Part-timers affect league table position

* Universities with a high proportion of part-time students could suffer under plans to drop part-timers from one of the performance indicators, vice-chancellors have warned.

The funding councils will publish data in November based on six indicators: widening participation of under-represented groups; student drop-out rates; the proportion gaining degrees; time taken to complete the course; employability of graduates; and research output.

Part-time students were to be included only in the widening participation and efficiency categories. However, the funding councils now intend to drop part-timers from the time taken to complete indicator.

"The problem that part-time students face is that they are seen as marginal and this reinforces that message," said Geoffrey Copland, vice-chancellor of Westminster University, where half the students are part-time.