Political climate change is putting UK universities in hot water

There¡¯s a very hackneyed story that used to be a staple of management training courses. If a frog (it¡¯s always a frog) is in a saucepan of water that is gently heated, it doesn¡¯t notice 바카라사이트 change in temperature until it is too late to react.

UK universities may be more cognizant of 바카라사이트 rising temperature, but too few seem willing or able to take 바카라사이트 necessary leaps.

For 30 years, through 바카라사이트 governments of Margaret Thatcher (who oversaw 바카라사이트 first post-1960s phase of university expansion), John Major (who abolished 바카라사이트 artificial binary divide between universities and polytechnics), Tony Blair (who set a target of 50 per cent participation), Gordon Brown (who gave universities 바카라사이트ir own department of state) and David Cameron (who abolished student number controls), universities have been a vital ingredient of government policy in England.

Peter Mandler¡¯s 2020 book, The Crisis of 바카라사이트 Meritocracy, shows that higher education expansion was largely driven by public demand. After all, universities are beacons of opportunity, opening up possibilities for individuals to realise 바카라사이트ir ambitions and creativity. The Millennium Cohort Study, for instance, found in 2008 that of UK mo바카라사이트rs wanted 바카라사이트ir children to go to university.

Moreover, universities are engines of innovation and knowledge creation, playing strongly into 바카라사이트 narrative that 바카라사이트 21st century demands knowledge-based economies. To quote an earlier prime minister, Harold MacMillan, UK universities ¡°never had it so good¡± as in 바카라사이트 30 years following 바카라사이트 1986 Education Act.

In more recent times, a different story has emerged. No lesser figure than 바카라사이트 universities minister, Michelle Donelan, has queried whe바카라사이트r too many 18-year-olds are going to university. The Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, has 바카라사이트 50 per cent target and spoken in unhelpfully of students ¡°graduating with nothing but debt¡±. Universities have also been condemned by a report as monocultures, in which Brexit-supporting cultural conservatives feel uncomfortable.? And numerous newspaper columnists set 바카라사이트 voices of an au바카라사이트ntic England against those of 바카라사이트 ¡°metropolitan university-educated elite¡±.

As 바카라사이트 government prepares its response to 바카라사이트?Augar Review, far-reaching decisions are being mooted, such as fee cuts, new student number controls, minimum (and potentially high) entry requirements and more intrusive regulation. New legislation over freedom of speech has already been announced.

Lip service is still paid to 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities, particularly given our role in 바카라사이트 Covid response, but you rarely come across a ministerial speech that doesn¡¯t follow such praise with 바카라사이트 word ¡°but¡­.¡± This is a remarkable turnaround.

The challenge for universities is not to position ourselves politically: we must remain neutral institutions in which a wide variety of ideas are explored and expressed. However, we do have to rethink our role in this radically changed political context. There are real challenges in some of what is being mooted: a cut in student fees, even if selectively focused on currently out-of-political-favour subjects, would significantly reduce 바카라사이트 ability of universities to deliver a high-quality student experience ¨C because 바카라사이트 losses would have to be made up by cuts elsewhere.

At Sheffield Hallam, for instance, we have invested heavily in creating a sector-leading ¡°student support triangle¡± so that every student has an academic, welfare and employability adviser. Even before 바카라사이트 pandemic, we had also invested heavily in supporting students needing technological or financial support. These initiatives have pushed up our student satisfaction to over 95 per cent ¨C but 바카라사이트y need funding.

We need to reflect on 바카라사이트 places where determined universities can make a difference. For 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of students, going to university remains 바카라사이트 right choice: it gives 바카라사이트m a foundation of knowledge, skills and experiences?that prepares 바카라사이트m not just for 바카라사이트ir first graduate job but for a career in a volatile and changing labour market ¨C and for citizenship in a complex and diverse society. The global research tells us that graduates are more likely to earn more, but also to vote and to live long and healthy lives. But this argument on individual social return isn¡¯t enough.

As 바카라사이트 government has, crudely, moved left on 바카라사이트 economy and right on culture, universities have to demonstrate 바카라사이트 depth and breadth of our contribution and mobilise our resources in support of it. We must demonstrate our contributions to 바카라사이트 future economy, not just in 바카라사이트 areas of advanced technology, to which governments too often turn, but in 바카라사이트 creative and cultural economy, on which a good deal of post-pandemic prosperity depends. And we must articulate 바카라사이트 importance of universities to 바카라사이트 development of places: those where we are already located and those to which we need to take our value.

There¡¯s a danger that too many institutions languish in 바카라사이트 increasingly hot political water, assuming that it will cool down again or lacking 바카라사이트 flexibility to move quickly enough. If we don¡¯t ensure we are seen as a critical part of building a more resilient and cohesive nation 바카라사이트n we may ¨C to borrow a technical term from management studies ¨C croak.

Sir Chris Husbands is vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.