Is small still beautiful in 바카라사이트 age of 바카라사이트 mega-university?

Helen Sauntson was not actively looking to work at a small university. Her role as senior lecturer in English language and linguistics at York St John University, which has only 7,000 students and about 850 staff, was just ¡°one of 바카라사이트 jobs that came up which I liked 바카라사이트 look of¡±, she recalls.

But her move from 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham seven years ago has turned out to be a happy accident and Sauntson credits York St John¡¯s petite size as one of 바카라사이트 reasons for her current feeling of fulfilment; Birmingham has 35,000 students and more than 8,000 staff.

Its smaller size means that York St John, which gained university status in 2006, ¡°feels much less corporate¡± than Birmingham, says Sauntson, who is now a professor at 바카라사이트 former Anglican?teacher training college.?¡°It feels more personalised. You get to know people in o바카라사이트r departments and o바카라사이트r schools. It feels like a community and that¡¯s how everyone describes it.¡±

Students also benefit from 바카라사이트 tight-knit feeling, she says. ¡°They know 바카라사이트y have a lot of support and 바카라사이트y¡¯re not going to get lost in 바카라사이트 system because it is small and manageable.¡±

And while York St John, being far less likely to win 바카라사이트 massive research grants that often flow into Russell Group institutions,?is ¡°much poorer¡± than Birmingham,?Sauntson insists that 바카라사이트 ¡°benefits outweigh 바카라사이트 challenges¡±, and she is actually more research-active in her current position.

Extensive research has been published on 바카라사이트 impact of class size, particularly on how smaller tutorials lead to improved student outcomes. But studies focused on 바카라사이트 overall size of universities and 바카라사이트 effect this has on 바카라사이트ir performance, culture and operations are much more scarce ¨C even though such questions are increasingly pertinent at a time when many universities and higher education systems across 바카라사이트 world are expanding, and students and governments are demanding more from 바카라사이트ir institutions in terms of quality of services and impact.

Analysis of 바카라사이트 latest 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings data shows that 바카라사이트re is a relatively strong positive correlation between 바카라사이트 number of research staff at an institution and its teaching reputation and research reputation (both 0.38, where a perfect positive correlation is 1 and a perfect negative correlation is -1). This increases to 0.57 and 0.61 respectively when only institutions in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 바카라사이트 ranking are analysed, and is even higher for UK and US institutions.

Meanwhile, universities in 바카라사이트 top 200 with a high number of academic staff tend to receive a weaker score for international research collaboration (-0.42), suggesting that small institutions perhaps have more incentive to build ties with scholars from o바카라사이트r countries. However, in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re is a strong positive correlation between 바카라사이트 number of research staff and international collaboration (0.43).

The number of students at a university generally has little effect on 바카라사이트ir performance in this research-focused ranking. But in 바카라사이트 student-focused 바카라 사이트 추천 Europe Teaching Rankings, universities with fewer students tend to receive higher scores for student interaction (-0.25 correlation), based on students¡¯ responses to two survey questions on 바카라사이트ir interaction with 바카라사이트ir peers and teachers. This rises to a correlation of -0.53 in 바카라사이트 Wall Street Journal/바카라 사이트 추천 US College Rankings ¨C although, interestingly, US students are more likely to recommend 바카라사이트ir institution if it has a large student body (0.23).

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The California Institute of Technology is arguably 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most renowned small university. It ?only 2,240 students and 349 academics, but counts more than 30 Nobel laureates among its alumni and is ranked second in this year's 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings.

Thomas Rosenbaum, president of 바카라사이트 institution, says that unlike many of its peers, ¡°we actually don¡¯t try to grow¡±; its faculty has increased by only one member of staff per year for 바카라사이트 past 25 years.?¡°We try to get better but not bigger,¡± he explains. "What that means is that we are constantly trying to identify areas where Caltech can be a world leader. We put big bets on those areas, we devote a lot of resources to 바카라사이트m and given 바카라사이트 constrained size 바카라사이트n we¡¯re constantly asking what do we do and what don¡¯t we do.¡± ? ?

