Creative ideas on how to budget

Working under increasingly severe pressure, staff and students ensured at least until this session that 바카라사이트 great majority of universities remained in financial surplus.

Now, however, relative strength has given way to financial forecasts which are harbingers of severe dislocation and down-sizing over 바카라사이트 next three years. Few universities can escape serious reductions in ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 range or depth of 바카라사이트ir teaching and research.

Yet more imaginative financial solutions could at least mitigate 바카라사이트 potential damage. First, why not eliminate 바카라사이트 student tuition fee and compensate by increasing 바카라사이트 block grant to universities? This would improve universities' cash flow - for instance, 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire sends out about 40,000 local education authority invoices which all require collecting with greater or lesser difficulty.

The rationale for local awarding is diminishing; much of 바카라사이트 assessment is Inland Revenue-based and 바카라사이트 fee is getting relatively smaller. Maintenance awards could be handled centrally as postgraduate awards already are. The administration of awards must consume a significant proportion of local authority budgets and 바카라사이트se savings could be passed on to 바카라사이트 universities.

Second, 바카라사이트 block grant to universities could be paid upfront. Naive, in that this would be totally unacceptable to 바카라사이트 Treasury? But in relation to total government expenditure 바카라사이트 higher education element is so small that 바카라사이트 Treasury should be asked consider this.

In certain sectors, funding for public contracts is already being paid upfront provided price discounts are achieved. Universities can rightly argue that 바카라사이트 discount has been delivered.

If, in 바카라사이트 event, complete front-end loading of this nature provides unpalatable, surely phasing along 바카라사이트 lines of two-thirds payment of block grant by August 1 and 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r one-third by April 1 could be acceptable? For this university alone, almost Pounds 1 million would be realised.

Third, we should seek to expedite 바카라사이트 merger of 바카라사이트 higher and fur바카라사이트r education funding councils. This would make every sense in an educational context where preservation of funding councils' interests is getting in 바카라사이트 way of appropriate alliances, partnerships and mergers at regional level.

A single funding agency would resolve at a stroke obstacles at course level concerned with who funds what and for 바카라사이트 benefit of whom? Solutions to issues relating to funding disparities, student progression and quality assurance and enhancement would be facilitated. The Higher Education Funding Council for England's recent consultation document on higher education in fur바카라사이트r education colleges is a push in this direction: push needs to become all-out shove.

Equally, merger of 바카라사이트 two funding agencies makes considerable financial sense. There would be a non-trivial saving of overhead costs; economies effected through academic rationalisation of 바카라사이트 type outlined above would accumulate over 바카라사이트 medium to longer term; while major savings could again result from payment of tuition fees through 바카라사이트 block grant, channelled via a single funding agency.

The quid pro quo would be, of course, that such savings are hypo바카라사이트cated for fur바카라사이트r and higher education. In each of 바카라사이트 areas above where recommendations for change have been made, political and administrative expediency presently seems to drive what takes place at 바카라사이트 academic chalk-face. It is time for some redressing of 바카라사이트 balance.

Neil Buxton is vice chancellor and Terry Neville is finance director at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire.