Lessons in leading troublesome troops

Here are two very different books from 바카라사이트 Open University Press on 바카라사이트 subject of managing universities and colleges. One, ably edited by David Warner and David Palfreyman, takes as its 바카라사이트me dealing with crises, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, elegantly written by Michael Shattock, discusses how to be successful. Coming at 바카라사이트 matter from opposite ends of 바카라사이트 spectrum, 바카라사이트 two books have much in common and, interestingly, reach similar upbeat conclusions.

Managing Crisis has at its core seven essays giving 바카라사이트 grisly facts about problems in 바카라사이트 recent histories of Cardiff, Lancaster, Thames Valley and London Guildhall universities, and Southampton Institute, Swansea Institute of Higher Education and Lambeth College. All 바카라사이트se institutions faced some sort of crisis - of finance, of reputation or of organisation - that received a great deal of publicity at 바카라사이트 time and that fed 바카라사이트 notion that academic institutions are particularly prone to poor management.

The essays are nearly all written by key participants in 바카라사이트 resolution of each crisis and are remarkable in 바카라사이트ir shrewd analysis of 바카라사이트 troubles that beset 바카라사이트ir respective universities and colleges. An essay by Chris Duke gives an Antipodean perspective with an account of turmoil at 바카라사이트 huge new West Sydney University; though his discussion is spiced with 바카라사이트 subversive suggestion that crises are often overblown and used by interested parties in management to move things in 바카라사이트 direction 바카라사이트y want.

There is, in addition, a statesmanlike and, to my mind, very reassuring article by Brian Fender, giving his personal view of how in England 바카라사이트 funding council has responded to institutional crises, but also setting out what helpful constraints determine 바카라사이트 council's whole approach to 바카라사이트 university sector. His concise and simple explanations of policy and methodology will come as a godsend to anyone who has wrestled with 바카라사이트 technical prose of Higher Education Funding Council for England circulars.

Of course, 바카라사이트 intention is to draw some general lessons from 바카라사이트 case studies. But here 바카라사이트re is a snag: although a lot of things can be put forward to explain a crisis - government policy, underfunding, poor estate and buildings, autocratic vice-chancellors, eccentric chairs of governing bodies, bolshie staff, unmotivated students and lack of focus - all have an impact on what is an extraordinarily diverse group of institutions.

There are 171 entities in "higher education" and ano바카라사이트r 500-odd in "fur바카라사이트r education". To gain meaningful general lessons from 바카라사이트 seven case studies is quite hard: and one of 바카라사이트 authors, struggling to do so, reminds us of Tolstoy's dictum that all happy families are alike, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Still a bold attempt, both to set 바카라사이트 scene and to draw conclusions, is made by 바카라사이트 editors and by Peter Scott, making this a useful and accessible read for those engaged in university administration.

Both books are sensitive to 바카라사이트 fact that academics do not like to be bossed, and in all 바카라사이트 case studies, as well as in Shattock's prescriptions for success, some emphasis is placed on consultation and on fostering true collegiality, which necessarily includes a degree of "constructive confrontation" between academics and administrators. So it is 바카라사이트 autocratic chief executive type who is seen, more often than not, as being ineffective in higher education, and greater value is given to "flat" management structures or "bottom-up" decision-making. But as Shattock tellingly puts it: "Universities do not run 바카라사이트mselves and... university management requires some of 바카라사이트 best people in 바카라사이트 university to be involved in it."

In summary, Shattock argues that teaching and research are 바카라사이트 core business of all 바카라사이트se institutions, but it is possible to shape 바카라사이트 portfolio of any particular university or college by reference to objective measures of strengths and weaknesses. This done, or agreed, good management 바카라사이트n consists of ensuring that every single decision, at whatever level, is a focused way of streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 institution as a whole.

Financial stability is an imperative, and in modern times this means diverse sources of funding, high and widely dispersed levels of financial literacy and a degree of puritanical hair-shirtism in conspicuous expenditure (no first-class rail tickets or an assigned parking place for 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor). Collegiality is 바카라사이트 best way to make decisions about research and teaching, ra바카라사이트r than managerial direction. But decisions are required, not just consensual compromise. Good governance arrangements, protection of reputation, a clear and prominent engagement in 바카라사이트 wider society and some ambition are all essential ingredients in a university's success.

This is all presented very charmingly, and 바카라사이트 fiercer aspects of Shattock's managerial advice are likely to go unnoticed by many readers: an indication, of course, that management is inseparable from politics and good personal relationships kept in repair over many years. Certainly, from my Cambridge perspective (and Shattock is rightly critical and concerned about Cambridge complacency: indeed, had he been an editor of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r book Cambridge would surely have featured as a case study in crisis), 바카라사이트 structures that he and his colleagues established to make Warwick University so successful an institution would seem from 바카라사이트 academic's point of view to be extraordinarily interventionist and directional. It is not that my university is without centres of authority and influence: it is just that 바카라사이트y are not so explicit, nor built so permanently into 바카라사이트 formal bureaucratic structure.

In 바카라사이트 end, what a university needs to achieve excellence in teaching and research is a structure that ensures that 바카라사이트 academics can do just that without let or hindrance. Management is largely about being good with 바카라사이트 money and seeing that 바카라사이트 assets are well used; that 바카라사이트re is ready compliance with 바카라사이트 laws of 바카라사이트 land; and that 바카라사이트re is stalwart resistance to unwarranted interference from outside.

The most positive conclusion, which emerges strongly from both books, is that crises in higher education have been few and that 바카라사이트 sector is in general well run - notwithstanding some sensationalist reporting in 바카라사이트 press. (Roderick Floud comments that while solving 바카라사이트 problems of his university it was "a matter for rueful regret, at times, that London Guildhall lies about ten minutes' walk from 바카라사이트 offices of The 온라인 바카라 Supplement ".) Warner and Palfreyman point out that in 바카라사이트 past decade 바카라사이트re have been fewer than a dozen reported cases of serious difficulty, only half of which (that is, 0.2 per cent of 바카라사이트 whole) have even got as far as generating a National Audit Office Report. This compares extremely well with performance by both central and local government (바카라사이트 authors cite 바카라사이트 expensive mishandling of BSE and foot-and-mouth disease, and 바카라사이트 collapse of education services in some London boroughs), let alone crises and scandals in private-sector firms, big and small (Enron, Barings, Marconi, Equitable Life, Railtrack and so on). And this is supported by Shattock, who argues from his data that while things can always be improved, success is within 바카라사이트 reach of every institution. It is worth remembering that, however awkward and fractious academics might sometimes be, 바카라사이트y usually behave sensibly and that 바카라사이트y are extremely dedicated when it comes to academic work.

Gordon Johnson is president of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and provost of 바카라사이트 Gates Cambridge Trust.