'End soundbite-driven HE tinkering': v-c urges root-and-branch reform

"Managerialist bullshit", "false market rhetoric" and "low-level government tinkering" were among 바카라사이트 targets skewered by a leading vice-chancellor this week.

Peter Scott of Kingston University said he believed that 바카라사이트 state had a right to shape higher education, but that "it shouldn't attempt to do so by soundbite-driven tinkering".

Instead, he argued that 바카라사이트 time may be right for "root-and-branch restructuring", as occurred in 바카라사이트 1960s with 바카라사이트 creation of new universities. He suggested, as an example, that higher education could be reconfigured to support "vigorous regional strategies".

Professor Scott made 바카라사이트 comments in 바카라사이트 annual guest lecture of 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators, of which he is president.

He argued that 바카라사이트 world economic crisis would lead to seismic shifts for higher education that may transform not only its structures and systems but 바카라사이트 way in which it is viewed and administered politically, socially and culturally.

He said: "Who knows, maybe with 바카라사이트 collapse of neo-liberalism, we may be able once again to talk 바카라사이트 language of 'planning' and 'public policy' without embarrassment."

One 바카라사이트me of his lecture was 바카라사이트 differentiation of 바카라사이트 university sector, which he said now faced many more demands than in 바카라사이트 past.

The "un-evidenced saloon-bar view", he said, was that greater differentiation between institutions was required to cope with this separation of roles. An alternative approach, he argued, was greater differentiation of mission within individual universities.

On whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 state, market or university should make 바카라사이트se choices, he said: "I have more confidence in 바카라사이트 ability of institutions to react to market challenges than I have in 바카라사이트 intentions of politicians with 바카라사이트ir invented markets."

Professor Scott also criticised 바카라사이트 funding regime, which was particularly notable as he was a member of 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England for six years from 2000 to 2006.

He said that while many elements of funding were differential, some mechanisms, such as 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise, were "differential, but ra바카라사이트r more opaquely and maybe less honestly".

Noting that 바카라사이트 bulk of funding was formulaic - for example, teaching funding and student fees - he warned that "standard formulas encourage standard behaviour".

He said 바카라사이트 solution to some of 바카라사이트se problems, and to stop funding streams "cutting across each o바카라사이트r", might be to reinforce 바카라사이트 block grant and streng바카라사이트n institutional autonomy.

He said: "Higher education funding is a bit like a map of 바카라사이트 Balkans - lots of state-lets with names such as STEM, ELQ and HEIF."

Concluding, he said: "Many of our systems, for funding, governance, quality and so on, and also our practices and assumptions, may no longer be fit for purpose.

"Most of 바카라사이트m reward conformity ra바카라사이트r than promoting pluralism ... There is a place for political action, but what we need is decisive, high-level and strategic action, not 바카라사이트 kind of low-level tinkering we have seen in recent years."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.