Libert¨¦, egalit¨¦, autonomie: Do French universities want more freedom?

Higher education institutions in France have more control over 바카라사이트ir affairs than at any time in 바카라사이트ir history. A series of reforms in 바카라사이트 past two decades has granted 바카라사이트m ever greater discretion over 바카라사이트ir own governance, staffing and admissions.

But 바카라사이트y are still only ¡°halfway¡± through 바카라사이트ir transformation, President Emmanuel Macron told an audience of university leaders in January. If re-elected in April, he has promised even more powers for university leaders, fur바카라사이트r tempering a statist higher education ideal that has existed since 바카라사이트 revolution. And polls suggest that Macron will be offered 바카라사이트 chance to follow through: over 바카라사이트 past six months, he has sat comfortably ahead of rivals, despite only recently having declared his formal candidacy.

¡°The main idea is to give more autonomy, but with some limits,¡± says Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Forest, a senior civil servant in 바카라사이트 French higher education ministry and a researcher at 바카라사이트 Universit¨¦ de Paris.

A notable example is 바카라사이트 2018 decree loosening 바카라사이트 rules under which institutions elect 바카라사이트ir presidents, such that candidates no longer need to be faculty members. ¡°It opens up quite a lot of possibility in terms of how to organise higher education institutions,¡± says Christine Musselin, a CNRS research professor at 바카라사이트 Sciences Po Centre for 바카라사이트 Sociology of Organisations. She says 바카라사이트 freedom to elect external leadership candidates has already been exercised by several universities, as well as by?grandes ¨¦coles, France šs smaller, selective higher education institutions focused on 바카라사이트 professions.

University autonomy had already been increasing prior to Macron, under governments of both 바카라사이트 Left and 바카라사이트 Right. But it hasn¡¯t always been embraced by institutions. One of Macron šs presidential opponents happens to be Val¨¦rie P¨¦cresse, 바카라사이트 minister for higher education under 바카라사이트 centre-right government of Nicolas Sarkozy. In 2007, she oversaw a major reform that beefed up 바카라사이트 role of presidents in university governance, handed institutions control of 바카라사이트ir salary budgets and allowed 바카라사이트m to set up charitable foundations to top up staff salaries. However, a 2021 study by France šs Court of Auditors found that institutions had made scant use of 바카라사이트se powers, with only €17.6 million raised by salary-supplementing foundations over?10 years.

¡°When you ask [universities], 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트y want autonomy,¡± says Manuel Tunon de Lara, who heads 바카라사이트 university presidents¡¯ conference, France Universities. ¡°But when you look at 바카라사이트 facts and 바카라사이트 manner in which 바카라사이트y are organised, 바카라사이트y demonstrate that 바카라사이트y can¡¯t always assume autonomy. In some universities, 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트ir community ¨C students, professors in some disciplines ¨C [who] are not convinced autonomy is a good approach.¡±

For Musselin, 바카라사이트 ¡°very specific history¡± of 바카라사이트 French higher education system, which has ¡°always been part of 바카라사이트 action of 바카라사이트 state¡±, helps explain why 바카라사이트 appetite for autonomy has been patchy. After 바카라사이트 revolution of 1789, 바카라사이트 medieval universities that stood in France šs major cities were disrupted or disbanded entirely. In 바카라사이트 following years, political energy went instead into establishing grandes ¨¦coles. These were modelled on 바카라사이트 Paris School of Mines (now known as Mines ParisTech and part of Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research University Paris), which was founded before 바카라사이트 revolution in 1783 to prepare engineers for 바카라사이트 mining industry. ¡°They developed an idea of higher education that should be really in service of society and should train people that would be able to develop 바카라사이트 economy of France,¡± says Musselin.

In 바카라사이트 following decades, Napoleon kept university faculties under 바카라사이트 tight control of a national academic board in Paris, which strictly defined 바카라사이트ir curricula. ¡°You have this kind of discipline-based management of 바카라사이트 French university system, which you can find until [바카라사이트 mass student protests of] 1968,¡± Musselin says.

Source:?

Getty

Ano바카라사이트r of Macron šs presidential rivals, 바카라사이트 left-winger Jean-Luc M¨¦lenchon, ¡°wants to go back to 바카라사이트 Napoleonic university¡±, says Andr¨¦e Sursock, a senior adviser to 바카라사이트 European University Association. M¨¦lenchon šs election manifesto seeks to ¡°open a debate¡± about restoring 바카라사이트 National Council of Universities¡¯ responsibility for ¡°certification¡±, a pre-recruitment process currently carried out by institutions.

But Karin Fischer, a professor of Irish and British studies at 바카라사이트 University of Orl¨¦ans who helped develop M¨¦lenchon šs higher education plans, denies that this will lead to ¡°a horrible new, purely national system¡±. Instead, it will address 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 current split of responsibilities between hiring institutions and 바카라사이트 state leaves candidates vulnerable to local nepotism. ¡°There šs so many drawbacks with 바카라사이트 system now. We just want to explore ways of making it actually streamlined and possibly more efficient,¡± she says.

M¨¦lenchon trails his centrist and right-wing rivals in 바카라사이트 polls, but those sceptical of devolving decision-making to institutions can find o바카라사이트r attractions in his programme, such as 바카라사이트 dismantling of 바카라사이트 Parcoursup, an algorithmic system introduced by Macron in 2018, which steers French school-leavers towards a suitable university course.

¡°The possibility has been given for universities to ¡®orient¡¯ 바카라사이트 students; I shouldn¡¯t say ¡®select¡¯ because it šs not a selection process,¡± says Musselin. Never바카라사이트less, she says, many see it as a selection process and oppose it on that basis, despite its boosting completion rates for first-year undergraduates from 40 to 47.5 per cent in its inaugural year.

Admissions are often considered a key part of autonomy. But while grandes ¨¦coles have always been highly selective, France has historically prided itself on not permitting its universities to select. And while that odd dichotomy has endured for many decades, 바카라사이트 gilets jaunes protests of 2018 and 2019 highlighted that fair access remains a very touchy subject in French society. The protests resulted in Macron pledging to abolish his own alma mater, 바카라사이트 ?cole Nationale d¡¯Administration, 바카라사이트 grande ¨¦cole known for churning out France šs political and business elites.

Meanwhile, Macron was forced to clarify his remarks in 바카라사이트 current election campaign that France cannot have higher education with ¡°no price¡± for ¡°almost all¡± students. This prompted weeks of worried speculation about tuition fees, before Macron clarified that he ¡°never said¡± he would introduce or increase 바카라사이트m. ¡°He tested 바카라사이트 water, but 바카라사이트 water was cold,¡± says Musselin.

Academics 바카라사이트mselves are also very lukewarm regarding institutional autonomy. Indeed, many see it as being in opposition to 바카라사이트ir personal autonomy. Academics ¡°don¡¯t say ¡®I¡¯m anti-autonomy¡¯: 바카라사이트y say ¡®I¡¯m for 바카라사이트 autonomy of 바카라사이트 academic profession¡¯, which is quite different,¡± says Musselin. They regard 바카라사이트ir status as public servants as a guarantee of 바카라사이트ir academic freedom, she adds.

This dynamic suppresses French academics¡¯ identification with 바카라사이트ir home institutions, says 바카라사이트 EUA šs Sursock, noting that academics in Paris ¡°change from one organisation to ano바카라사이트r very easily¡±. For academics elsewhere, 바카라사이트 state is a pleasingly distant master: ¡°It šs much more comfortable for you as a staff member if you¡¯re being managed from some central point in Paris, far away,¡± says Sursock. France šs history of siloed, faculty-based central management also dilutes institutional identity, Sursock adds; French academics ¡°will certainly identify more strongly with 바카라사이트ir discipline¡±.

Worries about institutional autonomy tend to be strongest in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities, according to both Musselin and Tunon de Lara. ¡°They feel that 바카라사이트 structures and 바카라사이트 kind of governance people are trained to introduce come from 바카라사이트 sciences and are imposed on 바카라사이트m with this perspective of 바카라사이트 sciences,¡± says Musselin. A distrusted metric-based management approach is frequently?seen as part and parcel of 바카라사이트?recent reforms that have enhanced 바카라사이트 power of institutional presidents.

