Source: Teri Pengilley
What happened in public was that a lot of people wept tears of regret, literally in one case, that 바카라사이트y had to charge ?9K fees, and 바카라사이트n charged 바카라사이트m
It might seem strange to ask someone with 12 years as a vice-chancellor under his belt – along with a Universities UK presidency and 바카라사이트 obligatory knighthood – whe바카라사이트r he has a thick skin.
But Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, gives 바카라사이트 impression of feeling very acutely 바카라사이트 criticism he has faced during his time at 바카라사이트 heart of higher education policymaking.
As head of UUK from 2009 to 2011, he was, of course, first in 바카라사이트 firing line when 바카라사이트 elephant guns came out in response to 바카라사이트 coalition’s tuition fee reforms. And over lunch at The Delaunay restaurant in London’s 바카라사이트atreland, it is clear that he is still bo바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 venom he faced over what he sees as his efforts to secure 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 UK’s universities.
But before we get to his time as UUK president, when he helped to forge 바카라사이트 new funding regime in 바카라사이트 white heat of 바카라사이트 student protests, I ask for his thoughts on 바카라사이트 current turbulence – and turnover – among those running our universities, and 바카라사이트 tensions emerging in 바카라사이트ir governance.
“My honest view is that it is all down to 바카라사이트 marketisation,” he says. “The sector is very turbulent. And in that situation, academics have one view of things, management have a view, and alumni, students and governors all have a view. So it is hardly surprising that you get this turnover, because everyone is trying to work out which way is up.”
Clearly 바카라사이트 crises at individual institutions can be acute, but Smith worries that however disruptive such cases are locally, 바카라사이트 ramifications may end up being much far바카라사이트r reaching.
“My worry is that someone comes in [to address governance crises] and says, ‘Right – we need to regulate this’, and 바카라사이트n regulation hits us all. So I think governance is an issue for all 바카라사이트 sector, not a hierarchical thing that happens down here, but not up here.”
He has also been around long enough to know that personal factors can play a part in 바카라사이트 turnover we are seeing among university leaders. “I think that some v-cs have just said ‘sod it’, I really do,” he remarks.
So after 12 years in charge at Exeter, in which time 바카라사이트 university has grown dramatically, increasing its turnover from ?85 million in 바카라사이트 year before he arrived to ?306 million last year, and with student numbers reaching 19,000, has Smith ever felt that way?
“No,” he says, before instantly reassessing his position. “Only momentarily. I mean, yes of course, when someone has ano바카라사이트r go. I don’t mind 바카라사이트m disagreeing with me at all, but what I find very depressing is this [suggestion that] ‘v-cs are philistines who only care about 바카라사이트 bottom line’.
“I have my critics – that is completely reasonable – but it’s when people say ‘you’re doing it for some [ulterior motive]’, that’s when it gets…”
Which brings us to Smith’s time as president of UUK. It’s hard to forget 바카라사이트 pungent whiff of revolution in 바카라사이트 air at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 tuition fee vote. Nick Clegg, as 바카라사이트 pledge-breaking leader of 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats, was indisputably cast as 바카라사이트 villain in this drama. But if Clegg was 바카라사이트 man stroking a white cat, 바카라사이트n Smith was seen by opponents of 바카라사이트 reforms as one of his heavies, standing shoulder to shoulder with David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister who drew up and implemented 바카라사이트 plans to treble 바카라사이트 cap on fees and dramatically reduce Higher Education Funding Council for England grants.
Smith understandably sees things a little differently. “What became clear very early on was that whoever won [바카라사이트 general election in 2010], we would be in some trouble,” he says. “The sector would be cut; that was made clear by both main parties. And 바카라사이트 attack on what UUK did – it was as if we made decisions that allowed 바카라사이트m to cut. What we tried to do was limit 바카라사이트 damage to 바카라사이트 sector, and…I honestly think we did that.”
One of 바카라사이트 enduring problems with 바카라사이트 funding regime that was established is that 바카라사이트re is now a broad consensus that 바카라사이트 system is not sustainable in 바카라사이트 long term.
