The Chemistry faculty at Oxford has admitted to purchasing iPads for a number of its staff, despite tutors having allegedly told students that it is running out of funding.
The iPads, which usually cost between £400 and £700 each, were bought for staff over the summer. The department has not disclosed how many iPads they now have.
The news of the purchases has caused anger among Chemistry students, a number of whom claim to have been told that there will no longer be enough funding for undergraduate fourth year projects.
Chemistry students are currently expected to dedicate their entire fourth year to researching a “significant project”. In the past all students have been eligible for a grant to fund this research, but some tutors have reportedly told their students that this will no longer be the case.
A spokesman from the University Press Office denied that there had been cuts to funding for fourth year projects, but confirmed that the iPads had been purchased.
“Demonstrators in the Department of Chemistry are using iPads and have developed a bespoke electronic grading system for practical classes together with online resources, to enable effective laboratory teaching and practical demonstrations”, she said.
One third year Chemistry student said, “This is a scandal. My tutor said that there wasn’t going to be any money for fourth years any more, but there seems to be enough to buy iPads.
“I can’t believe that the department thinks that fancy gadgetry is a more important investment than student projects. This won’t help us: their priorities are all wrong.”
