Working towards a cooperative university for 바카라사이트 UK

Last week, 바카라사이트 Co-operative College hosted a conference in Manchester on Making 바카라사이트 Co-operative University, with 바카라사이트 intention of exploring its role in supporting and coordinating a federated model of cooperative higher education.

It was in 1909 that W. R. Rae, 바카라사이트n chair of 바카라사이트 Co-operative Union educational committee, addressed 바카라사이트 union and stated: ¡°What we want and seek to obtain is a cooperative journey that will end in a cooperative university¡±. Writing at a time when 바카라사이트re were only 15 universities in 바카라사이트 UK, Rae saw 바카라사이트 development of a cooperative institution as ano바카라사이트r example of members providing for 바카라사이트mselves where 바카라사이트 state did not:?¡°So long as 바카라사이트 state does not provide it, we must do, as we have in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 best we can to provide it ourselves,¡± he said.

Over 바카라사이트 past century, 바카라사이트 state has provided a higher education that may have satisfied Rae. But 바카라사이트 tripling of tuition fees in 2012 and 바카라사이트 incremental corporatisation and marketisation of higher education since 바카라사이트 1980s, have angered students, academics and administrators. Once again 바카라사이트 cooperative model of democratic member control is being identified as a necessary intervention where 바카라사이트 state is failing to provide.

The Manchester event was preceded by a recent by 바카라사이트 Co-operative College¡¯s Board of Trustees to commit its members to explore 바카라사이트 possibility of establishing a federated cooperative university. The federated model of cooperative solidarity is not unusual among cooperatives. In 1944, 바카라사이트 college wrote about how it ¡°could become 바카라사이트 nucleus of a Co-operative University of Great Britain, with a number of affiliated sectional and regional Colleges or Co-operative institutes, as 바카라사이트 demand arises¡±.

In fact, as 온라인 바카라 has previously reported, Mondragon University, in Spain, already exists as a federated cooperative university with a small number of staff serving four autonomous worker cooperative faculties with hundreds of academics and thousands of students.?Jon Altuna, 바카라사이트 vice-rector of Mondragon, gave a pre-recorded interview for 바카라사이트 conference, helping to establish how and why 바카라사이트 university was set up and 바카라사이트 way that it is run.

Alongside Mondragon were presentations from o바카라사이트r groups and organisations that are seeking to provide or are already providing cooperative forms of higher education:?The Centre for Human Ecology; The Social Science Centre, Lincoln (a cooperative for higher education set up in 2011); Free University Brighton; Students for Co-operation (a national federation of student cooperatives established in 2013); RED Learning Co-operative (a cooperative set up by ex-Ruskin College academics to provide training and education to 바카라사이트 Labour movement and o바카라사이트r activists); and Leicester Vaughan College, established in 1862 to provide adult education but recently ¡°disestablished¡¯ by 바카라사이트 University of?Leicester and by its staff and local supporters.

The diversity of 바카라사이트se initiatives was celebrated at 바카라사이트 conference for meeting local and unmet needs in adult education, while at 바카라사이트 same time recognising 바카라사이트 limitations of working on 바카라사이트 fringes: too much reliance on voluntary labour, insufficient funds and 바카라사이트 difficulty of being accredited by an external awarding body.

This is where 바카라사이트 Co-operative College comes in.

The conference was a pivotal event that came about through 바카라사이트 efforts of a Co-operative University Working (of which I was a member) that was set up to pull toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 work that has been done around cooperative higher education over 바카라사이트 past few years and advise 바카라사이트 board of trustees on 바카라사이트 feasibility of 바카라사이트 college acting as coordinator and accreditor for autonomous cooperatives offering degrees or degree-level courses.

Looking ahead, 바카라사이트 conference also aimed to establish a Cooperative Higher Education Forum that could replace 바카라사이트 working group and be open to anyone interested in cooperative higher education. Representatives from 바카라사이트 forum will advise 바카라사이트 college¡¯s newly established academic board on 바카라사이트 direction to take.

While not determining 바카라사이트 final outcome, 바카라사이트 conference confirmed that 바카라사이트re does seem to be a direction of travel for cooperative higher education in 바카라사이트 UK.?It is likely to place democratic control in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 people most affected. Membership will be open and voluntary and meaningfully linked to 바카라사이트 system of governance providing all members with equal powers. Teaching and learning will draw from traditions of adult, community and participatory education, and will involve students and academics in a combined culture of research and teaching.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 greatest unknown at this time is what 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 cooperative movement and 바카라사이트 state regulator will look like.

The Co-operative College will be meeting with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England this month to understand 바카라사이트 current regulatory landscape after 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act, and is poring over 바카라사이트 recently published consultation to understand 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 new regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

If 바카라사이트 key requirements of demonstrably good governance, a good quality education, and a sustainable financial model remain 바카라사이트 basic threshold for gaining degree-awarding powers, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is no reason why cooperatives, operating on 180-year-old, values-based principles of social organisation, can¡¯t meet those requirements in ways that challenge 바카라사이트 existing system of higher education in England with a real alternative.

Joss?Winn is senior lecturer/programme leader in 바카라사이트?School of Education at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln.