrived in Australia by boat, will never be resettled in Australia. The UNHCR recently visited the CRLC to tell the community that they should expect to be stuck for up to 25 years.
The Australian media has already moved on. Dodgy government contracts in Papua New Guinea are the story this week. The refugee community in Indonesia has helped us in our task to remove a stain from our history, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for making this ‘non-story’. It won’t take much to thank them, we just need to accompany them, be their friend, let them know that they are not forgotten. One day Australia might introduce a refugee sponsorship policy, like Canada, and we can invite them in that way. Perhaps the Government will decide to increase resettlement spaces from Indonesia again. In the meantime, they are in the middle of a very long journey and there is plenty we can do.
Jolyon Hoff is the director of feature documentary The Staging Post. It follows the story of a small group of refugees who started a school and inspired a refugee-led education revolution in Indonesia. He is also the Project Director at Cisarua Learning, an Australian charity which supports refugee initiatives in Indonesia.
MORE ABOUT CISARUA LEARNING
Newer PostSick refugees on Manus and Nauru to be sent to Christmas Island not mainland
Older Post'Seriously damaging': ASIO says advice on border security was misrepresented
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2494
|
__label__cc
| 0.645605
| 0.354395
|
Ethnic Diversity on Canadian Boards
Posted by Anita Anand 5sc on February 11, 2015
by Anita Anand and Vijay Jog
Examinations of board composition in public companies focus on the absence of women but rarely on the absence of visible minority directors (VMDs). In countries such as Canada, the United States and Australia, where visible minorities contribute significantly to GDP and represent a high growth segment of the population, a question arises as to whether boards should bear some demographic similarity to the society in which the firm operates. In order to understand board composition and its potential impact on a firm’s performance, more information is required about the complement of VMDs on boards of directors. We seek to fill this gap in the literature.
“Diversity” in the corporate context refers to the composition of the board, taking into account individual characteristics of board members, such as gender, race, disability, age and ethnicity. The relative paucity of women on boards has dominated the academic debate (Francoeur et al, 2007; Terhesen et al, 2009; Peterson and Philpot, 2006) with visible minority representation falling a distant second (Brammer et al, 2007).[1] We begin by questioning this divide in the literature and argue that characteristics other than gender are relevant to the discussion about board diversity. Indeed, the aim of this study is to provide a deeper look at board composition by examining VMDs and subgroups of VMDs.[2]
To this end, we are analyzing board composition and performance of sample firms listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as well as visible minorities in the graduating classes of director programs (DPs) in Canada. Our preliminary analysis indicates that the representation of VMDs on boards and in DPs is less than 5.5 percent in both cohorts (and less in the TSX group of companies if six foreign-owned firms are excluded). Certain visible minority groups, including those from South Asia, are more prevalent on public company boards than other visible minority groups, such as Aboriginal peoples. Finally, firms in consumer-based industries (such as financial services) demonstrate a higher propensity than other industries (such as mining) to place VMDs on their boards.
We believe that additional attention should be paid to potential contributions that VMDs can make to corporate boards. Building on Becker (1957), we hypothesize that VMDs may bring specific advantages to the firm and as a result firms will be at a competitive disadvantage if firms fail to hire these directors. Specifically, VMDs may have a unique ability to understand diverse labour and consumer markets, to provide access to untapped and new networks, and to exercise useful approaches in negotiations around the boardroom table.
Our data is useful for lawmakers who are currently considering the question of board diversity, including whether to compel boards to appoint a minimum number of women to the board. In this regard, we note that some countries (such as Norway, Germany, France, Iceland and Spain) have implemented mandatory gender but not visible minority quotas, which may simply be because visible minorities constitute a very small percentage of the overall professional cadres in these countries. Other jurisdictions have implemented a less strict approach. For example, nine Canadian provinces recently adopted a “comply and explain” approach under which public corporations must disclose whether they have a written policy relating to the nomination of women directors, whether they have targets for getting more women on their boards and measures taken to ensure that the policy has been effectively implemented. If the corporation does not consider the representation of women on the board in its nominating process, or has not adopted a target, it must disclose its reasons for not doing so.[3]
While legislative initiatives across the globe seek to increase the representation of women on boards, they generally do not address the paucity of VMDs. It may be that the legislation is likely a response to empirical data that evidences a low percentage of women on boards. For example, Catalyst found that women on corporate boards in U.S. public companies increased from 10.3 percent in 2011 to 12.1 percent in 2013 (Catalyst, 2014; see also Peterson and Philpot, 2006). The number of public companies with no women board members was about 50 percent. By industry, firms in the mining and oil and gas sectors had just 7 percent of women on their boards while utilities had 23.2 percent (Catalyst, 2014; see also Arfken et al, 2004). Our efforts are complementary to this research in that we seek to provide data on the numbers of VMDs as well as the types of companies that are more or less likely to have VMDs. We also examine the issue of the relationship between firm’s performance and board composition and find that firms with boards comprised of only white males do not perform significantly better than firms with VMDs and females on their boards. We believe that the current policy discussion regarding board composition will be better informed with empirical data such as.
In our more detailed paper, we note that that our primary motivation is to respond to the descriptive question of the complement of VMDs on corporate boards. We do not address the normative question of whether companies should, from an ethical standpoint, increase the number of VMDs on their board, though our study has implications in this regard. To our knowledge, there is no academic research on the presence of VMDs on Canadian public company boards or on the relationship between VMDs and firm performance, which is a gap that this study assists in filling.
Anita Anand is a Professor of Law and Academic Director at the Centre for the Legal Profession and Program on Ethics in Law and Business, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law.
Vijay Jog is the Chancellor Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.
[1] C Francoeur, R Labelle, & B Sinclair-Desgagne, Gender diversity in corporate governance and top management 81 Journal of Business Ethics 83 (2008); Siri Terjesen, Ruth Sealy & Val Singh, Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda 17, Corporate Governance: An International Review 320 (2009); Craig A Peterson & James Philpot, Women’s roles on U.S. Fortune 500 boards: Director expertise and committee memberships 72 Journal of Business Ethics 177 (2007).
[2] We define “visible minority” as non-white, in accordance with the StatsCan definition of ethnic groups. StatsCan divides ethnicity into 13 distinct ethnic sub-groups: White, Chinese, South Asian (e.g. East Indian, Sri Lankan), Black, Filipino, Latin America, Southeast Asian (e.g. Vietnamese, Cambodian), Arab, West Asian (e.g. Iranian, Afghan), Japanese, Korean, Aboriginal (North America Indian, Metis Inuit). StatsCan – Housing, Family and Social Statistics Division, Ethnic Diversity Survey STC/HFS-028-75215, (April 2002) 10, available at http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/instrument/4508_Q1_V1-eng.pdf.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2497
|
__label__wiki
| 0.796248
| 0.796248
|
A Voice that melts hearts and instills Passion…
Franco Corso is the most captivating Recording Artist on the International scene since Andrea Bocelli ! Appropriately dubbed ‘The Voice of Romance’, Corso hypnotizes audiences with his sensual and powerful vocals, from Baritone to Tenor, dramatic stage presence and charismatic showmanship. His musical talent has been labeled Powerful, Enchanting and Sophisticated. While all these are true, they are a result of something that cuts deeper to the source. Corso’s music is passion personified, a raw emotion that comes through in his singing, which is palpable. Corso has built a music career channeling the charisma and passion of Italian-American singers, effectively transforming past masterpieces into modern treasures. His voice recalls the era when crooners ruled the music industry and avid listeners went weak in the knees at love songs laden with raw emotion.
His hometown Ventimiglia sits along the shores of the sun-kissed Italian Riviera, bordering the south of France and Monte-Carlo. Franco’s love for singing began as a member of the local church choir at the age of 6, setting the tone for his musical journey. Fans over the years have been inspired by his talent and passion, supporting his career from the moment he made his way to ‘his adopted home’ in Florida. What started in his native church in Italy has since taken him across the United States where he has appeared on countless stages, sold out theaters and performing for the President of the United States and the First Lady.
One of his many career highlights was his sold-out concert at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, prior to a successful Tv Campaign aired on NBC and CBS where Franco was accompanied by multi Emmy award music composer and Tony Bennett’s musical director Mike Renzi. Franco’s rendition of Bocelli’s ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ was featured on ABC during the 73th Annual Columbus Day Red Carpet event and presented by Joe Piscopo and Maria Bartiromo.
His inspirations are drawn from classics such as Caruso and Bocelli along with the allure of Josh Groban and Julio Iglesias. These influences are blended together as he takes audiences on a ‘Musical Journey Through Italy’ in his acclaimed sellout concert Tour throughout the US. Corso’s talent is galvanized with his multi-lingual finesse to deliver any of his songs in English, Italian, French and Spanish with Pop-Opera renditions and the unique ability to hold a very long note, then transition into musical segues like an vocal rainbow.
Theatre Concerts
Sophisticated venues have included Franco’s presentation: The Berklee Performance Center in Boston, The Royal Room at the prestigious Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, The Kravis Performance Center, The Maltz Jupiter Theatre, The Eissey Theatre, The Lyric Theatre, the Sunrise Theatre and the historical Riviera Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
Corso’s stunning performances include major charity events: The Eric Trump Foundation Inaugural Gala benefiting St. Jude Children’s Hospital, American Heart Association Ball, Cleveland Clinic Mar-a-Lago Gala, Best Buddies Christmas Concert, Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, American Humane Association ‘Hero Dog Awards’ at the Beverly Hilton in conjunction with Lois Pope’s LIFE Foundation, PBS WXEL’s Women with Wings and Wisdom Awards, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the annual American Heart Association Ball at the Breakers Resort and many philanthropic organizations.
Franco returns to Italy every year where his American fan base can join him for an exclusive Concert Tour orchestrated by travel expert Lexye Aversa. Previous destinations included the Amalfi Coast with Franco’s rendition of ‘Ave Maria’ in the Cathedral of Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Tuscany, Portofino, Sanremo, Lake Maggiore and Como.
2013 brought a new chapter in Franco’s musical story with the release of five original songs, which spawned his ethereal hit ‘Angel’ and passionate ‘Marisela’ and in Franco’s eyes it is his love letter to all those who have guided and influenced his path from the beginning of his career until now. It is a testament to his passion and perseverance, but mostly it is a realization of a dream that a talented 6-year-old boy had in Italy years ago. Both ‘Angel and ‘Marisela‘ music videos were filmed in Italy and generated thousands of viewers on social medias.
Copyright © 2019 - Franco Corso | Web Design Company - DreamCo Design
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2499
|
__label__cc
| 0.616243
| 0.383757
|
Van Gogh [electronic resource].
Cohen Film Collection, 1991.
1 online resource (streaming video file) (161 minutes) : digital, .flv file, sound
Foreign language films.
Motion pictures.
System Details:
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
This dark French drama focuses on the final months before Vincent Van Gogh's tragic suicide. After leaving the asylum, Van Gogh settles in Auvers-sur-Oise, in the home of Doctor Gachet, an art lover and patron. Vincent keeps painting amidst the conflict with his brother, Theo, and the torments of his failing mental health. He has an affair with Marguerite, his host's daughter. However, she soon realizes that he doesn't love her and that his heart beats only for his art.. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Winner of Best Actor (Jacques Dutronc) and nominated for Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Gerard Sety and Bernard Le Coq) , Best Director, and Best Screenplay, Original or Adaptation at the César Awards.. "VAN GOGH is a good, quiet, rigorous film, made with intelligence and acted with earnest conviction." - The New York Times
Jacques Dutronc, Alexandra London, Gerard Sety
Originally produced by Cohen Film Collection in 1991.
Title from title screen.
Pialat, Maurice, filmmaker
Kanopy (Firm)
2106258 Kanopy
Access Restriction:
Restricted for use by site license.
Connect to streaming video
http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/2194484
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2500
|
__label__wiki
| 0.995809
| 0.995809
|
U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division[remove]96
Society[remove]96
High schools70
You searched for: Publisher U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division Remove constraint Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division Access Public Remove constraint Access: Public Subject Society Remove constraint Subject: Society Institution Stanford Remove constraint Institution: Stanford
1. Elementary School Districts, Arizona, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Arizona. The elementary school districts provide education to the lo... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
2. Elementary School Districts, California, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in California. School districts are geographic entities within which st... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
3. Elementary School Districts, Connecticut, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Connecticut. School districts are geographic entities within which s... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
4. Elementary School Districts, Hawaii, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Hawaii. School districts are geographic entities within which state,... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
5. Elementary School Districts, Illinois, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Illinois. School districts are geographic entities within which stat... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
6. Elementary School Districts, Indiana, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Indiana. School districts are geographic entities within which state... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
7. Elementary School Districts, Maine, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Maine. School districts are geographic entities within which state, ... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
8. Elementary School Districts, Massachusetts, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Massachusetts. School districts are geographic entities within which... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
9. Elementary School Districts, Michigan, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Michigan School districts are geographic entities within which state... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
10. Elementary School Districts, Missouri, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Missouri. School districts are geographic entities within which stat... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
11. Elementary School Districts, Montana, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Montana. School districts are geographic entities within which state... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
12. Elementary School Districts, Nebraska, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Nebraska. School districts are geographic entities within which stat... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
13. Elementary School Districts, New Hampshire, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in New Hampshire. School districts are geographic entities within which... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
14. Elementary School Districts, New Jersey, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in New Jersey. School districts are geographic entities within which st... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
15. Elementary School Districts, New York, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in New York. School districts are geographic entities within which stat... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
16. Elementary School Districts, North Dakota, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in North Dakota. School districts are geographic entities within which ... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
17. Elementary School Districts, Oklahoma, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Oklahoma. School districts are geographic entities within which stat... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
18. Elementary School Districts, Oregon, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Oregon. School districts are geographic entities within which state,... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
19. Elementary School Districts, Rhode Island, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in Rhode Island. School districts are geographic entities within which ... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
20. Elementary School Districts, South Carolina, 2000
2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division. This polygon shapefile represents the elementary school district boundaries in South Carolina. School districts are geographic entities within whic... U.S. Census Bureau. Geography Division.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2503
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75836
| 0.75836
|
Tag Archives: Charles Bell
I’ve been working on my essay on ‘Woundscapes of the Western Front, 1914-1918’. What follows is the section dealing with the act of being wounded, drawn from a series of diaries, letters and memoirs; it’s followed by a section fleshing out the concept of a woundscape which I’ll post in due course [for a preliminary sketch, see here].
Subsequent sections reconstruct the precarious journey of casualties from the point of injury through the aid posts, dressing stations and casualty clearing stations to the base hospitals on the French coast and beyond (for a quick sketch, see here, and for an experimental version inspired by Harry Parker‘s Anatomy of a soldier, see here).
This is very much a working version, so please read it as such – and as always I’d welcome any comments or suggestions. I’ve added some links and images (most of them from my presentations), though those included in the final version are likely to be different.
I should add that this is one part of a much larger project that also considers medical care and casualty evacuation in other war zones: the Western Desert in the Second World War, Vietnam, and Afghanistan and Syria today.
John Keegan once remarked that in military histories the wounded seem to ‘dematerialize as soon as they are struck down’. [1] This matters for more than historical reasons, however, because the wounded serve as a testament to what Elaine Scarry insists is ‘the main purpose and outcome of war’, which is to say injuring. This ugly fact, she argues, can be ‘made to disappear from view along many separate paths.’ [2] In order to bring it back, I attempt to have the wounded reappear on – and through – the paths they followed after they were injured. Most of what I have to say is confined to the British Army and its colonial and imperial counterparts from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa on the Western Front. [3] The details differ in other militaries and other theatres, but the elemental geography of casualty evacuation was a general one. My focus is confined to the effects of physical injury and I do not directly address what was eventually diagnosed as ‘shell shock’, but it will soon become clear that the trauma of being wounded was far from a purely physical affair and that it was suffused with emotional reactions that played a vital role in rescue and recovery. [4]
Trauma typically ruptures ordinary language – another of Scarry’s astute insights – and it is scarcely surprising that many witnesses to the broken bodies trailing across the battlefields should have turned to metaphor to convey the enormity of the toll.[5] On 1 July 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme [above], a British officer found his trench ‘blocked with wounded men who were trying to make their way back to the dressing station’, and as Capt Radclyffe Dugmore surveyed the scene he was struck by the mechanical nature of both military violence and military medicine.
‘Here was this line of men, who little more than an hour ago were normal men in the finest of health and strength, and now maimed, and with every degree of injury, they painfully made their way back to the human repair department. The well men were rapidly moving eastward in countless numbers, going forward to the assistance of their comrades, while the injured so laboriously dragged their way back, two human streams, the sound and the unsound. Before us, all energies were devoted to destruction; behind us, all human power and skill tried to repair the damage.’ [6]
.The language of ‘wrecks’ was commonplace. To Sister Kate Luard ‘the wards [were] like battlefields, with battered wrecks in every bed.’ The task of casualty evacuation, explained one medical orderly, was ‘to move these helpless pieces of wreckage, as rapidly and comfortably as may be, to the place where they will in due course be repaired.’ [7] The language of ‘repair’ was a common one too, and I will return to its significance shortly.
Three weeks after Dugmore’s observation, and not far from his position, a wounded Australian soldier making his way from aid post to dressing station described the same awful scene but in a different, animate register:
‘Ahead of us and behind us as far as the eye could see, a long column of walking wounded slowly made their way through the valley and across the ridges. From a distance the khaki column resembled a huge brown snake crawling across the country.’ [8]
Hartnett’s pained allusion was evidently not to a serpent entwined around a staff, the classical symbol for medicine; the intended effect was altogether more venomous. [9] Still more sinister was the common imagery of the shambles and the slaughterhouse. Wilfred Owen described the infantry training camp on the French coast at Étaples as ‘neither France nor England, but a kind of paddock where the beasts are kept a few days before the shambles.’ In the sixteenth century a shambles was an open-air slaughterhouse, and the term was readily extended to the modern battlefield. Watching the stretcher-bearers file past after the Battle of Festubert with their burden of bloodied bodies one Guards officer recoiled in horror: ‘fine upstanding fellows only a few hours before’, they had become ‘nauseatingly repulsive’, ‘hideously injured carcases.’ Doctors sometimes had the same reaction and resorted to the same imagery. ‘Although but a middleman,’ confessed Capt Lawrence Gameson at a dressing station on the Somme, ‘one gets sick of blood’s smell and of the endless everlasting procession of red raw human meat passing through our hands.’If the injured survived they were consigned to a Casualty Clearing Station, what one senior medical officer – one of many, as it turns out – called his ‘Butcher’s Shop’, wherein Philip Gibb was nauseated by the ‘great carving of human flesh’. One chaplain remembered a surgeon who had been working 24 hours without a break: ‘In the middle of it all he turned away from one table and looked up as another one was being carried in, and he shook his head. He was covered in blood – we all were – and he said, “This isn’t a hospital, it’s a butchery.”’ [10]
Those two imaginaries, the mechanical and the animate, collided most explosively and intimately in the act of being wounded. Those who wrote about it often expressed their surprise, even disbelief that it had happened to them – pain came later – or registered the immediate sensation of a tremendous blow. On the first day of the Somme it never occurred to Lt Edward Liveing that he had been wounded:
‘Suddenly I cursed. I had been scalded in the left hip. A shell, I thought, had blown up in a water-logged crump-hole and sprayed me with boiling water. Letting go of my rifle, I dropped forward full length on the ground. My hip began to smart unpleasantly, and I felt a curious warmth stealing down my left leg. I thought it was the boiling water that had scalded me. Certainly my breeches looked as if they were saturated with water. I did not know that they were saturated with blood.’ [11]
But when Sgt R.H. Tawney was hit later the same day he had no doubt he had been hurt:
‘I felt … that I had been hit by a tremendous iron hammer, swung by a giant of inconceivable strength, and then twisted with a sickening sort of wrench so that my head and back banged on the ground, and my feet struggled as though they didn’t belong to me. For a second or two my breath wouldn’t come. I thought – if that’s the right word – “This is death”, and hoped it wouldn’t take long. By-and-by, as nothing happened, it seemed I couldn’t be dying. When I felt the ground beside me, my fingers closed on the nose-cap of a shell. It was still hot, and I thought absurdly, in a muddled way, “this is what has got me”. I tried to turn on my side, but the pain, when I moved, was like a knife, and stopped me dead. There was nothing to do but lie on my back.’ [12]
Three weeks later, still on the Somme, Lt Robert Graves had a similar sensation when he was seriously wounded. ‘An eight-inch shell burst three paces behind me,’ he recalled.
‘I heard the explosion, and felt as though I had been punched rather hard between the shoulder blades, but without any pain. I took the punch merely for the shock of the explosion; but blood trickled into my eye and, turning faint, I called to Moodie [his company commander]: “I’ve been hit.” Then I fell…’ [13]
His friend Lt Siegfried Sassoon’s reaction to being wounded during the Battle of Arras the following year)was much the same. He too knew at once that he had been hurt, even if he was not sure how. ‘No sooner had I popped my silly head out of the sap,’ he wrote much later, ‘than I felt a stupendous blow in the back between my shoulders. My first notion was that a bomb [grenade] had hit me from behind, but what had really happened was that I had been sniped from in front…To my surprise I discovered that I wasn’t dead.’ [14]
As these accounts indicate, for many wounded soldiers the proximity of death was palpable: space sensibly contracted to their wound, their body and its immediate surroundings. ‘A man badly knocked out feels as though the world had spun him off into a desert of unpeopled space,’ Tawney admitted: a feeling heightened by the standing order forbidding troops from stopping to aid the wounded during an advance. ‘Combined with pain and helplessness,’ he continued, ‘the sense of abandonment goes near to break his heart.’ [15] When Pte David Jones was shot in the leg on the Somme shortly after midnight on 11 June 1916, and left barely able to crawl, a corporal hoisted him on his back until a major saw what he was doing and told him:
‘“Drop the bugger here” for stretcher-bearers to find. If every wounded man were to be carried back, their firepower would be cut in half. “Don’t you know there’s a sod of a war on?”’ [16]
Many of the seriously wounded stumbled or crawled into shell-holes to wait for their rescuers; some lay out for days. On the first day of the Somme Pte A. Matthews was escorting German prisoners back across No Man’s Land, that narrow strip between the opposing lines of trenches, when he was shot in the thigh. An officer dragged him into a disused trench and bound up his wound as best he could before rejoining the advance. While the trench sheltered Matthews from direct fire (‘shells were bursting all around me’), he realised that unfortunately it also concealed him from the view of any rescuers. Later that day a company runner chanced to see him and left his water-bottle, but Matthews was unable to move – ‘I might as well have been chained to the ground’ – and as night fell all he could do was shout for help. Nobody came. He eked out his iron rations and water, but by the third day it was all gone. The next night a group of wounded men making their way back found Matthews, and shared the iron rations they had scavenged from the dead. They could do no more for him, but promised to get help. An hour or two later they returned, disoriented, and set off in a different direction. The next night they came back again, ‘in a terrible state’, one of them crawling on his hands and knees. They shared some biscuits and water before setting out once more; Matthews never saw them again. The next morning a shell-burst buried the biscuits and pierced his water-bottle, and he was reduced to catching rain in his helmet and drinking from pools of water in the trench. He drifted in and out of consciousness until, ten days later, an officer on patrol found him – ‘nearly treading on me’ – and dug him out before getting him onto a stretcher. When he reached the Advanced Dressing Station at Sailly he was ‘a mere skeleton’: he had been lying out in No Man’s Land for 14 days. [17] This was something of a record; Matthews’s experience combines bad luck and good luck in equal measure, and it is impossible to know how many others succumbed to their injuries while waiting or, perhaps like the party of wounded men who stumbled back to his trench time and time again, never made it to safety.