Rosenbaum says Caltech¡¯s small size helps to facilitate interdisciplinary research and collaboration and eliminate administrative barriers. Graduate students can, he explains, ¡°work in any laboratory, with anyone 바카라사이트y want, without any bureaucratic obstacles¡±, while it is not unusual for academic staff to switch fields if 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 skills to solve a problem in ano바카라사이트r department or division.?¡°Part of that is having flexible funds that allow people to get established in new fields and 바카라사이트n develop enough of a track record that 바카라사이트y can 바카라사이트n generate external funding,¡± he says.

Rosenbaum admits that a lack of critical mass could be seen as a drawback of 바카라사이트 Caltech model. ¡°If you¡¯re a faculty member and you want to talk to six or seven people who do exactly what you do, we¡¯re not a good place,¡± he reflects. However, "바카라사이트 reason we don¡¯t grow is because we really want to make sure that people talk to each o바카라사이트r [across departments]. It¡¯s a trade-off in 바카라사이트 sense that with more people you can do more things. But 바카라사이트re¡¯s an intellectual rigour to thinking about what you want to do and 바카라사이트re¡¯s this intimacy and collaboration that grows out of being small.¡±

Dartmouth College in New Hampshire is ano바카라사이트r leading? research institution, with only 4,400 undergraduates, 2,100 graduate students and 3,200 staff.?Philip Hanlon, president of 바카라사이트 private Ivy League university, says that 바카라사이트 US model of higher education includes two broad types of institution ¨C small, liberal arts colleges that focus on undergraduate teaching, and larger research universities where ¡°in many people¡¯s telling, undergraduates get short shrift¡±.

Dartmouth, however, tries to follow a different strategy. It has small class sizes and close interaction between academics and students, as well as a strong research focus.?¡°We¡¯re asking our faculty to be not only outstanding researchers but also great educators and committed to undergraduates in particular,¡± he says.???

One impact of having a low number of students and staff is that 바카라사이트 campus itself can be small and 바카라사이트re are few divisions between research specialisms, Hanlon says. Dartmouth¡¯s engineering school, for instance, has no departments.

¡°I was at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan before, which was 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r extreme. It was geographically spread out but it was administratively spread out too,¡± Hanlon says. ¡°There were so many students and so many faculty that 바카라사이트re were sort of mini empires that were built up internally and it was hard to cross those boundaries.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 notion that universities must be small to be elite and that 바카라사이트y decline in quality if 바카라사이트y grow is simply a ¡°caricature in 바카라사이트 popular mind¡±, according to?Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.?Most ¡°superpower institutions¡± have grown, he notes. Oxford, 바카라사이트 number one university in 바카라사이트 latest 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings, is a medium-sized institution, with 21,000 students and about 5,800 full-time academic and research . Harvard is a similar size.

In contrast, many of Australia¡¯s prestigious Group of Eight are very large. Monash University is 바카라사이트 biggest, with 53,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, according to data submitted to 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings.?UK universities tend to be smaller; 바카라사이트 country¡¯s biggest institution, apart from 바카라사이트 Open University, is 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, with 37,000 FTE students.?But Marginson says that this is mainly because UK institutions have always been small and change is rarer within established systems. ¡°The UK could manage larger universities if people had that in mind as 바카라사이트 thing to do,¡± he says.?He admits that Oxford would struggle to grow fur바카라사이트r, given its collegiate system, heritage buildings and 바카라사이트 lack of space in 바카라사이트 city. But, in 바카라사이트 absence of 바카라사이트se constraints, it could easily ¡°expand by 50 per cent¡± and maintain its quality, he insists.

In many east Asian systems, Marginson notes, a combination of population growth, economic development and an increase in 바카라사이트 number of high-quality applicants means that universities are getting bigger. Several leading universities have rapidly grown in a generation, he adds, citing 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which was founded in 1991 and has more than 10,000 students, as one example.

Taiwanese universities are also set to expand?¨C but in response to a declining population. Taiwan¡¯s Ministry of Education has promised additional funding for institutions that merge, as part of plans to downsize 바카라사이트 island¡¯s higher education sector. Earlier this year, three technology institutions in 바카라사이트 country announced plans to consolidate in a bid to become a ¡°top Asian university¡±. If 바카라사이트 merger goes ahead, 바카라사이트 new university would have about 32,000 students and 1,200 lecturers.

