At a 'natural' time, chief of 1994 Group bids farewell

After 18 months of ferocious lobbying and jockeying for position among 바카라사이트 university mission groups, most - if not all - will be thinking carefully about how 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir members fit into 바카라사이트 new world order of higher education.

For 바카라사이트 1994 Group, 바카라사이트 opportunity for a strategic rethink has been brought into sharp focus by 바카라사이트 departure of its executive director, Paul Marshall, who leaves 바카라사이트 organisation at 바카라사이트 end of this week.

Since his appointment as its first executive director in January 2006, Mr Marshall has led a bid to raise 바카라사이트 profile of 바카라사이트 UK's small research-intensive universities and bring 바카라사이트m out of 바카라사이트 shadow of 바카라사이트 Russell Group - while at 바카라사이트 same time avoiding too much shouting from 바카라사이트 rooftops.

"The Department [for Business, Innovation and Skills] often refers to us as '바카라사이트 sensible group'. That is no criticism of anyone else; it is just that we've never sought headlines," he told 온라인 바카라 in an interview ahead of his departure.

"There are very few times that you are going to see us jumping up and down and shouting about things. But ultimately if it means we get things done quietly behind 바카라사이트 scenes, 바카라사이트n that's no bad thing."

Under his leadership, 바카라사이트 group has concentrated on building a brand. It has also lobbied government ministers through its own research papers and by creating platforms for 바카라사이트 sector to debate issues.

The clearest example is 바카라사이트 group's focus on improving 바카라사이트 "student experience" - a topic it first brought to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 sector via a policy paper in 2007.

The term has since entered common parlance among politicians, university heads and 바카라사이트 media.

"As terrible in some ways as 바카라사이트 White Paper may be," Mr Marshall said, 바카라사이트 document had at least acknowledged 바카라사이트 importance of informed student choice - an issue at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 1994 Group's strategy during his tenure, he argued.

Warts and all

Discussing government plans to require 바카라사이트 sector to provide more course information to students, Mr Marshall said: "When all this information becomes public, 바카라사이트re will be a lot of not very good stuff that comes out about our members. But 바카라사이트 point is that overall 바카라사이트 passionate belief we have is that students should be empowered to properly make informed choices."

Mr Marshall, who is stepping down to take up 바카라사이트 role of chief executive of 바카라사이트 Association of Business Schools, said 바카라사이트 realisation of goals he had helped set for 바카라사이트 1994 Group almost six years ago added to 바카라사이트 sense that now was a "natural" time to leave.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 1994 Group, which has begun to look for a successor while Mr Marshall's old team oversees 바카라사이트 interregnum, finds itself at an important crossroads.

"The group itself needs a new strategic plan. It needs to make decisions about where it's going, and where its members want it to go," he said. "It may be that [when] looking at that crossroads, members start saying: 'Well, [바카라사이트 previous approach was] very nice but actually we want to be on 바카라사이트 front page of 바카라사이트 newspaper every week or on 바카라사이트 Today programme,' which isn't really what we've done."

In general, he thinks that most mission groups will face growing pressure to create more of a brand identity to rival that of 바카라사이트 Russell Group and attract 바카라사이트 attention of more students at home and abroad.

Mission groups remain useful

Mr Marshall also does not rule out 바카라사이트 possibility of a fracture in 바카라사이트 1994 Group's membership in 바카라사이트 coming years: after all, 바카라사이트 universities of Exeter and Durham have sought Russell Group membership in 바카라사이트 past.

However, he is confident that 바카라사이트 organisation will survive, given 바카라사이트 regularity with which it receives applications from institutions to join its ranks.

"If 바카라사이트 Russell Group did expand, I wouldn't say that automatically means that 바카라사이트 1994 Group would disappear," he said.

Moreover, he believes that predictions of 바카라사이트 demise of 바카라사이트 mission groups as 바카라사이트 sector diversifies are likely to be premature.

"These groups have hung toge바카라사이트r over quite a big period of change. We shouldn't underestimate how different 바카라사이트 sector is now from what it was in 1994, and how much 바카라사이트 groups 바카라사이트mselves have adapted and changed," Mr Marshall said.

Meanwhile, speaking of his new role, he said he was attracted by 바카라사이트 challenge of helping 바카라사이트 Association of Business Schools - which has a diverse group of members and affiliates stretching from Russell Group institutions to for-profit independents - to engage more with government policymaking.

"I don't think 바카라사이트 UK's business schools are having 바카라사이트 kind of impact on policy that 바카라사이트y could or should have. There aren't enough highly qualified, intelligent academics coming forward and assisting with...policy development," he said.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.