If they were fortunate the wounded would have others for comfort and company while they waited, but all any of them had for first aid was a field dressing and an ampoule of iodine. Capt Harold McGill reckoned that ‘the obsessing fear of the men was death from hemorrhage’ – understandably so in the absence of effective blood transfusion until late in the war – and the field dressing was the first vital response to bring bleeding under control. [18] One soldier explained:
‘The first field dressing which each man carries sewn in the lining of his tunic has saved many lives. Comprising as it does two pads of gauze and cotton-wool and a bandage, it can be ripped out of its case and clapped on to the wound, and so save the injured man, who may have to lie out hours before he can be taken back to a dressing-station, many risks from loss of blood or outside infection.’ [19]
Of course, the utility of the dressing depended on the nature of the wound. The same man recalled a lecture from his Medical Officer, who had explained that a field dressing could be used to stop bleeding from an arm or a leg, but ‘if the man was hit in the body or head – well, the doctor shrugged his shoulders in a way that made us think.’ [20]If they were not alone the wounded might also be able to improvise a tourniquet or even a splint with their bayonet or rifle, and if the iodine bottle had not smashed – unlikely, McGill thought: ‘The men reported to me that during the action they had nearly always found their pocket ampoules of iodine tincture broken when the time came to use them’ [21]– they could make a rudimentary attempt at cleaning the wound.
Given the cascading combination of immediacy, difficulty and uncertainty it is scarcely surprising that the space of the wounded should have contracted so drastically. And yet at the same time that space expanded, partly through what had become the taxing task of traversing even a short distance to relative safety, and partly through the tantalizing prospect of a ‘Blighty’, a wound judged sufficiently serious to require evacuation to Britain (and perhaps beyond for troops who came from elsewhere in the Empire). [22]
Arthur Empey came round from surgery at a Casualty Clearing Station to find rows of soldiers lying on stretchers: ‘The main topic of their conversation was Blighty. Nearly all had a grin on their faces.’ [23] One medical orderly explained that ‘a wound, even when serious, is the messenger of freedom’ – and he had never met a wounded man who wanted to return to the trenches. [24]Another had ‘only heard of one who said that he was anxious to return there, and he was subsequently transferred to No. 2 General Hospital in Le Havre, where the huge numbers of mental cases were cared for.’ [25]
Even so, the extended space of evacuation was a fraught and dangerous one. Many of the wounded fell in No Man’s Land, in the front-line trenches themselves, or in broken land during the fluctuating tides of advance and retreat in the opening and closing phases of the war. They were injured in major offensives (‘pushes’), in small raids (‘stunts’) and by routine, almost ritualized shelling and firing (‘the morning hate’). These were the most immediate danger zones in space and in time, extending back towards the reserve trenches and the small towns and villages in the rear. The wounded were supposed to move within a legal envelope that protected them from further attack. The Hague Regulations stipulated that ‘all necessary steps must be taken to spare’ – as far as possible – ‘places where the sick and wounded are collected.’ But that possibility was none the less limited. Firing and shelling were often notoriously inaccurate, casualty clearing stations were routinely located close to batteries and railheads, and it was not always easy to make out the red cross symbol that was supposed to guarantee protection. In the final months of the war even base hospitals on the French coast were bombed, while hospital ships crossing the Channel ran the gauntlet of mines and torpedoes. [26] If the wounded imagined travelling through an extended space towards safety, then it was a safety rendered conditional by the continued risk of attack. And the journey itself always exacted its own, sometimes deadly toll on the wounded body, which prompted Patrick MacGill to write of being ‘a passenger on the Highway of Pain that stretched from Lens to Victoria Station’. [27]
My purpose is to reconstruct that highway and the relationship between wounded bodies and the journeys they undertook. Many of those planning for war had a remarkably sanitized view of both. When one hard-pressed volunteer with the British Red Cross Society, working at a field hospital in Belgium in September 1914, described her pre-war training she recalled
‘the drill and the white-capped stretcher-bearers at home, and the little messenger boys with their innocuous wounds, which were so neatly and laboriously dressed.
The messenger boys’ wounds were always conveniently placed, and they never screamed and writhed or prayed for morphia when they were being bandaged. And shoulders were not shot away, nor eyes blinded, nor men’s faces – well, not much good ever came of talking of the things one has seen, and they are best left undescribed. “These are not wounds, they are mush,” I heard one surgeon say; and then I thought of the little messenger boys and their convenient fractures.’ [28]
The wounds were not the stylised, artfully coloured images of the text book and when G.H. Makins suggested that a survey of them ‘forcibly reminds the observer of the water-colour drawings made by Sir Charles Bell’ he was referring to Bell’s extraordinary ability to convey the horrific damage wrought by musket balls and shrapnel during the Peninsular War. Bell was a military surgeon and his sketches were no less remarkable for their rendering of the agony, despair and sheer terror of the wounded: a far cry, as he noted, from the text-books. [29]
Similarly, schemes for medical evacuation typically displayed an elegant linear geometry, an abstract grid of transmission lines that resembled what Fiona Reid called ‘a modernist dream’ with no catastrophic breaks or nightmare tangles (Figure 3). [30] This highly imaginative geography of an evacuation machine, carefully oiled and smoothly running, intersected with debates around a politics of speed. [31] [For much more, and a detailed case study, see my post on ‘The Leaden Hours’ here]. In the first months of the war there were complaints that it was taking far too long for the wounded to be brought from the firing zone to hospitals on the French coast. These reports provoked sufficient public unease for Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to send Col Arthur Lee to France to investigate. In a series of private communications Lee conceded that ‘in surveying the scene from London, or studying it upon a map, questions of transport present no very serious difficulties’, whereas once in France it quickly became obvious that getting the wounded to railheads was complicated by intense enemy shelling, and that the railways were under enormous pressure – ‘the wounded must of course give way to food, ammunition and reinforcements for the fighting forces’ – and with many bridges destroyed and signalling systems dislocated the hastily improvised ambulance trains, often little more than cattle trucks filled with straw, had ‘to slowly explore their own way back towards [the hospitals at] the Base.’ [32] Two years later the politics of speed had reversed; the concern now was that the RAMC had become so fixated on rapid evacuation that the injured were suffering needlessly. The debate reached its climax when Sir Almroth Wright, Consultant Physician to the British Expeditionary Force, criticized what he saw as the preoccupation with rapid evacuation, ‘hustling the wounded from hospital to hospital’ he called it, and the overwhelming importance attached to ‘the fact that a [Casualty Clearing Station] has passed so many thousands or tens of thousands of wounded through the wards, evacuating these in a minimum of time so as to be at disposal for reception of more patients.’ He claimed that as soon as a new convoy arrived at a base hospital, and as a direct result of ‘the catastrophes which are associated with long journeys’ from the Casualty Clearing Station, ‘amputations and other operations in large numbers have to be performed upon men who had been judged fit to travel’ (my emphasis). Wright’s complaints were summarily – and angrily – dismissed as ignorant and even ‘stupid’ in what was a bitter personal dispute, and the official response doubled down on the machine-like efficiency of the evacuation system.
What flickers in the fissures of these exchanges is the stubbornly, viscerally bio-physical: injured bodies did not present themselves as pristine plates in a medical atlas and their precarious journeys were not inscribed on the paper trails of an evacuation plan. The relations between the two were not only intimate; they were also reciprocal. The nature of the wound materially affected evacuation. Treatment times and pathways for ‘walking wounded’ and stretcher-cases were different, for example, and the worst cases were often the last to reach a Casualty Clearing Station and – if they survived – they travelled much further down the line and ultimately back to Britain. Those journeys in turn affected the wound: rescuing casualties from No Man’s Land was almost always at the risk of further injuries from enemy fire, for example, and as bearers struggled to carry stretchers over shell-shattered ground and through waterlogged trenches, as ambulances bumped and skidded over muddy tracks and torn-up roads, and as ambulance trains clanked and wheezed their way to the coast, the spasmodic jolting greatly aggravated pain and increased the risk of haemorrhage.
[1]John Keegan, The Face of Battle(London: Pimlico, 2004), p. 40; Keegan was referring specifically to General Sir William Napier’s account of the battle of Albuera in 1811, but he was also sharpening a general point.
[2]Elaine Scarry, The Body in Pain: the making and unmaking of the world (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985) p. 64.
[3]Regiments were raised from other British colonies in the Caribbean and Africa too, and also in Newfoundland; in some cases colonial and imperial casualties were treated by their own medical services, and in others by the RAMC, though they all worked in close concert with one another. For a general discussion, which extends to the French and German medical services, see Leo van Bergen, Before my helplesssSight: suffering, dying and military medicine on the Western Front, 1914–1918 (London: Routledge, 2016).
[4]On ‘shell shock’ and, of direct relevance to my discussion, what was known as ‘wound shock’, see Stefanos Geroulanos and Todd Myers, The human body in the age of catastrophe: brittleness, integration, science and the Great War(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018) especially Ch. 2.
[5]Casualty estimates are notoriously difficult, but on the Western Front more than five million from the Allied armies were wounded, most of them from France and the United Kingdom, and more than three million from the Central Powers, principally Germany and Austria-Hungary. There were also tens of thousands of civilian casualties, from towns and villages close to the front lines but also from long-distance shelling and air strikes much more distant from battlefields whose boundaries were already dissolving.
[6]Captain A. Radclyffe Dugmore, When the Somme ran red(New York: George H. Doran, 1918) pp. 201-2. Hence too Mark Harrison’s apt description of a ‘medical machine’ assembled on the Western Front: The Medical War: British Military medicine in the First World War (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010). The imagery of two streams was a common one too, and so was its mechanical rendering. ‘One of the most stabbing things in this war,’ wrote Sister Kate Luard, ‘is seeing the lines of empty motor ambulances going up to bring down the wrecks who at this moment are sound and fit, and absolutely ready to be turned into wrecks’: John Stevens (ed) Unknown warriors: the letters of Kate Luard1914-1918(Stroud, UK: History Press, 2014) 8 May 1915.
[7]Stevens, Unknown warriors, 10 April 1917; Ward Muir, ‘An intake of wounded’, in Happy though wounded: the book of the 3rdLondon General Hospital(London: Country Life, 1917) p. 64.
[8]H.G. Hartnett, Over the top(Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2009) p. 60; Hartnett wrote his memoir in the early 1920s from diaries he had kept during the war.
[9]His own journey was a long and painful one. ‘After tramping five or six miles in search of medical attention,’ Hartnett continued, he and his mates ‘finally reached Albert, where the confusion was even worse if that was possible. Long lines of wounded men along the footpaths and roadways were waiting their turn to get attention from doctors and their assistants, stationed at intervals along the roads, out in the open’ (p. 61). From Albert he was taken by lorry and light railway to a casualty clearing station and, after his wound had been dressed, by ambulance train to Rouen; then it was on to Le Havre and a hospital ship bound for Southampton.
[10]Wilfred Owen, Collected Letters(ed. Harold Owen and John Bell) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1967) 31 December 1917; ‘An O.E.’ [G.P.A. Fildes], Iron times with the Guards(London: John Murray, 1918) pp. 74-5; Lawrence Gameson, Private Papers, IWM Doc 612; Philip Gibbs, Now it can be told(New York: Harper, 1920) p. 374; Capt Leonard Pearson, in Lyn MacDonald, The Roses of No Man’s Land(London: Penguin, 1993) p. 187.
[11]Edward G.D. Living, Attack: An Infantry Subaltern’s Impression of July 1st, 1916 (New York: Macmillan, 1918) pp. 69-70. He managed to walk out after one of his men applied iodine and a field dressing to his wound, but walking became steadily more painful; eventually, weak from loss of blood, he was placed on a stretcher and wheeled to an advanced dressing station, and from there he was taken by ambulance to a Casualty Clearing Station.
[12]R.H. Tawney, ‘The attack’, Westminster Gazette, 24-5 October 1916.
[13]Graves confessed that his memory of what happened next was ‘vague’. He was not expected to survive, and was taken to a dressing station where he remained unconscious; when his commanding officer went down and saw him lying in a corner ‘they told him I was done for.’But the next morning an ambulance took Graves to a Casualty Clearing Station, where he remained until 24 July when he was put on an ambulance train for a Base Hospital on the coast and was eventually repatriated to Britain. Meanwhile his commanding officer had written to his mother tendering his condolences at the loss of her son. Robert Graves, Goodbye to all that (London: Penguin, 2000; first published in 1929) pp. 180-2.
[14]Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of an infantry officer(London: Faber, 1930). This is a fictionalised account of Sassoon’s experience on 16 April 1917; he recorded his more immediate reactions in his journal but said virtually nothing about the initial shock of being hit. He left the trench as ‘walking wounded’ and, after his wound was dressed at an aid post, was driven to a Casualty Clearing Station: Sassoon Journal, Cambridge University Library MS Add. 9852/1/10.h
[15]Tawney, ‘Attack’.
[16] Jones resumed his crawl and was eventually found by a bearer party: Thomas Dilworth, David Jones and the Great War (London: Enitharmon Press, 2012) p. 117. Tiplady, Soul of the soldier, p. 131 explained the logic behind the injunction: ‘When a man falls his neighbor cannot stay with him. He must press on to the objective, otherwise, if the unwounded stayed to succor the wounded, there would be none to continue the attack.’ This was of course emotionally hard. ‘The grimmest order to me was that no fighting soldier was to stop to help the wounded,’ one sergeant confessed. ‘The CO was very emphatic about this. It seemed such a heartless order to come from our CO who was … looked upon as a religious man. I thought bringing in the wounded was the way Victoria Crosses were won. But I realized that this would be an order to the CO as well as us from the General and that the whole of the attack could be held up if there were many wounded and we stopped to help them’: Sgt Charles Moss, in Richard van Emden, The Somme(Barnsley UK: Pen and Sword, 2016) p. 00.
[17]A. Matthews, ‘I was fourteen days in No Man’s Land’, I Was There!pp. 688-691; Capt A.W. French, War Diary (Liddle Collection), 14 July 1916. For another vivid account of a survivor, see the memoir written after the war by John Stafford describing his wounding on the Somme on 8 August 1916:https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020601/contributions_3155.html?q=%22John+Stafford%22.
[18]McGill, Medicine and Duty, pp. 118-9.
[19]Arthur Mills, Hospital Days(London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1916) p. 14.
[20]Mills, Hospital days, p.
[21]McGill, Medicine and Duty, p. 157.
[22]‘Blighty’, a corruption of the Urdu vilayati(‘foreign’ or ‘European’) was first used by Indian soldiers to refer to Britain in the Boer War; its use became widespread in the First World War.
[23]Arthur Empey, Over the top(New York: G.P. Putnam, 1917) p. 00.
[24]Christopher Arnander (ed), Private Lord Crawford’s Great War Diaries(Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword, 2013) 30 September 1915. ‘To these men,’ Crawford added, ‘the relief of leaving the front honourably wounded is inconceivable after months of killing, anxiety and fatigue.’ David Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford, enlisted in the RAMC as a private in April 1915 at the age of 43; in July 1916 he returned to the UK as a member of the coalition government.
[25]M.R. Werner, Orderly!(New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, 1930) p. 76.
[26]Stephen McGreal, The war on hospital ships, 1914-1918(Barnsley UK: Pen and Sword, 2009).
[27]Patrick MacGill, The Great Push: an episode of the Great War(New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1916) p. 254. This was a memoir lightly disguised as fiction; MacGill was wounded at Loos on 28 September 1915, and in the preface wrote that he had ‘tried to give, as far as I am allowed, an account of an attack in which I took part’ (p. 7).
[28]Sarah Macnaughtan, A woman’s diary of the war(London: Nelson, 1916) p. 23. Similar make-believe drills took place behind the front lines, where they were met with a healthy cynicism by ‘wounded’ and stretcher bearers alike. ‘After heavy losses we would get reinforcements and this would be followed by a Field Day to break in the newcomers’, explained one orderly with a Field Ambulance. ‘Men with labels describing their supposed injuries were hidden in unlikely spots and had to be found and dealt with as if actually wounded’: Edwin Ware, Diary,p. 94 [WL:RAMC/PE/1/707]. One private recalled a rehearsal for a ‘special stunt’ in which he played a casualty: ‘My wounds were not too painful to prevent my enjoyment of the spectacle while waiting for the stretcher bearers, who did not seem in a great hurry. Casualties here had their own choice of wounds, and they all seemed to prefer some wound which made it impossible to walk a step, much to the disgust of the stretcher bearers.After some argument with the stretcher bearers who came at last to attend to me, I was bundled unceremoniously on to a stretcher with my mess tin making itself unpleasant in the middle of my back, despite the fact that both my legs had been shattered (in theory)’: Doreen Priddey (ed.), A Tommy at Ypres: Walter’s War(Stroud: Amberley Publishing, 2011) 5-9 December 1916.
[29]G.H. Makins, ‘A note upon the wounds of the present campaign’, The Lancet, 10 October 1914 (p. 905); M.K. H. Crump and P. Starling, A surgical artist at war: the paintings and sketches of Sir Charles Bell 1807-1815 (Edinburgh: Royal College of Surgeons, 2005). Bell uncannily prefigured the horrors for which his successors were equally ill-prepared one hundred years later. ‘The cases I have had under my care,’ he wrote in his Dissertation on gunshot wounds(1814), ‘have proved to me that the books we possess upon the subject of field-practice do not even hint at the nature of the difficulties the surgeon has to encounter there.’
[30]Fiona Reid, Medicine in First World War Europe: Soldiers, Medics, Pacifists (London: Bloomsbury, 2017) p. 19.
[31]Derek Gregory, ‘The politics of speed and casualty evacuation on the Western Front, 1914-1918’, forthcoming.
Posted in casualties, Europe, medical geography, United Kingdom, World War I | Tagged Arthur Empey, Blighty wound, casualty evacuation, Charles Bell, David Jones, Elaine Scarry, First World War, John Keegan, medical geography, Private A Matthews, R.H. Tawney, Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Somme, wounded
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2504
|
__label__cc
| 0.696097
| 0.303903
|
CLIKC »
Telltale Games Closes With Immediate Effect (9/22/2018)
Author Topic: Telltale Games Closes With Immediate Effect (9/22/2018) (Read 842 times)
« on: 22 Sep 2018, 09:54 »
Well, sometimes things happen so suddenly that there is literally no warning:
Telltale Games closes with immediate effect.
Amongst Telltale's somewhat-niche but fairly well-known product line were:
Sam and Max;
The Wolves Amongst Us;
The Walking Dead;
Batman;
Minecraft: Story Mode;
Game of Thrones.
It sounds like it was pretty ugly. Apparently, staff reported this morning on what should have been a normal Saturday in the office to be informed that the company was shutting down with immediate effect. They were given 30 minutes to collect their belongings and then escorted out of the building, the doors of which which were locked behind them.
From all accounts, the board were basically in denial about how terminal the company's plight was from what I can tell and were attempting to make everything seem 'business as usual'. They were still hiring as recently as last week and were accepting new Season Pass purchases for The Walking Dead: The Final Season as recently as yesterday. In fact, the company is apparently completely insolvent so no severance has been paid or is likely to be paid any time soon. The company health insurance expires at the end of next week. Just to make things perfect, the manner in which the company hired employees means that many of the staff will be ineligible for unemployment benefits.
For fans, the practical upshot is that all currently in-production games are either cancelled or postponed indefinitely. With the dev teams broken up and dismissed, even if another studio picks up the IPs in the impending asset auction, whether the quality or story-telling will be up to Telltale's normal standards is anyone's guess - The example of Mass Effect 3 comes to mind, where basically a whole new dev team and story writing team meant that the end of the game feels jarringly off-narrative.
The only project still ongoing is a TV show version of Minecraft: Story Mode and that is only running because Netflix is picking up the tab as the commissioning company. After that wraps, the studio will completely shutter and cease to exist.
Neko_Ali
[email protected]*& ^$%O
Re: Telltale Games Closes With Immediate Effect (9/22/2018)
« Reply #1 on: 22 Sep 2018, 10:14 »
It wasn't as sudden as it is being made out to be. They have been in trouble for a while now, and there were some lay offs a while ago for restructuring according to some reports. This massive abandonment was a surprise and a shock. But the fact that the studio was having difficulty was known, if not widely reported. Were I to guess, they were trying to maintain things as long as they could, but someone with their hands on the purse strings realized that it wasn't going to work. Or they were just flat out of money and have been hiding the fact from everyone. Whatever the reasons for so abruptly shutting down, it is an absolute jerk move to cut people off without a warning or severance. And given that, according to reports, the developers were mostly living paycheck to paycheck, that's 250 suddenly in desperate need of a job right now, before rent or bills are due.
And that's not counting the customers who may not even see a return of the season pass money they have spent for games that won't be made now. And a good chance won't ever be picked up. When companies have their own IPs and go under, then often the rights revert to whoever has been financing them or they get sold off to raise money for the shutting down process to pay for things like severance. However, most if not all of Telltale's portfolio has been licensed products. So if someone wanted to finish the Walking Dead series for instance they would need to negotiate with both whoever has the rights to Telltale's games and AMC to proceed. Which means the only reason to do it is because you are desperate to see the series finished. There are easier and cheaper projects a studio could be trying to make.
Castlerook
Captain Sarcastic
« Reply #2 on: 08 Oct 2018, 11:08 »
Skybound will take over the production of Telltale's The Walking Dead and release the final season.
Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart but I am street smart.", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I am imaginary smart."
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2507
|
__label__cc
| 0.708852
| 0.291148
|
A question of soul...
And so we get right back to the beginning and the basics...what does the soul mean in the Jossverse, and could Spike have achieved redemption without one?
When I first started to look for discussion groups and message boards for people with an interest in Buffy the Vampire Slayer a year and a half ago (already? blimey!), this was the first discussion I became embroiled in. And it looks as if I now may have to dive into it again, as my name has been put forward for participation in a panel that addresses that particular question at MR in June.
Problem is, I'm like a vampire: I like to talk big -- or maybe it's just that I like to talk. I don't feel particularly qualified to make any pronouncements on the subject, but that's hardly enough to stop me from trying to formulate an opinion. So, I've more or less agreed to do it.
Which means that yesterday, going home on the train, I was suddenly inspired to jot down a few thoughts on the question of souls, morality and how the notion of Theory of Mind might tie in with it. Haven't thought much about redemption yet, haven't even defined what it means (is it simply to be rescued from sin and its penalties, or is it something much more exalted?), but if I had to decide if Spike was being redeemed without his soul right now, my answer would be a resounding yes!yes!yes! If I was looking for an argument to support that theory, I would say that in 'Hellbound', it was clearly stated that the soul on its own wasn't enough, because if it had been, Spike would never have been seen fading in and out of the Underworld. Same with Angel: he's still had to spend his time eating rats for 90-odd years and 'helping the helpless' for at least 5 since acquiring his soul -- and IMO, his redemption is still a long way off. Actually, I would think Spike had a headstart on him there, because he gave his all to regain his soul, and seems to have adjusted so much better than Angel has in a 100-plus years of enforced soulfulness. Of course, I fully expect the writers to change that point of view around at the end of the show, because it is after all, Angel's show -- and I'll have to deal with it when it comes.
