The worst of both worlds

Nina Power reacts strongly

The ‘New College’ represents a worrying stage in the closing off of HE. On this model - a bad, cheapish version of the American one, without the scholarships and new buildings, universities will become ever more the preserve of the ultra-rich, and subjects such as Philosophy will remain in the hands of those who somehow feel they have a ‘natural’ right to own it.

to the matter discussed in this Guardian article:

New College of the Humanities, based in Bloomsbury, is being backed by private funding and will aim to make a profit. It will offer some scholarships, with assisted places being granted to one in five of the first 200 students....

One of the backers is Charles Watson, chairman of the City PR firm Financial Dynamics. He said: "Higher education in the UK must evolve if it is to offer the best quality experience for students and safeguard our future economic and intellectual wealth. New College offers a different model – one that brings additional, private sector funding into higher education in the humanities when it is most needed, and combines scholarships and tuition fees."

UPDATE: Correspondence between the Chair of the Birkbeck Student Union and AC Grayling, the front man for the New College.

UPDATE 2: A video with a great soundtrack!

UPDATE 3: A marvelously curt statement from the Master of Birkbeck College: 

Professor Anthony Grayling has resigned from Birkbeck to lead New College of the Humanities.  Birkbeck has no links with New College and no agreement to provide New College with access to any of its facilities.