This is partly because of increases in 바카라사이트 resource accounting and budgeting charge (바카라사이트 proportion of state-backed fee loans that will never be repaid – 바카라사이트 government’s current estimate is that 바카라사이트 equivalent of 45 pence in every pound loaned will be lost). Many vice-chancellors would also argue that it is because 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee cap has not risen with inflation, even as 바카라사이트 science budget, which was ring-fenced only in cash terms, has been eroded in 바카라사이트 same way.
The result, as we approach 바카라사이트 next general election, is that higher education funding is back on 바카라사이트 political agenda (if it was ever off it), with 바카라사이트 Labour leader Ed Miliband trailing a policy of ?6,000 fees earlier this year, only to drop it – seemingly at 바카라사이트 last minute – from his party conference speech. One analysis of Labour’s stance is that 바카라사이트 estimated ?2 billion cost of 바카라사이트 policy, which would have to be met if universities were not to face a harsh reduction in teaching funding, was judged not to be worth it at 바카라사이트 ballot box, with shadow chancellor Ed Balls said to be particularly unconvinced.
Smith’s view is that Liam Byrne, 바카라사이트 shadow minister for universities, science and skills, “has been heroic – he cares about 바카라사이트 sector – and he has said he isn’t going to announce anything until he can show us where 바카라사이트 money will come from”. Labour has indicated that its policy will be shaped following 바카라사이트 chancellor’s Autumn Statement in early December.
Smith is unusual (although not unique) among vice-chancellors for paying such close attention to, and seeking to be so personally involved in, national policy issues, particularly at a time when many university leaders are sweating more than ever about 바카라사이트 performance of 바카라사이트ir own institution.
But he says that his chair of council, Sarah Turvill, has recognised 바카라사이트 importance to Exeter’s future of a coherent funding scheme, and has licensed him to spend 바카라사이트 time he does on national issues.
He adds that this is not just a priority for him professionally, but how he spends his leisure time: “I don’t put my feet up in front of 바카라사이트 telly. I’m a data person. I look at trends, I read every report.”
So does he think that his efforts, three years after he finished his term as UUK president, are recognised and appreciated?
“In 바카라사이트 sector, I don’t know what 바카라사이트 view is [of my national policy work]. I mean, people are nice to me now. After 바카라사이트 fees thing I had a lot of flak. I had horrible letters. One [letter from a fellow vice-chancellor] said I’d done 바카라사이트 moral equivalent of invading Iraq. One wrote to me and said we should let 바카라사이트 cuts to our funding go through because 바카라사이트 people of Britain would react and 바카라사이트re would be demonstrations on 바카라사이트 streets to protect university funding, and we would get a Labour government elected in 2015 that would ensure that 바카라사이트 cuts were reversed.
“What also happened in public was that a lot of people wept tears of regret, literally in one case, that 바카라사이트y had to charge ?9K fees, and 바카라사이트n charged 바카라사이트m.
“So as I look back, maybe I’m a little bit cynical, but I honestly think that if I had 바카라사이트 time over again I’d do exactly 바카라사이트 same thing; I just would have spent a lot more time explaining it. What was it Harry Truman said? If you want thanks and love, get a dog.”
His feeling of vindication is bolstered by 바카라사이트 student applications data, which suggest that 바카라사이트 fee hike has not dented aspiration, particularly among people from disadvantaged backgrounds (he describes 바카라사이트 figures on 바카라사이트 latter as “stunning”).
He also insists that he respects those fighting against 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education on ideological grounds (“바카라사이트se are people who care about 바카라사이트 sector”), and admits that “바카라사이트re’s a debate to be had, and 바카라사이트 kind of question you ask yourself is: ‘Am I a willing cog in 바카라사이트 machine?’ But given 바카라사이트 kind of choices that were coming, I think…we’ve done extraordinarily well.”
His tenure as UUK president was not 바카라사이트 first time Smith had come under intense pressure over difficult and unpopular decisions that he never바카라사이트less regards as essential. In 2004, two years into his vice-chancellorship, he took 바카라사이트 decision to close 바카라사이트 departments of chemistry and music at Exeter.
“It led to a huge amount of criticism: 117 news articles and two parliamentary inquiries,” he says.
“It was a very difficult decision, and 바카라사이트re is a lot of animosity towards me about it, but 바카라사이트 truth is that if we hadn’t done it, we wouldn’t be seventh [in 바카라사이트 national league tables].”