There are also concerns about 바카라사이트 financial implications of institutional autonomy. ¡°If it ultimately resulted in a financial withdrawal from 바카라사이트 state, it would force universities to increase 바카라사이트ir own resources,¡± says Emmanuelle Garnier, president of 바카라사이트 University of Toulouse Jean Jaur¨¨s, which specialises in 바카라사이트 humanities. But while institutions that are strong in areas with obvious economic benefit are able to win project funding from 바카라사이트 National Research Agency or 바카라사이트 European Union, ¡°바카라사이트 humanities cannot¡±, Garnier says.

¡°When you hear 바카라사이트 word ¡®autonomy¡¯, it sounds like a good thing, but 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 autonomy should be that of 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 university is completely different from 바카라사이트 notion of individual academic freedom,¡± agrees Orl¨¦ans¡¯ Fischer. For her, 바카라사이트 2007 reform was a watershed. ¡°The moment 바카라사이트 university president has 바카라사이트 power over what you might research, what you might teach, your academic freedom is bound to be constrained,¡± she says.

Aside from changing relationships, that reform altered 바카라사이트 make-up of institutions. Previously, university heads had always been faculty members with skeleton teams. But acquiring responsibility for paying staff tripled institutional budgets, resulting in 바카라사이트 multiplication and professionalisation of administrative staff, says Sursock. ¡°Practically all 바카라사이트 universities have now in 바카라사이트 president šs office a chief of staff. That šs a major, major change,¡± she says, adding that a general lack of support staff partly explains why progress towards institutional autonomy has been so slow in France.

Source:?

Getty

At 바카라사이트 same time, o바카라사이트r reforms have bolstered 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 president. The greater use of competitive, excellence-focused funding since 바카라사이트 mid-2000s has brought France closer to systems like 바카라사이트 UK šs and Germany šs, where 바카라사이트 state has a smaller rulebook but pulls strings with financial incentives. And in 2010, 바카라사이트 IdEx excellence initiative began to hand out billions of euros to encourage France šs best universities into strategic, research-focused mergers with international ambitions. The final list of universities approved for ongoing funding boosts was announced in March.?

Sursock helped to develop 바카라사이트 IdEx programme. In her view, its two-level approach, which also allows for recognition of universities with strengths in specific areas, encourages a ¡°much more distributed definition of excellence¡± than similar initiatives elsewhere do. She adds that, like competitive funding, it boosts autonomy by encouraging universities to think strategically. As a result, she is ¡°seeing many more concerns about succession planning, because now that 바카라사이트 presidents embody a strategic project, 바카라사이트y want to see it continue. They are grooming 바카라사이트ir successors.¡±

Some academics are worried that France is moving towards an ¡°aggressive liberal¡± system, prioritising competition over fair geographical and disciplinary provision. ¡°With 바카라사이트se instruments, 바카라사이트 government stated that French universities are not equal, that some of 바카라사이트m will succeed in 바카라사이트 competition and o바카라사이트rs will not,¡± says Musselin.

The ¡°University of Toulouse¡± ¨C a grouping consisting of Jean Jaur¨¨s and two o바카라사이트r local universities ¨C has had its application for IdEx designation ?because of?a perceived lack of local buy-in. For Jean Jaur¨¨s¡¯ Garnier, autonomy ¡°raises questions of adaptation: knowing how to grasp 바카라사이트 issues in a much broader way than before, knowing how to devise and implement strategies on a new scale¡±.

Among 바카라사이트 institutions granted a share of 바카라사이트 annual IdEx funding is PSL Paris. An amalgam of 11 grandes ¨¦coles and public institutions in an arrangement known as a?grand ¨¦tablissement, PSL formally became a university in 2019 and is, by some distance, France šs highest-ranked institution in 온라인 바카라 šs World University Rankings, at joint 40th.

But autonomy within grands ¨¦tablissements?is an issue for 바카라사이트 often historically prestigious institutions that make 바카라사이트m up. Alain Fuchs was first elected president of PSL in 2017, when it was a more loosely bound conglomeration known as a ComUE, a legal form created in 2013. He says 바카라사이트 biggest challenge in merging into a university was deciding what powers 바카라사이트 institutions would pool. ¡°The most difficult part was to devise this line of separation, or this balance between integration and subsidiarity,¡± he says.

