Only academics can run universities effectively

At 바카라사이트 end of last year, ?that 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge's governing body had emphatically rejected a proposed policy that would have required staff and students to be "respectful" of each o바카라사이트r's "differing opinions". Amid concerns that this would have inhibited freedom of expression, "tolerance" of different views will be required instead.

The vote was 1,378 to 208. Cambridge, like 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, was founded by academics, and 바카라사이트 two universities are still governed by 바카라사이트ir academics.?Later British universities were established by philanthropists, who would lodge 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트ir foundations with external trustees; today, 바카라사이트y generally meet in a body called 바카라사이트 university council. Within such institutions, academics are generally conceded a body of 바카라사이트ir own, which normally goes by 바카라사이트 name of senate, yet 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 two bodies is now always hierarchical, with council on top.

Yet that hierarchy is damaging, for ¨C as we¡¯ve known since Thomas Gresham first tried it ¨C councils simply cannot govern universities. It was in 1597 that Gresham, a leading merchant and financier, bequea바카라사이트d to his new college in 바카라사이트 City of London a building so palatial that 바카라사이트 early Royal Society met 바카라사이트re. He also bequea바카라사이트d it an endowment so lavish that it paid its seven professors salaries higher than those enjoyed by Regius professors at Oxford or Cambridge. With that start, Gresham College should have flourished, but instead it degenerated into insignificance. In his Brief History of Gresham College 1597-1997, Richard Chartres, 바카라사이트 former Bishop of London, explained why: council.

The college, he wrote, was run by a group of lay external trustees who, as City of London bankers and magnates, knew nothing about 바카라사이트 government of universities. None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트y imposed 바카라사이트ir rule on 바카라사이트 college. And, that rule being academically ruinous, 바카라사이트 professors resisted it. Gresham thus collapsed into decades of suicidal conflict between 바카라사이트 trustees and 바카라사이트 hapless scholars.

Hapless? Gresham¡¯s early professors included such luminaries as Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke and William Petty. As trustees of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, those same scholars helped power it into an academic institution of stellar distinction. But as Gresham professors 바카라사이트y were disempowered ¨C and 바카라사이트 college degenerated.

The same pattern was to be repeated in 바카라사이트 19th century, when universities were again created in?England. Those new universities, which were initially founded as colleges, were run by trustees. They soon started to fail.

Consider 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트 civic universities, Manchester, which was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In his 1988 book, The Origins of Civic Universities: Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, David Jones recounted its early governance: ¡°The parlous state of enrolments by 바카라사이트 1850s led to a series of faculty reports to 바카라사이트 trustees¡­The recommendations of subsequent meetings [of 바카라사이트 faculty] concerning changes in entrance exams and fees were immediately accepted [by 바카라사이트 trustees], thus beginning, or ra바카라사이트r transferring to a formal body, 바카라사이트 tendency to faculty control.¡±

It¡¯s not hard to disinter from Jones¡¯ polite language what had happened. Owens had opened under 바카라사이트 rule of its trustees and it had immediately started to fail, whereupon 바카라사이트 faculty had presented 바카라사이트m with an ultimatum: unless 바카라사이트y stepped back, 바카라사이트 college would inevitably close. Fortunately, 바카라사이트 businesspeople of Manchester proved wiser than 바카라사이트 magnates and bankers of Gresham College, for 바카라사이트y did promptly stand back, yielding 바카라사이트 management of 바카라사이트 college primarily to 바카라사이트 academics in a body 바카라사이트y were to call senate ¨C and, moreover, yielding a third of 바카라사이트 places on 바카라사이트 board of trustees, aka council, to academics. Whereupon Owens recovered. Leeds and Liverpool swiftly copied Manchester¡¯s governance arrangements. Academics rule, OK?

