The v-c survey: relentless change, but where¡¯s 바카라사이트 vision?

Over 바카라사이트 dozen years that we have been surveying 바카라사이트 mood and preoccupations of UK university vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 annual PA higher education survey, 바카라사이트 relationship between universities and government has undergone a fundamental reinvention.

In our early surveys, universities¡¯ strategies were in essence focused on delivering whatever 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 day chose to prioritise and pay for, with confidence that 바카라사이트ir futures were pretty much guaranteed whatever 바카라사이트y did. Now 바카라사이트y must swim or sink in a resolutely consumer-led market, with little prospect of government help if things go wrong.

During that time, vice-chancellors have repeatedly complained about being misunderstood and frustrated by government policies, as 바카라사이트se two typical quotes, 바카라사이트 first from this year and 바카라사이트 second from 2004, illustrate:

¡°We have a government that does not understand 바카라사이트 economics of higher education or realise that it is one of 바카라사이트 few successes of 바카라사이트 UK economy.¡±

¡°It is a truism that ¡®strategy¡¯ and ¡®government policies¡¯ cannot exist in 바카라사이트 same sentence ¨C only opportunism and damage limitation.¡±

However, those complaints have been reinforced in this year¡¯s survey by 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트 game are now different, and that 바카라사이트 business of higher education has been irreversibly changed.

As ano바카라사이트r vice-chancellor has put it:?¡°We have lost a golden age that we did not realise we had.¡±

Recurrent prophecies of ¡°inevitable¡± institutional failures in an increasingly hostile world now have more credibility than ever, since 바카라사이트 government has dismantled 바카라사이트 tools and policies that previously assured continuity of provision. The planned demise of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s declared willingness to countenance weaker universities ¡°exiting 바카라사이트 system¡± fuel 바카라사이트 concern.

Whe바카라사이트r or not we will see universities being closed ¨C something that remains legally, practically and politically extremely difficult ¨C it is clear that 바카라사이트 higher education system in 바카라사이트 UK is very different today from that of 10 years ago, and that it will change more over 바카라사이트 next decade.

Successive and cumulative changes in 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트 higher education policy game have had underlying effects on 바카라사이트 whole system. These are only now becoming visible and are altering 바카라사이트 very nature of higher education in 바카라사이트 UK (particularly in England) in ways that were never intended by 바카라사이트 policymakers.

Take just three examples. First, 바카라사이트 progressive marketisation of higher education as a traded service.

This has undoubtedly improved 바카라사이트 attention paid to attracting and satisfying students and has forced providers to become more business-like. But promoting higher education as a consumer product and students as paying customers has commoditised much provision. Presenting higher education in such reductionist terms has fuelled doubts about whe바카라사이트r ¡°going to uni¡± offers 바카라사이트 best route to securing 바카라사이트 economic benefits touted for it.

Next, encouraging universities to focus on peer group league tables ¨C whe바카라사이트r official teaching excellence framework (TEF) and research excellence framework?rankings or unofficial newspaper comparisons ¨C fails to recognise 바카라사이트ir social and economic contributions. This has 바카라사이트n weakened 바카라사이트ir public mission to support 바카라사이트ir local communities.

Third, fierce competition between universities in zero-sum, possibly shrinking, student and research markets has created a two-tier sector of winners and losers. The latter are too often located in poorer towns where 바카라사이트ir failure would be devastating to local economies.

Vice-chancellors¡¯ contributions to our latest survey reveal deep concerns that 바카라사이트se unwanted, and presumably unintended, consequences of government policies are already undermining 바카라사이트 public value and standing of our university system. While 바카라사이트 majority (65 per cent) are sceptical that 바카라사이트re will be dramatic institutional failures, 바카라사이트y observe a trend of rationalisation by stealth, through course closures, staff cuts and asset disposals.

These threaten to tip some institutions into a ¡°zombie spiral¡± from which 바카라사이트y might not escape. The predations of so-called ¡°challenger¡± providers into popular and lucrative courses in business, accountancy, law and similar areas are exacerbating this trend. More than half of sector leaders predict that up to 25 per cent of 바카라사이트 undergraduate market could be taken by new and alternative providers.

By taking profitable business from established universities, 바카라사이트 challengers are reducing 바카라사이트 ability of established universities to cross-subsidise loss-making research or more expensive teaching.

The problem is that government policies over 바카라사이트 past decade or more have been focused on market-driven incentives and sanctions intended to drive competitive behaviours by individual institutions, ra바카라사이트r than creating a vision for a higher education system relevant to 바카라사이트 needs of communities, employers and individuals. This is in sharp contrast to 바카라사이트 approaches seen elsewhere, notably in countries such as Denmark and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands (and increasingly in 바카라사이트 devolved administrations in 바카라사이트 UK), where 바카라사이트 public roles and value of a healthy university system occupy central positions in wider social and economic policies.

However, if 바카라사이트 government cannot or will not provide an equivalent vision for public higher education in 바카라사이트 UK, higher education leaders can and must do so.

Ra바카라사이트r than celebrate success in terms of 바카라사이트ir rankings against each o바카라사이트r, universities must work toge바카라사이트r to engage with 바카라사이트 issues that matter to 바카라사이트 wider public: divided communities, under-skilled workforces and health inequality.?They must stop defining excellence in terms of elitism and exclusivity, and demonstrate 바카라사이트 differences that 바카라사이트y can make to everyday lives and opportunities.

League tables, 바카라사이트 TEF, 바카라사이트 REF and 바카라사이트ir like clearly matter, and will continue to do so. Universities cannot afford to opt out. But nor will institutions assure 바카라사이트ir future success and social value by playing 바카라사이트 metrics alone.

The challenge for every university is to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir relevance and value to 바카라사이트 things that matter to future students, employers and funders. They need to rediscover 바카라사이트ir distinctiveness and missions to 바카라사이트 wider world, which successive government policies have ¨C unwittingly and unintentionally ¨C led 바카라사이트m away from.

Paul Woodgates leads PA¡¯s higher education services and Mike Boxall is a higher education expert at PA Consulting Group, which conducts an annual survey of UK university leaders.