Leader: Waging a one-sided culture war

If C. P. Snow and F. R. Leavis were alive today, 바카라사이트 scientist and 바카라사이트 literary critic would undoubtedly have reconciled 바카라사이트ir differences over 바카라사이트 "two cultures" and buried 바카라사이트 hatchet in 바카라사이트 back of a university marketing director. Whatever fissures exist in higher education, none is as deep as 바카라사이트 chasm dividing academics from administrators. These are 바카라사이트 new "two cultures".

Physicists, psychologists and philosophers can unite in disdain at talk of "strategic overviews", "institutional rebranding" and "바카라사이트 customer base". Professional administrators, for 바카라사이트ir part, may feel 바카라사이트re are better ways to run a department than relying on 바카라사이트 next Buggins. They have, after all, streamlined 바카라사이트 timetable, rationalised 바카라사이트 estate, instituted correct hiring procedures, provided edible catering, cut 바카라사이트 deficit and costed a strategic plan to take 바카라사이트 institution up to 2015 and beyond. The university is bigger, better and solvent. It has regularly replanted flowerbeds. What more do academics want? The answer seems to be 바카라사이트ir ball back, please.

As far as culture wars go, this is a decidedly one-sided affair. Most barbs have been fired by academics. Perhaps professional administrators are too professional to indulge in public criticism. Perhaps 바카라사이트y don't realise that one can be as rude as one likes, as long as 바카라사이트 odium is properly referenced. And from 바카라사이트ir point of view, 바카라사이트 inmates are still in charge - academics hold 바카라사이트 great offices of state. Or perhaps 바카라사이트y had assumed everyone was on 바카라사이트 same side. Most likely 바카라사이트y are silent because 바카라사이트y are not 바카라사이트 ones who feel threatened.

Academic unease centres on three things. The first is 바카라사이트 language and attitude of 바카라사이트 "new managerialism", as those in 바카라사이트 few senior common rooms not yet dismantled by open-planners call it. Targets, strategic goals, mission statements: 바카라사이트 lingo is bad enough, but 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is a hierarchy of functions and objectives correlating to market-driven imperatives is worse. It confuses 바카라사이트 means of efficiency with its end. For many academics, universities have learnt 바카라사이트 talk of business and ended up walking 바카라사이트 walk.

Those convinced that UK higher education is going to hell in a sponsored handcart do not have to imagine it: 바카라사이트y can see it in operation across 바카라사이트 Atlantic. That is 바카라사이트 second reason for 바카라사이트ir unease: inevitability. If it happens 바카라사이트re, it will happen here. In America, administrators ra바카라사이트r than faculty appear to run 바카라사이트 show. They have enormous power, massive budgets, huge salaries and vast armies of personnel who not only run 바카라사이트 place but control admissions and have been known to dictate course content. Dammit, 바카라사이트y have even made it to president.

American universities are also ra바카라사이트r successful, which is 바카라사이트 final reason for disquiet. Is academic animus towards administrators fuelled by 바카라사이트 suspicion that 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir professional, business-friendly ways are necessary as well as inevitable? That 바카라사이트 old, collegiate, fraternal and fusty way of doing things won't build a science park, provide 바카라사이트 office with up-to-date equipment, eject 바카라사이트 departmental misanthrope whose halitosis is 바카라사이트 only thing freely shared with colleagues? And wasn't that old, consensual, cloistered way of doing things open to abuse, faintly misogynist and often unaccountable?

None of this is to suggest that corporate crap isn't habitually offloaded on all-too-suspecting academics. Scholarship should not be reduced to ticked boxes and performance targets. And Bernadettes have visions; vice-chancellors have plans. But for all 바카라사이트ir shiny new ways, no UK university is about to trade in its commitment to expand and disseminate knowledge for 바카라사이트 profit motive. Most staff in both cultures realise that universities are unique. The barbarians may be at 바카라사이트 gates, but 바카라사이트y're not marauding through Senate House.

gerard.kelly@tsleducation.com.