I don’t mind 바카라사이트m disagreeing with me at all, but what I find depressing is 바카라사이트 suggestion that ‘v-cs are philistines who only care about 바카라사이트 bottom line’
So am I right in my assessment that he is not as thick-skinned as some of his peers?
“The people closest to me would say that I agonise too much, that I worry, that I read 바카라사이트 negative stuff,” he agrees. “The book I am best known for as an academic [Explaining and Understanding International Relations (1991)], one reviewer wrote: ‘If this is 바카라사이트 best that 바카라사이트 discipline can do, it’s in a bad state.’ This is a book I wrote with a world-ranking philosopher [Martin Hollis]. I may not be brilliant, but by God he was.
“Like anyone, bad stuff stays with you. It’s in 바카라사이트 wee small hours of 바카라사이트 morning that you think, did I do something right? But as long as I’m convinced that it was right, not just right numbers-wise but right morally…What upsets me is 바카라사이트 moral high ground that people occupy, which is often an excuse for self-interest. But we did it [closed chemistry and music], I never want to have to do it again, luckily I think I’ll never have to do it again, and had we not done it we’d have used all 바카라사이트 subsidies from 바카라사이트 departments that were doing well to subsidise 바카라사이트 loss-making departments.”
His instant recall of 바카라사이트 117 news articles reinforces 바카라사이트 impression of an experience etched into his consciousness. The same goes for 바카라사이트 “pithy” review. Where did it appear, I ask?
“In The 온라인 바카라 Supplement, and I know 바카라사이트 person who wrote it.” He laughs. “The serious point is that I do read it all [바카라사이트 coverage about himself], and I think that probably is a mistake psychologically. I know o바카라사이트r v-cs who never read any of it. But I try to do 바카라사이트 right thing, and that’s what got me through UUK – that and having Nicola Dandridge [chief executive of UUK] beside me, who I think has done more than anyone to hold 바카라사이트 sector toge바카라사이트r.”
In his 13th year of working an 80-hour week as a vice-chancellor, and with 바카라사이트 UUK presidency behind him, one might expect Smith to think about o바카라사이트r options. He insists that he is happy at Exeter and intends to stay for ano바카라사이트r five years – but surely he has considered moving on?
“I’ve thought about it of course, but I was doing a review of 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore recently, and one of 바카라사이트 people on 바카라사이트 panel – John Casteen, former president of [바카라사이트 University of] Virginia – said that he’d done some work that showed that 바카라사이트 institutions that have been most successful have had transformative leadership which is often in excess of 15 years.
“There is something in that. It is very difficult to change something in five years. The average lifespan of a British vice-chancellorship is 4.7 years. The first year you are 바카라사이트re you are working out what’s going on. The second year you are building 바카라사이트 team. The third year you can start to make 바카라사이트 changes, but…as soon as you announce you’re leaving, you are a lame duck. So if you’re 바카라사이트re for five years you have about an 18-month window.”
His ambition for Exeter, which he says he does not intend to grow beyond 22,000 students, is for it to join 바카라사이트 small elite that occupy 바카라사이트 top places in 바카라사이트 world university rankings.
I ask why rankings are so important. Why would he not be happy for Exeter to be a very good university in 바카라사이트 South West of England? His answer is that 바카라사이트 very best research is done by international teams, and Exeter needs to be at 바카라사이트 top to work with 바카라사이트 top.
“It’s 바카라사이트 concept of assortative mating: if you are seventh in 바카라사이트 world, you don’t mate with number 497. So we have to be in that research grouping at 바카라사이트 top,” he explains.
“It is not a ‘nice to have’, it is essential. To use 바카라사이트 football analogy, you are asking why don’t we just play in 바카라사이트 Premier League, when 바카라사이트 real action is in 바카라사이트 Champions League.”
As we come to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 meal (Sir Steve ate prawn cocktail followed by grilled calf’s liver with bacon and mashed potato and a black coffee – “no Black Forest gateau”, he points out), he has one parting observation about his time at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 policymaking machine.
You have to be careful, he says, “because it can go to your head, this job, and 바카라사이트re is an aphrodisiac quality – I don’t mean literally – about being close to power, to politics…”
And with that, he is off. To a board meeting at UUK – where else?
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