But now that I'm pondering the question of soul and redemption, a related one (in my mind) pops up as well: what is evil, what does it mean in the Jossverse? We've seen the First Evil to be a big, ineffectual wuss, and we've seen all kinds of characters, ensouled or not, running amok...
If I'm going with the definition of 'evil' as 'morally bad', then I've seen plenty of examples where ensouled creatures meet the criterium with ease, e.g. the stupid frat boys who in their quest for power and riches feel no compunction about offering their dates up for sacrifice to a snake demon. Unless they had sold their souls to the demon before they started feeding him girls?
Because if I go with the definition of 'evil' as 'morally bad', and of the soul as the divine spark that connects us to God/ultimate good, then severing that connection by selling or losing the soul would result in a disconnection from a sense of what's morally right. And by that reasoning, a vampire having lost his soul, would be evil. And then in that strict sense, it would follow that Spike is evil while he goes around soulless.
But in the eyes of the beholder (this beholder?), his actions during at least part of that time seem to belie that theory, so there must be more to the notion or perception of a creature being evil than it simply being cut off from or having trouble with the concept of morality.
When the Scoobies discuss Angel going evil, they mention his past penchant for nailing puppies to doors -- so that would imply that their notion of evil is not just morally bad, but morally bad with cruelty mixed in. His evil nature comes to the fore not only in the killing of innocent little puppies as well as men, women and children; but perhaps even more so in the apparent pleasure he takes in what he calls his 'art', of torturing his prey/victims.
Some people argue that vampires are like animals, predators, without a sense of right and wrong, only the sense of an empty stomach. For which reason they attack other animals, kill and eat them. Yet we don't think of predatory animals as inherently evil. We excuse them on the grounds of them not possessing Theory of Mind: they know not what they do, i.e. have no sense of the pain and anguish they're putting their victim through because they have no sense of self and cannot empathise.
That seems to be the case as well for most of the Sunnydale vamps, esp. the fledglings that we see. All they seem to think about, if they can be said to think at all, is their stomach. As a result, they're far too stupid and careless to pose much of a threat to the Slayer. But of course, these vamps were once human, and humans -and quite possibly certain species of apes- do possess Theory of Mind; is this ability then erased in the process of becoming a vampire?
But both Angel and Spike, pre-soul, seem to have retained it; and Holden Webster, even if he was newly risen, seemed to have all his intact as well. So once again, if I take evil to mean 'morally bad and cruel', then I can only conclude that Joss is right and Spike is evil. But maybe I can qualify that by adding: 'only for as long as he has no need to question his purpose and place in the food chain.' Because I do believe that he shows signs of improvement way before the soul was added to the mix.
I'm going round in circles and I can't make head or tail of it...but it's almost 5 o'clock now and my yoga class awaits, so for today at least, I'll think no more. But I can see that I'm a long way from cobbling together a bloody brilliant hypothesis to support the idea that Spike could have been redeemed without his soul, if I'm going to take part in this debate!
Current Mood: energetic
Current Music:'Never Get Old' - David Bowie
btvs,
hesadevil
eating kittens is wrong
I think Joss was referring to Clem there, trying to prove that, though he's affable and likeable, he's still 'evil' 'cos he eats kittens.
You can get a copy of the Philosophy book from Amazon btw. There are a lot of relevant chapters in it. If there were less, I'd scan them in as Word docs and mail them to you.
Re: eating kittens is wrong
Oh no - thanks for the offer, but I'm alright. I've just sent off for a copy on your recommendation!
hesadevil : eating kittens is wrong [+1]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2510
|
__label__cc
| 0.569862
| 0.430138
|
eBooks & Learning Tools
GCLD has open employment positions! Please see our Employment page for application, job descriptions, and further information.
Displayed Article Title
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection
New to GCLD is the AAS Historical Periodicals Collection which contains more than 6,500 historical periodical titles dating from 1693 to 1877. It’s a FASCINATING RESOURCE! Check out the 1829 “Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.”
Some of the major subject areas in the American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection include:
Art, Architecture, and Music
Periodicals in this category include subjects such as fine arts and how to display them, catalogs of house plans, the decoration and furnishing a home in good taste and style, and manuals for architects and others in the building trades.
Titles in this category include reviews of books and drama, as well as catalogs and descriptions of newly published books both in America and abroad.
Business, Agriculture, and Industry
This broad category encompasses but is not limited to titles on finance and banking, better farming, stock and poultry raising, horticulture, mechanization and manufacture, railroads, mining, lumbering, canals, printing, and publishing.
Civil War and Slavery
This category contains an extensive collection of periodicals published during the Civil War and Reconstruction with a vast amount of content on the war and slavery not available outside the walls of the AAS.
Ethnic Groups (including African Americans and American Indians)
This category includes titles pertaining to the experiences of African Americans and American Indians, as well as other ethnic groups including but not limited to Jewish, German, Irish, Scandinavian, Welsh, French, Hispanic, Caribbean emigrants who settled in the United States.
Family and Society (including children, women, education)
This grouping contains magazines of a general sort for all members of the family on conduct of life, fashion and dress, deportment, and membership in social or fraternal organizations such as Freemasons and Odd Fellows.
This grouping focuses on history as the subject matter. Titles in this group cover not only the United States, but also all of the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
These literary magazines encompass a large and varied group of topics, including serialized novels, short stories, drama, poetry, essays, satire, wit and humor and folklore.
Law, Politics, and Government
Titles in this group include law reports, digests, works on crime, punishment, legal proceedings and other points of law, as well as information for police, sheriffs, and court officers.
Religious titles include magazines which focus on specific denominations as well as those which cover general works on theology, baptism, sin, conduct of life, Sunday schools, and Bible and missionary societies.
This category contains an exhaustive collection of periodicals published during the Revolutionary War.
This category includes titles relating to pure sciences such as chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. as well as natural history, anthropology, archaeology, meteorology, botany, mineralogy, geology, weather, ethnology and zoology.
Grand County Library District
Email: adminoffice@gcld.org
The Library District
The Friends of Grand County Library
Grand County Government
Grand County History
East Grand Schools & West Grand Schools
Town of Winter Park
Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce
Town of Fraser
Granby Chamber of Commerce
Town of Granby
Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce
Hot Sulphur Springs Chamber of Commerce
Town of Hot Sulphur Springs
Kremmling Chamber of Commerce
Town of Kremmling
Grand County Rural Health Network
Colorado Road Conditions
Colorado Workforce
On the Snow Colorado
Grand County Library District ©2017. All rights reserved.
BoT MRP
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2512
|
__label__cc
| 0.684718
| 0.315282
|
An Average Person used Electronic Payments 260 times per year in this Country, just as we had Predicted
Sweden has been considered as one of the most progressive countries when it comes to payments. Now the country is going to set itself apart from the rest of the world in a new way. It would be the first country to go cash free. Sweden has been taking a clear path towards digital payments. As per new estimates, four out of five transactions are made electronically or by card.
Sweden witnesses 260 credit or debit card purchases per person annually. Popular electronic payment services are gaining traction as well, also contributing to replacing cash. A popular option is Swish, an app for peer-to-peer money transfers using just the mobile number. The app is similar in nature to Venmo and was developed by six of Sweden’s biggest banks. Card payments are not just accepted at retailers but even at newspaper vendors and in public buses.
Why have people adopted mobile payments in Sweden so very well? Why don’t they worry about security? What makes Sweden a leader in mobile payments?
At Let’s Talk Payments, we have written about the success story of digital payments in Sweden. There are both demand (Infrastructure and intent) and supply side factors (collaboration between industries). The mobile internet penetration in Sweden is about 92.7%, which probably also translates into heavy usage of internet and connected apps on mobile devices. Sweden is the most active market for app downloads with an average of five downloads per Smartphone user per month.
Sweden is quietly writing history with their mobile payment revolution. There are no adoption issues and it’s a norm to use mobile for transit tickets, buying online or paying at stores. Even the technology sector is not behind and there are a number of solutions in the market:
Here are some examples of industry-backed payment programs in Sweden:
Telecom – Swedish Mobile-phone operators Telia, Tele2, Telenor jointly started a service in 2013 called WyWallet, their own payment system which opened the gates for 97% of Swedish mobile-phone users to pay for goods at participating businesses.
Bank and Third Party – Like Swish, Swedish mobile payments specialist Seamless, in partnership with various banks in the region, is doing a lot of good work. Its mobile wallet service called SEQR added NFC tag based payments in April 2013 which will provide the users with the option of making payments through NFC enabled Smartphones.
Sweden’s digital payments success certainly can be an inspiration for other nations throughout the world. There’s no doubt that Sweden is one of the leaders in digital payments today and will continue to take the lead in the future as well.
Some major advantages that Sweden has benefitted from:
Safer monetary environment – retailers and banks have been major driving forces behind cashless payments in Sweden. This makes businesses feel more secure with the absence of cash.
Fewer bank robberies – as per CBS News, the number of bank robberies in Sweden dropped from 110 in 2008 to just 16 in 2011. The number came down to 5 in 2012. Elimination of cash use reduces the motive for such criminal activities.
More savings – it can be a major factor behind Sweden’s society going cashless. Lack of cash circulation means savings in cash-handling costs. Such costs have been estimated at $1.2 billion annually.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2515
|
__label__wiki
| 0.895185
| 0.895185
|
Say What
UPDATE: UGA Cancels African Journalist's Speech Over Ebola Fears
By Blake Aued@BlakeAued | October 19, 2014 3:02pm
Photo Credit: BrianGroen/Wikipedia.org
The University of Georgia has canceled a speech on campus this week by a Liberian journalist due to concerns about the Ebola outbreak.
Wade C.L. Williams, the editor of Front Page Africa, was scheduled to give the McGill Lecture this Wednesday. (UPDATE: Although Williams said she was giving the McGill Lecture, according to Grady College professor John Greenman, her lecture was supposed to be part of the McGill Symposium but not the McGill Lecture itself. Antonio Mora, the Peabody Award-winning host of Al Jazeera America's "Consider This," will present the actual McGill Lecture at 4 p.m. Wednesday in room 250 of the Miller Learning Center.)
Williams said she had already purchased a plane ticket and made hotel reservations when UGA told her not to come at the last minute.
“I received a call from Georgia just days before my trip. A woman with a pleasant voice delicately told me that parents were panicking and the general public was against my coming to the university,” stated Williams in a blog post published days after the university reached the decision.
Miss Williams said her feeling about the University’s decision to cancel her invitation to speak on Ebola at the University is mixed with disappointment and empathy. A lot of great people from Grady College helped me plan this trip and it took days of their effort, but what could they do when the University’s administration was pushing them to cancel?” She asked.
Continued Miss Williams: “Despite my disappointment, I’m not angry with the University of Georgia. They felt they could not wear the barrage of criticism that would be directed at them if they allowed a Liberian journalist who covers Ebola on their campus and on a U.S. soil.” She partly blamed the level of misinformation in the U.S. press that led to the University administration being paranoid and canceling what could have been a very educative lecture.
“But the hysteria in the U.S. media about the virus and the possibility of it spreading is counterproductive and must stop,” he said. “I worry that my fellow Liberians and Africans traveling abroad will be treated like pariahs and unfairly discriminated against as the region and word tries to battle this deadly virus.”
(Hat tip to Peach Pundit and the AJC.)
As Flagpole recently explained, there is very little danger of an Ebola epidemic in the U.S.
Here's the Oct. 16 news release from UGA announcing Williams' replacement Todd Frankel's visit, which does not explain why Williams was uninvited.
Todd C. Frankel, a reporter with The Washington Post, will discuss the challenges reporters face in covering the emerging Ebola crisis during a talk Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. at the University of Georgia Chapel.
The talk, “Eyewitness to Ebola: A Journalist’s Perspective,” is free and open to the public.
The original speaker for this event was Liberian journalist Wade C.L. Williams, but her visit has been postponed.
Frankel was the first reporter The Washington Post sent to West Africa to cover the outbreak. In August, Frankel spent 10 days in Sierra Leone, returning to the U.S. Sept. 1. Some of his most compelling writing includes “A virus hunter faces the big one: Ebola,” “Love in the time of Ebola,” and “The fight to save the last Ebola-free district in Sierra Leone.” A compilation of all of his stories, including several recent features about the outbreak in Texas, can be found on The Washington Post website.
Frankel is an award-winning writer earning national recognition from the National Headliners Award, American Society of Newspaper Editors and Society of Professional Journalists. His work has been anthologized in “Next Wave: America’s New Generation of Great Literary Journalists” (2012) and the “2009 Best Newspaper Writing” book. Prior to The Washington Post, Frankel worked at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where he was on the team that was the 2009 Pulitzer Prize finalist for breaking news. For several years, he was an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Frankel has covered major disasters and major milestones, often focusing on the overlooked story.
In addition to his public talk, Frankel and three other journalists will discuss what journalistic courage means and how it is exemplified in their work during the annual McGill Symposium at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. A select group of Grady College students will meet with the journalists during that event.
The public lecture by Frankel is co-sponsored by Grady College, the Office of Academic Programs and the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases.
UPDATE: Grady Dean Charles Davis posted the following explanation to the college's website Monday.
Many people are aware that we have postponed a lecture by Liberian journalist Wade C.L. Williams previously scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23. The reason this lecture was postponed is simple — Williams was traveling directly from Liberia to the U.S. and would have been within the 21-day monitoring period that the CDC recommends. The safety of our students is of primary concern and if the CDC suggests waiting 21 days to see if any symptoms develop, we feel it is important to heed that warning. We did not want to lose out on this educational opportunity, so we were able to secure The Washington Post journalist Todd Frankel to join us for our events this week. Frankel has covered the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, but has well-surpassed the 21-day monitoring period having returned from his travels Sept. 1.
We hope you will join us for the public lecture Frankel will give as he shares his experiences Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. in the UGA Chapel. In addition to his public lecture, Frankel will also participate in a panel of journalists for the McGill Symposium with a pre-selected group of Grady College students Oct. 22. Antonio Mora, host of "Consider This" on Al Jazeera America, remains the speaker of the McGill Lecture Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. in Room #250 of the Miller Learning Center.
We look forward to inviting Williams to join us in the future so we can learn from her valuable insights.
This post has been updated to correct the location of Mora's lecture, which was in error on the Grady College's website.
UGA, Ebola
More by Blake Aued
Deborah Gonzalez Is Running for District Attorney
Mail Delivery Resumes at Bethel Homes
Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry Is Running for Senate
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2516
|
__label__cc
| 0.74404
| 0.25596
|
Radiation Oncology Center - Overview
The Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Department of Radiation Oncology is dedicated to providing our patients with the highest quality cancer care in a sensitive, respectful and compassionate manner. Supported by some of the most advanced technologies available anywhere, our physicians are focused on applying the tools of modern medicine to achieve the best possible outcomes for each patient with cancer in our community.
Johnny Kao, MD
Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology
Chairman, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Cancer Committee
A native New Yorker, Dr. Kao graduated with honors from Dartmouth College and attended medical school at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center and residency in the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at University of Chicago.
Dr. Kao is the chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. He has been awarded the Patients’ Choice Award for outstanding patient satisfaction. A prolific researcher, Dr. Kao published over 60 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and currently serves as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Oncology. His research has been supported by federal funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. While serving as an Attending Physician at Mount Sinai, Dr. Kao led the first phase I/II trial combining stereotactic radiation with systemic therapy for limited metastatic disease, a concept that has now become a standard treatment approach. Dr. Kao has extensive personal and published experience in successfully treating patients with intensity modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy and stereotactic radiation therapy.
Andrew T. Wong, MD
Attending Physician, Department of Radiation Oncology
Dr. Wong is a board-certified radiation oncologist at the Cancer Center of Good Samaritan Hospital. He specializes in the treatment of all types of cancer and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on the treatment of breast, gynecological, prostate, thoracic, and central nervous system cancers. He has had extensive training in a wide array of advanced radiation treatment modalities including image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR/SBRT), and brachytherapy.
Dr. Wong was born and raised on Long Island. He graduated cum laude from Columbia University earning a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. He later attended medical school at Stony Brook University. He completed his residency training at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY where he served as Chief Resident. He is an active member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and holds a faculty appointment (Clinical Assistant Professor) at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Floating CTA Button Text:
Floating CTA Description Text:
Find a specialist near you.
Floating CTA Show:
Floating CTA Button Phone Mode:
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2518
|
__label__wiki
| 0.65867
| 0.65867
|
Dancin' On Deesu
Life, Liberty and Pursuit of The Groove
Naughty But Nice
SHSSSH !
Gulf Coast Soul
When Lee Met Allen
New Orleans, Memphis, and Jackson In The Mix
Attention, Eddie Bo Fans
The Big Easy In The Big Apple
Tuff City Side
"Got To Find A Way" (G. Porter, Jr. - B. MacDonald)
George Porter's Joy Ride, Searching For A Joy Ride, Night Train, 2005
Find it at Tuff City
Our first selection in this series comes from George Porter, Jr. and his short-lived outfit, Joy Ride, that he put together with guitarist Bruce “Weasel” MacDonald about two years after the Meters broke up. As Michael Hurtt’s excellent liner notes for the TuffCity/Night Train CD, Searching For A Joy Ride, reveal, Porter joined David Lastie’s band, A Taste Of New Orleans, after the break up, playing a lot of French Quarter gigs with them for over a year. Porter had met MacDonald, who is originally from Lake Charles, LA, in Lafayette in the 1970’s; and they got together musically when MacDonald moved to New Orleans in 1979. Here in Southwest Louisiana, Bruce MacDonald has been a well-know musical figure for decades, having played in a legendary (and now semi-reunited) Lake Charles ‘60’s garage band, The Bad Roads, as well as other momentous groups such as the Cajun/rock hybrid bands, Coteau and Rufus Jagneaux, and in Zachary Richard’s band in the later ‘70’s. After meeting up again, Porter and MacDonald got to songwriting immediately and put together a group that originally had as its other members Lake Charles native Kenny Blevins(who went on to play with Sonny Landreth, John Hiatt, and Tiny Town, among others) on drums, Sam Henry (of the Soul Machine) on organ and electric piano, and Craig Wroten on synthesizer.
The band played mainly clubs in the Uptown area of New Orleans where Loyola and Tulane universities are located, and developed a following with the college crowd. By the time they decided to make this album at Studio In the Country in Bogalusa, Ricky Sebastian (originally from Opelousas, LA and now an esteemed jazz player in New York) was on drums, and Wroten was gone. On record, they display a tight, funk infused R&B with rock overtones that Porter describes as “syncopated rock”. They certainly don’t play like a band together for less than a year. “Got To Find A Way” typifies what they were up to with its decidedly upbeat, perhaps cocaine-enhanced, pacing. Sebastian’s complex but danceable romp with the beat underpins this mover and keeps it out of disco territory. Porter’s agile bottom end work is in da groove, while Henry’s organ riffing and MacDonald’s rhythmic quick picking spice up changes that really don’t break any new ground. It’s a riff-driven tune with inconsequential lyrics, sung by both the bassist and guitarist, that surely kept the party people happy at gigs.
While there are a couple of slower, plainly funky tracks on the album, most are high energy tunes the band’s principals developed out of live jams. Given time, I think George Porter’s Joy Ride could have become a formidable unit and written some great songs. But, the group came unglued soon after the recordings were made in 1980, having issued only one poorly distributed single on their own Chippewa label, “Mardi Gras In New Orleans” b/w “Money Money”, both of which are on the Night Train CD. Though it’s not anywhere near a masterwork or major find, this album fills in a sonic gap from a period in New Orleans music when exciting musical connections were being made and a number of new groups were forming such as the Neville Brothers, Little Queenie and the Percolators, and the Radiators. Porter and MacDonald would collaborate again on the bassist’s first solo CD for Rounder, Runnin’ Partner, in 1990.
Until I got this nicely packaged CD in New Orleans during Jazzfest this spring, I had only heard George Porter’s Joy Ride on a Deesu single (not on this CD) I found; and my wife had told me tales of going to their shows back in the day and even having one of their t-shirts. To me, a great thing about CD reissues is that they often contain previously unissued material that can be lost works or alternate takes. If not always revelatory, they are, at least, fascinating artifacts. Kudos to Tuff City/Night Train for making Joy Ride’s album available for the first time.
Note: The Tuff City Records website (see links) has audio samples from most of their CDs.
Larry Grogan said...
Cool tune Dan. I like the groove on this stuff. Was the Deesu 45 you had their version of 'Cissy Strut'? I'm curious as to why Tiff City wouldn't include the tracks from that 45 on this LP/CD.
10:41 AM, July 11, 2005
Good question, Larry. Yes, the Deesu 45 is "Cissy Strut" b/w "Sneaky Freaky". If they had included it, that would have been the total recorded output for the band. I mentioned this single to the Tuff City rep in an email about some other things; but he did not address it. So, it is possible that they did not know it exists or did not have access to a copy. The CD notes do not mention the single, either; but I'll ask them again.
Hi all, i don't have a blogger name (yet) but this is Cameron from tuff city.
To answer your question, yes we knew about this track but unfortunately could not use it for legal reasons. It is one of the few singles that we don't have the legal rights to.
Thanks, Cameron, for the quick response and for access to the
tune(s). We'll get to another one soon.
1:40 AM, July 12, 2005
michael hurtt said...
Glad to hear y'all dug the Joy Ride disc. Neither George nor Bruce mentioned the Deesu single to me when we were going through the tapes, therefore I didn't even know about it at the time the CD was being put together! When I did run across it a few months later I thought "Ugh!! This should have been included, or at the very least mentioned in the notes!" ...However, word comes from George that it's not actually Joy Ride, just him and some studio musicians. Apparently the Joy Ride name was just used by the record company, possibly because it was his latest project.
Thanks, Michael, for giving us this update on the Deesu single. It makes sense, since the record really doesn't have the Joy Ride sound. Being ever curious, though, I wonder which studio musicians played on it. Oh, well. . .
By the way, I wasn't blaming you for not mentioning the single in your great notes. I had just had that record for a long time and thought it would probably be on the CD. Hearing their "lost" album
and 45 sides certainly makes it all
worthwhile.
And, a note to you comment readers: You can find Michael's insightful writing in the pages of offBeat magazine.
10:49 PM, August 14, 2005
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2525
|
__label__wiki
| 0.880908
| 0.880908
|
Singhpora
Singhpora is a town and municipality located on the Srinagar–Baramulla road (part of National Highway 1) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Location in India
Coordinates: 34°8′50″N 74°37′0″E / 34.14722°N 74.61667°ECoordinates: 34°8′50″N 74°37′0″E / 34.14722°N 74.61667°E
• Urban
3 sq mi (8 km2)
• Town
130/sq mi (52/km2)
5:30 UTC
Singapore (disambiguation)
Baramulla district
Baramulla district is one of the 22 districts in the Indian-administered disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Baramulla city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district covered an area of 4,190 km² in 2001 but it was reduced to 3,353 km² at the time of 2011 census.
Chittisinghpura massacre
The Chittisinghpura massacre refers to the fatal shooting of 35 Sikhs on 20 March 2000, in the Anantnag district of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in India.The Indian government asserts that it was conducted by the Islamic Fundamentalist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Mohammad Suhail Malik of Sialkot, Pakistan confessed while in custody about participating in the attacks at the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba in an interview with Barry Bearak of The New York Times although Bearak questioned the authenticity of the confession. Suhail Malik is a nephew of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He was however later acquitted of these charges by a Delhi court. Some other observers like Bruce Riedel have also attributed this massacre to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Doru Shahabad
Doru Shahabad (also written as Dooru Shahabad or only Doru) is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. It is also known as historical township in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. Doru shahabad has been known as a place of intelligentia where great scholars like Mehmood shah Gami, Rasul Mir shahabadi, were borne who contributed to the literature and culture of kashmir. In present times shahabad has produced chief minister like syed mir qasim and many other politicians, beuracrates and some leading agricultural scientists.
Hanjiwera
Hanjiwera is a notified area and village in Singhpora, Pattan, Baramulla district in Indian administered state of Jammu & Kashmir. It is located 37 km to the east from the District headquarters in Baramulla. 25 km from State capital Srinagar.
Hanjiwera is divided into two sublocalities: Hanjiwera Bala and Hanjiwera Payeen. Hanjiwera Bala consists mainly the population of Sunni Muslims and some Hindu houses whereas hanjiwera Payeen mainly possesses Shia Muslims. The village is located on either sides of NH-1A highway connecting Baramulla and Srinagar.
Baramula, Sopore, Bandipore, Srinagar are the nearby cities to Hanjwera.
Kishtwar National Park
Kishtwar National Park is a national park located in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is bounded to the north by Rinnay river, south by Kibar Nala catchment, east by main divide of Great Himalaya and west by Marwa river.
Leh district
Leh is one of the two districts located in Ladakh, the other being the Kargil District to the west, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. With an area of 45,110 km2, it is the second largest district in the country (after Kutch, Gujarat) in terms of area. It is bounded on the north by Ghanche District (Gilgit-Baltistan), a small border with Xinjiang, China, via the Karakoram Pass which is part of the district. Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and Lahul and Spiti to the south. The district headquarters is in Leh. It lies between 32 to 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude.
The whole of Ladakh was under the administration of Leh until 1 July 1979, when the Kargil and Leh administrative districts were created. Religion has been a source of grievances between Buddhists and Muslims since the late 20th century and was a contributor to this division.As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of Jammu and Kashmir (out of 22), after Kargil.In 2017, the district was declared a tobacco-free zone. The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir under the National Tobacco Control Programme began working towards the designation early in 2017 and the status was declared in August. Rehana Kousar (in-charge, NTCP, Kashmir) said that work was done with civil society, religious and women's groups and that a "major success was achieved by the involvement of women in the anti-tobacco campaign."
Outline of Jammu and Kashmir
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Jammu and Kashmir:
Jammu and Kashmir – state in northern India, often denoted by the acronym J&K. It is located mostly in the Himalayan mountains, and shares borders with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south. Jammu and Kashmir has an international border with China in the north and east, and the Line of Control separates it from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and northwest respectively. The state has special autonomy under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.
Pattan
Pattan (not to be confused with the Patten Valley in Himachal Pradesh) is a town and a municipal committee in Baramulla district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinthan top
Sinthen top is a mountain pass, a popular tourist destination located between South Kashmir's Breng Valley (Sub-District Kokernag) in Anantnag district and Kishtwar in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Most of the part lies on Kishtwar side.
Uri, Jammu and Kashmir
Uri is a town and a tehsil in the Baramulla district, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Uri is located on the left bank of the Jhelum River, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the Line of Control with Pakistan.
Municipalities of Jammu and Kashmir
Achabal
Breng
Dachnipora
Koviripora
Shangus
B.K.Pora
Badgam
Chadoora
Khag
Khan-sahib
Nagam
Narbal
Gurez
Hajin
Tulail
Boniyar
Rafiabad
Rohama
Sopore
Tangmarg
Wagoora
Zaingeer
Bhaderwah
Bhagwah
Bhalessa (gandoh)
Gundana
Thathri
Kangan
Wakura
Bishnah
Dansal
Khour
Marh
R.S.Pura
Satwari
Gundmangalpur/Trespone
Lungnak
Sankoo
Shakar-chiktan
Shargole
Taisuru
Zanskar
Barnoti
Basohli
Billawar
Duggan
Hiranagar
Lohai-Malhar
Dachhan
Drabshalla
Inderwal
Marwah
Nagseni
Padder
Warwan
D.H. Pora
Devsar
Pahloo
Qaimoh
Kalarooch
Kralpora
Rajwar
Ramhal
Sogam
Tangdar
Teetwal
Trehgam
Wavoora
Chuchot
Durbuk
Khalsi
Kharu
Nyoma
Panamic
Saspol
Balakote
Bufliaz
Mendhar
Surankote
Kakapora
Pampore
Budhal
Darhal
Kalakote
Manjakote
Rajouri
Sunderbani
Thana mandi
Gool
Ramsoo
Mahore
Pouni
Ghagwal
Purmandal
Vijaypur
Chenani
Ghordi
Majalta
Panchrai
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2529
|
__label__cc
| 0.739848
| 0.260152
|
Tag Archives: michael cunningham
An Open Letter From One of Your 51 Percent
After reading Manohla Dargis’ piece in the New York Times and her subsequent interview with Jezebel.com, I felt the need to write the following open letter to the heads of all the feature film studios in the United States.
Dear Sirs (+ the one madam co-chair):
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ashley, I am one of your customers. One of your 51 percent, to be exact. Ironically, I’m also on the cusp of two age brackets that seem to allude you. Being 28 years old, I’m just edging past your “Twilight” audience and will soon hit your 35+ when-its-a-hit-it-must-be-a-fluke audience. Not only am I one of your customers, but I also happen to be one of you, albeit a very low-level one of you. I feel this puts me in a unique situation, I know your audience because I am your audience; AND, because I’m somewhat of an insider, I’ve struck upon a solution to your problem. A solution that will make you even more money than you’re making now. I’m talking Twilight, The Dark Night, and Mamma Mia kind of money. Believe-it-or-not, it’s not as hard as you think and it’s actually something you know how to do already: make movies. But not just any movies; movies that 51 percent of your audience can relate to and which feature the work of those members of our 51 percent who make their careers in feature film.
Don’t get me wrong, I know you get cross-over audiences. I’m just as likely to see a romantic comedy as I am the next Bourne movie, but I’m even more likely to see a Bourne movie directed by Kathryn Bigelow. I’d probably even go back for seconds if you decided to expand Julia Stiles’ character or give Joan Allen’s more of a back story. Like Bourne, I want to know what taunts them, what makes them tick and what makes them want to find Jason Bourne (because, let’s face it, it’s beyond just their professional duty at this point).
I like stories with style and substance, but I also like action, chase scenes and even my fair share of violence. My favorite movie is “The Silence of the Lambs.” “SOTL” is a great example of how to make a movie that grabs 100 percent of your adult audience: follow the hero’s journey. In this case, the hero just happens to be a 5′ tall heroine and her unlikely leading man is a serial killing cannibal. There’s blood, guts, gore and most importantly, STORY. Both men and women alike invest in these characters because we learn what makes them tick. But women have an extra investment in this particular story (this is the reason why we go back to see it again, recommend it to our friends, buy it, download it, etc.) we see ourselves up on the screen, a lone woman among men in an elevator. Every woman has experienced that moment, just as every woman’s secret desire (like Agent Starling’s) is to save the world.
I also like my romantic comedies to be smart. Yes, I do like to see pretty things and pretty people on a screen, but I’m not an idiot either. I’d trade in a beautiful set and a character’s designer wardrobe for a really good story. Make more movies like “When Harry Met Sally.” Those characters had a story and they had great conversations about things we all discuss at dinner parties or over the phone with friends. Many elements of the script came from actual conversations between Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron. And guess what? That movie appealed to men as well. Why? Two reasons: 1) They saw themselves in Billy Crystal: he is the every man and he got the girl; 2) Insight into women. Yes, we sometimes fake orgasms. Now you know.
The “Buddy Movie” (now recoined as the “Bromance” or “A Judd Apatow”) We, the 51 percent of your audience, have only one of these movies to stick a flag in and call our own: “Thelma and Louise.” This movie was made in 1991. Oh, wait, there was another female buddy movie! In 2002, producer Cathy Konrad put out a hilarious flick (penned by Nancy Pimental) called “The Sweetest Thing.” I was in college. I saw it two times on opening weekend with seven other female friends. It still remains the closest we’ll ever get to “The Hangover” for women. Speaking of which, if “The Hangover” was pitched with an entirely female cast, it would never have gotten made. Though I have no doubt there would have been an audience for it — made up of both genders.
The drama (aka “The Oscar movie” or “The Meryl Streep”). In their current state, these movies have a slightly better shot at appealing to me and my fellow 51 percenters because they feature more screen time for women (usually women who can no longer wrinkle their foreheads, but that’s a different letter for another day). The funny thing about these movies is that they’re rarely directed and/or written by women. Though I love men who can write wonderful parts for women (hello, Michael Cunningham), they are not women, and, as such, they will always leave the character with an unexplored territory. It’s one thing for a woman to be mysterious, but another thing to leave 51 percent of us knowing there is so much more to the story that needs to be told. “The Hours” has a great scene which touches upon this, when Clarissa Vaughn talks to her daughter about a moment in her youth:
“I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then.”
Contained within those lines are two potential movies for two generations of women, “the sense of possibility” movie, reaching audiences from their late teens – 30s, and “the moment looking back” movie, for the 40/50/60 female audience. I want to know what that woman sees as both a 20-something and then as a 50-something woman. Romantic comedies offer shades of these moments as well, though they are even fewer and farther between.
I believe women go to rom coms and dramas because they crave any glimmer of seeing their lives reflected back at them, no matter how fleeting of a moment it may be. We women store up a mosaic of these moments and play them back in our minds when we need them. A “greatest hits” if you will. They are our touchstone, our reminder that we are seen, we are remembered; we do serve a purpose. But wouldn’t it be even better if we didn’t need a highlights reel? If the marquee at our local theaters advertised movies where we saw ourselves and our husbands/boyfriends/friends/girlfriends/teens depicted by someone like us who knows the way we think, the way we see, who gives us not “women’s movies” but movies from our perspective? And, maybe even a woman who gives us male viewpoints just as dramatically or funny as the Michael Manns or Judd Apatows of the world, but from a fresh perspective.
I am one of your 51 percent. And, I am also your colleague. I want to see a reflection of myself on a screen just as much as I want to see my name in the credits. I am a part of both sides of this letter. And, I will keep moving forward both from my seat and on a set, until my voice is heard. Because when it finally is, there will be 51 percent of the world’s population behind it. I hope you start listening.
-Ashley Van Buren
Tagged 51 percent, billy crystal, bromance, cathy konrad, film, jezebel, jezebel.com, joan allen, judd apatow, julia stiles, kathryn bigelow, mamma mia!, manohla dargis, meryl streep, michael cunningham, michael mann, movies, nancy pimental, new york times, nora ephron, rob reiner, silence of the lambs, the dark night, the hangover, the hours, the sweetest thing, thelma and louise, twilight, when harry met sally, women
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2535
|
__label__cc
| 0.589803
| 0.410197
|
Home / News / Outpatient care is no longer fit for purpose
Outpatient care is no longer fit for purpose
HB News: 09/11/2018 - 09:56
A new report has argued that a new approach to outpatient care is needed if it is to meet growing demand and reduce disruption to patients’ lives.
Outpatients: The future - Adding value through sustainability, published by the Royal College of Physicians, says that the cost to patients and public health of the current approach must be considered alongside the financial cost to the NHS, meaning that the system must be aware of patients having to spend time and money on things like childcare and travel when attending appointments, as well as more obvious frustrations such as waiting times and poor communication.
With the current ‘one-size-fits-all’ model no longer fit for purpose, the RCP recommends replacing it with a person-centred approach that recognises that people have varying health needs, personal pressures and abilities to self-care or manage.
Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS England medical director who wrote the foreword for the report, stressed that ‘the time has come to grasp the nettle and use tech and other innovations to improve patients’ experience and care’. As such, he said the system must analyse ways to cut unnecessary appointments, save thousands of journeys, reduce traffic and pollution and make the NHS more efficient.
Seeking to reduce some of the 118 million outpatient appointments every year, the Royal College of Physicians report estimates that a fifth of face-to-face consultations are not necessary and suggests that health chiefs should embrace Skype, as well as other apps and online tools, so that thousands of patients could be spared hospital visits and time off work or school.
The number of outpatient appointments in England has doubled over the last decade, now accounting for 85 per cent of all hospital activity outside A&E, costing around £200 a time.
Professor Powis said: “The outpatient system is older than the NHS and the time has come to grasp the nettle and use tech and other innovations to improve patients’ experience and care. As part of the long term plan for the NHS, it’s right we look at ways to cut unnecessary appointments, save thousands of journeys, reduce traffic and pollution and make the NHS more efficient.
“For many people, care can be delivered more timely and conveniently closer to home, by specialists at the GP surgery or by using technology in new and exciting ways. This report shows a snapshot of exciting new models already working successfully through apps, skype, text messaging and remote monitoring systems that are changing the shape of care; we need to bottle and spread those examples building a new consensus for the future based on the views of clinicians and patients.”
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded the CQC ‘Good’ rating once again after a series of visits across the trust.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has faced its busiest day ever, prompting pressures normally seen in the winter to be deemed the norm all year round.
CIPS has awarded NHS Midlands and Lancashire CSU standard level in the Procurement Excellence Programme (PEP).
New research has found that living a healthy lifestyle may help offset a person’s genetic risk of dementia.
Nurses will discuss their experiences of delivering care in hospitals in England at an event in Parliament.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2540
|
__label__cc
| 0.664884
| 0.335116
|
“The entire modern deification of survival per se, survival returning to itself, survival naked and abstract, with the denial of any substantive excellence in what survives, except the capacity for more survival still, is surely the strangest intellectual stopping place ever proposed by one man to another.”
It has become a commonplace to remark about the preoccupation with self that defines our current culture. We know all about the “me generation” and have come to learn that Gen-X, in whom we placed so much hope for the future, is even more preoccupied with themselves than their parents. Christopher Lasch, whom I have referenced in previous blogs, is one of the few thinkers to attempt to understand why this has come about. And he is one of the best minds I have encountered to think with about our cultural condition. He likens our present outlook on our world to that of a POW, especially the inmates of Auschwitz, during the Second World War. As Lasch notes regarding our current malaise, in his remarkable book The Minimal Self:
“People have lost confidence in the future. Faced with an escalating arms race, an increase in crime and terrorism, environmental deterioration, and the prospect of long-term economic decline, they have begun to prepare for the worst, sometimes by building fallout shelters and laying in provisions, more commonly by executing a kind of emotional retreat from the long-term commitments that presuppose a stable, secure, and orderly world. . . . Everyday life has begun to pattern itself on the survival strategies forced on those exposed to extreme adversity. Selective apathy, emotional disengagement from others, renunciation of the past and the future, a determination to live only one day at a time — these techniques of emotional self-management, necessarily carried to extremes under extreme conditions, in a more moderate form have come to shape the lives of ordinary people under the ordinary conditions of a bureaucratic society widely perceived as a far-flung system of total control.”
According to Lasch, this has given rise to a siege mentality as we embrace a survival ethic — not unlike those in the camps such as Auschwitz who struggled to remain human while they gradually retreated within themselves.
“In fact, the siege mentality is much stronger in those who know Auschwitz only at second-hand than in those who lived through it. It is the survivors [of Auschwitz] who see their experience as a struggle not to survive but to stay human. While they record any number of strategies for deadening the emotional impact of imprisonment — the separation of the observing self from the participating self; the decision to forget the past and live exclusively in the present; the severance of emotional ties to loved ones outside the camps; the cultivation of a certain indifference to appeals from fellow-victims — they also insist that emotional withdrawal could not be carried to the point of complete callousness without damaging the prisoner’s moral integrity and even his will to live. [In contrast, we exhibit] a diminished capacity to imagine a moral order transcending [our own experience], which alone can give meaning [to our lives].”
This is heavy stuff, indeed. As the quote from William James at the top of this page suggests, mere survival for its own sake is hardly a lofty human ideal. What truly matters is what survives — what sort of person or culture. It’s about character and moral fiber, not about breathing in and out for as long as possible. We don’t talk much about character any more, and at present it is certainly the case that the moral high ground seems to have flattened after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr leaving the landscape rather barren, which is something to be deeply regretted. And there are many signs around us that point to our ignorance of the past and loss of hope in the future in our preoccupation with our own present experience. As the ads tell us, “Do It Now!” This attests to the very malaise Lasch describes; his analysis seems to me to be quite plausible.
But he does not despair. He does not see the various movements to save the planet, stop the nuclear arms race, show concern about our shared world, together with the “growing criticism of consumerism and high technology, criticism of the ‘masculine’ psychology of conquest and competition” as complete answers, but they do “hold out the best hope for the future.” Though Lasch would not have us abandon hope for radical changes in the political landscape, at present politics does not seem to provide a way out, given the stranglehold those “profoundly undemocratic” corporations have on the political process. None the less, there are things each one of us can do within the limits of our own capacities to mitigate corporate greed and the destruction of the planet, while we seek to restore the moral high ground, reaching out to others and turning our attention toward a world filled with beauty and finding joy in the things and people that surround us — and certainly not abandoning hope in the future altogether. This would allow us to avoid the “survival mentality” of which Lasch speaks and which threatens to suffocate the human spirit.
Tagged: Auschwitz, Christopher Lasch, Gen X, Martin Luther King, moral high ground, William James
← Science and Truth
Black Friday →
7 thoughts on “Survival Mentality”
November 24, 2013 at 8:00
Hugh, interesting post. I have a question, precipitated, but larger than the context of your post. Do we spend time focusing on headline issues because they are more provocative, but less mainstream than the real problems of the day? With politicians dealing too much with the zero-sum game of politics, I witness daily people reaching out to each other across country boundaries to identify right and wrong. This democratization of idea sharing (per Lasch) is ground breaking and makes leaders take notice. The antagonist of this process is people who get information from sources who are dubious and influenced greatly by those monied interests – they will focus more on the provocative and not the real problems. Thanks for sharing, BTG
I suspect most people focus on “headline” issues because that’s all they read. Very few take the time to probe beneath the headlines, as you do.� And, of course, the headlines are written by those who control the media.
It is said that God protects children, drunks and the United States of America. Surely He is failing the children of Syria and, to date, the USofA. It is also said that when the USofA gets itself into trouble, a great leader has always come forward. I regret to say that Barack Obama is not that leader though I had high hopes. I fear that the “trouble” is going to have to get worse before he/she emerges. The only question is how much longer it is going to take and what form it will be.
And a related question is whether a leader courageous enough to take on the corporations can survive in politics as the game is now played.
Amaya says:
Exactly. I don’t think so.
And, by definition, such a leader will have to come from a citizenry sufficiently aroused and motivated to follow him/her!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2543
|
__label__cc
| 0.645107
| 0.354893
|
When You Need to Know God's Will - #7507
If you cannot see the media above - download here: MP3
Download MP3 (right click to save)
It's not uncommon for me to meet a truck driver who says, "Yeah, as I travel across the country I know what station you're on and we listen to that program. I listen to Christian radio across the country." Well, that's nice to hear. And so I've learned from truckers, of course, that CB radio is very important to them. Actually, a few years ago, there was a national craze of CB radio. And we actually picked up some words in our vocabulary from that time. The CB invasion left us with words like a policeman is called a "Smokey." Your name is your "handle." When everything's OK, you're supposed to say, "10/4 good buddy." I like the phrase that CB'ers use when they want to see if you're tuned in. They say something like this, "You got your ears on?"
Whose Hero - #7501
My story! Yeah, that's what made kids want to play with me when I was little. Wait a minute! Is this how "A Word With You" got started? No, I love to make up stories. I don't make them all up, you know, I do tell you true stories too. But I was giving my friends parts in a story that I would make up and they would act out. But I always left it at an exciting part that was this cliff-hanger so they'd want to come back tomorrow and see how it turned out. I also had some time, then, to figure out how to get out of the predicament I had just created.
Someone Else's Treasure - #7498
That night our car was totaled in an accident, and thank God, we weren't. We were hit by a drunk driver, and I had no car to get around in for the month of December, which was a very busy month for the youth ministry that I worked for at that time. I received a call from a friend one day. Much to my surprise, he said, "Ron, could we lend you a car for the next few weeks while we're in Florida." This was like a huge answer to prayer. I said, "Well, bring me the oldest one you have."
Fighting the Right Battles - #7472
When our children were young, my wife and I toured the Civil War Battlefield at Gettysburg. And then, years later, we visited it again and Chad, one of our team members, was with us. My wife and Chad are both from "the South", so my wife enjoyed this trip to Gettysburg more than the previous one, because you've got two Confederates versus one Yank there. I was outnumbered. We had a pretty memorable time retracing the battle across those hills and those fields where a lot of our nation's future was decided.
Easy Come, Easy Go Friends - #7471
I always think I look healthier with a suntan, which means I don't look very healthy most of the time. And most of the time my suntan turns out to be a sunburn anyway. Now, the doctors are telling us that all that exposure to the sun probably makes us less healthy, even if we look healthier, because it's increasing the risks of skin cancer. But even without those warnings, I think that hours of trying to get a tan - for me at least - are pretty much a waste of time. Oh, I change color, but I have I guess what you would call easy come, easy go skin. In other words, I pick up the sun very quickly, but the color also fades very quickly. And in no time, it's taking me back to my usual shade of office white. The color that I get so easily either fades away quickly or just falls off. Actually, there are people like that too.
Flowers Before the Funeral - #7444
When Princess Diana died no one could have ever predicted the massive public outpouring of love and grief that came from the British people in the week following her death. Maybe you remember that sea of flowers that enveloped the front of Buckingham Palace and Diana's personal residence at Kensington Palace. You couldn't get anywhere near the gates. The flowers seemed to stretch out endlessly! Someone who had been close to the Princess said, "Diana had no idea she was loved like this." That's sad but not unique.
The Power of a Father's Smile - #7420
It's important for fathers and sons to do things together, right, like my son helping me with the yard work so we can bond, of course. I remember one day when my oldest son was probably just about five. It was a hot day. I was mowing and my son was following around after me clipping. I looked over to him and I smiled. About five minutes later he came over and yelled over the mower, "Daddy, could you please do that again?" I said, "Could I do what again, son?" He said, "Daddy, could you smile at me again? Your smile keeps me going."
