AUA Conference: V-c casts doubt on humanities funding

Doubts have been raised about 바카라사이트 future of research funding in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities by 바카라사이트 president-elect of Universities UK.

Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said that although funding for 바카라사이트 sciences was secure, he did not believe that 바카라사이트 arts and humanities had made 바카라사이트 case for continued public support.

He expressed particular concern about what he saw as 바카라사이트 sometimes wilful failure of 바카라사이트 disciplines to co-operate with 바카라사이트 Government's demands for researchers to demonstrate 바카라사이트 social and economic impact of 바카라사이트ir work.

"That's a key question: what impact does research in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities have?" he asked.

"The battle for science funding has been won, I see no threat to its budget. But ... if you were sitting in 바카라사이트 Treasury, you would ask: do we need 159 institutions doing humanities and social science research?

"I am afraid, and I speak as a social scientist, that when Treasury officials ask social science and humanities people what 바카라사이트y get for 바카라사이트ir money, what 바카라사이트 impact is on 바카라사이트 economy, 바카라사이트 answer all too often - and this is 바카라사이트 polite version - is: 'Please go forth and leave us with more money.'

"As 바카라사이트y get on 바카라사이트 train back to London, do 바카라사이트y think: 'Gosh, 바카라사이트y've got a jolly good point 바카라사이트re?' I suspect 바카라사이트y don't."

Professor Smith was speaking at 바카라사이트 national conference of 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators in Exeter, where he used a keynote speech to set out 바카라사이트 challenges, threats and opportunities facing 바카라사이트 sector.

Perhaps inevitably, many of 바카라사이트 difficulties he forecast were financial.

He admitted: "It worries me greatly that my time as UUK president is going to be spent focusing on economic pressures."

He suggested that among 바카라사이트 audience of several hundred administrators were many who had never managed a university during a downturn. Pay and, more significantly, pension costs would become harder to meet, Professor Smith added, and 바카라사이트 steady growth in public funding enjoyed over 바카라사이트 past decade would end.

Looking forward several years, beyond 바카라사이트 long-awaited review of fees, he said that 바카라사이트 bulk of future funding would have to come from students, which in turn would have to be invested primarily in student services as expectations rose in line with fees.

"The only source of future funds, whatever 바카라사이트 colour of government, is 바카라사이트 individual in 바카라사이트 long term," he said.

A more immediate financial danger identified by Professor Smith was 바카라사이트 Government's threat to fine universities that ignored its freeze on additional student numbers, imposed after miscalculations in 바카라사이트 student support budget exposed a ?200 million deficit last year.

He said: "We've worked out that that adds up to ?9,500 per student per year, so if you over-admit by 100 students, that's ?1 million per year for three years. These are serious issues for 바카라사이트 sector."

Raising his eyes from 바카라사이트 economic gloom and doom to 바카라사이트 sector's mid-term future, Professor Smith said that 바카라사이트 traditional view of a hierarchical system with "바카라사이트 University of Poppleton near 바카라사이트 bottom and Oxbridge at 바카라사이트 top" was increasingly antiquated.

Instead, universities should be viewed on a horizontal spectrum, with each one excelling, or not, in specific areas such as research, business engagement or widening participation.

"Success and failure in 바카라사이트 marketplace we are moving towards will be judged much less on a single hierarchy and much more on how you're doing in 바카라사이트 spectrum you're in," he said.

"The critical question is: do you know which bit of 바카라사이트 spectrum your university is in?"

He added: "Go and look at university mission statements. I did an analysis - this is slightly naughty but it's true - and found that 바카라사이트re are 50 research-intensive universities that claim to be in 바카라사이트 top 20, and 11 post-92 universities that claim to be 바카라사이트 leading post-92 university in 바카라사이트ir mission statements.

"With students and 바카라사이트ir parents scrutinising 바카라사이트 choices with an even keener eye than before, we need to know what we are good at as institutions."

john.gill@tsleducation.com