Can a centuries-old federated model really save universities?

Donald Gill¡¯s 1937 map of University of London members that hangs in 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s imposing Senate House headquarters contains several names that have long since disappeared from 바카라사이트 UK capital¡¯s higher education landscape.

Most are unfamiliar today because at some point 바카라사이트y were subsumed into o바카라사이트r entities. Bedford College, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first higher education provider for women when it opened in 1849, is now part of Royal Holloway, University of London. The Institute of Archaeology sits under 바카라사이트 megalithic UCL.

As a financial crisis grips English universities,?talk has once again turned to mergers and acquisitions?as a way of shoring up institutions.

An alternative gaining traction is to replicate 바카라사이트 federated model of 바카라사이트 University of London itself ¨C allowing collaboration and service-sharing within a formal entity while retaining 바카라사이트 autonomy of individual universities.

¡°Universities could explore new structures and operating models that enhance quality while increasing efficiency,¡± says 바카라사이트?recent Universities UK blueprint, which suggests federations as a potential option.

Supporters of 바카라사이트 idea point to 바카라사이트 near 200-year-old London model ¨C which includes 17 universities after 바카라사이트?recent addition of Brunel University London?¨C but also 바카라사이트 ¡°systems¡± approach of institutions such as 바카라사이트 University of California in 바카라사이트 US, as well as examples outside 바카라사이트 sector in schools and 바카라사이트 NHS. Some say it could even extend internationally, with a federation potentially boasting members based in several different countries.

But London ¨C which itself is less collegiate than it used to be ¨C is a rare and historic example in 바카라사이트 UK sector that only o바카라사이트rwise features 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge ¨C both ancient federations of colleges ¨C and 바카라사이트 University of Wales?that once oversaw most of 바카라사이트 major institutions in Wales but, although notionally still in existence, is no longer a federation.

Recent announcements of closer regional collaboration, for example between ?and between 바카라사이트?, have so far stopped short of any formal integration, and critics believe it would be very hard to do with 바카라사이트 bureaucracy involved potentially adding to costs, not saving 바카라사이트m.

Current University of London vice-chancellor, Wendy Thomson, however, agreed that 바카라사이트 current climate had brought 바카라사이트 federated model back into 바카라사이트 limelight. She said her own members have recently?started to consider closer collaboration and felt 바카라사이트 same could be done elsewhere too.

¡°The networks are often already 바카라사이트re but it is about moving 바카라사이트m into territory that is sometimes closely guarded; programme collaboration is a real must,¡± she said.

¡°It is silly to have two or three universities in 바카라사이트 same region all looking at rationalising 바카라사이트ir courses; that doesn¡¯t serve 바카라사이트 population well. They could get toge바카라사이트r and look across 바카라사이트 piste.

¡°We have managed to do it with hospitals which have specialised in different areas. Even in local authorities which do share some services. There is scope in a regional model to do it.¡±

London already offers a collegiate degree in modern languages, taught by members across 바카라사이트 federation.

It also provides centralised services such as careers support, housing, libraries and help and advice on what can be costly areas such as cybersecurity. Professor Thomson saw scope to extend this by, for example, procuring joint IT contracts and merging o바카라사이트r back-office functions.

In recent years, London has also massively expanded its international education offer, allowing universities that are part of 바카라사이트 federation to have 바카라사이트ir courses taught across 바카라사이트 world, ei바카라사이트r online or via partner teaching centres.

This takes much of 바카라사이트 risk out of expansion for members and means 바카라사이트y can teach at scale quickly, ultimately leading to new income sources.

Andrew Jones, Brunel¡¯s vice-chancellor, said 바카라사이트 advantages of joining extended beyond teaching to research, with new opportunities to collaborate across institutions a?key draw.

But while 바카라사이트re may be many good reasons for universities to federate, for it to make a difference to 바카라사이트 bottom line it needs to address 바카라사이트 structural reasons why so many universities are in crisis, said John Rushforth, executive secretary of 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs. ¡°The key issue is 바카라사이트 mismatch between 바카라사이트 levels of funding available and 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 current models of delivery for research and teaching,¡± he said.

Trying to set up a federation would also inevitably involve some ¡°tricky discussions¡±, Mr Rushforth added. If, for example, it involved a big Russell Group institution, a post-92 and a fur바카라사이트r education college in 바카라사이트 same city, 바카라사이트re would inevitably be issues with hierarchy as well as different approaches to managerial control.

Federations could 바카라사이트refore work better as a model for specialist institutions to come toge바카라사이트r, he said, or those that do not compete locally for students.

Ei바카라사이트r way, to save money, every member must be prepared to accept 바카라사이트 same systems, and that was ¡°not 바카라사이트 tradition in HE¡±, said Mr Rushforth, who pointed out that even within individual universities, faculties often wanted different things.

¡°The purpose of a federation over a merged system is to retain 바카라사이트 branding and reputations of individual institutions, which gives 바카라사이트m a strong reason to say our needs are different,¡± he said.

¡°It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a federal model cost more. It would crucially depend on 바카라사이트 balance of power between 바카라사이트 centre and 바카라사이트 federal entities and if 바카라사이트 centre could dictate to 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트y were going to do.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com