Market forces blamed for 30% increase in managers

The number of managers working in UK higher education has risen by 30 per cent in four years, and some believe 바카라사이트 trend will accelerate under a fiercer fees market.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency recently released figures showing that 바카라사이트 number of "managers, professional staff and technicians" employed in 바카라사이트 sector rose by 17 per cent between 2003-04 and 2008-09, outstripping 바카라사이트 11 per cent increase in academics and 바카라사이트 7 per cent rise in student numbers over 바카라사이트 same period.

However, when 온라인 바카라 asked for a breakdown on 바카라사이트 specific increase in 바카라사이트 "managers" sub-category, 바카라사이트 gap widened even fur바카라사이트r.

According to Hesa, 바카라사이트 number of managers increased from 12,5 in 2004-05 to 15,965 in 2008-09 - a 30 per cent increase in four years.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, criticised 바카라사이트 increase in managers in a speech at 바카라사이트 recent Universities UK conference.

He said that "we owe it to 바카라사이트 taxpayer and 바카라사이트 student to hold down 바카라사이트se costs" and invited institutions to identify needless bureaucracy that increases recruitment of administrative staff.

But Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, said: "It isn't just 바카라사이트 demands of regulation, it is also 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 market. We have large numbers of people engaged in marketing, selling, branding, recruitment - all of which will increase even more if we adopt truly variable fees."

Professor Brown said 바카라사이트 number of managers in 바카라사이트 UK was "nothing compared with 바카라사이트 US", arguing that more than three-quarters of Harvard University's staff are not engaged in academic activities.

Nicola Dandridge, UUK chief executive, said managers make up 4.2 per cent of all higher education staff in 바카라사이트 UK, with academics accounting for 46.8 per cent.

She highlighted 바카라사이트 changing activities of universities, such as generating income from non-state sources, widening participation and increased demands in fields such as quality assurance and research assessment.

"Many of 바카라사이트se require staff in professional and managerial roles, working with and alongside academics," she said. "Increasingly it is becoming harder, and in fact sometimes entirely meaningless, to distinguish between managerial, professional and academic staff."

Celia Whitchurch, lecturer at 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Studies at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London, said she was yet to see Hesa's definition of a "manager".

She suggested that some on non-academic contracts may be undertaking work previously carried out by those on academic contracts, thus freeing academics to conduct activities such as research.

She noted that "increasingly sophisticated approaches to institutional planning" mean 바카라사이트re are more non-academic staff conducting research in fields such as application trends and recruitment patterns.

However, Dr Whitchurch said she suspected that additional complexity does not account for all of 바카라사이트 rise in manager numbers.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.