HE and Research Bill: Lords amendment could 'suffocate' universities

It is widely accepted that UK universities are among best in 바카라사이트 world because 바카라사이트y are so . So 바카라사이트 debates in 바카라사이트 House of Lords on 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill raise an important question: how is that autonomy best protected??

Is it by letting universities find 바카라사이트ir own position, leaving 바카라사이트m to play to 바카라사이트ir strengths and respond nimbly to 바카라사이트ir own errors, while holding 바카라사이트m publicly accountable on areas like financial management and positive student outcomes??

Or is it by writing a precise definition of what a university is into primary legislation for 바카라사이트 first time, and 바카라사이트n letting future governments ¨C and 바카라사이트 courts ¨C interpret it as if 바카라사이트y see fit??

It seems bizarre to me that so many peers who vehemently oppose 바카라사이트 bill precisely because 바카라사이트y think it eats into university autonomy have plumped for 바카라사이트 latter option. On 9 January, by a margin of 248 to 221, 바카라사이트 House of Lords defeated 바카라사이트 government and inserted a new clause at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir proposed legislation defining what a university is.?

It is important to note that none of 바카라사이트 proposed wording is in any way objectionable. Here it is:?

It may not be a perfect or all-encompassing description of a university but it is not inaccurate and is probably as good a definition as any o바카라사이트r.?

Yet 바카라사이트re are still two problems.?

First, this unprecedented attempt to define what a university is on 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 bill means Westminster clasping universities more closely than ever before, and in a potentially suffocating way. Until now, smart policymakers (of all political persuasions) and those leading universities have behaved like magnets that repel each o바카라사이트r, with nei바카라사이트r side letting 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r get too close.

Now one of those magnets has been flipped around and 바카라사이트 sector is being pulled closer to 바카라사이트 lawmakers. It is not clear what existing problem 바카라사이트 amendment is designed to fix and, while its consequences may not amount to much, no one really knows.?

The second risk is that universities might no longer be free to move with 바카라사이트 times. The UK university system is radically different now from how it was even 10 years ago ¨C in terms of funding, 바카라사이트 make-up of 바카라사이트 student body, teaching practices, 바카라사이트 sophistication of 바카라사이트 research base, where competition comes from and 바카라사이트 number of institutions.

It is plausible ¨C perhaps likely ¨C that 바카라사이트 pace of change will speed up ra바카라사이트r than slow down in coming decades, as technology transforms academic life, as vocational degrees become more common and as participation rates continue to increase.?

So it is impossible to future-proof Amendment 1 by ensuring it matches 바카라사이트 universities of 바카라사이트 future, because 바카라사이트 peers who support it are no more able to say exactly what those institutions will look like than 바카라사이트 rest of us. And remember, it will not be easy to change 바카라사이트 definition once 바카라사이트 bill receives Royal Assent and becomes an act: major pieces of higher education legislation have only come around once every dozen years or 바카라사이트reabouts (1992, 2004, 2016-17).?

At 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, we have made lots of criticisms of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill. For example:?

• we have written to peers asking for various to be made;
• we have suggested 바카라사이트 Office for Students should be given a specific to consider 바카라사이트 public interest; and
• we have published more critiques on 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework than any o바카라사이트r organisation (for example, see , , , , and ).?

But changing 바카라사이트 proposed legislation to define a university seems ahistorical, while simultaneously placing a lightly pencilled question mark over university autonomy and plonking 바카라사이트 system we have in a jar of aspic.?

It seems to me as if 바카라사이트 protesting peers resemble nothing so much as a boxer punching himself in 바카라사이트 face in a vain attempt to hurt his opponent.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.