whats wrong with ex-polytechnics?

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I think employers rate ex-polytechnics less, perhaps because of snobbery or the way they were seen when they were at university. I don't think calling them all universities has changed that.

I think you have to ask what you mean by "employers". Remember employers are sponsoring tens of thousands of students at ex-polys every year and indeed the ex-polys are often creating courses to meet the specific requirements of employers.

Reply 21

The_Internet

Original post by barnetlad

I think employers rate ex-polytechnics less, perhaps because of snobbery or the way they were seen when they were at university. I don't think calling them all universities has changed that.

I'm going to an ex poly, as it's the best for my course(and the course leads to lots of money if done properly) Employers are probably more than willing to employ people from my chosen uni, considering it's pretty much in bed with a major organisation that affects your lives every day(who are partnered with other major organisations)

Chris Howard - Staffordshire

Staffordshire University has been a Regional Cisco Network Academy for 10 years and has received an award from Cisco Systems for Educational Excellence.

We’re the only university in the UK to receive one. Our courses deliver a strong theory base, reinforced by practical experience on live equipment.

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/undergraduate_courses/subjects/computer_networks/

Also, to blow your theory right out of the water; some students have gone to work for Cisco from the university(given it's close links)

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 22

JCM89

Original post by lukas1051

Perhaps I'm wrong, I can't exactly say I've ever experienced it, but one would assume they are when looking at student satisfaction statistics. Of course, the ex-polys are a big group of universities, so some will inevitably be better than others.

If you put student satisfaction as the primary consideration, we'd all want to get into the Open University which had higher rates of student satisfaction than Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE and every other UK university apart from the private University of Buckingham every year from 2008-2010 :smile:

Reply 23

TheSownRose

Original post by speedbird

Well, if you compare ex-polys to traditional universities, everything.

Care to expand? :holmes:

Reply 24

iainthegreat

They're shunned on here because TSR is rather elitist.

Reply 25

chrislpp

If you go to a university because of the university, you're an idiot.

It's also no surprise that the big ''nightlife'' cities in the UK get far more applicants than some equally capable unis in smaller cities.

The english LOVE to divide the world up socially. It's happened for centuries and I never got it. The scottish, irish, welsh couldn't give a FLOOP about what university is the best, but many students feel the pressure from all the crap flying around. The 4 countries in the UK are all similar in size on the grand scale of things, but England is extremely unproportionate in the universities and students studying within it. And that only makes things worse.

The english divided up ireland, africa, india and their own country with a class system, ranking systems now for universities, russel groups, redbricks, 1994 groups...poly wolys.

Seriously, if you have no goal in life, don't get out of bed, if you have a goal and it takes you through a path that happens to be an ex-poly or oxbridge....so be it. Ex-polys are far more open to, or were far more open to technology and what not. Probably due to the fact that those students had actual employable skills over a snobbed up history student from a 'prestigious' uni. That doesn't look very good does it for the older university? Many older universities have now spent millions getting their less traditional subjects up to scratch because they were going to start losing out on employment statistics. So go figure.

/rant

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 26

BlueEyedEurope

I do not go to an ex polytechnic, however I personally know managing directors of small to medium sized organisations and they have stated thatdue to Britain shifting to a knowledge based industry in the 80s expolytechnis have been instrumental in providing the british workforce with a skillset to work in these industries.

And exploy technics are not all at the bottom of the league table with a proportion at the middle.

Also many ex polytechnics have been churning out higher and higher volumes of research. And have also had a steady increase in PHD graduates. Some of the research work at departments in poly technics have been rated as excellent along with traditional unis.

Expolys have only been universities since 1992 and many are constantly improving.

If you want an accurate picture of the value of expolys do not ask TSR users as their opinion is biased. Ask industry experts what they think.

Reply 27

Iqbal007

Is Queen Mary a ex polytechnic?

Reply 28

No Future

Because people on TSR might laugh at you?

