Urban Planning at Loughborough University
As someone who has completed the Urban Planning Course at Loughborough University I strongly advise you NOT to do it. The reasons:
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
Original post by Anonymous
As someone who has completed the Urban Planning Course at Loughborough University I strongly advise you NOT to do it. The reasons:
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
That sounds awful. If it is RTPI accredited you could report your concerns to them.
Original post by Anonymous
As someone who has completed the Urban Planning Course at Loughborough University I strongly advise you NOT to do it. The reasons:
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
Have you completed the course?
Original post by Anonymous
As someone who has completed the Urban Planning Course at Loughborough University I strongly advise you NOT to do it. The reasons:
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
1. Its very small with maybe 7 lecturers and maybe 20 students. It means that it's easy for bias to get involved and there aren't that many lecturers to check each other if that.
2. Only one of the lecturers when I was there is actually an Urban Planner. You'll find that most of your lectures are about transport because that's all they know. There's one lecturer whose used the exact same PowerPoint for 5 years and hasn't changed transport to Urban in his slides.
3. The teaching isn't unified, they have no clue what each other are teaching so there's no overarching narrative, just random bits.
4. They don't teach you any key software like GIS, Adobe that planners/Urban designers might actually use yet they want you to use it in your assignment. There's one teacher, the architect with short hair that literally teaches nothing she just wants you to turn up.
5. They don't help you truly with placements. Despite it being Loughborough they don't communicate with proper companies just random local councils in the Midlands.
So DO NOT do Urban Planning at Loughborough. Its not worth sacrificing your education just for the vibe of Loughborough. You'll leave the course honestly knowing nothing and the lecturers don't care
Sorry to hear this. Have you raised these issues with your course rep or more formally?
Original post by MadamInspector
That sounds awful. If it is RTPI accredited you could report your concerns to them.
It's in the process of accreditation.
Original post by mesub
Sorry to hear this. Have you raised these issues with your course rep or more formally?
That's the thing we've tried multiple times to raise these issues to the course lead and all they've done is nodded their head and nothing comes out if it. They've also kind of squashed any attempt we've made at bringing it to a higher level.
Plus I think the rules of the university prevent you from actually bringing concerns through. For example if you're unhappy with your grade the university rulebook says "Appeals based solely on a claim that your work was deserving of a higher mark will not be successful. This is because the assessment of all your work at the University is subject to the checks, and rigorous marking procedures outlined". How rigorous can marking be with 6 core teachers who pair off for each module and 15 students. The person whose most senior is the one that hasn't changed his slides in 5 years or more.
On a personal level I've tried getting the student council to help with a matter I had that was entirely the course leads fault and they said no full stop. They only care about hosting socials.
Original post by mesub
It's in the process of accreditation.
This is another thing we've heard nothing back on the progress of accreditation since we've left. And If I were to raise concerns to RTPI I'm sure that could affect the courses progress which impacts everyone. So really what is the best thing to do
Original post by cmchang
This is another thing we've heard nothing back on the progress of accreditation since we've left. And If I were to raise concerns to RTPI I'm sure that could affect the courses progress which impacts everyone. So really what is the best thing to do
If you raise your concerns with the RTPI then it might lead to improvements to the course. There is no point in the RTPI accrediting a poor course because in the long term, that will affect the Planning profession. I understand what you mean though - it is better for current students to have an accredited qualification ASAP.
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