Businessman takes Plymouth University to standards authority over branding slogan
A BUSINESSMAN has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about the University of Plymouth, claiming its slogan 'the enterprise university' is misleading.
According to this week's Times Higher Education magazine, Ian Benson filed a complaint that the university is misleading both applicants and local firms.
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The Times Higher Education magazine says that data obtained by Mr Benson under the Freedom of Information Act suggested that of the 10,000 students who graduated from Plymouth in 2008, only two went on to start a business with the university's support, and of 3,000 Plymouth staff, only one had formal expertise in enterprise.
The ASA did not uphold Mr Benson's complaint, ruling that "the enterprise university" tag was open to interpretation.
Responding to the complaint the University of Plymouth told the ASA it "...believed the term enterprise was difficult to measure and compare because it could be interpreted in different ways.
They believed that it could be argued that the strapline used in the ad was not capable of objective substantiation.
They stressed that they had not intended to claim, as the complainant believed, that Plymouth offered a higher standard of teaching or a more complete syllabus of courses relating to business and enterprise than other universities.
"The University of Plymouth nonetheless maintained that the enterprise university was a visionary and inspirational phrase, which reflected their mindset, culture and approach.
They said many universities recognised the importance of engaging with businesses and set up Research and Innovation or Enterprise divisions.
They said they had a long history of engagement in the field and were now undertaking to make being the enterprise university central to the universitys work. They also sent details of recent instances where, they maintained, the university had demonstrated and gained recognition for its innovation and enterprise focused activities."
The ASA "...noted the complainants objection that the claim related to the standard of teaching or quality of syllabus of the University of Plymouths courses related to business and enterprise. We considered, however, that readers were likely to interpret the claim merely as a generic statement of the universitys ethos and ambition. We therefore concluded that the ad was unlikely to mislead."
Mr Benson told the Times Higher Education magazine: "I think there is a distinct possibility that students could be attracted to Plymouth expecting a hotbed of new-venture creation, only to find a normal university with rather less enterprise activity than many others."
Jane Chafer, director of marketing at Plymouth, told the Times Higher Education magazine that the university saw its slogan as a "visionary, inspirational phrase" that reflected its mindset and culture.
In 2009, Plymouth was named the "most enterprising city" in the South West for the second year running, and the university has been asked to lead a project on managing enterprising universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, she said.
She said market research would now be carried out to assess how the university's brand was being received.
"We are currently finding out what our external audiences think of us, and it is on the basis of that evidence - and where we want to be in the future - that branding changes, if any, will be made," she said.
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by Thomas, Plymouth
Saturday, May 01 2010, 8:28AM
“OK, just to make things clear I am a student at the University of Plymouth and have to agree with a lot of people about it boasting it being good. I moved down here due to the way it comes across as a cutting edge University but got to admit it is nothing like that. The course I am doing is nothing but waffle they seem to teach the same stuff as they did a few years ago and also they don¿t listen to you when you have problems and most of the Teachers are ex graduates teaching the things they were taught. The only thing I am looking forward to now is getting my transcripts and moving, I m not wasting another year studying here as it is just wasting my time and money. I have heard people in second and third year talking about how the courses are for them and as one second year student stated ¿with this course you are a Jack of all trades but a master of none¿. The course I am doing is far too wide spread and you don¿t really get anything out of the lessons, one lesson consisted of reading a downloaded tutorial this went on for 4 weeks like that, it is a joke how they try and brand themselves as been a good University, They might be for the ones who want to party every night but for me it¿s a BIG THUMBS down, and for the person who commented about when we graduate we will e asking do you want fries with that, to be honest I think they will even get that wrong as we aren¿t taught any real life skills so for my last words on the subjects I FEEL THE UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH IS PANTS.”