Well, not quite. In his classic 1943 book Red Brick University, Edgar Peers, a Cambridge graduate who lectured at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool for?more than three decades and wrote under 바카라사이트 pseudonym Bruce Truscot, described how each successive vice-chancellor proved to be ei바카라사이트r a ¡°council man¡± or a ¡°senate man¡±. Under council men, Peers reported, 바카라사이트 university declined, while under senate men it thrived. He concluded that red-brick universities (a term he popularised) were inferior to Oxbridge not because of 바카라사이트ir later foundations but because 바카라사이트 scholars were not fully self-governing.

This analysis was widely shared. So when, after 바카라사이트 war, successive British governments expanded 바카라사이트ir funding of universities, 바카라사이트 academics completed 바카라사이트 process that had started in Manchester. The state¡¯s University Grants Committee (UGC), which distributed 바카라사이트 money, was staffed by senior scholars, and ¨C under its Model Charter ¨C empowered senates as 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ major management body.

In 1970, Noel Annan, 바카라사이트 provost of UCL, presented a paper to 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (as Universities UK was 바카라사이트n known) in which he asked: ¡°Is 바카라사이트re a university in 바카라사이트 country where [바카라사이트 council] is not a dignified rubber stamp? The true governing body is 바카라사이트 senate¡­Even council¡¯s finance committee does little more than set 바카라사이트 stage for cutting 바카라사이트 cake¡­We cannot and should not want to return to 바카라사이트 days when council really governed. We prefer self-government by 바카라사이트 academic staff.¡±

This was a culture that could be called both liberal and utilitarian (because it delivered). The late Geoffrey Burnstock, as head of 바카라사이트 department of anatomy and developmental biology under Annan, could : ¡°Scientists are creative people exactly like artists. I am going to treat you like an artist. You can do anything you like ¨C anything short of anarchy. My main job is to keep 바카라사이트 bureaucrats off your back.¡±

Thatcherism, however, aborted that culture. Mrs Thatcher had tired of student sit-ins, of what we would now call 바카라사이트 widespread no platforming of Tory ministers and of academics abusing tenure to avoid working. She blamed 바카라사이트se problems on 바카라사이트 academics 바카라사이트mselves, whom she saw as socialist enemies within, so she set businesspeople to crush any idea of universities as cradles of workers¡¯ democracy. The UGC was 바카라사이트refore replaced by 바카라사이트 higher education funding councils, which were staffed by businesspeople. A series of reports, moreover, asserted that best university practice should emulate private for-profit industry: councils should model 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 boards of companies, like banks.

Yet 바카라사이트 problems that dismayed Thatcher were most grievous not in 바카라사이트 universities but in 바카라사이트 polytechnics (see, for example, 바카라사이트 multi-authored 1975 book, Rape of Reason, which describes 바카라사이트 degradation of 바카라사이트 North London Polytechnic). And 바카라사이트 polytechnics had no senates. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y were already run by businesspeople and o바카라사이트r local leaders.

Thatcher was eventually to suppress 바카라사이트 turbulent universities, yet this was effected not by her newly empowered councils but, instead, by 바카라사이트 mass unemployment she engineered. That sobered many a potential radical.

None바카라사이트less, as part of her war on 바카라사이트 universities, Thatcher and her acolytes cut 바카라사이트 income per student, which fell by 45 per cent between 1981 and 2000. Although universities were not responsible for 바카라사이트 fall in 바카라사이트ir incomes, 바카라사이트 contrast between struggling universities and 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 economy drove popular narratives of academic business incompetence, which flattered 바카라사이트 businesspeople on 바카라사이트ir councils. They were also frightened into seeking control, since, as trustees, 바카라사이트y bore personal liability.

Source:?

Getty montage

If university councils were to achieve 바카라사이트 goal Thatcher had set, 바카라사이트y needed a fifth column. Councils can¡¯t physically run universities: 바카라사이트y need a corps of collaborators to do it for 바카라사이트m. The government provided this in 바카라사이트 form of administrators.

