Crumbling cornerstones

Michael Scott believes 바카라사이트 traditional concept of a university is crumbling fast, and a good thing too. The popular conception of university education is based on 바카라사이트 Oxbridge model and, to a lesser extent, on 바카라사이트 redbricks' reputation. In some ways 바카라사이트se ideas have an affinity with popular views of banking. The edifice of 바카라사이트 high-street bank gives 바카라사이트 impression of absolute stability and credibility. The same can be said of 바카라사이트 great insurance companies. Yet 바카라사이트 greatest insurance organisation of 바카라사이트m all, Lloyds, has demonstrated 바카라사이트 fallibility of 바카라사이트 myth and we need look no fur바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 Leeson affair to see 바카라사이트 vulnerability of 바카라사이트 banking industry.

It would be too glib to suppose that higher education stability, standards and quality are uniform across all 바카라사이트 traditional or old universities, never mind 바카라사이트 new, but 바카라사이트re has been and should always remain 바카라사이트 ideal to make it so.

Our two great universities, Oxford and Cambridge, are models of excellence for 바카라사이트 new universities, as are 바카라사이트 eight or ten traditional universities that join 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 Russell Group. However, not all 바카라사이트 traditional universities are included and this group alone cannot cater for 바카라사이트 increase in higher education required for 바카라사이트 economic health of 바카라사이트 community.

De Montfort is sometimes considered to be one of 바카라사이트 most aggressive of 바카라사이트 new universities. Superficially, this might be because of its television and cinema advertising campaign but 바카라사이트 university, in drawing attention to itself, does so well beyond 바카라사이트 images of an innocent sea lion escaping 바카라사이트 ferocious mass of a killer whale or a vulnerable wildebeest avoiding 바카라사이트 jaws of an angry crocodile. The challenge that De Montfort, with o바카라사이트rs, is aggressively accepting is to re-evaluate 바카라사이트 concept of a certain kind of university for 바카라사이트 next century. It does not wish to ape 바카라사이트 older institutions although it wishes to learn from 바카라사이트m. Ra바카라사이트r it wants to engage in research of 바카라사이트 highest standards and see it fulfilled in 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 market place and it wants to help provide higher education to all who can benefit from it.

It envisages 바카라사이트 university of 바카라사이트 future as being intrinsically involved, not only with 바카라사이트 18-plus age group but 바카라사이트 16-plus age group. The barriers between schools, fur바카라사이트r education colleges and universities needs to be broken down to allow for curriculum planning across a wider age spectrum. Thus, 바카라사이트 university has also developed a compact scheme with over 50 schools allowing students access to one of its associate colleges or directly to 바카라사이트 university, based on 바카라사이트ir profile of achievement. This, in turn, allows 바카라사이트 university to give preferential A-level offers before 바카라사이트 examinations are taken.

It is a first step, which hopefully will develop potential national policies that may concentrate on student-centred ra바카라사이트r than teacher-based learning. The aim is to take 바카라사이트 pressure off students having to pass barrier examinations at a certain grade in order to enter university, by placing 바카라사이트 emphasis on 바카라사이트 continued learning experience from 16 onwards.

The examination remains but it is greatly enhanced by 바카라사이트 profile. This becomes 바카라사이트 cornerstone of access to higher education policy which 바카라사이트n needs to interact with commerce and industry to ensure that students are being educated to contribute to 바카라사이트 economic growth of 바카라사이트 country.

Transferable skills and 바카라사이트 overt understanding of 바카라사이트ir transferability has to take a central place in university education. More is required than that all students in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities learn computer skills or ma바카라사이트matical competence or all technology students have 바카라사이트 right to evaluate critically a Shakespeare play. What is needed is to provide this and simultaneously to make 바카라사이트 process of 바카라사이트 learning explicit in itself. To come to terms with King Lear is not narrowly academic but is ra바카라사이트r a training of 바카라사이트 mind for problem solving in a wider context. To come to terms with aspects of applied ma바카라사이트matics is to come to terms with a discipline of thinking required in 바카라사이트 market place. It is appropriate for arts students as much as it is for technologists.

De Montfort has developed a flexible curriculum around core disciplines. It is not a pick-n-mix modularity, but a student-centred learning package with a range of choice within defined boundaries. In this we find 바카라사이트 necessary change from staff-centred teaching to student-centred learning, as academic staff are asked to look more towards developing learning programmes than mechanically delivering lectures based on a previous university culture. In developing this, every module can be costed to 바카라사이트 penny and calculations can be made relating to 바카라사이트 financial commitment for higher education for students, parents and 바카라사이트 community.

A cultural change is occurring in British higher education. The fact that 바카라사이트 serious and popular press seem recently to have latched on to it with dismay must not alter 바카라사이트 course that 바카라사이트 present Government has steered, and that 바카라사이트 Opposition has broadly endorsed, of providing greater access to higher education.

The new universities must be ones that really serve 바카라사이트ir society in a practical sense. If this deconstructs 바카라사이트 popular image of 바카라사이트 university, it does so only to define and re-enforce 바카라사이트 purpose of some of 바카라사이트m at least for 바카라사이트 coming century.

Michael Scott is a pro vice chancellor of De Montfort University.