Compassion in a Breakable World - #7414
I checked my suitcase at the airport, and then I see it disappear as the conveyor belt carries it beyond the curtain into that black hole called the luggage zone. I sometimes wonder how my bag is going to be handled. Now, I don't know exactly what baggage handlers do, but I do know that Bertha, (that's the name I gave my suitcase since we spend so much time together) may get tossed or buried, or squished.
The Man of the House - the Family Drummer - #7404
Back in Kindergarten we all had to play a little instrument in this band our teacher put together. I got to feeling the kids with the musical ability got nice things to play. Looking back, I realize that those of us who were musically incompetent were assigned to "play the sticks." I got two drum sticks. All we had to do was hit the floor with them. See? Yeah, it didn't take a whole lot of ability.
What Matters Most When Things Are Out Of Control - #7369
Oh, the hazards of shopping in a mall! Let's see, overheating your credit card, maybe a pick pocket, an occasional mugging in the parking lot, being run into by a ship. What? Well, that's exactly what happened a while back to about a thousand Christmas shoppers at the Riverwalk Shopping Complex in New Orleans. Navigating the most dangerous stretch in the Mississippi River near there, this freighter suddenly lost power. It's unbelievable! In or near its path were two cruise ships holding 1,700 people, and a riverboat casino with 800 people on board. The potential was there for hundreds of fatalities.
Subscribe to "A Word With You"!
Get the latest devotional in your Inbox daily!
Last Name(*)
A Word With You (Daily Devotional)
A Word With You (Weekly Summary)
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries E-News
Ron Hutchcraft's Blog
Subscribe Unsubscribe Invalid Input
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2545
|
__label__wiki
| 0.540886
| 0.540886
|
(Success Story) UPSC Topper 2015, Farha Hussain (AIR-267)
Farha Hussain wanted to be a doctor when she was a little child. As an adolescent, she dreamed of winning a beauty pageant but studied law and became a criminal lawyer instead.
But she didn’t stop at that.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old became the second Muslim from Rajasthan to crack the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) civil services examination in her second attempt.
“I studied the five-year integrated law course at Government Law College in Mumbai and was the only one from my batch to find a place in the team of one of the country’s top lawyers, Mahesh Jethmalani,” she says.
Farha got 267th rank in the exam and is waiting for allotment of service before she decides if she will take another attempt to better her rank.
She wrote the mains of civil services examination in 2013 but didn’t get a call for the interview round.
Farha’s is a family of administrative officers - her father Ashfaq Hussain is the district collector of Dausa, her uncle retired as an Indian Police Service officer and another uncle is a joint secretary in the state government.
“My uncle and father were promoted to the all-India services from the state cadre,” she says.
Farha has an elder brother who is a practising lawyer at Rajasthan high court. Two of her cousins are Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) officers and her sister-in-law is awaiting her RAS results.
Farha belongs to a minority Muslim group Kayamkhani that is found mainly in the central and northern Rajasthan districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Nagaur and Bikaner.
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Civil Services EXAM
संघ लोक सेवा आयोग - UPSC
भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा (IAS)
यूपीएससी exams
Iasguru's blog
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2546
|
__label__wiki
| 0.790447
| 0.790447
|
IkonAllah in media/public relations March 27, 2016 1,220 Words
The Crossriver state superhighway
Following commencement of work, without environmental impact assessment, on a controversial superhighway by the Cross River State Government, about 60,000 indigenous people face threats just as bulldozers are already destroying priceless forest reserves.
Cross River is host to the largest remaining rainforests of Nigeria and one of the largest bio-diversity forests in the world, serving as home to highly threatened species, including the Cross River gorilla, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, drill monkeys, 1,568 plant species of which 77 are endangered medicinal plants and orvhids.
The highway, six-lane wide and 260km long, is planned to lead from a yet-to-be-built Bakassi deep-sea port in Calabar, all the way to Benue State via Akamkpa and Ikom and cutting through several protected forests reserves and abutting the western boundary of the Cross River National Park – the Oban Division.
Raising alarm, an international green foundation, the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Nigeria, warns that the bulldozers moving against public opinion, will cut through five forest reserves and a mountain wildlife with serious ramification on the bio diversity of the forests and the socio-economic lives of the 60,000 indigenous people living within and around the forests, including natives of Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Akamkpa, Yakurr, Obubra, Etung, Ikom, Boki and Bekwara local government areas.
Already the bulldozers have entered the Ekuri-Eyeyeng, Etara and Okuni areas; clearing and felling trees. Yet up till mid-March 2016, there was no publication of any Environmental Impact Assessment as mandated by the Nigerian constitution before the commencement of a project of such magnitude.
As announced by the Cross River State Government, the super highway, which is 260km long, will have a 10km right-of-way on both sides of the highway, meaning that a total of 20km-wide land corridor along the superhighway route falls under the land being revoked by the state government.
This also means that the over 185 communities within the affected land corridor are subject to displacement and sudden loss of access to their land.
A chilling timeline
A factsheet released by Heinrich Boll exposes a chilling timeline. Shortly after he was sworn in as governor of Cross River State in May 2015, Benedict Ayade a plan to construct a superhighway as well as a deep seaport in pristine mangroves.
In September 2015 a groundbreaking ceremony and visit by President Buhari was postponed because of non-existence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Within this period there was a re-routing of the highway to move it outside the National Park.
On January 22, 2016, the State, through a notice published in the government-owned newspaper, Weekend Chronicle, announced revocation of all occupancy titles within a 20-kilometre wide corridor of land along the 260-kilometre route.
The state revoked the rights of occupancy within a 20-kilometre – belt, which cuts through protected forests areas within and outside the National Park, including Cross River South, Oban Group, Ukpon River and Afi River Forest Reserves; Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary; plus the Mangrove Reserve, where Government has revoked land titles, giving it the right to fall trees, clear farms or displace communities.
It was further gathered from the factsheet that in comparison, other express roads of similar sizes in Nigeria have revoked such rights of occupancy but only within a 100 metres (0.1 kilometre) strip, not 20 kilometres. Federal highways are built to standards of the Federal Highways Act of 1971 with a total road right-of-way extending to 50 metres on each side of the centerline.
In February 2016 bulldozers moved into the Ekuri-Eyeyeng, Etara and Okuni areas, clearing and falling trees. In protest, communities in Old and New Ekuri prevented bulldozers from logging in their forest. Government reacted by sending more bulldozers into Katchuan, Irruan, Borum, Boje, Iso Bendeghe and Nsadop in Boki.
The Superhighway has triggered a public debate as to whether or not the Cross River State Government should be embarking on such a project in the first place. There are already two federal highways connecting Calabar to Benue.
Constructed about 40 years ago, there are in need of expansion and rehabilitation in many places, yet they serve the majority of towns and villages in the state.
Environmentalists argue that these two existing highways can serve the same economic purpose as the superhighway. In their opinion, the state could have instead refurbished and expanded the federal roads and later make claims to the Federal Government, as did Rivers and Lagos States.
Zero due process
What some critics find more disturbing is the haste the Cross River government has applied to the project from the onset, arguing that this haste may have negatively impacted the quality of thought driving the Superhighway. The Heinrich Boll factsheet states that:
“The Nigerian Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1992 mandates federal, state and local governments and private companies to carry out a detailed EIA on environmentally threatening projects. There is no public record of an EIA being initiated for the superhighway. There has been no public notice to access the document as required by Section 24, EIA Act 1992. In other countries, a professional Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for road construction projects of this magnitude would require four to five years to complete.
“State Procurement Law No 15(2011) requires a bidding process for this kind of project, but none was carried out. Neither did the State Bureau of Public Procurements in accordance to Section 9 (h) embark on a review and evaluation.”
It was further gathered that due process at state level would have required the submission and publication of an engineering plan or blue print for the super highway before forest clearing commenced.
According to the notice of revocation of rights of occupancy published by the state government, bullet point 4 reads: “And notice is hereby given that government intends to enter and use the said land at the expiration of six (6) weeks from the date of this notice”.
Having published the notice January 22, 2016, Heinrich Boll said no work should have commenced before March 4, but that clearing of the forest began in February.
In his reaction to the Superhighway controversy, Christian Ita, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ayade, confirmed that bulldozers were indeed clearing forests, adding that the clearing will soon stopped because no contract has been signed for the Superhighway.
Mr. Ita told PREMIUM TIMES that ongoing works were being carried out by a state-owned company called INFRACROSS, a special purpose vehicle which is responsible for such infrastructure development in the state.
“There is a lot of illiteracy about this project. No contract has been awarded. There is an EIA, but that EIA is just for the groundbreaking. The Minister for Environment, Amina Mohammed, came to Cross River and confirmed that our EIA is at an advanced stage,” Mr. Ita said.
Asked to comment on the lack of due process, Mr. Ita said:
“The truth of the matter is that some NGOs have been paid to ridicule and kill this project. Let’s not play politics with development please. Is it that we don’t need infrastructure?
“The forest you are protecting, who owns the forest? The forest is ours. But we are not insensitive. For every tree destroyed, two more will be planted. And for people living in those areas, government is conducting enumeration to know who is affected.”
President Buhari performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on October 20, 2015, expressing the hope that the road would create a new vista of business opportunities for Cross River and the nation at large.
He commended Governor Ayade for his vision and foresight in conceptualising the project.
My problem with Buhari – Gov. Fayose
Nigerian Parliament To Increase MTN fine to $15.6 billion
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2550
|
__label__cc
| 0.62464
| 0.37536
|
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics.
Three Intramural Research Program (IRP) scientists have been awarded the National Medal of Science:
Mortimer Mishkin (2010). For spearheading work over the past five decades in understanding the pathways for vision, hearing, and touch, and about how those processing streams connect with brain structures important for memory. Read the press release from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Anthony Fauci (2005). For pioneering scientific research that enhances our understanding of the world and leads to innovations and technologies that give the U.S. its global economic edge. Read the press release from the Office of the President.
Kenneth S. Cole (1967). For highly original experimental and theoretical investigations of the electrical properties of biological membranes that have led to a deep understanding of the functioning of nerves. Read a description of his breakthroughs from the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2554
|
__label__wiki
| 0.980835
| 0.980835
|
SKIP KENNEY (USA)
2004 Honor Coach
FOR THE RECORD: 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: Head Coach Men’s Team; 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: Assistant Coach Men’s and Women’s Team; 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: Assistant Coach Men’s and Women’s Team; 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Assistant Coach Women’s Team; 1993 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Head Coach; 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: Head Coach; Coach of Stanford University (1979-present) winning a total of 7 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; Coach of 18 OLYMPIC SWIMMERS winning 16 OLYMPIC medals.
Skip Kenney was never a competitive swimmer, but he surely knew how to coach them. He developed all of local, state, national, collegiate and Olympic champions not only as individual champions, but also team champions.
Born February 24, 1943, he grew up in Fresno, California attending Fresno High School, playing baseball and doing a little diving. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Marines, went through boot camp and served in Viet Nam in the mid-1960s.
Kenney’s first swim coaching position was as Don Gambril’s assistant from 1968-1971 at Phillips 66 Long Beach. He also coached at Long Beach State during that time. When Gambril moved to Harvard University so did Skip, and he stayed there for one season before taking his first head coaching position at the Houston Dad’s Club in Texas. After a few years, Skip moved to Charlie Keating’s Cincinnati Marlins where he coached Renee Magee and Charles Keating, Jr. to the 1976 Montreal Olympics and Glenn Mills, Bill Barret and Kim Carlisle to the 1980 Olympic Team that was never able to compete due to the boycott.
In 1979, Kenney became the head coach of the Stanford University Men’s Swimming Team, a position he has held now for a quarter of a century. In collegiate swimming, he has won seven NCAA National Team titles and a record 23 PAC-10 Conference titles. He is a 15-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year, coached 93 All Americans to 785 All-America honors and developed over 63 NCAA champions. In his first 24 years at Stanford, Kenney has recorded a 177-35 overall record, including an 88-5 record (.946) over the past 11 years.
In the international arena, Coach Kenney was head coach of the U.S. Men’s Team at the 1996 Olympic Games after serving as the assistant coach of both the men’s and women’s teams at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1988 Seoul Olympics. He was the assistant coach of the women’s team at the 1994 World Championships and head coach at both the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships and 1987 Pan American Games. Skip will be the men’s coach for the U.S. Team at the 2004 Short Course World Championships in Indianapolis.
Kenney has coached 18 swimmers to Olympic competition winning ten gold, three silver and three bronze medals. His swimmers in World Championship competition have won five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Some of his swimmers include Dave Bottom (American record holder); Ray Cary (1996 U.S. Olympian); Wade Flemons (1980 Canadian Olympian); Kurt Grote (1996 Olympic gold medalist); Joe Hudopohl (1992 and 1996 Olympic gold medalist); Jeff Kostoff (1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympian); John Moffet (1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympian and world record holder); Pablo Morales (three-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world record holder); Jay Mortensen (1988 Olympian); Anthony Mosse (1988 Olympic bronze medalist); Sean Murphy (1988 Canadian Olympian); Eddie Parenti (1992 and 1996 Canadian Olympian); J. Plummer (1988 Australian Olympian); Brian Retterer (American record holder); Jeff Rouse (1992 and 1996 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder); John Simons (1980 U.S. Olympian); Derek Weatherford (American record holder); and Tom Wilkens (2000 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist).
Skip’s international coaching achievements are held in high esteem by his peers and he is respected for his ability to teach as well as coach. His strong sense of character is revered by his swimmers.
Skip is also a great clinician whose purpose is to promote swimming better at all ages.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2555
|
__label__wiki
| 0.612595
| 0.612595
|
Just Great DataBase
Experience the Joy of Learning
Billy Budd Research Paper
Billy Budd by Herman Melville
All Books (4)
Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819 in New York City. He was born to Allan and Maria Melvill (Meltzer 9). Herman grew up in a family who struggled to make enough money. The family moved around trying to run a profitable business. Allan’s efforts to feed his family did pay off but led to his death. Allan Melvill passed away in 1832 (Baym 2256). Herman faced many difficulties in finding jobs during the Panic of 1837 and eventually ended up going on voyages abroad (Baym 2256). Collecting his adventures, Herman Melville used his stories to write poems, novels, and stories like Billy Budd.
Melville became a writer and used elements from romanticism. Romanticism is writing that relates to nature, individuality, and rebellion towards authority or aristocratic members of society (Reuben par. 1). It can be concluded that Herman Melville uses elements of Romanticism in his writings, as seen in Billy Budd. After the passing of his father, Melville lived in rough conditions with his family. Attempting to secure a job, Melville failed and decided to go abroad. In 1839, he went on his first voyage on the St. Lawrence to Liverpool (Meltzer 28). Melville later used his voyage on the St.
© Copyright 2019 Just Great DataBase.
About us Contact Us Cookie Policy
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2558
|
__label__cc
| 0.673897
| 0.326103
|
Markets US Stocks Consumer Cyclicals Restaurants & Bars
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
Follow DRI Following DRI Unfollow DRI
Ideas Index Component Technicals
DRI Stock Chart
Industry: Restaurants & Bars
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a full-service restaurant company. The Company owned and operated 1,536 restaurants through its subsidiaries in the United States and Canada, as of May 29, 2016. The Company's segments include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Fine Dining (which includes The Capital Grille, and Eddie V's Prime Seafood and Wildfish Seafood Grille (Eddie V's)) and Other Business (which includes Yard House, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, consumer-packaged goods and franchise revenues). As of May 29, 2016, the Company also had 50 restaurants operated by independent third parties pursuant to area development and franchise agreements. Olive Garden's menu includes a range of authentic Italian foods featuring fresh ingredients and a selection of imported Italian wines. LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants feature a range of menu items, including fresh steaks and chicken, as well as salmon, shrimp, ribs, pork chops, burgers and prime rib.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2562
|
__label__wiki
| 0.616193
| 0.616193
|
Holey Moley Season 1 (2019)
It’s mini-golf like you’ve never seen it before. Every week, the first-of-its-kind mini-golf competition series features 12 mini-golfers facing off in a series of head-to-head, sudden-death matchups. Holey Moley
Genre: Sport
Bound By Movement (2019)
Go where only those with enough guts and dedication can reach. Join the worlds best parkour athletes as they travel to the edge of possibility on a behind the scenes…
Genre: Adventure, Documentary, Sport
Blackbear (2019)
After two marines make it home following an ISIS interrogation, one struggles to survive while the other fights his way back into the mixed martial arts world that he left…
Genre: Drama, Sport
Run the Race (2018)
Against the backdrop of high school football and track, two brothers in a small Southern town face escalating problems with two different world views, straining – but ultimately strengthening –…
What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali
One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, Muhammad Ali’s incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and never-before-seen archival…
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Sport
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2566
|
__label__wiki
| 0.916731
| 0.916731
|
Actor Michael B. Jordan Hopes News of Travis Scott Performing at 2019 Super Bowl Is False
C. Vernon Coleman II
Travis Scott's slated performance at the 2019 Super Bowl alongside Maroon 5 is a touchy subject among those who support Colin Kaepernick's mission and feel the NFL should be boycotted. The latest person to speak up on Travis' big opportunity is actor Michael B. Jordan who hopes the reports of La Flame entertaining at the big game are false.
The Creed actor was stopped by TMZ on Saturday (Dec. 22). When asked if Trav should go forward with the halftime show gig, Jordan didn't seem too excited about the prospects.
"Man, that's something that I'm not that happy with," he answered. "Hopefully, it's a rumor. I haven't seen much on it other than the headlines and the click bait and all that good stuff, but hopefully it doesn't work out. We all trying to stick together on this one."
He added, "We are trying to stand behind something right now. It's like, we all have to collectively try to do that. Hopefully, it's not true."
A number of celebrities have chimed in on the topic. Al Sharpton is of the belief it would be hypocritical for Scott to take the stage at SB 53.
"You can't tell people to stand for those who take a knee and don't go to the game, then say but somebody should perform there and entertain," Sharpton recenlty said. "You're drawing TV viewers. You're bringing supporters and I think you can't have it both ways. You can't help people market something and then turn around and say you agree with what people are protesting."
Jay-Z reportedly reached out to Travis about declining the offer. Yung Joc says he won't judge the Texas MC if he decides to take the gig.
Check out Jordan's take on the situation below.
See Photos of Travis Scott's Different Looks Over the Years
Source: Actor Michael B. Jordan Hopes News of Travis Scott Performing at 2019 Super Bowl Is False
Filed Under: Michael B. Jordan, Travi$ Scott
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2567
|
__label__wiki
| 0.918303
| 0.918303
|
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass against UCF during the first half of a Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
No. 11 LSU knocks off No. 7 UCF 40-32 in Fiesta Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joe Burrow watched the ball land in an opposing player's hands and immediately gave chase. Locked in on preventing a pick six, LSU's quarterback didn't see Joey Connors, Central Florida's 313-pound defensive lineman, bearing down on him. With a thunderous, blindside collision...
Iowa defensive back Jake Gervase (30) reaches out to intercept a pass intended for Mississippi State wide receiver Stephen Guidry (1) during the second half of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Iowa rallies past No. 18 Mississippi State in Outback Bowl
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Iowa Hawkeyes lost a yard on the last play of the Outback Bowl, pushing their final rushing total to minus 15 yards, and didn't mind a bit. They ran the play from victory formation. Safety Jake Gervase's interception in the end zone helped preserve a late lead, and a ball-...
Utah quarterback Jason Shelley (15) fumbles as he is tackled by Northwestern defensive lineman Joe Gaziano (97) as he runs during the second half of the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, in San Diego. The fumble was picked up by Northwestern and returned for an 86-yard touchdown. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
December 31, 2018 - 11:16 pm
Northwestern defense stuns No. 20 Utah 31-20 in Holiday Bowl
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A cold, hard rain in normally warm, dry San Diego made the Northwestern Wildcats feel right at home, especially as they enjoyed a downpour of Utah turnovers in the Holiday Bowl. In a dizzying nine-minute stretch of the third quarter, the Wildcats turned three turnovers into 21...
Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams rushes downfield against North Carolina State during the first half of the Gator Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla. (James Gilbert/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
Williams runs wild, Texas A&M routs NC State 52-13 in Gator
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trayveon Williams strolled around the field, his white pants covered in dirt and grass stains, his Gator Bowl hat turned sideways and his MVP trophy secured tightly in his left hand. He posed for pictures, hugged teammates and friends, and blew kisses to the crowd. It sure...
CFP Title Game fatigue??
Alabama and Clemson for the 3rd time to decide the national championship. Instead of expanding to an 8-team playoff, how about shrinking it to 2? The Tide and Tigers are the class of college football. Again.
Notre Dame players stand in the end zone singing in the direction of their fans after their 30-3 loss to Clemson in the NCAA Cotton Bowl semi-final playoff football game, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. Clemson won 30-3. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Lopsided games, schedule drag down CFP television ratings
Television ratings for the College Football Playoff on ESPN dropped from last season, dragged down by lopsided games and not being played on New Year's Day. ESPN says Alabama's 45-34 victory against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night drew a 10.4 overnight rating, peaking at 11.8 early in...
Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (1) walks off the field after his helmet came off on a play, during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Decision time for Murray: Football, baseball or both?
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Kyler Murray had it all working: pinpoint throws, speedy feet and unflappable resolve all the way to the finish. If this was his football finale, it was a gem. Murray threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for an additional 109 and another touchdown, led Oklahoma...
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is throws confetti in the air after winning the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama defeated Oklahoma 45-34. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
No. 1 Alabama beats No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 to reach title game
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — This season's Alabama juggernaut has yet to be stopped, and Oklahoma's shaky defense sure wasn't going to get in the way. Maybe Clemson can. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns and No. 1-ranked Alabama beat No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 on Saturday night in the...
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates after their 30-3 win against Notre Dame in the NCAA Cotton Bowl semi-final playoff football game, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Lawrence lights up Notre Dame, No. 2 Clemson cruises 30-3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When Clemson's Dabo Swinney entrusted a team with championship aspirations to freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence in September, this is what the Tigers' coach had in mind. Lawrence threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson beat No. 3 Notre Dame 30-3 on...
Iowa State running back David Montgomery (32) is hit by Washington State defensive back Hunter Dale (26) and another defender, partially obscure, during the second half of the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Minshew leads Washington State past Iowa State, 28-26.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gardner Minshew II and that glorious mustache conjured up a final bit of magic in a grand finale for Washington State. The graduate transfer quarterback whose whiskered upper lip was loved and mimicked by Cougars fans all season, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2568
|
__label__wiki
| 0.79478
| 0.79478
|
Beyonce Will Reportedly Release Two More Netflix Projects
posted by Katrina Nattress - Apr 20, 2019
We may still be watching Beyonce's Homecoming documentary on a loop, but word on the street is Queen Bey has even more life-changing material on the way. As Variety reports, the pop star and all around legend penned a three-project deal with Netflix that's worth an impressive $60 million.
The behind-the-scenes look at her historic 2018 Coachella performance reportedly made Beyonce around $20 million, as she's credited as executive producer, writer and director, so the next two projects must come with similar price tags.
The R&B heavyweight is known to be elusive, especially when it comes to press, making the hefty price tag more desirable to a company with deep pockets. The Beyhive is one of the most devoted fanbases out there, and will jump at any opportunity to learn a little more about their beloved Bey, especially at her more vulnerable moments.
