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by George Wilmot Senior Lecturer in Transport Studies, University of London.
Education organizations in transport the CNAA and the open university
Since the universities have been weak in transport teaching at the first degree level, it was hoped that alternative degree schemes could be realized through the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) or the Open University. The CNAA is a national degree-awarding body for courses based at local education authority colleges. A flexible Framework for study is provided and most of the degree • courses are based on the "sandwich" system .whereby full-time study is interspersed with working in an industry cognate to the degree course. This type of arrangement seemed to be ideal for experimentation in new disciplines and the sandwich scheme was most appropriate for studies in road transport.
Progress, however, has been very slow. More formal disciplines were attempted first by colleges hut, eventually, business studies have become a strong degree subject. It is in this area that transport emerged. The City of London Polytechnic offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in business studies with transport options. The degree is arranged on a sandwich basis and those studying road
transport as their main speciality will spend time doing an actual job in a road haulage concern or in a bus undertaking. This particular course made a rather shaky beginning hut is now attracting many more applications than there are places and the Polytechnic is having quite a problem in making a selection of candidates. I hope that, in a few years, the City of London will be able to launch a Full transport degree.
At Ealing Technical College transport subjects are included as options within the framework of its CNAA degrees in business studies or in economies. The Polytechnic of Central London organizes a M.Sc in Transport Planning and Management. a course largely for engineers and planners. Plymouth Polytechnic. however, is going the full distance by submitting plans to the CNAA for a course leading to a B.Se in transport studies. This is not the first application that Plymouth has made and the revised scheme gives a fair balance with road transport figuring quite prominently. After basic courses in mathematical methods and computer studies, the proposed scheme concentrates its attention on transport practice, organization, control and operations. The course is over three years full time for older candidates but a four year sandWich course is suggested for entrants coming straight from school, the period of practical experience coming between academic years two and three.
I hope Plymouth is successful in its application. But there have been several attempts by various colleges to gain approval for transport degrees. Unhappily. the assessors for transport courses have so far appeared to be unduly academic in reviewing these proposals. The CNAA is itself in some difficulty in expanding its programme because of the competition of ever-expanding universities and the coming of the Open University which requires no prior qualifications for entrance. So why not give transport its he"" The Open could itself be another area where transport education could gain a foota,old. So far, however, the Open University ..as had its hands full in launching its degree programme in general subjects which began last January. It is the intention of the '-s.aen University to organize "professional s. -lies" at a later date and here transport would fit well. The big task that lies ahead i, a persuade the Open University to thii,, if transport from the operators' point of view rather than fitting the subject into the very wide aontext of town and country panning .ind civil engineering design.
Clearly there are quite a number of hard battles to be fought before transport can become art established university subject.