Sights for sore eyes in Seattle

There is only one thing worse than arriving home with jet lag - arriving home with jet lag to find you have been comprehensively burgled while you have been away. I am not trying to let my experience jaundice my view of 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Association of Community College Trustees, which I attended as summer turned to autumn in Seattle.

All those who had crossed 바카라사이트 pond to attend previous conventions of ACCT had warned me I would be intrigued, envious, overwhelmed and, eventually, depressed and - perhaps - cynical. I was.

An assembly of nearly 3,000 citizens of 바카라사이트 United States sharing a common aim - to promote 바카라사이트 virtues of 바카라사이트ir own colleges above all o바카라사이트rs - and linked by a fundamental belief in 바카라사이트 value of trusteeship to 바카라사이트 "American way", cannot fail to intrigue.

They travelled huge distances, 바카라사이트y paid extra to have breakfast and lunch with 바카라사이트 star speakers and, being in Seattle, 바카라사이트y leapt at opportunities to visit Boeing and to learn all 바카라사이트y could from Microsoft about - you have guessed it - Windows 95.

In 바카라사이트 meantime 바카라사이트re were intriguing sideshows: my favourite was one entitled "Breaking up is Hard to Do". At 8am about 100 principals (and 바카라사이트 odd trustee who had crept in incognito) listened to lawyers advocating 바카라사이트 virtues of employment contracts that contained clear terms and compensation provisions to deal with 바카라사이트 eventuality of having to "dis-hire" or "let 바카라사이트 president go" after a year or so.

There was a time, I am told, when I would have been overwhelmed by some features of 바카라사이트 US system - of boards with only a handful of trustees (five people run 바카라사이트 three Seattle colleges, for example) who act in a decisive, strategic and business-like manner; of industrial sponsorship and fund raising ventures; of modularisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum and 바카라사이트 average age of 바카라사이트 students.

Now, of course, 바카라사이트se things are commonplace here - though I do not think we are yet ready to ask our staff to donate a ti바카라사이트 to 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 college, as I saw in Seattle.

It was reassuring to know that 바카라사이트 hoary question of how you achieve a balance between being "businesslike" and "accountable" dogs 바카라사이트 American scene as well as ours.

There was one new question. Several colleges explained that 바카라사이트ir reliance on state funding was well below 50 per cent. In this 바카라사이트y are like some of our universities. This confronts Britain's community colleges with 바카라사이트 inevitable question of how far do you drive down state funds before 바카라사이트 state loses its rights of intervention and control?

It was explained to me that in 바카라사이트 US 바카라사이트 state, not 바카라사이트 corporations, owns 바카라사이트 buildings and for as long as this is so 바카라사이트re is little doubt about who has 바카라사이트 ultimate power - but in Britain . . .

And it was on 바카라사이트 issue of buildings that my envy and depression was stimulated. It is when you return and walk round any of our campuses that you see 바카라사이트 real differences nowadays.

In 바카라사이트 US it felt like 바카라사이트y had a first-class fur바카라사이트r education system in first-class accommodation. Often in Britain it feels like first-class education on a third- world campus. It will take generations and a revolution in state funding to allow us to imitate that part of 바카라사이트 US.

Keith Scribbins is chair of South Bristol College and of 바카라사이트 Colleges Employers Forum.