In Homecoming, the mother of three opens up about her "extremely difficult pregnancy" with twins Rumi and Sir Carter. She also recalls the amount she had to push herself in preparation for the iconic festival performance. “What people don’t see is the sacrifice,” she says in a voiceover segment. “I definitely pushed myself further than I knew I could. And I learned a very valuable lesson. I will never, never push myself that far again.”
Though there's no details buzzing around the remaining two projects, we can only hope they come with surprise soundtracks.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2569
|
__label__cc
| 0.689003
| 0.310997
|
Iterations: SANAA get Pritzker Prize 2010
Kazuyo Sejima, Peter Zumthor, Popeye, Pritzker Medal, Pritzker Prize, Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA, Scott Cohen, Starchitecture, Uncategorized
Now that’s been a couple of weeks after the Pritzker Ceremony, and following my policy of never publishing anything when it’s due, I decided to finish the month with a little recap. This is the way the cartoon was supposed to be on the first place, but I felt that the in-joke departed too much from the real message, and that it might be misleading. But Zumthor is always so funny (I may be one of the twoo or three people in the World that think this, I know). Now that I look at it, I’m a little bit intrigued by the metonymic Popeye connection that arose spontaneously on the right. I’ll have to explore that in the future.
If you don’t know what this is all about, check here
And now, a few links:
Plataforma Arquitectura reviewed the ceremony and kindly uploaded some photos, which can also be found in their mirror site in English Archdaily.
Also, The New York Times offers its own set of pictures, along with insightful statements both about and by some of the assistants:
‘Frank Gehry (’89), whose own Pritzker ceremony took place in Nara, Japan — “As a student, I learned how to make tatami mats and was in a gagaku orchestra,” he reminisced — could be spotted in head-to-toe black and, at 81, looking slimmer than before. “I go up and down,” he shrugged.’
Such a pity we weren’t invited.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2570
|
__label__wiki
| 0.827324
| 0.827324
|
Farewell, neighbor
Land remembered for wit, 'adherence to what was true'
Wrote 'Good Food' column for Camden Herald
By Sarah E. Reynolds | Aug 19, 2013
Courtesy of: Bill Bakaitis Leslie Land stands in her garden with lilacs. She wrote the Garden Q & A column in the New York Times.
Cushing — When she died Aug. 10 at the age of 66, Leslie Land was not only a well-known food and gardening writer, art collector and co-founder of Chez Panisse, a restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., she was also something of a fixture in her adopted home of Cushing.
Described by friends and family as fiercely honest and passionate about whatever caught the attention of her large intellect, Land spent summers at her Cushing house, tending her gardens, inviting friends over to taste recipes she was testing, and writing. She had many friends among the artistic community of the Midcoast, and collected the work of several of them.
She was also deeply concerned, according to her husband, Bill Bakaitis, and her friends, with local, sustainable agriculture.
For the last 25 years, she and Bakaitis had made Pleasant Valley, N.Y., outside Poughkeepsie, their winter home, at first because he had a job teaching at SUNY Dutchess. They also maintained large vegetable gardens there, designed to require minimal upkeep during the months the couple was in Maine. These “production” gardens contain 30 varieties of tomatoes alone, plus many more vegetables. The crops are planted so that they are ready for harvest when the house is occupied, he explained.
Land was born into a wealthy, cultured family in Pennsylvania, her husband said, and later moved with them to Miami. Food made an impression on her early, he said. She remembered the African-American woman who cooked for her family when she was a child. Later, she was sent to private school in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. She spent a year at Columbia University as a teenager, and later went to Berkeley.
While at Berkeley, she became involved in the student movement of the late 1960s, a harbinger of her lifelong interest in politics and policy. To support herself, Bakaitis said, she cooked for a fraternity, where she met Alice Waters, with whom she later collaborated in starting Chez Panisse.
Land put her skill as a chef to use again when she came to the Midcoast in the early 1970s, supporting herself with catering, according to her close friend Lois Dodd. The painter and resident of Cushing said she met Land in 1972. Land was renting a summer cottage from the sculptor Bernard “Blackie” Langlais, but could not remain there for the winter. She ended up staying in Dodd’s house that winter, while the artist was in New York City.
The following year, Land purchased a cottage and moved it to the far end of Dodd’s field, making the two near neighbors. The two houses are now separated by vegetable and flower gardens, with the produce shared between them. As the artist described her, Land “was little, very energetic, very strong, intelligent, talkative.”
Several Midcoast artists painted in Land’s garden, among them Cushing resident John Wissemann, who described it as “like being in the midst of a huge bouquet.” Dodd also painted in the garden, and did some portraits of Land as well. “She never liked any of them,” the artist said.
Wissemann recalled that in the early years, artists who painted in Land’s garden were also asked to weed it.
Dodd and others spoke of the informal tasting parties Land would have, inviting whatever friends were available to try out a recipe she was testing. Alan Magee, another artist and Cushing neighbor, recalled that his and his wife, Monika’s, friendship with Land began with just such an invitation when they were new to town in 1979.
“We were both impressed and taken with Leslie,” he said, and with the “wonderful, eccentric energy” of her home.
He said he and Monika “enjoyed good food and good conversation” with Land, but it was always after dark, because she used every bit of the daylight hours for work in her garden.
Land thought about food “in a much more in-depth way” than most people would, Dodd said, and favored organic, local produce.
Another friend, food writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins, a native of Camden, remembered that Land was asked once to compare several varieties of sweet red pepper for an article. She assembled a group of friends to taste them and served them three ways: plain, in a salad and cooked. When the tasters could not distinguish between the different peppers, Land wrote a “funny, witty” piece about how hard it was to tell the difference.
In Land’s mind, “Even mistakes [were] worthy of writing about,” said Jenkins, “because you can teach someone.” She “was an old-fashioned country person,” who enjoyed canning, freezing and pickling, Jenkins recalled. Bakaitis remembered his wife’s saying, “Everything I make is from scratch.”
Land’s food writing began in the ‘70s with a column in The Camden Herald called “Good Food,” Jenkins said. “It was sharp, pointed writing,” informed by her “really scrupulous honesty about what she was doing.” Jenkins noted that Land went on to write the “Garden Q & A” column for the New York Times for several years, and was also the editor of Yankee Magazine for a time.
Though two of her books contain recipes, Land knew that “food is so much more than a recipe,” Jenkins said, adding that she found it “much more interesting to read what [Land] had to say about food than how she cooked it.” She and others compared Land’s food writing to having a conversation about food.
It was Land’s interest in foraging that let to her meeting Bakaitis at a mushroom conference in Rhode Island. At the time, he was married to his first wife. He said his first impression of Land was “small, cute and smart.” The two met again a few years later, after Bakaitis and his first wife had separated, “and the rest is history,” he said.
Alan Magee said Bakaitis “really got” Land’s “adherence to what was true.” His wife added the couple had “enormous intellectual respect for each other.”
Described by Monika Magee as “a perfect match,” Bakaitis and Land approached their shared interests in cooking and gardening from different directions. Bakaitis, who grew up on his grandparents’ farm in western Pennsylvania, summed up the difference between himself and Land, saying, “She majored in culture, I majored in agriculture.”
He called her, “the brightest person I have ever met in my life,” adding that Land was also, “the most loyal, and the most responsible and the most ethical” person he had known.
“We never had a fight,” he said, although they disagreed at times, sometimes even to the point of tears. "I could not have wished for a better partner."
To illustrate Land’s sense of ethics, Bakaitis told how she had said she would not be in a relationship with him if his daughter, Celia, did not approve. Fortunately, she did, and the two women became close, sharing a passion for sustainable agriculture. The first time Celia met Land, Bakaitis said, she remarked to him, “She’s like a little gnome.”
He and Land shared an agnosticism that viewed “the physical, biological process of life [as] what is sacred.” By the time she was diagnosed in late 2010 with breast cancer, she had known for years that she had genetic mutation common among Ashkenazic Jews that predisposed her to the disease, he said. She had chemotherapy with a cocktail of two drugs, followed by a double mastectomy, and was told she was free of cancer in the summer of 2011. However, in late 2012 the breast cancer was found to have metastasized to her lungs.
She did not make it to Cushing this summer, but was able to see some of her Maine friends before she died.
Friends and family will have several opportunities to remember Land, her husband said in an email. During the rest of the growing season, a portion of her remains, including her ashes and hair, will be placed in her white garden in Cushing and in one of her gardens in Pleasant Valley. Heroux made ceramic boxes to contain the remains in each place. Friends are invited to come and sit with the remains in either place, and to take a pinch home with them if they wish.
At the end of the growing season, the remains will be buried in the respective gardens, except for a small amount to be spread by Bakaitis in several spots that were special to him and his wife.
A celebration of Land’s life will be held at the Cushing house in mid-September to mid-October, according to the email, and another at the Pleasant Valley house around the winter solstice. There will also be a celebration in Cushing around the anniversary of her death next year.
There are two memorial funds to aid causes that were important to Land: one in New York to help provide medical care in remote areas of Haiti, and another to support hard-to-fund projects at the Cushing Community School. For more information on the latter, contact Beth Heidemann, Cushing Community School, 54 Cross Rd., Cushing, ME 04563.
Posted by: Martha Seavey Boynton | Aug 20, 2013 13:47
My sons and I mowed Leslie and Lois's lawn for several years and her gardens were a pleasure to walk thru and mow.
Praying for the peace of God for her family and friends.
Sarah Reynolds
Sarah E. Reynolds is copy editor for the Courier-Gazette and Camden Herald.
Sarah E. Reynolds has been a reporter and writer for more than 20 years, winning awards from the Maine Press Association and other professional organizations. She loves to read, ride her ATV and play word games.
Recent Stories by Sarah Reynolds
Mitchell Institute names 2019 scholarship recipients
Find a pet who wants to be your 'one and only' at the shelter
Island to vote for school, municipal offices
Camp North Woods lottery set for early April
Winter storm causes closings, delays
Sproul Block Apartments
Seal Bay Music Festival
Auction - 2599 Route 3, Palermo, ME
Cyber Security Story Time – Don’t ...
Tree Care & Consulting
5 Harding Lane
0 Confidential
1406 Atlantic Highway
153 Tip Toe Mountain Road
8 Marine Avenue
7 Ship Street
0 Rockland Road
Sabattus
24 Kristy Lane
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2576
|
__label__wiki
| 0.688724
| 0.688724
|
Language Proficiency, Use, and Maintenance among People with Vietnamese Heritage Living in Australia
Sharynne McLeod Charles Sturt University
Sarah Verdon Charles Sturt University
Cen Wang Charles Sturt University
Van H. Tran Charles Sturt University
Keywords: multilingual, bilingual, Vietnamese, heritage language, language maintenance, language proficiency
Multilingualism provides cultural, economic and social benefits to individuals and societies. Many people with Vietnamese heritage have migrated to English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada and the US. This study describes language proficiency, use and maintenance of 271 adults with Vietnamese heritage living across Australia. The majority were first-generation immigrants (76.6%), spoke Vietnamese as their first language (94.3%), and indicated Vietnamese was their most proficient language (78.5%). The majority were more likely to use Vietnamese (than English) with their mother, father, older siblings, Vietnamese-speaking grandparents, relatives in Vietnam, and Vietnamese friends. They used English and Vietnamese with their partners, children, younger siblings and English-speaking grandparents. They were more likely to speak English when working, studying and watching TV, but used English and Vietnamese equally on social media. The most important reasons for maintaining Vietnamese were: maintaining bonds with relatives, maintaining Vietnamese cultural identity, and building friendships.
Sharynne McLeod, Charles Sturt University
Sharynne McLeod is professor of speech and language acquisition at Charles Sturt University. She is an elected Life Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, founding chair of the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech, has held a number of roles in the International Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics Association, International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, and was editor of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.
Sarah Verdon, Charles Sturt University
Dr Sarah Verdon is a senior lecturer and research fellow at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Her research focuses on the development of a culturally competent workforce and supporting the communication of children from diverse backgrounds.
She is co-chair of The International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech.
Cen Wang, Charles Sturt University
Dr Cen (Audrey) Wang is the project officer of the VietSpeech study at Charles Sturt University and is responsible for quantitative data collection and analyses. With a background in educational psychology, her research focuses on children’s academic and social emotional development and the associated factors.
Van H. Tran, Charles Sturt University
Dr Van H. Tran a linguist and a NAATI-accredited translator. She has taught English language and linguistics and translation at University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University. Her research has focussed on discourse analysis, systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and recently home language maintenance and children’s speech acquisition. She is a PhD candidate on the VietSpeech Australian Research Council Discovery Grant examining Vietnamese language maintenance and Vietnamese-English competence.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). (2016). Census of population and housing: General community profile. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/productsbyCatalogue/B7AD1DB8CB27192ECA2570D90018BFB2
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). (2017). Census reveals: we’re a fast changing nation. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/BA4418859C270D68CA2581BF001E65B3?OpenDocument
Adesope, O. O., Lavin, T., Thompson, T., & Ungerleider, C. (2010). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the cognitive correlates of bilingualism. Review of Educational Research, 80, 207–45. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654310368803
Bankston, C. L., & Zhou, M. (1995). Effects of minority-language literacy on the academic achievement of Vietnamese youths in New Orleans. Sociology of Education, 68, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.2307/2112760
Bernat, E. (2004). Investigating Vietnamese ESL learners’ beliefs about language learning. English Australia Journal, 21(2), 40–54.
Bialystok, E. (2011). Reshaping the mind: The benefits of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65(4), 229–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025406
Blake, H. L., Bennetts Kneebone, L., & McLeod, S. (2017, in press). The impact of oral English proficiency on humanitarian migrants’ experiences of settling in Australia. International Journal of Bilingual
Education and Bilingualism. Advance online publication https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1294557
Blake, H. L., McLeod, S., Verdon, S., & Fuller, G. (2018). The relationship between spoken English proficiency and participation in higher education, employment and income from two Australian censuses. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(2), 202–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2016.1229031
Blake, H. L., Verdon, S., & McLeod, S. (2019). Exploring multilingual speakers’ perspectives on their intelligibility in English. Speech, Language and Hearing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/2050571X.2019.1585681
Bracey, J. R., Bámaca, M. Y., & Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2004). Examining ethnic identity and self-esteem among biracial and monoracial adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adoles¬cence, 33(2), 123–32. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:Joyo.0000013424.93635.68
Camarota, S. A., & Zeigler, K. (2014). One in five U.S. residents speaks foreign language at home, record 61.8 million: Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic speakers grew most since 2010. Retrieved from https://cis.org/sites/cis.org/files/camarota-language.pdf.
Cavallaro, F. (2005). Language maintenance revisited: An Australian perspective. Bilingual Research Journal, 29, 561–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2005.10162852
Cho, G. (2000). The role of heritage language in social interactions and relationships: Reflections from a language minority group. Bilingual Research Journal, 24, 369–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2000.10162773
Clarkson, P. C. (2007). Australian Vietnamese students learning mathematics: High ability bilinguals and their use of their languages. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 64(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-006-4696-5
Clyne, M. (2008). The monolingual mindset as an impediment to the development of plurilingual potential in Australia. Sociolinguistic Studies, 2, 347–65. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v2i3.347
Cook, V. (2016). Premises of multi-competence. In V. Cook & Li Wei (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of linguistic multi-competence (pp. 1–25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Department of Immigration and Border Protection. (2014). The place of migrants in contemporary Australia: A summary report.
Eberhard, D. M., Simons, G. F., & Fennig, C. D. (Eds.). (2019). Ethnologue: Languages of the world (22nd Edition). Dallas, TX: SIL International. Retrieved from https://www.ethnologue.com/statistics/size
General Statistics Office of Viet Nam. (2016). Area, population, and population density by province. Retrieved from https://www.gso.gov.vn/default_en.aspx?tabid=774.
Goldfeld, S., O’Connor, M., Mithen, J., Sayers, M., & Brinkman, S. (2014). Early development of emerging and English-proficient bilingual children at school entry in an Australian population cohort. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38, 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025413505945
Hambleton, R. K., & Kanjee, A. (1995). Increasing the validity of cross-cultural assessments: Use of improved methods for test adaptations. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 11(3), 147–57. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.11.3.147
Ho, J., & Birman, D. (2010). Acculturation gaps in Vietnamese immigrant families: Impact on family relationships. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2009.10.002
Kang, H. S. (2015). Korean families in America: Their family language policies and home-language maintenance. Bilingual Research Journal, 38, 275–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2015.1092002
Karidakis, M., & Arunachalam, D. (2016). Shift in the use of migrant community languages in Australia. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1023808
Lam. H. (2011). Raising children bilingually in mixed marriages: Stories of four Vietnamese-Caucasian families. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, Phoe¬nix, AZ.
Luo, S. H., & Wiseman, R. L. (2000). Ethnic language maintenance among Chinese immigrant children in the United States. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 24, 307–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(00)00003-1
MacIntyre, P. D., Noels, K. A. & Clément, R. (1997). Biases in self‐ratings of second language proficiency: The role of language anxiety. Language Learning, 47, 265–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.81997008
McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., Whiteford, C., & Walker, S. (2016). Multilingualism and speech-language competence in early childhood: Impact on academic and social-emotional outcomes at school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 34, 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.08.005
McLeod, S., Verdon, S., Bowen, C., & International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children’s Speech. (2013). International aspirations for speech-language pathologists’ practice with multilingual children with speech sound disorders: Development of a position paper. Journal of Communication Disorders, 46, 375–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2013.04.003
Migration Council Australia. (2015). The economic impact of migration. Retrieved from https://migrationcouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2015_EIOM.pdf
Munro, M., & Derwing, T. M. (2015). Intelligibility in research and practice: Teaching priorities. In M. Reed & J. Levis (Eds.), The handbook of English pronunciation (pp. 377–96). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Nguyen, A., Shin, F., & Krashen, S. (2001). Development of the first language is not a barrier to second-language acquisition: Evidence from Vietnamese immigrants to the United States. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 4, 159–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050108667725
Park, C. Y. (2007). Maintaining Korean as a heritage language. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
Park, S. M., & Sarkar, M. (2007). Parents’ attitudes toward heritage language maintenance for their children and their efforts to help their children maintain the heritage language. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 20, 223–35. https://doi.org/10.2167/lcc337.0
Phạm, B., & McLeod, S., (2016). Consonants, vowels, and tones across Vietnamese dialects. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 18, 122–34. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2015.1101162
Ruben, R. J. (2000). Redefining the survival of the fittest: Communication disorders in the 21st century. Laryngoscope, 110, 241–5. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005537-200002010-00010
Ryan, C. (2013). Language use in the United States: 2011. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2013/acs/acs-22.html
Sims, M., & Ellis, E. M. (2014). Raising children bilingually is hard: Why bother? Babel, 49, 28–35.
Spolsky, B. (2004). Language policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Spolsky, B. (2007). Towards a theory of language policy. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 22(1), 1–14. Tang, G. (2007). Cross-linguistic analysis of Vietnamese and English with implications for Vietnamese language acquisition and maintenance in the United States. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 2, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.7771/2153-8999.1085
Tannenbaum, M. (2003). The multifaceted aspects of language maintenance: A new measure for its assessment in immigrant families. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 6, 374–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050308667792
Veltman, C. (1983). Language shift in the United States. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Verdon, S., McLeod, S., & Winsler, A. (2014). Language maintenance and loss in a population study of young Australian children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29, 168–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2013.12.003
Verdon, S., Wong, S., & McLeod, S., (2016). Shared knowledge and mutual respect: Enhancing culturally competent practice through collaboration with families and communities. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 32, 205–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659015620254
Willoughby, L. (2018). Language maintenance and shift. In J.-O. Östman & J. Verschueren (Eds.), Handbook of pragmatics: 21st annual installment (pp. 125–40). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Wong Fillmore, L. (1991). When learning a second language means losing the first. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 6, 323–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(05)80059-6
World Bank. (2019). GDP growth. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG
Young, R., & Tran, M. (1999). Language maintenance and shift among Vietnamese in America. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 140, 77–82. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl.1999.140.77
Requires Subscription or Fee PDF (GBP 18.00)
McLeod, S., Verdon, S., Wang, C., & Tran, V. H. (2019). Language Proficiency, Use, and Maintenance among People with Vietnamese Heritage Living in Australia. Journal of Monolingual and Bilingual Speech, 1(1), 55–79. https://doi.org/10.1558/jmbs.10973
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2584
|
__label__cc
| 0.644179
| 0.355821
|
Silent – Silence – Silenced
By Kenley Neufeld on December 13, 2018
Silence takes many forms, both positive and negative. The silence of the early morning, before others awaken. The silence of a monastery, where we go for meditation. The silence of government, when it doesn’t respond to a disaster. And the silence of community leaders, when members of the community are in crisis. I think most people value silence at some point in their lives. Silence has a role and a place. But I want to explore moving from silence to an action, a declaration, a response. Through silence I work to cultivate insight and compassion. It is also through silence that people remain unheard in our society and in our communities.
Last month I received a text message from a Black colleague. My colleague wrote, “White silence is real.” This was an invitation and a wake-up call. The text was sent in disappointment and in kindness. Disappointment because he had to say it. Kindness because he said it. For me, the exchange was about being unafraid of difficult conversations. And my role was to say thank you, be silent, and then take action.
White privilege and racism are hard for white people to see. It challenges us as individuals and as well-meaning people who often see racism through the lens of Racist = Bad / Not Racist=Good binary. This really sets us up to be defensive and unable to see a different reality. In writing about what makes racism so hard for whites, Robin DiAngelo identifies individualism as a key characteristic. She writes, “Individualism prevents us from seeing ourselves as responsible for or accountable to other whites as members of a shared racial group that collectively benefits from racial inequality.” This in turn leads to our silence and to our denial of the advantages of being white, allowing us to think through a colorblind lens, assuming that we treat everyone equally. From this place it is difficult, if not impossible, to build cross-racial understanding and discover how race and racism are at play in our lives.
I want to break my racial solidarity with my fellow whites and speak to you. This is not about feeling guilty, feeling indignant, or a need to prove ourselves. This is an invitation to begin to see our racial filters and to recognize their impact on people of color. This is an invitation to look deeply into the life experiences of the Black men and women in this country. Looking deeply means reading Black literature and history, following people of color on social media, seeking out media aligned with racial justice (such as Colorlines), attending race-focused conferences, cultivating friendships with people of color, and engaging in small-group workshops with other white people to talk about what it means to be white. It is a constant learning process, and we will make many mistakes along the way. Like the text thread above demonstrated.
For most of my life I have remained silent, either consciously or unconsciously, when racism is present in conversations and in my community. Honestly, it has been easy to remain silent because as white people we have been trained to ignore racism and act as if racism is either something taking place elsewhere, or that racism is already solved. We’ve got our blinders on. I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that people of color have also been silent, but in a completely different way. While as a white man, I don’t always see the racism, people of color have learned to accommodate, code switch, and/or withdraw. The person of color feels racism acutely. They are constantly reminded through media, wealth, employment, housing, law enforcement, education, etc. that things are unjust. In the workplace and in the community, people of color may not feel safe to speak up and remind others of racism. I imagine it is exhausting to remind white people of their blindness.