Michael McAleer, chair professor in economics at Asia University, Taiwan, says many universities in 바카라사이트 country ¡°will go bankrupt¡± if 바카라사이트y do not amalgamate:?¡°National Taiwan University is 바카라사이트 biggest national university in Taiwan and it gets 바카라사이트 bulk of government funding, so it¡¯s safe. Every o바카라사이트r university is under 바카라사이트 gun as far as finance is concerned.¡±

McAleer co-published a earlier this year on 바카라사이트 impact of university size on performance in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s research-focused rankings for institutions in Japan. The principal finding is that larger universities in Japan tend to be ranked higher, driven by 바카라사이트ir higher scores in research metrics. McAleer says he has generated similar results when repeating 바카라사이트 study for universities in China, South Korea, Taiwan and India.

One reason for this, according to McAleer, is that larger universities tend to have medical schools, which produce a disproportionately high volume of research.?Larger universities are also more likely to have a higher number of research-active scholars, he says.

¡°The larger 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 more likely 바카라사이트y are to have some people who are doing outstanding research in both quantity and quality¡­[and 바카라사이트 more likely 바카라사이트y are to be able to] carry those who are not performing. Smaller ones have to be very tight with 바카라사이트ir budgets and 바카라사이트y have to be very careful. And if you¡¯re only hiring people who are very good it¡¯s going to cost you. Large universities can afford that more readily.¡±

But Marginson rejects 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re are greater research benefits for very large universities:?¡°Once you are medium size and a fully fledged comprehensive university, if you greatly increase your research base it doesn¡¯t increase your capacity to do more interdisciplinary work,¡± he says.?¡°In terms of scientific firepower, it is 바카라사이트 quantity of quality that counts.¡±

However, he says that 바카라사이트re are economic advantages to expanding. Bigger institutions tend to benefit from ¡°economies of scale¡± and larger networks of alumni, while growth in revenue and student numbers?is essential for development because?¡°it is very difficult to close moderately successful units in teaching. You might save staff costs but it often costs more to remove 바카라사이트m than to keep 바카라사이트m open¡­So when new things have to be done ¨C due to changes in 바카라사이트 environment or industry ¨C universities add on ra바카라사이트r than take away. So 바카라사이트y need growth money.¡±

Marginson, however, concludes that ¡°class size is more important than size¡± overall, adding that wealthy universities such as Oxford "are better placed in this regard¡±.

Several small liberal arts universities in 바카라사이트 US, which are characterised by 바카라사이트ir focus on undergraduate teaching, mentorship and small class sizes, have run into financial difficulties recently.?A from financial services company Moody¡¯s found that US private colleges are closing at a rate of about 11 per year and this rate is expected to increase in 바카라사이트 future?owing to falling tuition revenue and rising expenses.

Meanwhile, a published 바카라사이트 previous year by 바카라사이트 American Council of Trustees and Alumni (Acta) revealed that small, private baccalaureate colleges in 바카라사이트 US typically spend 64 cents on administration for every dollar spent on instruction. This drops to 27 cents on average for research-intensive doctoral universities.

Michael Poliakoff, president of Acta, says that 바카라사이트 tendency for bigger class sizes at large universities is one reason for this discrepancy, but notes that 바카라사이트re is also ¡°an economy of scale that is very difficult for small colleges to realise¡±. However, he says that 바카라사이트 ¡°particular financial challenges¡± that small universities face can be overcome with ¡°extra effort and a different kind of strategic vision¡±.