by Thomas, Plymouth
Saturday, May 01 2010, 8:27AM
“OK, just to make things clear I am a student at the University of Plymouth and have to agree with a lot of people about it boasting it being good. I moved down here due to the way it comes across as a cutting edge University but got to admit it is nothing like that. The course I am doing is nothing but waffle they seem to teach the same stuff as they did a few years ago and also they don¿t listen to you when you have problems and most of the Teachers are ex graduates teaching the things they were taught. The only thing I am looking forward to now is getting my transcripts and moving, I m not wasting another year studying here as it is just wasting my time and money. I have heard people in second and third year talking about how the courses are for them and as one second year student stated ¿with this course you are a Jack of all trades but a master of none¿. The course I am doing is far too wide spread and you don¿t really get anything out of the lessons, one lesson consisted of reading a downloaded tutorial this went on for 4 weeks like that, it is a joke how they try and brand themselves as been a good University, They might be for the ones who want to party every night but for me it¿s a BIG THUMBS down, and for the person who commented about when we graduate we will e asking do you want fries with that, to be honest I think they will even get that wrong as we aren¿t taught any real life skills so for my last words on the subjects I FEEL THE UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH IS PANTS.”
by Alf, Plympton
Tuesday, January 26 2010, 7:50PM
“Whilst I disagree with Mr Benson and his motivations and agenda for trying to expose the University of Plymouth, I have just read through the website and it does read like something out of the matrix trilogy. I run a local business but find the terminology baffling and I would consider myself enterprising. Mr Benson has obviously got issues with the current VC which should be kept behind closed doors but, just as a comment, if I were looking at a University website I would expect to find clear information about courses. I wouldn't expect to be presented with baffling terminology and, without sounding rude, it seems to be focused around one person.”
by Mary Newman, Drakes Circus
Monday, January 25 2010, 11:16PM
“£10k for the VC's gown? Easily confirmed with another FOI request, though would be nice to see all the FOI requests made to UoP. Probably need an FOI request to get details of FOI requests”
by Staff, Plymouth
Monday, January 25 2010, 8:53PM
“The enterprise agenda is a confused mess of a fear culture being driven by a few people at the top.”
by Son of Francis Drake, Plym
Monday, January 25 2010, 7:08PM
“Hi Comenter, good comments but equally doesn't answer the question? Is it the enterprise university or is it a student university? I think that's the crux of the problem. Also, is the positive feedback coming from students studying at the university through good teaching (which it does and where all the money should be diverted to) or enterprise? I wander how many students actually were quoted as saying as "i loved studying at Plymouth, the enterprise university" as opposed to "I love studying at the University of Plymouth as it had a good standard of teaching". Enterprise should never come before students, it isn't, and never will be, the core business.”
by comenter, Plymouth
Monday, January 25 2010, 6:41PM
“To: "Francis Drake" - you appear to be ill informed on this subject.
The university listens to its students all the time through many internal mechanisms and usually scores pretty well in the national student survey and its own internal student perception questionaire.
Feedback from employeers of graduates and from external examiners about the quality of teaching and learning is also usually very positive.
When looking at comments on facebook one must be careful not to mistake the squeaky wheel as good evidence of an overall perception.
Of course there are some students who are unhappy, and some subject areas do better than others, but the statistical evidence is that the university is actually doing pretty darn well in terms of providing the students with a learning experience they really appreciate, and graduates who can go on to be valued by their employeers - especially for their enterprising attitudes and approaches.”
by ply, Plym
Monday, January 25 2010, 4:31PM
“the university has gone down the pan in the last couple of years....the negative feedback was always to come....enterprise has been delivered terribly, lack of vision, done before and very tired. when is the next rebranding?”
by Angry Staff, Plymouth
Monday, January 25 2010, 3:57PM
“if the 10k regarding the gown is true, then perhaps an apology needs to be given? not bleeding likely with this VC.appalling”
by Hannah Fearn, London
Monday, January 25 2010, 1:45PM
“This story was published in the Times Higher Education magazine, not the TES.”