Reply 29

chrislpp

Also, it USED to be a polytechnic. Hence the ex, so what's the problem?

If you had an ex-bf/gf would you still call them your bf/gf and spend all your money on them?

Reply 30

speedbird

Original post by TheSownRose

Care to expand? :holmes:

The prestige, the research, the teaching, the students, the entry requirements.

Reply 31

TheSownRose

Original post by speedbird

The prestige, the research, the teaching, the students, the entry requirements.

The others I'll give you (although entry requirements is irrelevant) in most cases ... but the ones in bold are curious inclusions.

Reply 32

Joinedup

Original post by TheSownRose

The others I'll give you (although entry requirements is irrelevant) in most cases ... but the ones in bold are curious inclusions.

The research is a dubious benefit to the undergrad in a lot of subjects too imo.

Reply 33

Clip

The entry requirements for some ex-polys tell the whole story - especially the London ones.

Look at their sites and prospectus, and it would seem that these places have pretty high requirements - especially for popular courses. However, wait until clearing, and see what they will let you in on.

Ok, this is going back a few years before A-level grade inflation was really silly - but just after the integration of the ex-polys, I had a friend get into Greenwich to read Environmental Science on 2 UCCA points. In today's language, that's one E.

A few years later, Hertfordshire pioneered the 0-points offer for certain courses. That means exactly what you think it means - fail all your A-levels, and you can get into UH.

What does that tell you about the calibre of student that they are willing to accept? Basically ones with a proven track record of failure.

My wife (mug that she was) got 30 UCCA points - that's AAA in today's language, but went to UH as it was the only one offering some obscure HR course that she wanted to do. Her experience was that the ability range of undergraduates was huge - some were quite capable, others could barely read and write. There was a frightening number of students graduating without honours, made even worse by the incredibly low standards of marking.

I had another friend - ex-army with no A-levels and rotten GCSEs, who applied to Middlesex to read Economics. He was given an unconditional offer.

Reply 34

TheSownRose

Original post by Clip

The entry requirements for some ex-polys tell the whole story - especially the London ones.

Do you know what the entry requirements reflect? If your whole argument is based on entry requirements, it's a pretty bad argument - it's popularity, not quality.

Reply 35

sophiekatina

I am at a russell group and redbrick uni and many of my friends got bcd and still got in onto abb courses - ludicrous!

Reply 36

Clip

Original post by TheSownRose

Do you know what the entry requirements reflect? If your whole argument is based on entry requirements, it's a pretty bad argument - it's popularity, not quality.

Yes, it is based on that actually. The fact that a degree-awarding university is prepared to accept candidates on their programmes, with a proven track record of failure should tell you something.

What on earth are A-levels for, if not for indicating whether or not someone is undergraduate material? Get AAA, support it with some flowery language and a convincing interview, and you get a chance to go almost anywhere you want.

Get one E, or nothing at all - surely that must be an indication that you are wholly unsuited for Tertiary Education and better off doing something else.

Reply 37

The_Internet

Original post by Clip

Yeah because people don't go to ex poly's for other reasons... I'm going to an ex poly as it's the best for my course and it pays a lot as well.

Reply 38

Clip

Original post by de_monies

Yeah because people don't go to ex poly's for other reasons... I'm going to an ex poly as it's the best for my course and it pays a lot as well.

Not saying people don't go to ex-poly for other reasons (like my wife), but the point is that the general philosophy of the institution must be questionable, if they will take people (like my Army buddy) who have failed to meet the most rudimentary entrance requirements. No A-levels, rubbish GCSEs - but that's good enough to read Economics at Middlesex?

Reply 39

torchwood

well, they have lower entry standards so obviously attract less academically able students.

They attract less funding for research, resulting in very little, if any world leading research.

The academic staff aren't the best/world renowned, this links to teaching quality and research.

Graduate prospects are lower as expolys aren't prestigious, nor do have the same connections as traditional universities.