Unis won’t even be back to normal by September, warns expert

Universities won’t be back to normal by September, an expert has warned.

Oxford’s Professor Simon Marginson said: “Realistically, we are not going to see a return to face-to-face education in September.”

Speaking during an online forum for International Higher Education, Marginson said unis would need to cut fees if face-to-face lectures didn’t return, to reflect the fact that online learning “needs to be seen as a substantially different product, a different educational experience”.

Marginson, the director of Oxford’s Centre for Global Higher Education, issued warnings which have been echoed by other Higher Education experts.

If the coronavirus crisis substantially changes universities, fees may have to drop not just as a matter of fairness, but to make sure students want to come, according to Buckingham University’s Professor Alan Smithers.

“Universities will have to look very carefully at their fee structure so that it’s fair to students but also attractive to them. This could involve reducing charges,” said Smithers in comments reported by the Daily Mail.

Over 275,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to reimburse students for this year’s tuition fees.

Poll: Would you drop out of uni if there were no face-to-face lectures?

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