A former Ucas chief executive has referred to the Russell Group universities as a “hollow brand” and as “self-selecting and self-promoting.”
Mary Curnock Cook, the former head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) who held the position for more than seven years, stated that the 24 universities’ reputation for being “elite” was unwarranted.
Future students are now competing for spots following the release of their A-level results; but, as of last night, fewer than 600 clearing places were available at Russell Group universities and fewer than 24,000 courses were available overall, the lowest number in four years.
Ms. Curnock Cook told the Times that the Russell Group has just “four or five truly exceptional universities,” including Oxford and Cambridge.
She stated that a portion of the remainder of the Russell Group is made of “modest performers” who would struggle to achieve the top 50 universities in the league tables based on student development.
She said, “A few also score poorly on teaching quality.”
While Russell Group universities value intense research, she has found no evidence that this corresponds with student choices.
Ms. Curnock Cook said that Russel Groups has become a ‘hugely profitable, but empty brand’ that ‘distorts’ the higher education market, student choice, and political thought.
She stated that Russell Groups had a disproportionate amount of white middle-class undergraduates and students with private educations, while only paying “lip service” to diversity.
Several ‘excellent’ universities are also excluded from the Russell Group, and she argued that the criteria should be altered so that others can join.
She also alleged that the government was biased against former polytechnics when it eliminated degrees with low standards.
Ms. Curnock Cook is currently a non-executive director for the Student Loans Company and a trustee for the Higher Education Policy Institute.
Dr. Tim Bradshaw, chief executive officer of the Russell Group, told the Times that the criticisms were a “unfair attack.”
He stated that more over half of the members are among the top 100 universities in the world, and that 91% of their research is either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent.”
Dr. Bradshaw stated that each year, students from underprivileged communities are enrolling in Russell Group universities, which have low dropout rates.
Nonetheless, the number of students from public schools has plateaued.
Yesterday, the university reported that about one-quarter of the accepted students at Oxford this fall come from disadvantaged backgrounds.