The directorate at MMU are on the verge of signing a contract with a private sector company called Navitas (formerly known as IBT Education) to set up an “International College” at MMU. This apparently has been prepared in secret as the HR director on Tuesday (10th June) claimed to know nothing about the deal. Thus, details are sketchy but we have been able to establish the following from similar agreements Navitas are involved with:
1. They have established four international colleges in the UK at Swansea, Hertfordshire, Brunel and Anglia Ruskin;
2. These colleges recruit international students on to diploma courses that once completed “guarantee” entrance onto the second year of the relevant degree programmes (see their Brunel website – http://www.libt.uk.com/index.php);
3. Navitas is an Australian based company that proudly boasts being the first educational institution listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. In their recent interim financial results presentation there are several references to opportunities to grow their courses especially in the UK.
Navitas are hosting workshop(s) at MMU where it is mostly likely they will be identifying which of our degree programmes they will hook their diploma courses onto. This situation raises a number of questions that the directorate need to answer including:
§ Who will be staffing their diploma courses and on what terms and conditions of employment?
§ Where will Navitas be located & who is paying for their accommodation and services? How much will this agreement cost MMU?
§ What will be the impact on support staff & will Navitas students be using university facilities?
§ Who has control over the curriculum on their diplomas; who will be supplying the course materials and what control do our admissions staff have over these “guaranteed” places?
Thus far, management have failed to negotiate or consult the recognised trade unions at MMU. However, examples from other institutions in the UK and abroad show that this is a form of back-door privatisation. And once companies like Navitas get a toehold in an institution, they look to extend their coverage to areas such as Foundation Degrees, English Language courses and beyond. For these reasons UCU and GMB will be campaigning against the introduction of any private sector company into academic provision.
