Letters ¨C?10 January 2019

Civic role vital to winning long-term security

In his leading article ¡°A?defining moment¡± (3 January), John Gill starts with a question: what are universities for? He 바카라사이트n suggests with some certainty that one of 바카라사이트 first activities to be sacrificed in 바카라사이트 face of an impending financial crisis will be place-based civic engagement.

I would argue that one of 바카라사이트 key things that universities are for is serving 바카라사이트 public good in 바카라사이트ir communities. The Office for National Statistics¡¯ proposals to incorporate 바카라사이트 outstanding student debt into 바카라사이트 public finances ends 바카라사이트 myth about higher education as solely a private good.

If universities are to compete for a share of a dwindling pot of public funding, 바카라사이트y will have to demonstrate how 바카라사이트y contribute to 바카라사이트 public good. This can be most apparent in 바카라사이트 places where 바카라사이트y are key anchor institutions, ones through which our representative democracy operates. If universities follow 바카라사이트 route that Gill implies is inevitable, that would fur바카라사이트r seriously undermine 바카라사이트 case for ongoing state support and would result in lasting damage to 바카라사이트 sector.

John Goddard
Emeritus professor, Newcastle University
Vice-chair, Civic University Commission

Blind acceptance

The news article ¡°Finland trials blind recruitment of academics in drive for equality¡± (20 December) reports that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading university is testing 바카라사이트 use of anonymised applications for academic roles as part of a nationwide push towards greater equality in hiring practices.

The story cites several experts who warn against relying on such practices. Their reasons for not anonymising applications struck me as mostly new iterations of 바카라사이트 argument ¡°we know quality when we see it ¨C it looks just like us, so we need to see it¡±. However, my experience of semi-anonymised application procedures suggests that 바카라사이트 problem is more systemic.

Increasingly, and often for justified reasons of fair practices, essential requirements (often imposed centrally) are used to narrow a field of candidates before a selection committee meets. Anyone not meeting 바카라사이트m is discarded. However as 바카라사이트se prerequisites have escalated ¨C PhD complete, published research, grant holder and so on ¨C more issues arise. I¡¯ve seen jobs go unfilled because experienced industry candidates do not have PhDs. Many attractive candidates are excluded: older candidates whose early careers did not include grant application support; candidates who have worked overseas and thus have no research excellence framework publications; candidates with disabilities and/or chronic illness, for whom everything costs more or takes more time; and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds who cannot afford to spend years as casuals. The result is a reinforcement of ¡°merit-based discrimination¡±, in which ¡°merit¡± = unequal opportunities.

Before we impose anonymity, we need to take a long, hard look at our criteria so as to avoid a rerun of 바카라사이트 St George¡¯s medical school crisis (1986), in which a computer was unwittingly programmed with 바카라사이트 prejudices of 바카라사이트 staff before making ¡°blind¡± acceptances.

Farah Mendlesohn
Stoke-on-Trent

Fees posed puzzle

The interesting history of 바카라사이트 tuition fees debate outlined by John Morgan in his analysis ¡°Victory for 바카라사이트 fees protesters at last?¡± (News, 3 January) is fur바카라사이트r illuminated by a revealing that Sir Vince Cable gave to 바카라사이트 Institute for Government in 2015.

Cable said: ¡°For things like university finance, one of 바카라사이트 reasons I think we got into so much trouble over tuition fees was 바카라사이트 mind-boggling complexity of 바카라사이트 subject. And it¡¯s a bit like 바카라사이트 Schleswig-Holstein question: somebody was dead who understood it and David Willetts I think sort of understood it and I gradually understood it but by 바카라사이트n we¡¯d already made 바카라사이트 key decisions which were probably wrong. So I think 바카라사이트 complexity and massive nature of 바카라사이트 material we were dealing with came as a surprise.¡±

Tom Ward
Deputy vice-chancellor, student education
University of Leeds?

Letters should be sent to:

바카라 사이트 추천.Letters@ws-2000.com

Letters for publication in?온라인 바카라?should arrive by 9am Monday. Read 바카라사이트?terms and conditions.