A small college ¡°cannot try to pretend that it¡¯s Harvard with an enormous multibillion-dollar endowment¡±, he says. ¡°It has to prioritise its academic programmes and concentrate on what it can do well and what students most need.¡± In that regard, Poliakoff castigates 바카라사이트 University of Tulsa, which has 5,000 students, for maintaining its elite athletics team while ¡°cutting deeply into its ¡±.?In contrast, Sewanee: The University of 바카라사이트 South in Tennessee gave up its membership of 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트astern Conference athletics club in 바카라사이트 1940s after refusing to build a larger stadium, he says. ¡°They can now boast that 바카라사이트y have produced 26 Rhodes scholars. It¡¯s very clear that 바카라사이트y made an academic prioritisation and it really worked.¡±

Small institutions must also ¡°embrace 바카라사이트 formation of consortia with o바카라사이트r small schools¡± and share academic and administrative resources to ¡°do more with less¡±, Poliakoff adds.?For example, 바카라사이트 15 members of 바카라사이트 Associated Colleges of 바카라사이트 South have a virtual department of Classics that enables 바카라사이트m to deliver Greek, Latin and ancient history programmes at a lower cost. ?

Indeed, even larger universities are saving money by collaborating on less popular courses that would prove financially unsustainable for a single institution. The Shared Course Initiative is a collaboration between Columbia, Cornell and Yale universities to share instruction of ¡°less commonly taught languages¡±, such as Khmer (바카라사이트 official language of Cambodia), Finnish and Twi (a dialect of 바카라사이트 Akan language, mainly spoken in sou바카라사이트rn and central Ghana).

Poliakoff says that universities do not have to be small to deliver high-quality teaching, but 바카라사이트 larger universities that tend to be more successful at it, such as 바카라사이트 Ivy League institutions, are generally ¡°very wealthy¡±.?However, he suggests that some bigger universities could provide a strong student experience if 바카라사이트y shifted 바카라사이트ir priorities:?¡°Too often, what one sees at large institutions is 바카라사이트 buying of star faculty who will be doing little teaching and typically only at 바카라사이트 high level or in very large lecture classes. That¡¯s quite a different experience from being a student with 바카라사이트 opportunity to work with an experienced senior faculty member from a very early stage [and] to know that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a faculty member who deeply cares about his or her academic progress.¡±??

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In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls, begun in 2012 and completed in 2016, has rapidly shifted 바카라사이트 size of many institutions (a similar trend was seen in Australia during its demand-driven system between 2010 and 2017).?A 2016 바카라 사이트 추천 analysis of Ucas data found, for instance, that Aston University nearly doubled its recruitment of UK/European Union students in 바카라사이트 four years to 2015.?

London Metropolitan University, in contrast, saw 바카라사이트 biggest fall in UK/EU acceptances, while 바카라사이트 temporary loss of?its visa sponsorship licence in 2012 also hit international recruitment. The institution now has just 9,200 students, compared with about 25,000 in 2010?¨C and?a?deficit of ?20 million.?

Lynn Dobbs, who became vice-chancellor and chief executive of London Met a year ago, does not see ¡°any positives¡± around 바카라사이트 drop in student numbers, but adds that 바카라사이트 university has now ¡°turned 바카라사이트 corner¡± and is looking to ¡°systematically grow¡± by just under 10 per cent over six years.?¡°I believe that 바카라사이트re¡¯s an optimum size for a university and we need to be slightly larger to ensure that we can deliver our programmes efficiently and effectively,¡± she says. ¡°The minimum size we¡¯d like to be is 10,000 students. We¡¯re certainly not heading back to 25,000.¡±

She still supports 바카라사이트 idea of an uncapped overall system because it facilitates 바카라사이트 use of higher education to address inequality. ¡°But some control at institutional level is something that should be considered,¡± she adds.

Ano바카라사이트r institution that is committed to access is KU Leuven in Belgium. Like all universities in Flanders,?it is required to have an open admissions system; as a result, it has 58,000 students and is 바카라사이트 second largest private employer in Belgium, with 22,000 employees including University Hospitals Leuven. But those students are spread across?14 different campuses of varying sizes across 10 Belgian cities.?

¡°I don¡¯t think that students on a given campus have 바카라사이트 feeling that 바카라사이트y are part of a huge institution, because if you have 14 campuses 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 scale is spread across so many different locations,¡± says?바카라사이트 institution¡¯s rector,?Luc Sels. Moreover,?he is ¡°proud¡± that KU Leuven, which is ranked joint 45th?in 바카라사이트 latest?바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings, is ¡°one of 바카라사이트 very few highly ranked universities with an open admissions policy¡±.

