Does Liverpol need a fourth university? Answer:No. Because it doesn't even need three.
I am a great fan of Lipa, the Paul McCartney so-called Fame college. Its in-house productions are of a professional standard and its students find top credits further afield, in the West End and elswhere.
At present Lipa degrees are awarded via Liverpool John Moores University.
So should Lipa be wasting time and money applying for full university status?
There's no need. Liverpol University, JM University, Hope University, Edge Hill University (at Ormskirk). Soon every playschool will be applying to be a university.
That may appeal to the global university industry - recruiting overseas students at vast benefit to income - as well as to a government eager to keep down unemployment figures, while at the same time decreeing that 50 per cent of the population should be in some way involved in higher education by 2010.
But who is kidding whom? Practical success is always what counts most, and, to be fair, Lipa demonstrates a fair amount of success.
What is not worthwhile, however, is institutionalised posturing; more caps and gowns of many colours just for effect - and sometimes without substance.
If I had a fiver for evcery MA in film or theatre studies that I have seen given out to granduands who will never have any proven practical experience of film or theatre, I would be able to retire here and now.
Doing is what matters, not posing. Many degrees are not worth the paper they are printed on. If you doubt me, ask any manager in any industry.
Don't ask academics. They have an interest in declaring university "degrees" to be valid. Those of us on the outside know this is very often just not the case.
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john Hogan wrote...
Your points are well made Joe, however as the parent of a son who has just graduated in Film Theatre and Television studies at leeds Univ. I do take issue with your views on the value of degrees like this. My son worked extremely hard for this degree and went into uni. on the back of of a lot of experience in theatre - productions in The Unity - Valley Theatre - BBC - League of Gentlemen etc.. The problem he often finds is nepotism within that industry, where the sons, daughters and assorted relatives of those in the 'business' seem to just walk into parts whether or not they have had the experience the qualifications or the apptitude.
Posted by: john Hogan | March 10, 2007 5:23 PM