What I have observed is when people of color speak up, particularly Black Americans, they are judged and shut down. White people see them as being angry or unreasonable. That what they ask and argue for is too much. Then we may beg them to hear our apology and we ask them to be forgiving of us! Ultimately, we may even say that we feel silenced because talking about race makes us feel unsafe and judged. Suggesting that we don’t want to offend anyone. I am not being silenced because a person of color has finally been able to speak up and share living truth. We may think our action are about being politically correct and sensitive. I have been this white person making these judgments and requests.
My action, my declaration, my response is to engage in this difficult conversation. To hear the stories told by people of color, to offer the benefit of truth, to speak up when I see injustice, and to stand in solidarity in the hope of building and creating a more equitable world. Step forward with honesty, humility, and a willingness to make mistakes. Know when to be silent, and when not to be silent.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2594
|
__label__cc
| 0.627166
| 0.372834
|
D.M.Lloyd-Jones and J.Murray on the Imputation of Adam’s Sin
The two most adamant and powerful contenders for the imputation of Adam’s sin in the twentieth century known to me were Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Professor John Murray. If one ignores his belief in original righteousness (Romans 5, p.194, cf. 191), an exact parallel between Adam and Christ (pp.189,197,199,204f.) and his denial of the moral neutrality of man at birth (pp.317f), one does not have to read many of Lloyd-Jones’ sermons to realise that his case rests entirely on the death of infants (see e.g. pp.203ff.,229,249,268). This renders him extremely vulnerable for two main reasons: first, his case collapses if another reason for the death of infants can be given; and, secondly, Murray, in contrast with Lloyd-Jones, apparently had serious doubts about a case built exclusively on infant mortality (Romans, pp.190f.).
So far as the first point is concerned, it is plain from the teaching of Scripture that when a baby is born it is ‘flesh’ (John 1:13, cf. 1 Cor. 15:46), and, like Adam at creation (Gen. 2:17; 3:5,22), knows neither good nor evil (Deut. 1:39; Isa. 7:15f., cf. 8:4). It is hence morally neutral. If it dies without knowledge of (the) law it can neither transgress it so as to earn its wages nor keep it so as to receive its promise of life (Gen. 2:17; Lev. 18:5; Rom. 7:9f.). It must therefore succumb to the law of nature imposed on all creation, man and beast alike, by God himself (Ps. 49:12,20; Eccl. 3:18ff.; Rom. 8:19-25). As in the case of the congenitally blind man, sin is not involved (John 9:3, cf. Mt.19:12; Ex. 4:11; John 11:4). If, as Lloyd-Jones admits, a baby does not actually sin, i.e. commit an overt act of sin (p.203), then it can neither earn the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23) nor become subject to judgement (Rom. 2:6, etc.). Furthermore, to say that sin is imputed to it makes sin a free gift which in the nature of the case cannot be paid wages (Rom.4:1-8, cf. 6:23). If it can, then the parallel requires that we consider our imputed righteousness capable of earning wages as well! A baby’s lack of knowledge of the law on the one hand and its lack of faith on the other (required to make imputation possible) should have made it clear to all that babies are indeed morally neutral (Dt. 1:39; Num.14:31, etc.) and that sin plays no more part in their (natural) death than it does in that of sinless animals.
But Lloyd-Jones has an even greater difficulty to face. While he notes that a large number of infants died in the time between Adam and Moses (p.203), unlike Murray he fails to recognise that if infants are in fact in view, there is no obvious reason why Paul refers exclusively to this particular period for “the same holds true for infants in every period and no one period is a better example than another” (Murray, Romans, p.191n.). In the event, Murray himself fails abysmally to provide an answer. To be reduced to saying lamely that “the apostle is thinking of the universal reign of death and of the solidarity of the whole pace (sic) in this affliction” is hardly good enough. It is nothing more than a totally unsupported assertion of the kind of which he is guilty elsewhere (see e.g. his denial of the legitimacy of any attempt to interpret the Mosaic covenant in terms of the Adamic institution, Collected Writings 2, p.50). And when he adds that “The only sin that provides the explanation is the sin of Adam and the participation of all in that sin” (cf. p.187), he is saying no more than Lloyd-Jones. He has evidently got a rope of sand in his hands.
The plain truth is, of course, that Murray’s dissatisfaction with Lloyd-Jones’ position at the outset identifies a fatal flaw in the argument of both. For Paul’s reference to the period between Adam and Moses is meaningless on the assumption that he had infants in mind. In fact, it indicates beyond doubt that Paul is talking about actual sin in Romans 5:12 just as he was in 3:23 where the same Greek word is used.
That Murray is governed by dogma is further discovered by his earlier comment when he admits the validity of the Pelagian interpretation of verse 12 which could have been “stated admirably well in these terms” (p.182). And the reasons ‘factual, exegetical, and theological’ (pp.183f.) he adduces for rejecting it prove on examination quite inadequate. What he terms the ‘most conclusive refutation’, i.e. “the explicit and repeated affirmations of the context to the effect that condemnation and death reign over all because of the ONE SIN of the ONE MAN Adam” (p. 183) is not a refutation at all. Since Paul nowhere makes specific what the effect, apart from death (cf. 6:23), of this one sin is (cf. Moo, p.323), mere repetition, even ad infinitum, proves nothing, least of all imputation. There are, however, at least three things we need to bear in mind: first, we are all made in the image of Adam (Gen. 5:1-3, cf. 1 Cor. 15:45-49); second, Adam and Eve established a pattern of sin which is imitated or repeated frequently throughout Scripture; third, all parents make an impact for good and/or evil on their children (Exodus 20:5f., 34:6f.; Numbers 14:18; Dt. 5:9f., cf. Gen. 22:17f.; 26:3-5 for blessing, and 1 K. 12:30; 13:33f.; 14:16; 15:30,34, etc., for curse). If that is true of us (cf. Rom. 14:7), how much more it must be true of Adam, the progenitor of the entire race. It might be usefully added that Adam’s solidarity or seminal identity with the race is comparable with that of Abraham with Israel. But just as there were two Israels one according to the flesh and another according to the promise (Rom. 2:28f.; 9:6f., etc.), so there were two Adams evincing both solidarity in nature (Heb. 2:14,17f.) and separation in conduct (Heb. 2:9), both similarity and contrast. If imputation were true, this would be impossible, since the second Adam would have been caught up willy-nilly in the sin of the first. As Pelagius, for all his serious error, correctly pointed out, imitation, or better repetition (which Murray, following Augustine, Needham, pp.49-51, predictably denies, CW 2, p.50) as opposed to generation (again Augustine), is of the essence of sin (pace Art. 9 of the C. of E. and note John 8:38ff. espec. v.44, cf. 1 John 3:8-10. See further a multiplicity of other texts in both Testaments like Jer. 3:25; Acts 7:51f.; 3 John 11, etc.).
So, in sum, we may say that: (a) infants, as deriving physically from a temporal material creation destined for extinction (Mt. 24:35; Heb. 1:10-12, etc.), die as a result of disease or disaster quite naturally; (b) imputation and wages are mutually exclusive categories (Rom.4:1-8); (c) only actual sin, which is a work involving transgression of the law, can deserve or earn the wages of death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 2:6; 6:23); (d) the so-called parallel between Christ and Adam in Romans 5:12-21 proves on examination to be far from exact and is in fact a contrast; (e) if the imputation of Christ’s righteousness requires faith as its instrumental means, then so does the imputation of Adam’s sin. Since, however, faith is lacking in the latter, it is clearly an error. The parallel simply does not hold. (1* It might usefully be added that Murray failed to recognise, even denied, CW 2, p.50, that the Adamic administration (commandment), which led to either blessing or curse, was a rudimentary or embryonic form of, and hence was paralleled by, the Mosaic covenant of law imposed apart from faith though rationally accepted, Ex. 24:3,7. The true precursor or parallel of the Christian covenant, which makes faith an absolute requirement, is that of Abraham, cf. e.g. Gal. 3:29; 4:21-31.)
The Augustinian dogma of original sin should be abandoned. It is false to the Bible and not surprisingly it is, according to Cardinal Ratzinger (on TV), central to the Roman Catholic faith. (Since I wrote this Cardinal R. has become Pope!)
Professor Murray’s views on the imputation of sin constitute a serious problem for his entire theology. Those who have read extensively through his works must be aware that (a) he denied the Adamic administration covenantal status (see CW 2, p.49); he adopted a one-covenant as opposed to a federal theology (see his The Covenant of Grace); and yet (c) he argued, as we have seen above, for a double imputation in his interpretation of Romans 5:12-21 (see both his Romans and his The Imputation of Adam’s Sin). But more must be said. In the latter work, Murray notes the following references to imputation in the Bible: Lev. 17:4: Psalm 32:2; Romans 4:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:19 (p.71). He rightly says that these are more specifically expressions of the non-imputation of actual sin. Yet, in obvious contrast, the view he is promoting is an expression of the actual imputation of non-existent sin (cf. Dt. 24:16; 1 Sam. 22:15; Ezek. 18, etc.). This being so, his case is clearly as vacuous as his conclusion that babies are born sinful is fatuous. In fact, his entire work is based on the unproved, indeed the unprovable, assumption that Paul has imputation in mind in Romans 5:12-21. If Paul is teaching imputation then he is involved in self-contradiction, since one of the foundations of his argument in Romans, relating to its basic theme (1:17), is that where there is no law there is no sin (e.g. 3:20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:8f., cf. 1 Cor. 15:56; Gal. 5:23). This is true even of the heathen (Rom. 2:12, etc.) though they lacked the law of Moses (cf. 5:13). And that children do not know (the) law is implied by the constant stress placed on teaching it to them (Dt. 4:9; Ps. 78:5f.; Isa. 28:9; Heb. 5:12f.).
Perhaps the most obvious flaw in Murray’s entire thesis is that the imputation of Adam’s sin depends for its validity not on exegesis but on federal theology! This arose in part out of Augustine’s dogma of original sin based on his Latin Bible with its erroneous translation of the Greek words ‘eph’ ho’ in Romans 5:12 (cf. Vulgate’s ‘in quo’) meaning ‘because’ not ‘in whom’, i.e. in Adam (cf. Needham, p.49 n.4). The truth, however, is that the words ‘in Adam’, which are crucial to the imputation theory, do not appear. (In 1 Corinthians 15:22 where Paul is dealing with the body and its resurrection they clearly refer to our physical nature, see espec. vv. 45-50, not our covenantal status. Note also the distinction between dying ‘in Adam’ which we all do, even Jesus (1 Pet. 3:18), and being dead in our trespasses, Eph. 2:1,5; Col. 2:13, cf. John 8:24). Thus having deprived himself of both exegetical (he admits, see above, that the Pelagian view is the natural one) and theological grounds (only a federal theology, if it were true, would support a double imputation) for his understanding of the passage in question, his imposition of the words ‘in Adam’ on the text is quite gratuitous. (2* This might seem to be a distortion of Murray’s position since in his commentary on Romans 5:12 he explicitly rejects the translation “in whom all sinned”, p.183. Nonetheless on p.186, he arrives precisely at that conclusion. Thus Needham, p.50, says that Murray’s position is virtually the same as Augustine’s. On pages 186f., Murray alludes to 1 Corinthians 15:22 and asserts that the only adequate explanation for the fact that “in Adam all die” is provided by Romans 5:12. This of course is formally correct, but it begs a serious question: What does Paul mean when he says that all die in Adam? In view of the rest of 1 Corinthians 15, especially vv.47-49, where, like Jesus in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, his concern is with nature not sin, we cannot but conclude that he intends us to draw the conclusion that we die as creatures (even babies) of flesh and blood like the rest of a temporal and corruptible creation, cf. e.g. Ps. 49; Rom. 8:18-25. Even Jesus died in the flesh, 1 Pet. 3:18, which is mortal by definition. It is worth adding at this point that in 1 Corinthians 15:21f., as in 15:50, we have an example of synonymous parallelism. In any case, there is not the slightest suggestion that when Paul uses the phrase ‘in Adam’ he has covenant (federal) theology in mind.) Murray is clearly governed more by dogma than exegesis. And further, it points up the unsystematic, incoherent and unbiblical nature of his entire theology as can be shown at point after point.
Lack of space prevents extensive elaboration of this here, so I will confine my attention briefly to the question of the order of salvation (ordo salutis). Since, following Augustine, Murray holds that we are born in sin and are sinful by nature (CW 2, p.58, etc.), he believes in true Augustinian fashion that only the new birth will put matters right. (3* Schreiner, cf. Moo, pp.323-328, rightly rejects imputation but somewhat enigmatically says that the reason all sin is that they enter the world spiritually dead because they are descendants of Adam, p.148. In reaction, two points must be made immediately: (1) Jesus was a son of Adam, and (2) there is an obvious sense in which all, including Jesus himself who knew neither good not evil, cf. Isa. 7:15f., are born spiritually ‘dead’! However, Schreiner fails to allude to Romans 7:9f., where Paul states that he was ‘alive’ until he broke the commandment. The reason why all sin, Jesus apart, 1 Pet. 2:22, is simply that in their fleshly weakness they commit sin, cf. John 8:34; Rom. 7:14, as God intended, Rom. 3:19f.; 11:32; 1 Cor. 1:29; Eph. 2:9, etc. The fact that Adam sinned guaranteed, pace Pelagius, see Murray, see Imputation, p.12, that all his descendants who were made in his image, Gen. 5:3; 1 Cor. 15:49a, and had to contend with his parental legacy of bad example and influence would do so unless they had the power to resist. None apart from Jesus, the stronger man, Mt. 12:29, had. Only he defeated sin in the flesh, Rom. 8:3. No wonder that Paul insists that no flesh will boast before God, Gal. 2:16; 3:22 – a comment which implies (a) that keeping the law is still a theoretical if not a practical possibility, and (b) that original sin is not on the horizon. If original sin were true, reference to boasting would be both superfluous and absurd.) This means that regeneration takes priority in the traditional order of salvation (see Redemption Accomplished and CW 2, espec. 194ff.; Romans, p.27 n.21).
Unfortunately, this is impossible since the indispensable prerequisite of regeneration or new (eternal) life is righteousness (Gen. 2:17; Lev. 18:5 and many similar texts such as Rom. 5:17,18,21; 6:19,22). It is an incontrovertible biblical axiom that only the righteous will live whether by faith (Rom. 1:17) or by keeping the law (Mt. 19:17), a point re-iterated time and time again by the OT writers (e.g. Dt. 30:15-30; Pss. 15,24; Is. 1:19f.; 33:14ff.). Even Murray would admit that faith, being instrumental, comes before righteousness. This means then that despite his strong assertions to the contrary, faith, necessary for justification, precedes the new birth (Rom. 5:18,21) and establishes human responsibility, which has always been threatened by the unilateral and arbitrary acts of original sin and the priority of regeneration. (The manifest inconsistency of Murray’s thinking becomes all the more apparent when we read his comments on Romans 5:18 and 21. He tells us on page 202, cf. pp.209f., that “justification … is unto life and issues in life”.)
Since Murray was usually regarded as the very epitome of Reformed orthodoxy, the weakness inherent in his thinking begs big questions for all who claim to be Reformed. Once more it is evident that the Reformation of the sixteenth century was, as some to their credit realised, only a half-way house. It is now surely time that this was recognised, more widely acknowledged and something done to complete what was as far as it went a wonderful work of the Spirit of God. The inadequacies of the Puritans, admittedly under stress, need now to be made up to allow justification by faith to come into its own.
D.M.Lloyd-Jones, Romans 5, London, 1971.
D.J.Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, Grand Rapids, 1996.
John Murray, Collected Writings 2, Edinburgh, 1977.
John Murray, The Imputation of Adam’s Sin, Phillipsburg, 1979.
John Murray, The Covenant of Grace, London, 1954.
John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, London, 1961.
John Murray, Romans, London, 1967.
N.R.Needham, The Triumph of Grace, London, 2000.
T.R.Schreiner, Paul, Downers Grove, 2001.
Posted on December 12, 2007 Author Ken StothardCategories Articles
Previous Previous post: Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4?
Next Next post: Fruitlessness and Destruction
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2595
|
__label__cc
| 0.662466
| 0.337534
|
What's Behind Puerto Rico's Slow Recovery from Hurricane Maria?
posted by Mark Watkins • 1/19/2018
FOLLOW Mark Watkins FOLLOWED
Spoiler alert— the answer is largely Puerto Rico itself.
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20th of last year and from the beginning, the idea of a quick recovery to any type of normalcy was shown to be impossible.
The initial problem was getting the supplies and resources to the island as it sits approximately 1000 miles off the coast of Florida, the closest point of the American mainland. When they were able to get the needed equipment and essentials Puerto Rico still faced major problems transporting the goods as many of the roads were impassable compounded by the fact of getting people that were willing and able to move the goods where they needed to be.
One of the first controversies that came up was when it was discovered that the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority (PREPA) signed a $300 million contract with a small Montana firm, Whitefish Energy, to restore the majority of the island's energy infrastructure.
When Whitefish Energy was looked into, it was discovered that they only had two full-time employees and had no experience at handing an event of this magnitude. It was further revealed that Whitefish, Montana was also the hometown of the Trump administration's Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke.
After it came to light, the contract was quickly voided and afterward, there was no reported follow-up on if there was collusion with Secretary Zinke or if this was just another example of the problems with PREPA's pre-existing issues with keeping up with the power needs of the island.
An unneeded sideshow to Puerto Rico's ordeal arose when San Juan's mayor, Carlin Yulin Cruz, felt the need to criticize the federal government’s response to the crisis. As could be expected Donald Trump took the bait and engaged in a very public feud with Ms. Cruz which quickly made her the media darling of the moment with several appearances on the news channels. The fact that Ms. Cruz would be photographed in front of pallets of water and food and was often seen wearing custom-made t-shirts in the electricity-deprived territory didn't seem to diminish her status.
Four months later the situation in Puerto Rico is no longer headline news, but there are reports that pop up on the suffering that still exists. Most of these are focused on the lack of power in many areas such as this story, from January 15th on MSNBC: "Four months after Hurricane Maria many schools have no power."
A major problem has now been revealed that sheds light on what could be causing the delays in fully restoring Puerto Rico's electricity, it seems that many of the needed parts have been stored away in a warehouse. From Fox Business: "Puerto Rico to probe report power parts were overlooked."
Puerto Rico's governor is asking the island's Justice Department to investigate a report that material needed to restore power to the island was overlooked for months in a government-owned warehouse.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told The Associated Press this week that the lack of some pieces later found stockpiled in the warehouse had delayed energizing certain lines.
This is just one more example why states and territories need to stop relying on the federal government to solve all their problems and learn that, for the best results, they need to rely on themselves.
Written by Mark Watkins
Conservatarian blogger living in the Upper Midwest. Strong believer in personal responsibility, smaller federal government and the Constitution in it's original meaning. Articles and thoughts can also be found at markEwatkins.com
The Medical Kidnapping of Justina Pelletier - Four Years Later
Quick Observation on the Government Shutdown Vote
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2602
|
__label__wiki
| 0.735826
| 0.735826
|
Archive for the ‘Spain’ Category
Music is legacy and salvation for classical cowboy Hadley Heavin
September 25, 2018 leoadambiga Leave a comment
Appearing in the October 2018 issue of New Horizons
Hadley Heavin encountered a personal crossroads in the 1970s. He was a Vietnam War veteran with a background playing blues-rock guitar and competing in rodeo -– pursuits he thought he’d left behind. Little did he know he was about to embark on an improbable road less traveled as a classical cowboy.
He’s long taught classical guitar at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He also taught at College of Saint Mary, Creighton University, Union College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He’s given countless master classes, residencies and recitals. He and his band Tablao were fixtures at Espana and Little Espana.
Forty-five years ago though he was adrift. It was a dark period of his life. The light in his life returned when he discovered classical guitar. He no sooner taught himself to play that style when, in storybook fashion, he was discovered by Spanish master Segundo Pastor. The maestro passed onto his protege the art form’s direct lineage from its multi-generational source.
Heavin lived nearly a year in Madrid, where daily lessons and hard work made this country boy weaned on American roots music a virtuosic classical player. The men’s lives were intertwined for a decade. Heavin healed and reinvented himself as a performer and educator, taking up riding and roping again.
Musical roots
Heavin’s life has a way of coming around in full circles. Growing up an all-around athlete and a musician in the Ozarks, he became known for both his horsemanship and musicianship. His grandfather, father and uncles all played guitar professionally – swing and jazz – and young Hadley emerged the family prodigy, playing with his father’s band before gravitating to blues and rock. He played some drums but guitar was his destiny.
“Making music was just something we did,” Heavin said, “I was a little freak because I could play really well. I grew up in an environment thinking everybody was like this. I couldn’t believe it when a kid couldn’t sing or carry a tune or do something with music.”
About his father, E.C. Heavin, he said, “I haven’t heard anybody any better than he was. I had a lot of admiration for the kind of music he played. He knew the guitar perfectly. He couldn’t read music, but he could walk up on stage and play anything. He was amazing.”
Hadley’s Uncle Frog still cuts some mean licks at 90.
Athletic ability was another birthright. Frog played pro baseball as did Heavin’s mother.
Losing himself in the war
Hadley made the football team at the University of Kansas as a walk-on and showed promise on the Midwest rodeo circuit. Then he got drafted into the U.S. Army. His carefree existence vanished. Trained to be a killing machine, he fulfilled tours of life or death duty. The searing experience made the music inside him stop. He was unsure if it would ever return.
As a forward observer and artillery fire officer with 1st Field Force, he shuttled from one hot LZ to another with an M79 grenade launcher.
“I was what they called a ‘bastard.’ I would work with all different units. They would just send me wherever they needed me. I was on hill tops, some I can remember like LZ Lily. I was at Dactau and Ben Het during the siege. We were surrounded for like 30 days. I was in the jungle the whole time, mostly in the north, in Two Corps, close to the border of Laos and Cambodia.
“I saw base camp twice.”
Wounded by an AK47 round in a fire fight, he came home to recover. Stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, he impulsively entered the bare back at a local rodeo.
“I drew a pretty rank horse, plus I hadn’t ridden in years and I was still sore from my war injuries. The horse came out and bucked towards the fence and my spur hung in the fence and hung me upside down, facing the opposite way. He was kicking me in the back as he was bucking away. I got hurt. I could hardly walk that night. When I got back to base they were mad at me because I couldn’t pull my duty. Here I was a decorated combat vet, and they were going to court-martial me.”
Cooler heads prevailed and he completed his military service with an honorable discharge. Like so many combat brethren, he returned home broken.
“I was having bad PTSD. I didn’t know where my life was going. I wasn’t necessarily a violent person but that’s what I was used to. It kind of becomes no big deal at some point in your life. It becomes a big deal after the fact when you’ve got PTSD.”
He resents the morally bankrupt orders he followed.
“Emotionally, I was a mess from the war just as much for the atrocities I was forced to commit than what actually happened to me because there’s always collateral damage. You see that and you see that you’re responsible for it. It doesn’t turn off. It never does.
