Having recently left WMU on the last JAA course, I would just like to put a students slant on this verbal slagging match. On the negative side; the admin side of WMU was never very hot but in turth I beleive that came down to the nature of the organisation as a whole. As said before in this thread it is a university, not a commercial organisation dictating its own budgets and survival like BAE/OAT/CABAIR. Our experience was that our instructors were dictated to by far higher levels up the chain who had little interest in the school apart from budgets and the glossy image it gave to its University. With the departure of major contracts such as BA etc. and the supposed scandal, which from what we picked up on had as much integrity as a Jerry Springer show.In truth a lot of reputations got burnt due to perhaps a clash of culture. But I really do not profess to know the full facts. These two setbacks combined with Sept. 11th ruined WMU's glossy image of international flight training.
In truth WMU is a tragedy, I personally believe it will be very hard to resurrect the organisation which I was lucky enough to experience before it began to slide. But if the University decides to really have a break, reorganise and start it off again I see no reason why it should'nt. The JAA instructors which are left, have a wealth of experience behind them and know what makes a professional flying school work.
The results of our course, which were doing their JAAs during all this political turmoil stand by our instructors ability and professionalism. We were all self sponsored, so claiming that it was just elite sponsored students which went through its gates is a load of bo****ks. In fact without stepping on too many tails, from what I saw, the self sponsored students were more successful than their counterparts....perhaps more to prove, who knows.
Overall, should JAA return to WMU, do not question the standard of training that you will recieve, but make sure that the people on high are fully behind the new programme. I know that our course left with a great number of good memories, and a standard of flying training, which should fingers crossed stand us in good stead for the future.