JEFFERIES HANDED TOP BIRMINGHAM UNI JOB

摘要

Tom Jefferies has been appointed as the new head of Birmingham School of Architecture, continuing this summer's merry-go-round of key educational changes. Jefferies, currently a senior lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture, follows in the footsteps of both Jeremy Till and Daniel Rosbottom, who have recently taken on the top jobs at the University of Westminster and Kingston University, respectively. Birmingham City University, formerly the University of Central England, has had a turbulent time in recent years. In 2004, a staggering 93 per cent of students failed their Part 1 examinations, with only four out of 66 full-timers managing to pass their three-year degree course. In the aftermath, previous school head Thom Gorst left and the course was only saved after a campaign by supporters of the school (AJ 18.11.04). Jefferies is unfazed by the school's track record. 'What happened four years ago is all history,' he said. 'All the essentials are here and we are going to be up there as a school.'