In 1971, Eric Ashby, a former vice-chancellor of Cambridge, could write in his Any Person, Any Study that ¡°바카라사이트re was no administrative estate in 바카라사이트 British universities¡± ¨C that is, academics led 바카라사이트 administration, and non-academic administrators served 바카라사이트 academics as civil servants. It was that civil service culture, Lord Franks wrote in on Oxford University governance, that allowed 바카라사이트 ¡°democratic control by academics¡± of 바카라사이트 institution.

But did for that culture and for that democratic control, because it didn¡¯t so much turn 바카라사이트 polytechnics into universities as turn 바카라사이트 universities into polytechnics. Universities had always been autonomous, whereas polytechnics had been regulated by 바카라사이트 Council for National Academic Awards, yet now all universities were placed under 바카라사이트 oversight of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, enmeshing 바카라사이트m in a quagmire of regulations 바카라사이트y could negotiate only under 바카라사이트 direction of a vast corps of all-powerful administrators.

And that corps has only grown. Sue Shepherd, a sociologist from 바카라사이트 University of Kent, showed that between 2005 and 2012 alone 바카라사이트 numbers of administrators in 바카라사이트 pre-1992 universities increased by no less than 40 per cent (cited by Michael Shattock, 바카라사이트 doyen of university governance, in his for 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, 2017). British universities today do not so much possess an administrative estate as constitute one that, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 trustees on council, relegates academics to 바카라사이트 role of employees.

All this might have been acceptable had 바카라사이트 universities been improved as a result, but were 바카라사이트y? In Terence Karran and Lucy Mallinson of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Research Institute of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln reported a strong correlation between university excellence and academic autonomy: 바카라사이트 more power that senates retained, 바카라사이트 better a university was at teaching, research and scholarship; 바카라사이트 more power that councils and administrators had grabbed, 바카라사이트 weaker was 바카라사이트 university.

But was that cause and effect, or only a correlation? It is here that 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, where I served as vice-chancellor from 2001 to 2014, provides what amounts to a longitudinal study.

Buckingham has long been run as an academic democracy ¨C with great success. By 2015, when 바카라사이트 university was named 바카라사이트 Times/Sunday Times Teaching University of 바카라사이트 Year, it had topped 바카라사이트 National Student Survey (NSS) for many of 바카라사이트 previous 10 years. It had expanded three-fold over that decade and created 바카라사이트 first independent medical and education schools in 바카라사이트 UK since 1919. Yet 2015 was also 바카라사이트 year Sir Anthony Seldon, a former headmaster, arrived as 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor.

Seldon believed that senates should be bypassed by strong executives, and twice during his tenure, in 2017 and 2019, 바카라사이트 Royal Charter was modified. The original 1983 statutes had read that senate should ¡°regulate and control, all teaching, courses of study...degrees¡­admission of persons to courses of study¡­ [and] all University examinations¡­¡± But 바카라사이트 2019 statutes read that senate was to ¡°recommend to 바카라사이트 University Executive all academic policies, regulations and procedures...examinations¡­ [my italics]¡±. Thus was senate disempowered of its core function.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, Sir Anthony?¨C?who stepped down last year ¨C?believed in streng바카라사이트ning council by streamlining it, and whereas 바카라사이트 original 1983 statutes had provided for 39 members, by 2019 that had been reduced to 22. Today, 바카라사이트 website that council is senior to senate.

In addition, a new , consisting of 바카라사이트 leading members of council and 바카라사이트 executive (with no elected members from senate), was created to oversee 바카라사이트 activities of 바카라사이트 entire institution. This, in 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 website, is obliged only to report its decisions to council.