“I had some years there where I had a hard time because I felt I was part of something that was wrong.”
Then there’s the physical toll.
“I have a broken immune system because of Agent Orange. It became hard for me to travel. I started getting sick in my 50s. Every time I’d fly somewhere to play a concert I’d play with a fever or something. That got really old. It’s curtailed my travel.”
Adding insult to injury, he said the VA “won’t help – you’ve got to be near death before they’ll help you with that.” In the meantime, he said, the effects “can destroy your life and career.” His request for treatment went before an evaluation board who denied him care.
“I’m just shocked this country doesn’t treat its veterans very well. They just aren’t. I’ve been to the VA hospital. It’s not like going to a normal hospital. You’re just a number. These patients are the guys that fight for their country. They should have the same health care as everyone. Everybody says thank you for your service. Well, that doesn’t help very much. Why don’t you vote for somebody that’s going to help the veterans?”
Coming back to music
In his post-war funk he quit music, roping and riding. But those passions kept calling him back.
“I suffered because by then my father was gone and my mother couldn’t support me. Somehow I played guitar and kept myself fed.”
He was working a job unloading trucks in Springfield, Missouri when, on a whim, he went to see a classical guitarist perform. It changed his life.
“I was enthralled and it just came over me like that,” he said, snapping his fingers. “Right then and there I knew what I was going to do with my life. The feeling that came over me fulfilled me more than anything else ever had up to that time. A part of it was, I needed something, Classical guitar was the thread that gave me something to hang onto just to get through life and the pain.”
He taught himself via recordings and books. Then he found an instructor who took him as far as he could.
“As soon as my hands could take it I practiced six to eight hours a day working a full-time job.”
Attending school on the GI Bill, he convinced the music dean at then-Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State) to start a degree guitar program for him.
“I had such a passion for it that I was going to find a way – whatever it took.”
Once in a lifetime opportunity
Then, a meeting changed his life again. Touring legend Pastor saw Heavin play a concert on campus. He asked to meet Heavin. Pastor complimented the talented beginner and told him what to work on. Pastor returned a year later to instruct Heavin for two weeks and then offered taking him on as his only student in Spain.
Dumbstruck and flattered by this once in a lifetime opportunity, Heavin still needed thousands of dollars to realize it, He approached school department heads and each passed him off onto someone else. His last resort was the head of religious studies, Gerrit tenZhthoff, a Dutch war hero who resisted the Nazis.
“I told him my story – that I played for this man (Pastor) who’s the best in the world and I would be his only student. As I was explaining this he jumped out of his chair and said, ‘This is wonderful, this is amazing.’ He got me the scholarships, got me everything I needed. He even made it so that I kept getting credit while I was away in Spain. He did all of it.”
MSU has recognized Heavin as an honored alumnus.
Heavin leaned on tenZhthoff for more than funding.
“I actually used to go and tell my problems to him. He was always there for me helping me through the shit. He was just a great guy. I owe my existence in the way that I’ve lived my life to people like him and to the maestro. I was just sort of there and fell into some stuff.”
Finding himself and his purpose
Pastor became his next mentor.
“The maestro and my time in Spain was my salvation. The guitar saved me. When I arrived there was an apartment for me. The maestro’s wife was like my mom. His son was like my brother. I realized shortly after I got there I was his only student. He rarely took them. There were Spanish boys waiting in line to study with him.
“He put all of himself into that one student. That’s why he didn’t take on many. It was really like a fairy-tale…”
Heavin struggled with why he should be so fortunate.
“The thing that’s odd about it is that I had only been playing about a year when the maestro invited me to Spain. It was confusing because there were Spanish boys who could play better than I.”
It nagged at him the entire time he was there.
“I kept asking, ‘Why did you pick me?’ And he would never answer it. I suspected he may may have just felt sorry for me because I was a Vietnam vet and I wanted to play guitar and he saw the gleam in my eye.”
Then, the night before his study-abroad fellowship was up and he had to return home, Heavin walked with Pastor down a wet, cobblestone street in Old Madrid.
“He said, ‘You keep asking why I picked you over all the Spanish boys. Well, truthfully, the Spanish boys are good guitarists and will always be good guitarists.’ Then he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘But you will be a great guitarist.’ Until then, I was too naive to know if I was any good or not. But he knew. It gave me everything I needed to go forward.”
Not only did Pastor give him a career, Heavin said, “he gave me back myself.”
“He became like my father. We got really close.”
Pastor opened doors to him in Spain that otherwise would have been closed.
“What surprised me mostly when I got there is that he would have me go with him to these recitals he performed for the governors of the provinces in these beautiful concert halls. He would introduce me to very stately, formal people with diamonds on their cigarette holders. I was out of my league. He would me talk me up to these people. i just kept my mouth shut because I was a fish out of water.
“What he was doing was introducing me to the fact I didn’t need to be intimidated. Afterward he would say, ‘I always tell them what they want to hear and then I laugh about it later.’ In other words, don’t take it seriously. Deal with the people you have to deal with and try to understand them so that nobody’s offended. To him a concert was there to make everyone feel better, no matter who they were.”
The jovial Pastor charmed the upper crust in one setting and street people in another. With Pastor’s help, Heavin regained his own sense of humor.
“You can’t take life too seriously.”
Segundo Pastor
He found acceptance in Spain even after his ally and teacher died.
“After he passed away I did a tour with my friend Pedro, who was also a guitarist, playing the maestro’s music. We played in some of the same places the maestro had taken me to. We even played in his hometown where he was buried. We were very well received. We would always open the program with duets. Then one of us would close the first half by playing solo. Then the other one would play solo. Then we’d finish up with duets. Almost all the music was what the maestro played or wrote. It was a homage to his life.
“I remember walking out on stage at a music school to play solo. I looked out in the audience – there were a lot of guitarists there – and everybody was sitting up straight with their arms crossed, like, Who is this American? It made me a little tentative. But when I got done playing I got a standing ovation and everybody came walking up to me, kind of ignoring Pedro. Everybody was hugging me. Meanwhile. Pedro was over there getting mad. But when Pedro and I played in the States, he was the exotic one, so it was like a tradeoff, only the Americans were a little more forgiving.”
Earlier, Heavin toured Spain and America with Pastor. They once played Carnegie Hall together. He even brought Pastor to perform in Omaha.
During his time in Spain with the maestro, Heavin was introduced to the great guitar builders in Madrid, including the legendary Manuel Contreras.
“I got to know them personally. I played their guitars.”
He also got in on the end of a romantic era when artists – musicians, painters, writers – would get together in cafes to throw down beer or wine while talking about politics or bullfighting or art.
“But those days are gone,” he laments. “The last time I was back there I was talking to some young people about this musician or that musician and they didn’t know who I was talking about. They didn’t even know who Manuel de Falla was (one of Spain’s preeminent composers of the 20th century). I’m glad I got to experience that culture at the time that I did.”
Memories of Pastor are embedded in him. He absorbed the maestro’s mannerisms. The way Heavin plays and teaches, he said, is “very similar” to Pastor.
Heavin recalls a New York City recital they did together. Beforehand, Heavin peaked out from behind a curtain to see a jam-packed hall whose overflow crowd was even seated in folding chairs on stage.
“He saw me looking worried because of all the people and he asked, ‘Hadley, are you nervous?’ I said, ‘Yes, maestro, I’m very nervous.’ He said, ‘Why? Only five guitarists have died on stage.’ I started laughing and I played really well that night. So I’ve used that numerous times on students before they go on stage.”
Once. while visiting Pastor in the town of Caunce, he was reminded how much he took after his teacher.
“His son and I were walking behind him. Segundo said something funny and I started laughing just like him and his son took my arm and said, ‘It is necessary for you to play the guitar like my father. It is not necessary for you to be like my father.'”
Having learned Spanish in Spain. he became fluent. “But I’m not so good at it anymore because I don’t use it. When i start using it, it starts coming back.”
A part of him would have loved making his home in Spain. But his family’s here. He helped raise his daughter Kaitlin with his ex-wife. Kaitlin is lead singer in his band Tablao. About a decade ago he remarried and now he has grandkids to dote on.
He teaches part-time, plays local gigs (you can soon catch him at The Hunger Block), ropes and rides. He was a Nebraska Arts Council touring artist for decades, but his touring days are over.
“I enjoy not worrying about stuff so much anymore –making that flight or getting somewhere.”
The cowboy thing
His escape from academia is still the outdoors.
“The cowboy thing comes from when I was 4-years old watching Roy Rogers and Gene Autry movies. We grew up with a real simple outlook on how life’s supposed to be from these good guy and bad guy Western values. It’s pretty complex now. There’s a lot of variables that I think are hard for people to deal with.
“I loved horses. I always wanted a horse from the time I was four. When I was in high school I couldn’t afford a horse so I started rodeoing – riding bare back broncs and bulls.”
He fell head over spurs for it.
“It was a short-lived career because I went in the Army.”
He eventually got back into riding and roping. Today, he mostly enters team roping jackpots and Western horse shows. He has lots of stories. Like the time he was on a gelding at Kent Martin’s horse ranch.
“I backed him in the box and I roped two or three steers. I was heeling on him and he’d come around the corner and buck a little. But I was kind of showing off, thinking, ‘Aw, that’s nothing.’ Then there was one steer that ran really hard. I still thought, ‘We’ll be alright.’ Well, we’re going around the corner and he just started bucking. The steer was getting away from us and I was leaning out over the front trying to rope this steer and the next thing I know I went off right over the front of his head and landed on my shoulder. He stepped on the other shoulder as he was bucking over the top.”
As Heavin lay sprawled in the dirt, sore and dazed, Martin came riding up on his horse, not to offer sympathy, but good-natured cowboy sarcasm.
“Looking down at me, Kent said, ‘Get up, Hadley.’ I said, ‘I can’t right now.’ Then he said, ‘I’m going to charge you a tanning fee if you lay there lay any longer.'”
Martin doesn’t let it go at that. He describes the fall tis way: “The wind changed directions just gradually and caught Hadley just wrong, and he fell off.”
Heavin takes the ribbing in stride, saying, “That’s the way cowboys are. Everybody gets bucked off and everybody gets injured. It’s no big deal.”
Martin does concede that Heavin “rides pretty good.”
Just as in Spain, Heavin travels in many circles in Nebraska and gets on with everybody. It’s bred in him.
“My whole family were Southern Democrats. We had all kinds of friends, even in the South.” As a progressive living in a Red State, he’s used to debating his Republican friends. “Luckily they tolerate me because I stand up to the stuff they say. We argue. They say things like, ‘We should kick him out of this roping club.'”
He doesn’t mince words about American adventurism.
“I understand Afghanistan was a response to 9/11 and we needed to be able to strike out against something. Iraq, I didn’t understand. That country’s much worse than it would have been if we had left it alone. I didn’t agree with that war. We get our people killed, we spent billions and billions and billions of dollars and we got guys like (Dick) Cheney making a fortune off it.
“I think (George W.) Bush’s heart was probably in the right place, but I think he was mislead. He went in there thinking there were weapons of mass destruction.”
Few of his students and fellow faculty know he’s a vet.
“I don’t tell those people much about this stuff,” he said within earshot of Martin, who quipped, “Hadley’s a closet cowboy.”
Heavin still burns from an old headline that described him as a “real rootin’-tootin’ classical guitar playing cowboy. “I took a lot of heat over that.” He prefers “classical cowboy.”
Music educator
Music offers escape from daily worries, world affairs and partisan politics. He’s been teaching classical guitar almost as long as he’s played it.
“I started teaching as an undergraduate, just privately, in Missouri. While studying for my masters at the University of Denver, I taught all the undergraduates in guitar and coached the ensembles.
“I came to UNO in 1982.”
Combining performing with teaching is tough.
“One robs you of the other. If I were out there performing a lot I wouldn’t be as good a teacher. I would have to be very selfish. I wasn’t a very good a teacher back when I toured because I wasn’t around as much. I’d go off on tour to play and then I’d come back and try to do makeup lessons and it’s really hard to do.
“Touring robs you of putting energy into other people when you have to have that yourself to go on stage and play as perfectly and as musically as you can. It’s a lot of energy, especially with classical guitar. It’s just a difficult instrument to play. After I started winding that down, teaching became more and more important. It’s a high priority for me.
“I’ve got former students out there teaching now and they teach kids that eventually come to me. It’s all coming full circle.”
Some former students are accomplished players, such as Ron Cooley, who plays with Mannheim Steamroller.
For years he only taught adults, but now he’s started teaching younger people and enjoys it.
He also teaches older than average students.
“I’ve got a 72-year-old lady, Sue Russell, that takes lessons and she’s really good. She’s been studying with me for probably 20 years. She plays Flamenco and classical. She’s awesome.
“I have a cardiologist, John Cimino, who’s studied with me for 20 years. He’s amazing. He practices every day despite his busy schedule.”
Long graduated students still rely on his expertise to fix technical problems others cannot. One former student came to him after his new teacher could not explain how to correct a flaw with his fingering.
“I said, ‘Here’s what you do,’ and I explained to him the physiology of it and how he could make it work and he just sat there and did it. That’s what other teachers miss
and that’s from 40 years of teaching.
“Some of the best players can’t teach at all. They’ll be sitting there teaching somebody in front of people and this student obviously has a big issue with a certain finger and the teacher will just say, ‘Well. you’re doing that wrong,’ but they can’t tell them how to do it. That’s what I’m good at.”
Expressive playing is big with Heavin. One of his all-time guitar idols, Steve Ray Vaughan, exemplified it.
“Musically I’m really big into the emotional side of playing. I’ve got a good balance between the physical and emotional. But it’s really hard to teach guitar. You can give all kinds of exercises to do. Some guys will do the work and nothing ever really happens. There has to be a thought process in a student’s head to actually make that happen.”
He recognizes Pastor’s teaching in his own instruction.
“Like he did with me, if someone’s doing something wrong I’ll shake my finger and say, ‘No!’ That taught me how to focus and to take this more seriously. It permeates my teaching today. And a lot of times I ask questions. I’ll stop them in a piece and say, ‘What are you doing?’ That’s how I get their focus.
“Until they start questioning something, they don’t listen. I’ll gradually hone in on the issue before getting to it too quickly. I’ll say, ‘Your wrist is cocked a certain way which causes your A finger to hit at a different angle,’ and then I’ll ask to see their hand. I might say, ‘That nail looks like it’s filed differently than the others.’ I’ll drill them and write out an exercise for them to do to fix that problem and show them how it’s supposed to feel. The hardest thing to do is to teach somebody how to feel something, but I’m really good at it.”
He rarely imparts the classical lineage he represents.
“I’m a little careful with that. I don’t just hand that to everybody. If I’ve got a student working hard and in their last year, then I start dealing with that lineage. I will have them play a piece by Francisco Tarrega. Then we’ll deal with all the technical issues. Then I’ll talk about this lineage thing. ‘What you’re going to hear from me now is as if you were sitting with Tarrega himself because the man I studied with studied with the man who studied with Tarrega, and this has been passed on.
“It’s not just me they’re getting it from, they’re getting it from all of us in the line. The students that figure that out and treasure that are the ones that go off to other schools and blow everybody away,”
He has students watch top guitarists on YouTube to illustrate that even technically brilliant players can lack subtlety “Those players have it totally wrong. They’re not that close to the source so they don’t know how it’s played. It’s technical but not expressive.”
Heavin breaks it down for students.
“I’ll tell them what’s wrong with it. I’ll say, ‘Here’s what Tarrega wants–- he wants this to be very rhythmic through this phrase because this is going to be a recurring rhythmic unity in the piece. But we don’t do it all the time. It’s what we come back to each time to set it up again. Even a lot of great players don’t know.’
“That’s when they start feeling they’re getting something here that’s different. Some of them are never going to get it and maybe they’re doing it for different reasons. The guitar’s not really their major or where they’re going to end up, so I don’t necessarily put that on them because it’s almost a responsibility once you have it.”
His world-class level instruction fits well within a UNO Music Department he says has “risen to a high level.”
“Hadley’s exceptional professional experience enhances our programs in a unique way,” said UNO School of Music Director Washington Garcia. “Visiting guest artist Manuel Barrueco, one of the greatest concert guitarists of all time, left Omaha raving about the talent of our students, all due to Hadley’s work and unconditional commitment to their artistic and academic development. As an artist, Hadley carries that tradition of many great masters and is a reflection of talent at its best.”
Having it his way
His cowboy friends know about his classical side. His recitals in Omaha and western Nebraska draw roping cronies.
“They’re full of questions, like, what about your hands?”
To protect his digits, he’s headed most of his roping life. Atop his horse, a header runs with the steer and can kick off when in trouble. Heeling entails catching up to a hard-charging steer moving away. Applying a rope can singe, even take fingers. At his age he’s now allowed to tie on hard and fast, which makes heeling safer.
Wherever he goes in ranch-rodeo country, he can swap stories with horsemen. One such place is the giant Pitzer Ranch in the Sandhills.
A top hand, Riley Renner, “won the very difficult ranch horse competition out there and he did it riding my mare Baley,” Heavin, said sounding like a proud owner.
“They do what they call a cowboy trail where they run this obstacle course. They’re running flat out, too. It’s a timed event. It’s all judged. The thing started at 7 in the morning and didn’t get over until 11 at night. The same horse all day long. My mare is kind of famous for going through that. She’s big and strong and easy.”
Asked if he’s ever played guitar on horseback, Heavin deadpanned. “I don’t mix the two genres.”
He enjoys socializing but if he had his druthers he’d just as soon hang out with horses.
Training a horse and a person is not so different.
“There’s a process you go through that’s not always exactly whispering. It’s more of making the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy, so that the horse believes this is what I need to do. That’s where the trust comes in.”
With students, he said, “I use a lot of horse analogies, like trying too hard and getting too tight. I’ll back them off and say, ‘You’re kind of like a horse that’s nervous in the box. If you try too hard, you end up beating yourself up. I wait till the horse relaxes.'” Similarly, with students, he said, “I slow everything way down so they can think about every move they make. And it works.”
Pastor’s loving instruction won the trust of his greatest student. Forgiveness freed Heavin to share with others the sublime gift of his music and lineage.
It’s been quite a ride.
Heavin doesn’t consider his story anything special. In his best Western wit, he sums up his life this way: “A guy’s gotta do something between living and dying.”
Categories: Classical Guitar, Educator, Guitar, Hadley Heavin, Music, Musician, Nebraska, Rodeo, Spain, UNO (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Writing Tags: Classical Guitar, Cowboy, Educator, Hadley Heavin, Music, Musician, Omaha, Rodeo/Roping, Segundo Pastor, Spain, Spanish Guitar, UNO (University of Nebraska at Omaha)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2605
|
__label__cc
| 0.725037
| 0.274963
|
Social Media Campaign – MINDDRIVE
Client: MINDDRIVE, Kansas City
Challenge: The Social Fuel Tour – an awareness campaign (in collaboration with VML) designed to get the country’s attention around how “project-based learning” helps high school students achieve graduation. We used an Arduino device, which was attached to the ignition switch of the electric car the students had built, and pulled a monitored conversation happening on social media. If there wasn’t enough participation on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, the car would not start!
From the media’s standpoint, we’d created a “Tweet-powered Car!” and word spread far and wide!
Results: Over 400 Billion social media impressions! The story was picked up on over 350 news channels, featured on CNN’s Headline News, Mashable, Richard Branson’s blog, and numerous news organizations from around the globe.
This project was several years ago now (2013) but, I am very proud of this campaign and the incredible impact it had with my organization. As a founder, we had so much to say and a very small audience with which to engage, because we were new. This campaign changed all that!
There was an enormous amount of work that VML donated to this project. Once they revealed their concept, we all knew it would be a winner, so we took full advantage of all channels to distribute our messaging. The PR efforts ended up creating a viral effect around the world. We started hearing from many countries wanting to know how to build a program like MINDDRIVE in their communities.
In the end, we garnered nearly half a billion social media impressions, were published in hundreds of news outlets, and the VML/MINDDRIVE team received local, regional, national and international awards for the campaign.
It’s the impact that means the most and this campaign enabled us to share the importance of experiential learning to a much broader audience, build our contact list, and raise awareness and contributions to a new level.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2609
|
__label__wiki
| 0.890306
| 0.890306
|
Middlemount
TOGETHER AT LAST: Helen Perikkentis and Miltiades Neothyton reunite at Whitsunday Coast Airport 60 years after he rescued Mrs Perikkentis from kidnappers in Cairo.
Woman reunited with man 60 years after he saved her life
by Kyle Evans
19th Jan 2019 3:00 PM
WHEN Helen Perikkentis stepped off her flight at Proserpine's Whitsunday Coast Airport on Boxing Day, the reality of her visit began to sink in.
Nervous, she and her husband made their way towards the baggage carousel.
Her eyes darted to and fro, her luggage the last thing on her mind.
An instant later, she was greeted by a man with a warm smile and a bouquet of flowers.
It was the second time she'd met Miltiades Neothyton, who travelled down from his Bowen home.
The first time had been in 1959 when he saved her life in Cairo.
"It was fantastic, I was very tearful when I met him at the airport," she said.
"I was just crying and it was very beautiful. It lived up to what I expected and more; it really did."
The meeting was held in far happier circumstances this time around in an atmosphere of family and holiday-makers.
Had it not been for the actions of Mr Neothyton six decades earlier, the meeting never would've taken place.
https://www.whitsundaytimes.com.au/news/fate-reunites-woman-and-saviour-after-six-decades/3535238/
Sixty years ago, the pair were aboard the same ship as they migrated to Australia from Cyprus.
En route, the ship docked in Cairo where Mrs Perikkentis was kidnapped by criminals.
Upon seeing her frantic mother, Mr Neothyton and a friend went searching for the young girl.
The pair found her sitting on a table with the kidnappers, at which point Mr Neothyton yelled and scared the kidnappers off.
After she was returned to her mother, the pair renewed their journey to Australia, settling in different parts of the country.
Both spoke of the incident often throughout the years until eventually in 2018 the story was heard by the same pair of ears.
The mutual friend put them in touch and the pair organised to meet in the New Year.
"He knew we disembarked in Melbourne and he said to me he always wondered about us," Mrs Perikkentis said.
"It was the same with my family in that we always wondered where he was.
"We always kept the story alive and he did too."
Finally meeting in person on Boxing Day, Helen and her husband spent 13 days with Mr Neothyton's family.
The family shared memories of their lives, fished, and cooked up more than a storm in the kitchen.
Mrs Perikkentis said the reunion had been one of the highlights of her life.
"He and his wife were down to earth and very hard working people. I couldn't have wished for a better reunion," she said.
"I just wish that my mum and dad were alive to see him.
"They would have been over the moon to have met him.
"We'll always be friends now.
"I feel as though I've known him all my life."
Mr Neothyton will host Mrs Perikkentis and her husband in Bowen again in two years.
australia bowen cairo editors picks helen perikkentis kidnappers miltiades neothyton whitsunday coast airport whitsundays
'She's a problem child' - Blackwater miner child abuse claim
Breaking Central Queensland BHP executive Roderick Taylor paints 12-year-old sex abuse victim as a 'liar, manipulative and deceitful'
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0035.json.gz/line2611
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.