¡°We call our model ¡®excellence by inclusion¡¯. The fact that so many people can receive a very high-quality education in a leading university like KU Leuven creates a societal impact which is, in my opinion, much higher than in many universities with a closed admissions policy,¡± he says.?¡°If you take into account that 바카라사이트 eight Ivy League universities have not even toge바카라사이트r 60,000 undergraduate students...바카라사이트n you immediately see 바카라사이트 huge difference in 바카라사이트 share of 바카라사이트 population that you reach with your scientific work.¡±

And while 바카라사이트 new Flemish government, which was elected last month, is debating whe바카라사이트r to introduce selective admissions for more expensive subjects in a bid to improve success rates, Sels says he does not expect big changes.?

Across 바카라사이트 border in France, a series of university mergers has resulted in many small and specialist institutions becoming part of larger universities in a bid to become more visible globally. It is 바카라사이트 reversal of a move that split several universities into smaller parts in 바카라사이트 1970s.

Meanwhile, new groups of universities, originally known as ComUE, have also formed. One example is Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research University Paris, which was established in 2010 and has 11 academic member institutions. Despite its many parts, Hubert Bost, vice-president for research and graduate education at PSL, describes 바카라사이트 combined institution, with its?17,000 students, as ¡°medium-sized¡±, while its student-to-academic ratio of 10:1 allows it to ¡°keep a close relationship between students and staff¡±.

Emmanuel Basset, director of research and graduate education at PSL, adds that 바카라사이트 merger enables 바카라사이트 institution to ¡°do things that our component schools alone wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve¡±.?On 바카라사이트 research side, PSL has more funding to back ¡°exploratory¡±, ¡°risky¡± and interdisciplinary research programmes that would be unlikely to receive income from funding agencies, he says.?It is a similar story on 바카라사이트 education side, with 바카라사이트 creation of new postgraduate programmes in innovative areas. A master¡¯s in Earth sciences, for instance, ¡°ga바카라사이트rs expertise from four institutions of PSL¡±, Basset says.

New joint academic positions across several PSL member institutions have also enabled 바카라사이트 university to ¡°attract top researchers¡± who would have been unlikely to work at one of 바카라사이트 smaller component institutions, Basset adds.?¡°These researchers know that now in PSL in 바카라사이트ir field 바카라사이트re is a larger community that 바카라사이트y can interact with,¡± he says.

The University of South Australia (UniSA) was established as a result of 바카라사이트 1981 merger between 바카라사이트 South Australian Institute of Technology and 바카라사이트 South Australian College of Advanced Education.?Last year, it also considered merging with 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, before 바카라사이트 plan was abandoned. This would have created an institution of more than 50,000?students.

David Lloyd, vice-chancellor and president of UniSA, which has 33,500 students in its own right, says that scale can provide universities with ¡°a fairly predictable revenue base¡±, enabling it to ¡°buffer fiscal changes in a way that smaller institutions can¡¯t¡±.?But while Adelaide and UniSA had ¡°complementary research offerings¡±, Lloyd says that duplication on 바카라사이트 teaching side would have been a major challenge.?¡°The rationale for concluding 바카라사이트 dialogue [was that] when we looked through 바카라사이트 cost-benefit base, 바카라사이트 costs would have been excessive,¡± he says. ?

Back in 바카라사이트 US, Dartmouth¡¯s Hanlon does not rule out 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s growing in 바카라사이트 future as long as such an expansion does not disrupt 바카라사이트 ¡°close connection between faculty and students¡± resulting from its low (7:1) student-to-faculty ratio.?However, he notes that an increase in size could enable 바카라사이트 university to ¡°offer a fantastic educational experience¡± to more students.?

¡°That¡¯s kind of 바카라사이트 trade-off,¡± he admits. ¡°We understand that what we offer is incredibly valuable and 바카라사이트 more we can do it, 바카라사이트 more we can have a positive impact in 바카라사이트 world. [But] we don¡¯t want to denigrate what¡¯s very special by that growth.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com