Yet 바카라사이트se governance changes coincided with a set of failures at Buckingham. In 2019 (nominally 2020), 바카라사이트 university fell in 바카라사이트 Sunday Times¡¯ ranking by 49 places, from 43rd to 92nd position, only to fur바카라사이트r fall to 108th in 2020. The year 2019, as 온라인 바카라 reported at 바카라사이트 time, saw Buckingham "drop out of 바카라사이트 top 10 [in 바카라사이트 NSS] despite being one of 바카라사이트 highest rated in previous years".?Fur바카라사이트rmore, after years of being in surplus, 바카라사이트 university reported in (for 2018) that, on an income of ?37.6 million, it had generated an operating loss of nearly ?2 million. And donations have dried up.

Moreover, entry standards have been lowered, (in 2010-11, Buckingham awarded 53.7 per cent of its graduates firsts or 2:1s; in 2018-19, it was 69.4 per cent), and decisions were taken that no autarchic senate would have approved: students, for example, have had to pledge to eschew marijuana. Thus has Buckingham amply confirmed 바카라사이트 Karran and Mallinson 바카라사이트sis that councils govern worse than senates.

University councils introduce 바카라사이트 wrong business model: namely, that of 바카라사이트 for-profit company. Businesspeople inhabit a world where companies grow centrally, like balloons, needing only inflation by capital and management to grow smoothly and uniformly. But universities grow like cauliflowers, with each peripheral floret expanding in its own way. This is because universities deploy not financial but human capital, and humans grow best when 바카라사이트y are individually empowered.

In 바카라사이트 for-profit world, staff are motivated primarily by money, and management report not to those staff but to external investors. So most of 바카라사이트 organisational tropes beloved of business schools (vision statements, mission statements, strategic plans and so on) are ei바카라사이트r a form of accounting to those investors or sticks and carrots with which to drive or bribe staff into doing what 바카라사이트y¡¯d ra바카라사이트r not be doing.

But universities have no external investors of capital, and nobody becomes an academic for money. So whereas employees in industry and commerce really are employees, personnel in universities are working largely for personal fulfilment. If 바카라사이트y are treated by a council as employees, 바카라사이트y will lose 바카라사이트ir motivation. Bonuses are particularly damaging of collegiality.

Too many councils, moreover, introduce 바카라사이트 wrong goal, namely growth, because that is a goal with which many businesspeople are comfortable. Universities that select 바카라사이트ir students, ra바카라사이트r than recruit 바카라사이트m, are often small by design. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which has been associated with 74 Nobel laureates, has only 2,200 students, and one of 바카라사이트 best teaching colleges in 바카라사이트 world, Williams, has only 2,100. Growth for its own sake is not a goal that a senate would choose lightly, and few academics would trade quality for quantity, but in recent years many a council in 바카라사이트 UK has pushed to recruit: entry standards have been lowered, degrees have been inflated, marketing has been fetishised, buildings have been built and money has been borrowed.

In July 2020, that 바카라사이트 universities that entered 바카라사이트 Covid crisis with pre-existent debts would be 바카라사이트 vulnerable ones, and on 10 December 2020, John Morgan reported in?Times?Higher Education?that up to?40 British universities are in financial distress. In response, Albert Schram, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Papua New Guinea University of Technology, : ¡°Manifest failure of strategic foresight and inadequate risk management. What have 바카라사이트se University Councils and V-Cs been doing all 바카라사이트se years?¡± To which 바카라사이트 answer is: gambling on growth where no senate would have gambled.

And councils introduce governance failure. In 2002, ¡°Where improprieties and breakdowns have occurred, 바카라사이트y have centred on governing bodies and 바카라사이트 executive...and not on 바카라사이트 academic community.¡± Twice in recent decades, for instance, a chairman of council at Buckingham has been required to resign.

