Ruskin College may have become ¡°only a fraction¡± of what it once was, but there is cautious optimism about plans to ¡°re-energise¡± it.

The college, founded in 1899, has an unusual place within British post-school education. It is based in Oxford, although it is independent of the university, and offers adult learning to people of all ages and backgrounds¡± and ¡°university-standard education and facilities, without the need for qualifications¡±, maintaining particularly close ties with the trade union movement.

Yet it was announced last month that Ruskin will become part of the University of West London, after facing ¡°financial challenges¡±. So how did things come to this and what might it mean for the college¡¯s distinctive traditions and values?

Anthony Woodman, UWL¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, said that the university had been approached by the college¡¯s leadership after the suspension of a social work degree programme left 20 students unable to complete their studies.

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¡°In light of¡­our experience integrating higher education and further education in one institution, we were viewed as a capable partner that could offer these students the opportunity to complete their studies, which, in turn, became a reason we were approached to acquire the college,¡± Professor Woodman said.

Moray McAulay, a regional official for the University and College Union, said that Ruskin had been ¡°a very troubled institution for really quite some time¡±, with ¡°long-standing problems accelerated by Covid¡±, and was now ¡°only a fraction of what it had been¡±.

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Furthermore, although Ruskin College was still a major player in trade union education, Mr McAulay suspected that it had suffered?¡°reputational damage?among the union movement¡± as the result of UCU¡¯s ¡°very bitter trade dispute with it about victimisation of trade union representatives¡±, only resolved in December 2020, ¡°because obviously UCU was talking to other unions¡±.

By the time the college was ¡°rescued¡± by UWL, Mr McAulay claimed, it was ¡°dependent on bailouts from?the Education and Skills Funding Agency,?which ran out on 31 July, so the expectation was they would be going into administration if a partnership was not found¡±.

It was very understandable, therefore, that the core response of staff to the news that Ruskin would be ¡°rescued¡± by UWL was ¡°a sense of relief¡±.

Mr McAulay welcomed assurances, both public and behind the scenes, that the university was not engaging in ¡°an asset-stripping exercise¡± or planning to ¡°just take the [Ruskin] brand to London¡±. Yet he also hoped to see a reversal of recent trends, with higher education, including higher education for unionists, ¡°rebuilt at Ruskin College¡±, since ¡°in practical terms, there isn¡¯t terribly much HE left¡±.

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Although Ruskin College would become ¡°part of the University of West London Group¡±, Professor Woodman explained, they were ¡°determined to ensure that its Oxford campus remains an inclusive centre of education, with both teaching and research taking place there¡±, while looking at ¡°how Ruskin students can also benefit from the additional facilities and faculty at our other campuses¡±.

UWL, said Professor Woodman, was ¡°determined to re-energise Ruskin College¡± and to ¡°see trade union education continuing¡± there as ¡°an important part of the organisation¡¯s heritage¡±. Yet although the university¡¯s ¡°robust financial position¡± had enabled it to ¡°resolve¡± Ruskin¡¯s ¡°significant liabilities¡±, it was ¡°clear that certain things will need to change to ensure the college can continue its mission over the long term¡±.

The university was ¡°working closely with the college¡¯s faculty on how [they] might jointly take the organisation forward¡±, yet it was still ¡°too early to say what this all might entail¡±, he added.

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com