W1B-017 QUB business-5.txt
17th May 1994

Dear Colleague, Conference of Queen's University and Schools: Saturday, 18th June 1994

I am writing to invite you and/or members of your staff to the Conference of Queen's University and Schools which will be held in the New Physics Lecture Theatre at 10.45 am on Saturday, 18th June. Coffee will be available in the Great Hall beforehand from 10.15 am. The Conference will finish with a sherry reception in the Canada Room followed by lunch in the Great Hall.

We are very pleased to welcome as our guest speaker to the Conference Professor Graeme Davies, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council, who will talk about the implications of the various changes which have taken place in Higher Education in recent years.

The numbers of graduates being produced by Higher Education have increased dramatically in the last decade and this could have an effect on employment prospects. We have seen the disappearance of the binary line and also a considerable widening of access with the introduction of foundation Courses for mature students and, more recently, the GNVQ. At a time of expansion, the Government has now requested universities to reduce their intakes, especially in the Arts-based areas. On the financial side, there will be increasing reliance on student loans in the future with the recent announcement of the reduction in the value of the student grant over the next three years.

All of these matters will have consequences for Schools and Colleges, which produce students for Higher Education, and also for the Institutions of Higher Education themselves.

We look forward to hearing Professor Davies and we hope that the Conference will provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas.

If you intend to come to this conference, and if you wish to accept the invitations to the Reception and Lunch, please complete the attached reply form and return it so that we may receive it no later than Monday, 6th June.

Yours sincerely, S M Wisener Schools Liaison Officer
