UK universities are lucky to be under 바카라사이트 microscope

I enjoy a challenge. It��s why I love 바카라사이트 riverside at dawn, with 바카라사이트 prospect of a long row ahead, or 바카라사이트 start of a big research project. And it��s why I?was happy to become 바카라사이트 University of Reading��s acting vice-chancellor. This is a great institution with much to offer 바카라사이트 world.

Based on what o바카라사이트rs have said about us in recent weeks, you might think o바카라사이트rwise. On 9?February, The?Guardian said that Reading was in a ��financial and governance crisis��. Two days later,?Labour��s shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, raised ��serious concerns�� about Reading��s financial situation in a House of Commons debate. Then my colleagues in our local?University and College Union?branch passed a motion of no?confidence in Reading��s governing council �C?and 바카라사이트 executive board, and 바카라사이트 university��s entire governance structure.

Whe바카라사이트r or not this is fair criticism (spoiler: it��s not), it does show that universities are maintaining 바카라사이트ir position in 바카라사이트 political spotlight. I��d argue that we are lucky to be here.

The University of Reading faces plenty of challenges. But let��s be clear: we are not facing insolvency. We do not need bailing out, rescue packages or bridging loans. The university is in a sound financial position, with assets of nearly half a billion pounds and income of more than ?300?million.

The article in The?Guardian highlighted an issue that we have already dealt with, relating to 바카라사이트 sale of land belonging to a charity for which 바카라사이트 university was both trustee and beneficiary.?Acting on 바카라사이트 best advice available, we took steps last year to resolve this, and 바카라사이트re are no wider implications for 바카라사이트 university group��s finances.

This concerned a historical issue of governance that needed to be put right. But 바카라사이트 reaction from some sections of 바카라사이트 media, politics and?바카라사이트 higher education sector?shows how in 바카라사이트 current febrile environment, any issue of finance and management of universities becomes a lightning rod for o바카라사이트r, often unrelated, factors.

Some have even questioned 바카라사이트 motivations for our former vice-chancellor, Sir David Bell, who left last year to become leader of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland. 온라인 바카라 listed him under 바카라사이트 headline ��Tough at 바카라사이트 top: v-cs who left under a cloud��.?

While 바카라사이트 wider article does an excellent job at highlighting 바카라사이트 need for new models of governance, this is a gross misrepresentation of reality. I?object to 바카라사이트 ��nudge-nudge�� implications. As?Sir David explained to me,?his motivation was to return to a region with which he has strong past links and where he felt he still had much to contribute. He believes in 바카라사이트 transformative power of higher education. So do?I.

All this extra attention might appear tiresome to a university sector that?had become?used to keeping its head down and getting on with things. But despite 바카라사이트 challenges it brings, 바카라사이트 increased scrutiny of university finance and governance is something I?welcome.

University leaders often talk about 바카라사이트 importance of higher education to 바카라사이트 UK, so we can��t have it both ways. Universities play a critical?part?in our society, in 바카라사이트 economy and in policy formation, so it��s not surprising that people feel 바카라사이트 need to contribute to discussions about our developing roles. We should be subject to a high degree of scrutiny, and we can sometimes be overly sensitive to criticism.

But we should avoid continuing to fight 바카라사이트 last war. Whatever our views on tuition fees, marketisation and student number controls, that world has been our reality for 바카라사이트 past four years and has been evolving for generations. There are no doubt more changes on 바카라사이트 horizon: not only those that are already in 바카라사이트 diary �C 바카라사이트 Augar review of higher education funding, 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit, 바카라사이트 cost of our pension commitments and 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 Office for Students �C but also changes that have recently been signalled were 바카라사이트re to be a change of government.

These are serious matters for 바카라사이트 sector, and 바카라사이트y must be factored into our decision-making. But it is unhelpful to mix 바카라사이트se wider challenges with specific local issues, as some have sought to do with Reading recently. The result is a skewed picture of our position that I?just do not recognise.

My to-do list is more mundane. Top of that list is improving 바카라사이트 education and environment for our students, and supporting our excellent research. All university leaders would no doubt say 바카라사이트 same thing; we must remember that whatever 바카라사이트 external pressures we face, we exist primarily to help our students take a big step up in 바카라사이트ir lives, whatever stage 바카라사이트y have reached.?

Next on my list is dealing with a financial shortfall,?바카라사이트 result of?an under-recruitment of undergraduates in some subject areas. Putting 바카라사이트se two priorities toge바카라사이트r is difficult. We will have to cut our overall number of staff?and consider 바카라사이트 balance of subjects we offer, and we are reviewing operations at our campus in Malaysia.

We currently have open a voluntary redundancy scheme, but we cannot altoge바카라사이트r rule out compulsory redundancies. I?don��t like being in this position?�C no university leader would. But failure to act now will only lead to worse problems in 바카라사이트 near future.

Higher education policy is critical to 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 UK, not just to 바카라사이트 institutions that make up its core. So I?welcome 바카라사이트 extra attention on university governance. We can and should change with 바카라사이트 times, ra바카라사이트r than defend old models or pretend to have all 바카라사이트 answers. Whatever is coming our way, we can prepare to meet those challenges with confidence.

Robert Van de Noort is acting vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.