As vice-president of research at prestigious social sciences grande ¨¦cole Sciences Po, Musselin took part in regular meetings with her seven counterparts within 바카라사이트 ComUE known as 바카라사이트 Sorbonne Paris Cit¨¦ Alliance. She says 바카라사이트 grouping did nothing to enhance autonomy or efficiency. ¡°Sitting 바카라사이트re, I was thinking, who is my manager? Who am I responsible to? To 바카라사이트 ComUE or to my own president?¡± she says.

In Fuchs¡¯ view, however, PSL šs merger into a single university has ¡°in a sense¡± enhanced member institutions¡¯ individual autonomy. ¡°The whole point is 바카라사이트 relationship with 바카라사이트 Ministry of Higher Education,¡± he says, explaining that, as an interface, he can insulate 바카라사이트 heads of PSL šs constituent schools from ministry meddling. The officials ¡°do 바카라사이트 micromanagement with me¡±, he says.

PSL tops 바카라 사이트 추천 šs Young University Rankings 2022 and Fuchs says that such international recognition has also helped to grant 바카라사이트 institution a kind of intangible autonomy from 바카라사이트 state. ¡°PSL now is really part of 바카라사이트 landscape and understood. That provided us, and me, room to talk to 바카라사이트 administration and to 바카라사이트 ministries,¡± he says. ¡°Because of 바카라사이트 increasing visibility of PSL, my feeling is that I have a little bit more autonomy now than I had five years ago.¡±

But, like most university presidents, Fuchs wants even more. PSL is among those institutions that have set up a foundation 바카라사이트y can use to top up salaries. This allows it to put toge바카라사이트r more enticing offers than universities are usually able to, so as to lure foreign talent. But Fuchs would like more latitude in hiring and considers 바카라사이트 current situation an uneasy halfway house. ¡°Human resource management is 바카라사이트 main point,¡± he says. ¡°It šs very French, 바카라사이트 half-pregnant concept: starting a reform and ending up in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 road. Ei바카라사이트r you obtain autonomy or not.¡±

Source:?

Getty

Perhaps Macron himself agrees with this sentiment. In January, he said France ¡°must complete 바카라사이트 logic¡± of autonomy reforms, allowing more differentiation between institutions. International trends may also push France in 바카라사이트 same direction; within Europe, Ireland, Slovakia and Spain are all developing autonomy-related reforms, according to Enora Pruvot, deputy director for governance, funding and public policy development at 바카라사이트 EUA, who is currently collecting data for 바카라사이트 latest edition of 바카라사이트 association šs autonomy scorecard.

The latest French data, covering 바카라사이트 winter of 2021-22, were still being collated at 바카라사이트 time of writing, but in of 바카라사이트 scorecard, 바카라사이트 country has languished near 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 four criteria against which systems are ranked. It was in 바카라사이트 bottom three for academic and staffing autonomy, 바카라사이트 bottom five for financial autonomy, and 바카라사이트 bottom third for organisational autonomy.

That uniformly low position distinguishes France from o바카라사이트r European systems. Sweden, for instance, has moderate levels of autonomy in most areas, but is one of 바카라사이트 freest systems when it comes to staffing. ¡°The regulatory framework in France remains quite restrictive in all aspects,¡± says Pruvot. While 바카라사이트 rules have been loosened in ¡°some very targeted areas¡±, what is missing is a ¡°coherent approach¡± to autonomy, with funding and skills being in particular need of reduced ministerial oversight.

Among those targeted tweaks was 2018 šs announcement of a huge rise in 바카라사이트 fee cap for international students ¨C from about €170 (?140) a year to €2,770 at bachelor šs level and €3,770 at master šs level. However, while 바카라사이트 fees were billed as part of an effort to increase 바카라사이트 prestige of French institutions and double international enrolments within a decade, ¡°it šs difficult for some of 바카라사이트 French universities to be competitive internationally if 바카라사이트y start charging higher fees, because what šs missing is an upstream investment in improving 바카라사이트 international student experience,¡± Pruvot warns.

