I was perturbed to read Sir Howard Newby's comments on students as clients. In my experience, students do not wish to "buy a great degree", what they do want is a high level of academic and support services, whether that be smaller seminar groups, increased information technology provision or more social facilities.
Listening to and catering for students should not reduce the quality of their education. Indeed, one would argue that it would enrich their "transformative experience".
Alastair Osborn
Vice-president
University of the West of England Student Union