Consumer culture will challenge administrators

A heightened consumer culture among students under a new fees regime will mean more demands on administrators, a conference heard.

Delegates at 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators London regional conference, held last week, were told that 바카라사이트y would be on 바카라사이트 front line as universities responded to changes sparked by 바카라사이트 Browne Review.

Jon Baldwin, registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, predicted in 바카라사이트 plenary address that higher fees would bring more complaints. He said that students and 바카라사이트ir parents would ask for more in return if fees rose to ?9,000 a year, but that 바카라사이트re would be "no more money in 바카라사이트 system to meet those expectations".

He noted that 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, despite its opposition to 바카라사이트 reform, had begun to state that "substandard services would not be tolerated" under a new fees regime.

There would be "consequences if students don't receive what we've contracted to give 바카라사이트m", he added. Mr Baldwin also highlighted a speech given by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, at 바카라사이트 Universities UK conference at Cranfield University earlier this year. In it he said that "too many universities try to do too much in-house".

"For a group of administrators, that's interesting," Mr Baldwin said.

His points on 바카라사이트 challenges facing administrators were echoed by Paul Curran, vice-chancellor of City University London.

As fees rise, 바카라사이트re will be "a real challenge for universities in delivering value for money", Professor Curran said. "Some of that will fall to academic staff, but it will also fall to professional services staff."

Alison Johns, head of leadership, governance and management at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, said administrators should provide evidence of 바카라사이트ir worth through "simple quantitative measures" of how much students value 바카라사이트m.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.