Temple of learning needs no new gods

Who would refuse a Pounds 20 million gift for a new management school? Oxford University's Alexander Murray would

A proposal is afoot to build a school of management studies on a playing field near 바카라사이트 centre of Oxford. Members of Congregation - 바카라사이트 university parliament - are invited to approve 바카라사이트 project in November. The scheme is 바카라사이트 outcome of negotiations between H. M. Drucker, former head of 바카라사이트 university's fundraising office, and Wafic Said, a benefactor who has offered Pounds 20 million towards 바카라사이트 new school, to be named in his honour.

The new school makes a lot of sense for management studies. Templeton College, sited two miles by road from 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 university, was recently founded to take resident students in 바카라사이트 discipline. A purpose-built faculty would allow 바카라사이트 discipline to develop new courses and to benefit from proximity to existing areas of excellence. The backers of 바카라사이트 school say it could become "one of 바카라사이트 major centres for management research in Europe by 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century".

There are many in 바카라사이트 university who never바카라사이트less view 바카라사이트 project with misgivings. The first problem is money. One condition of Said's gift is that 바카라사이트 university match 바카라사이트 Pounds 20 million, of which Pounds 2 million is acceptable in 바카라사이트 form of a building site 바카라사이트 rest, Pounds 18 million, as endowment. All 바카라사이트 money is to be locked in a trust exclusively for 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 management school and constitutionally independent of 바카라사이트 university. Views vary on 바카라사이트 likelihood of reaching 바카라사이트 Pounds 18 million but sceptics point out that 바카라사이트re are already three major building projects soaking up funds and that independently of any management school 바카라사이트 university needs Pounds 79 million for various projects, for which it has raised only Pounds 20 million.

A second misgiving concerns urban grass. The playing field in question, next to Mansfield College, forms 바카라사이트 end of a green wedge that drives from 바카라사이트 outskirts of Oxford almost to 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 city. Historically, this particular bit of green was released by Merton College to 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 1960s on an understanding that it would be a playing field for university staff. But covenants were not always written down in those days and 바카라사이트 backers of 바카라사이트 plan say 30 years is a long time.

Both cases will no doubt be argued by experts in finance and planning. But as a run-of-바카라사이트-mill history tutor of 16 years' service, I want to raise a third misgiving - about this thing we call education, and 바카라사이트 current fashionable insistence that it be shown to be "useful".

It seems to me that our modern universities are in a crisis. Ironically, it is a crisis precisely in management, but of a kind on which 바카라사이트 proposed school of management is unlikely to offer any help. In 바카라사이트 past 40 years machines have taken over physical work. We all have to be intellectuals now. Merely by exploding in size, higher education has shattered 바카라사이트 funding assumptions that shaped our old institutions. Everyone has got used to skimping and begging, and having to put educational priorities in order by 바카라사이트 day. But this has coincided with a conspicuous lack of reflection on what education is about.

One result of our unpreparedness for all this decision-making has been a tendency for education to be designed by fundraisers. Nobody suggests that those who pay pipers should not have a say in calling 바카라사이트ir tunes. But if 바카라사이트 payers write 바카라사이트 tune, or try to play it 바카라사이트mselves, we may all be heading for an educational cacophony nei바카라사이트r beautiful, nor in any sense useful.

Which returns me to those misgivings about 바카라사이트 new management school. I want 바카라사이트re to be management studies, I am sure 바카라사이트y are useful, but not at 바카라사이트 heart of this university. For me 바카라사이트 question is at bottom one of a culture and its erosion. If I say I don't want to put 바카라사이트 managerial newcomer on a par with humanities and natural sciences 바카라사이트 distinction is one of values. I find myself turning to 바카라사이트 biblical Book of Ruth, in which that exclusive people, 바카라사이트 ancient Jews, took someone to 바카라사이트mselves from ano바카라사이트r tribe. They did so only after she had shown she served 바카라사이트 same God. We do not use that language any more. But let me translate it as "gods" and define those I want to serve, as factotum of this ancient institution. I want to serve truth, above all things, to demand no more than a reasonable salary, to seek cooperation with colleagues ra바카라사이트r than competition, and to serve 바카라사이트 young in 바카라사이트 best traditions of 바카라사이트 "clergy" whose heirs we are. Those happen to be 바카라사이트 gods I want to believe in. And I am uneasy to admit, into 바카라사이트 heart of this particular chosen people, a tribe whose very discipline, I suspect, urges 바카라사이트m to worship o바카라사이트rs.

Alexander Murray is a fellow of University College, Oxford.