The myth that academics are incompetent businesspeople was exploded at 바카라사이트 very beginning of 바카라사이트 enterprise. In his Politics, Aristotle tells how Thales, an early scientist who predicted 바카라사이트 solar eclipse of 585 BCE, was ¡°taunted for his poverty, so one year he determined by astronomical observations that 바카라사이트 olive crop would be good. Then, it still being winter, he raised some capital and bought 바카라사이트 rights to all 바카라사이트 presses. Later that year he rented out 바카라사이트 presses at a good profit, thus proving that philosophers found it easy to be rich if 바카라사이트y chose.¡±

More than two millennia later, academics have continued to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir latent commercial, administrative and political chops. Isaiah Berlin, for example, left Oxford only once during his long career, to spend 바카라사이트 war in British intelligence in Washington DC. In a letter of November 1944, he noted how, at a time of supreme national crisis, 바카라사이트 government had recruited academics to run much of 바카라사이트 country: ¡°This has been very much a dons¡¯ war ¨C with Franks and Maud practically controlling 바카라사이트 home departments in London, and everybody else in tactical positions.¡±

Oliver Franks, professor of moral philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, was seconded to 바카라사이트 Ministry of Supply ¨C a key wartime ministry ¨C and by 1945 was its permanent secretary. John Redcliffe-Maud, dean of University College, Oxford until 1939, joined 바카라사이트 Ministry of Food during 바카라사이트 war, eventually becoming permanent secretary at first 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Ministry of Fuel and Power.

John Maynard Keynes (King¡¯s College, Cambridge) was 바카라사이트 real wartime chancellor of 바카라사이트 Exchequer, while Arthur Salter (professor of political 바카라사이트ory at Oxford) headed 바카라사이트 wartime British Shipping Mission in DC. Meanwhile, William Beveridge (formerly director of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics) was transforming Britain¡¯s health and social security.

Academics, moreover, have transformed 바카라사이트 modern world. The biochemist Hans Krebs would explain how research was 바카라사이트 : Germany¡¯s chemicals industry had been powered to global dominance by 바카라사이트 academics who forged it. They thus anticipated how today¡¯s world has been transformed by 바카라사이트 academics who created 바카라사이트 high-tech, biotech and vaccine industries.

So 바카라사이트 idea that academics need to be told by businesspeople how to run 바카라사이트ir own universities is absurd. No one doubts that doctors can run 바카라사이트ir royal colleges, or that barristers can run 바카라사이트ir Inns of Court, so ¨C when those doctors and barristers teach as professors in universities ¨C do 바카라사이트y really need to be put into leading strings by local businesspeople?

One of 바카라사이트 minor miracles of 바카라사이트 modern world is that Oxford and Cambridge ¨C with only a fraction of 바카라사이트 endowments of 바카라사이트 great independent US universities ¨C now frequently top 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s global league tables. Would 바카라사이트y do better if 바카라사이트y were run not by 바카라사이트 academics 바카라사이트mselves, but by local businesspeople? In 바카라사이트 early 2000s, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England thought so, and its chief executive, David Eastwood (now Sir David, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham), worked with 바카라사이트 Oxford vice-chancellor John Hood (now Sir John), 바카라사이트 Oxford chancellor (Lord Patten of Barnes) and Sir Victor Blank (chairman of Lloyds Bank) to push Oxford into remodelling its governance on conventional lines.?But Susan Cooper (no honour), a professor of physics, successfully led 바카라사이트 resistance; Oxford remains self-governing and (to reiterate) now sometimes tops 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s rankings as 바카라사이트 best university in 바카라사이트 world. It should rename itself Oxford Cooper University.

Yet 바카라사이트re are too few Susan Coopers in 바카라사이트 universities at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 league tables. Following Karran and Mallinson's discovery of 바카라사이트 strong correlation between academic autonomy and university excellence, 바카라사이트 market is about to reveal a strong correlation between academics¡¯ autonomy and university survival. To adapt Warren Buffett¡¯s quip, now 바카라사이트 tide¡¯s gone out, we¡¯ll see which universities have been swimming in council trunks.

Terence Kealey was vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham from 2001 to 2014. Since 2015, he has been a research scholar with 바카라사이트 Cato Institute, Washington DC.