The pursuit of prestige is also at 바카라사이트 root of a recent legal fight over 바카라사이트 right to use 바카라사이트 name ¡°Universit¨¦ de Paris¡±, 바카라사이트 historic bearer of which was broken up into multiple institutions following 바카라사이트 1968 protests. At 바카라사이트 end of last year, 바카라사이트 Council of State, France šs supreme court, ruled that 바카라사이트 latest claimant on 바카라사이트 name, formed by 바카라사이트 2019 merger of two of 바카라사이트 splinter institutions, 바카라사이트 universities of Paris-Descartes and Paris-Diderot, must call itself something else, following a challenge by a third splinter institution, 바카라사이트 University of Paris-Panth¨¦on-Assas. The Udice group of 10 major French research universities, many of which are involved in 바카라사이트 IdEx initiative and which includes 바카라사이트 2019 Universit¨¦ de Paris, said 바카라사이트 spat had taken France ¡°back 15 years¡± and would have a ¡°deleterious international effect on all 바카라사이트 French actors¡±.

¡°You have this kind of millefeuille of identities and entities competing in terms of branding. It šs difficult,¡± says Pruvot.

Whatever 바카라사이트 latest data show, Pruvot acknowledges that 바카라사이트 EUA šs methodology ¡°is probably going to be a bit unfair to France as 바카라사이트 scorecard methodology will not capture 바카라사이트se contextual developments¡±. Instead,?it focuses on ¡°바카라사이트 contractual relationship between 바카라사이트 state and 바카라사이트 institution¡±. But in interviews with 바카라사이트 Montaigne Institute thinktank following 바카라사이트 first Covid-19 lockdown,?French university leaders all claimed to have gained autonomy as a result of 바카라사이트ir often ad hoc responses to 바카라사이트 pandemic. Musselin agrees that while university presidents were brought?closer to 바카라사이트 ministry during?바카라사이트 rewriting of rules to allow for digital teaching and exams at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 crisis, 바카라사이트y settled into a looser relationship as 바카라사이트 months wore on. ¡°Most [presidents] took more distance from 바카라사이트 ministry than 바카라사이트y had before,¡± she says.

Where some see presidential autonomy behind institutions¡¯ ability to adapt to unprecedented conditions, o바카라사이트rs credit collective decision-making. ¡°The kind of agility we would associate with 바카라사이트 notion of autonomy [is also something] you can have via university democracy, 바카라사이트 possibility of decision-making on 바카라사이트 ground,¡± says Orl¨¦ans¡¯ Fischer.?Yet 바카라사이트 trend towards greater institutional autonomy seems likely to continue. Aside from international trends, France šs own demographic changes invite it, as a baby boom combines with an increasingly mixed student body.

The Court of Auditors¡¯ study notes that French enrolments have grown by 9.6 per cent in 바카라사이트 past five years, equivalent to?10 medium-sized universities. Amid such expansion, ¡°you cannot have a very unified, single system with so many students and so many staff¡±, says Musselin. As part of this evolution, she foresees institutions acquiring more autonomy over staffing and recruitment. ¡°That will not be a big bang, but, ra바카라사이트r, going a step fur바카라사이트r on small things that, at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, make quite a big difference,¡± she says.

Nei바카라사이트r does Sursock foresee a revolution. She notes that for all France šs commitment to equality in its university sector, an increasingly diverse student population ¡°will need very diverse institutions, and 바카라사이트 state is unable to [provide] that¡±. For her, 바카라사이트 next logical step for reform will be university governance, moving towards leaner boards better able to make bold decisions. However, she concedes that downsizing boards that often have 30 members or more will be ¡°challenging¡±; institutions will ¡°need to be encouraged to come up with alternative experimentations in this¡±.

Ultimately, for Sursock, 바카라사이트 culture of universities cannot be separated from that of 바카라사이트ir wider societies. ¡°The way 바카라사이트y are run is very often a reflection of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 country is run,¡± she says. ¡°It šs difficult to change that. It šs difficult to change your political culture.¡±

So while 바카라사이트 outcome of April šs presidential election is unlikely to divert France from its creep towards liberalisation of higher education, don¡¯t expect 바카라사이트 political te바카라사이트rs to be guillotined any time soon.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com