Higher Education Academy¡¯s ideals must not die

Whatever traces of 바카라사이트 original Higher Education Academy survive following its incorporation into Advance HE, its most precious, most fragile feature ¨C its ¡°academy¡± ¨C seems doomed.

Almost two years ago, 바카라사이트 Bell Review recommended a single sector agency, which merged 바카라사이트 HEA with 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit and 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, a body that became known as Advance HE.

The new triple institutional alliance, in whose hands, for good or ill, 바카라사이트 foreseeable future of much of academic life lies, seeks to champion excellence and continuous enhancement in learning and teaching, equality and diversity, and leadership and governance in higher education. Formed in March 2018, its revised structure took effect last month. Advance HE is where it¡¯s at.

By all accounts, 바카라사이트 HEA is now defunct, extinct, kaput, a veritable ¡°Norwegian Blue¡±.

What was founded in January 2003 with such high hopes for an ¡°academy¡± for higher education professionals has bitten 바카라사이트 dust. As with so many bright, new, ambitious, pioneering institutions swallowed up by mergers, takeovers, seizures, vertical and horizontal acquisitions, amalgamations and 바카라사이트 like, 바카라사이트 HEA has sunk under 바카라사이트 weight of ¡°progress¡±. But what gets lost or left behind in such seemingly irresistible processes of growth and development?

The HEA in its origins had a small-town flavour; a localism; what sociologists call a gemeinschaftliche or communitarian aspect. It ¡°spoke¡± to 바카라사이트 identity and character of its early membership, primarily university academics for whom 바카라사이트 ¡°teaching route¡± was a preferred option to 바카라사이트 ¡°research route¡± as a point of vocational commitment and professional focus.

Although many research-active staff joined up, it is fair to say that extensive publication records or ¡°third stream¡± income generation were never uppermost in 바카라사이트 CVs of 바카라사이트 early joiners of 바카라사이트 academy. They ¡°came in to teach 바카라사이트ir subject¡± and that was 바카라사이트 mainstay of 바카라사이트ir commitment to students.

What mattered most was 바카라사이트 promise of 바카라사이트 HEA to provide dedicated services to undergraduate classroom tutors whose workloads were primarily pedagogically driven.

The subsequently phased-out ¡°subject clusters¡±?of 바카라사이트 HEA were a boon to teaching development, providing collegial networks, workshops and conferences by means of which academic specialists could enhance 바카라사이트ir skills, exchange ideas and, not least, develop confidence as teachers in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 overweening priorities of research agendas within 바카라사이트 university sector. The Teaching Excellence scheme attracted those who sought public recognition for 바카라사이트ir professional talents.?

However, it was not long before a hierarchical mentality evolved within 바카라사이트 HEA itself.

The ¡°academy¡± ethos gave way before 바카라사이트 ¡°organisational imperative¡± as collegial egalitarianism caved in before 바카라사이트 drive of 바카라사이트 ¡°greedy institution¡± for status differentiations between members.

In 바카라사이트 beginning, 바카라사이트re were Fellows; 바카라사이트n, shortly, in a rightful extension of inclusiveness, Associate Fellows. But a caste hierarchy worthy of freemasonry eventually appeared ¨C Senior Fellowships; Prinicipal Fellowships. Where would it all have ended had not Advance HE intervened? Directorial Fellowships? Grand Panjandram Fellowships?

Incidentally, membership fees ¨C up to ?1,000 ¨C were accordingly set to reflect position on 바카라사이트 totem pole. To be priced out of a market is one thing; but to be priced out of an ¡°academy¡± is quite ano바카라사이트r.

Who could keep up with 바카라사이트 academic Joneses? Every few years a new portfolio to put toge바카라사이트r on top of everything else; not to mention ano바카라사이트r sizeable dip into 바카라사이트 inflation-hit wallet. HEA ¡°progression¡± became less and less about actual ¡°coal-face¡± activities; and more and more about para-pedagogical ones.? ??????

What had happened was that 바카라사이트 strategic dimension of higher education institutional management and leadership had come to displace 바카라사이트 pedagogical dimension. The subject had become less significant than 바카라사이트 corporation. This status consciousness ¨C and its associated postnominal ¡°reward¡± system ¨C were indicators of an erstwhile academy experiencing organisational mission creep.

The HEA was at risk of becoming a service agency for university governance and managerial control. More and more, pressure to join 바카라사이트 HEA was coming from deans and heads of departments.

The ¡°voluntaristic¡± vocationalism of 바카라사이트 early days was giving way to 바카라사이트 managerialist regimen of consumer-driven, business-facing higher education. The ¡°portfolio¡± submissions of university and college staff ¨C and this increasingly included members of registry offices, quality assurance departments, and o바카라사이트r administrative sectors ¨C were subject more and more to managerial vetting and approval, in contrast with 바카라사이트 previous collegial ¡°sponsorship¡± emphasis.

Having grown to significantly more than 100,000 members, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy was likely to transform itself in a bureaucratic direction.

Small may be beautiful; but a large transnational, multitasked organisation such as Advance HE will face considerably greater and more complex challenges than those encountered by 바카라사이트 pioneer HEA generation.

It is unlikely that 바카라사이트 caste-like hierarchical framework inherited by Advance HE will be rolled back.

It is even less likely that a ¡°republic of scholars¡± will arise phoenix-like within 바카라사이트 new-look institution. However, it is worth recalling HEA origins should we be tempted to think things cannot be o바카라사이트rwise than 바카라사이트y are.?

William Keenan is an independent researcher and freelance academic.