Newbury College - who do they think they are? Options

[blackdog]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=18411

Graduate students banned from their graduation ceremony because they can't afford to fork out £54 to hire a gown for an hour or so.

Two issues arising from this story:

1 How much profit does the college make from the exhorbitant hire fees?

2 What on earth do they think they are - Oxford or Cambridge? Its a tinpot local FE college, not even worthy of University status (unlike most FE colleges these days).

They have priced adult evening classes out of the reach of most, and then stopped them for 'lack of interest'. Does anyone in management at the college actually care about the concept of lifelong education?

[TallDarkAndHands...]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=18411

Graduate students banned from their graduation ceremony because they can't afford to fork out £54 to hire a gown for an hour or so.

Two issues arising from this story:

1 How much profit does the college make from the exhorbitant hire fees?

2 What on earth do they think they are - Oxford or Cambridge? Its a tinpot local FE college, not even worthy of University status (unlike most FE colleges these days).

They have priced adult evening classes out of the reach of most, and then stopped them for 'lack of interest'. Does anyone in management at the college actually care about the concept of lifelong education?

Exactly. What a joke. A gown for what??? Hardly Stephen bl00dy Hawkings are they!

[x2lls]

It wouldn't be entirely unreasonable for the college to, if they MUST have a costume to wear for these occasions, purchase some for lending to those that can't afford it? Considering they are only worn once per year, they would last many many years.

[blackdog]

I think I'll go into the graduation gown hiring business.

It seems the cost of rental from Newbury College is pretty much the same as the cost of buying one:
http://www.university-gowns.com/BA%20Gowns.html

Talk about exploitation of its students.

[user23]

Isn't buying something and selling it on eBay the new hiring?

[On the edge]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=18411

...... Does anyone in management at the college actually care about the concept of lifelong education?

200 plus years on and still can't beat Adam Smith!

[NWNREADER]

I doubt we have the full story.... Usually courses that lead to a Graduation at an FE college are run by an accredited University. Could it be the University sets the dress code?

Then again, as a bit of a traditionalist, I quite like the spectacle of such events - and the Graduation Ceremonial will not have been sprung on the students as an afterthought.....

A bit like turning up at Royal Ascot in jeans and t-shirt and expecting access to the posh end.... Those running the show set the standards.

Non-attendance at the Graduation does not void the qualification, and many do not attend their ceremony, for all sorts of reasons. personal choice being one, maybe people just need to make their choice. Maybe those students wearing regalia will not want plebs around?