LONDON — Pearson College, the newest institution of higher education in Britain, does not have ancient ivy-covered buildings or a grassy quadrangle where students can while away the hours debating whether Plato or Aristotle came closer to the truth.
But with its base on The Strand in London, at the headquarters of Pearson, a publishing and educational conglomerate that owns Penguin Books, The Financial Times newspaper and a 50 percent stake in The Economist magazine, the college promises students more than just a pretty view across the Thames.
“What we offer is the chance to study business within a very successful business,” Roxanne Stockwell, the college’s managing director, said in an interview on campus. The current cohort, which began classes in September, are all studying for a degree in business and enterprise. However, the school plans to eventually offer a full undergraduate curriculum as well as certain master’s degree programs. Over time they plan for hundreds, and then thousands, of students. “Ultimately we want to become a university,” said Ms. Stockwell.
First, they had to attract 40 students willing to risk their futures on a university with no traditions, no alumni network and no established reputation. For the next few years, until a law changes to allow the college to issue its own degrees, students will actually graduate from a University of London college.
About half the first class was recruited during the “clearing period,” when British students who failed to gain admission to their first-choice schools are offered places elsewhere; the rest are Pearson employees.
“I was originally hoping to go to Warwick to study law and business,” said Edward Riddle who, at 18, is one of the youngest members of the freshman class. “But after work experience in a law firm I thought maybe law isn’t something I want to do for the next three years. This gave me a chance to develop my business skills, and a chance to be a pioneer.”
Thasleemah Faradi, 31, had already spent several years working as a customer service team leader in Britain after completing high school in her native Mauritius. “I want to run my own business, and this course allows me to develop as an entrepreneur,” Ms. Faradi said. For her, the Pearson name was also an important factor in attracting her to the school. “It’s a recognized brand, so you know there is some credibility at stake,” she said.
All students are guaranteed six-week internships with one of the college’s corporate partners, which include Cisco, BT and the Peter Jones Foundation. Students can choose to study either at Pearson headquarters in London or at the company’s offices in Salford Quays in Manchester. Students are also offered the chance to complete their degrees in two, three, or four years.
Tuition for the accelerated two-year mode is £8,000 a year, or about $ 12,800, adding up to £16,000 in total for the degree. For both the three- and four-year options the total comes to £19,500, which is considerably less than the £27,000 British universities are allowed to charge. Financial aid is available, and the four-year option is designed to allow students to work while they study.
The British government has pledged to ease the entry of private providers into higher education, but its failure to propose a new higher education bill so far means that Pearson has had to comply with the existing framework. This means that any institution awarding degrees must be approved by the Privy Council, a group of advisers to the queen. As a result, although Pearson College students will study a curriculum designed by the company, their degrees will be validated by Royal Holloway, a college of the University of London.
“Current rules require a track record of four years of delivering degree programs before you can even apply to become a college,” said Stephen Jackson, an official at the Quality Assurance Agency, which is in charge of academic standards at British universities. “A validation arrangement allows them to get that track record.”
A School Where Courses Are Designed by Business http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif
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