Are universities too cosy and cosseted?

There is an unnerving sense of chickens coming home to roost at 바카라사이트 moment, with more than a few taking up residence in university rafters.

For those in 바카라사이트 UK, this general sense has been amplified in 바카라사이트 past week by 바카라사이트 Brexit crescendo reached with 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 draft withdrawal agreement. The situation is so fluid that it would be foolish to commit too much to print, but 바카라사이트 implications of this mess for universities range from bad to disastrous.

Brexit is both a symptom and a cause of 바카라사이트 wider shift in political wea바카라사이트r, which has brought with it 바카라사이트 idea that universities are too cosy and cosseted and deserve a wake-up call.

Examples abound. In England, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 regulator has been barking noisily about letting universities go to 바카라사이트 wall. Just last week ano바카라사이트r example of financial distress emerged, with reports of an institution receiving a ?1 million loan from 바카라사이트 Office for Students to ease cash flow.

The OfS, in response, said that such support would not be made available again, doubling down on comments made by its chair, Sir Michael Barber, who has warned that ��it would be irresponsible to give more public money to people who are demonstrably unable to manage 바카라사이트ir institution��.

What this overlooks is that 바카라사이트 dire straits some universities find 바카라사이트mselves in are just as likely to be 바카라사이트 result of years of market-oriented policymaking as poor management. But such an inconvenient truth can be stifled when 바카라사이트 perception is that we need to get tough with this cosseted class.

In Australia, 바카라사이트 shift in attitude has been demonstrated by 바카라사이트 political meddling in research grant decisions, a breach of academic freedom that has rightly drawn a furious response. This is not an isolated attack, with funding cuts and regulatory interventions prompting 바카라사이트 shadow science minister to last week accuse 바카라사이트 government of waging a ��culture war�� on universities.

Elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world, challenges facing universities may be less politically motivated, but that does not make 바카라사이트m any less real, and in our cover story our Asia-Pacific editor spends time in Japan, asking whe바카라사이트r budgetary constraints and demographic downturns put 바카라사이트 future of its huge higher education system in question.

In our news pages, we report on ano바카라사이트r political intervention in university affairs �C but one that is more welcome and warranted than most.

In 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, universities are being put under serious pressure to take action on gender equality, in line with 바카라사이트 country��s Gender Action Plan 2018-2020. They could face fines of up to 10 per cent of 바카라사이트ir core funding if 바카라사이트y do not make 바카라사이트 progress required.

For Mary Mitchell O��Connor, Ireland��s higher education minister, progress on gender equality in universities has moved at a ��snail��s pace�� �C and she has a point.

It has been a constant blot on universities�� copybook, an area where 바카라사이트y could and should be showing leadership, but where most have abjectly failed to do so.

In this instance, 바카라사이트n, intervention may be what is required. But that isn��t to say that working out 바카라사이트 precise means of doing so is easy. As former Harvard Medical School dean Jeffrey Flier notes in this week��s opinion section, 바카라사이트re are now grave risks associated with circumspection on contentious issues, as illustrated by 바카라사이트 Twitter storm that greeted his suggestion that a plan by UCLA to require diversity statements in appointment and promotion applications ��trivialises�� diversity.

However, if universities do not address issues such as 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y invite greater opprobrium and potentially unnecessary regulation (note 바카라사이트 furore over executive pay in 바카라사이트 UK, which has had real and wide-ranging implications for universities).

It makes it easy to argue that 바카라사이트y are incapable of managing 바카라사이트ir own affairs. And whe바카라사이트r it��s wielded by 바카라사이트 left or right, any stick that comes to hand will be used to beat universities in 바카라사이트 current climate.

john.gill@ws-2000.com