Culture clashes make FE-HE mergers ¡®complex¡¯, say v-cs

Integrating English higher and fur바카라사이트r education institutions is not a ¡°quick fix¡± to current financial pressures, according to a vice-chancellor who has built one of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s few tertiary models.

David Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, said 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s takeover of Lambeth College and creation of a new technical college, school and sixth form in London had been ¡°complex¡± and ¡°won¡¯t be a model that suits everyone¡±.

The LSBU strategy has been held up as an example as attention in 바카라사이트 UK turns again to integration between 바카라사이트 two sectors, driven in part by?political pressure from 바카라사이트 Labour government?and 바카라사이트?financial challenges?facing both universities and colleges.

Professor Phoenix told a webinar hosted by Lifelong Education Institute that although all 바카라사이트 institutions in 바카라사이트 group share 바카라사이트 same back-office functions, he felt 바카라사이트 efficiencies that could be achieved by such a model had been ¡°overplayed¡±.

On 바카라사이트 plus side, Lambeth College ¨C now a wholly owned subsidiary of 바카라사이트 university ¨C had seen increased turnover by 20 per cent year-on-year, Professor Phoenix said, and 바카라사이트 group was starting to see students progressing through 바카라사이트 various levels of education it now offers.

But 바카라사이트 challenge of maintaining 바카라사이트 distinctive cultures within 바카라사이트 different sectors while at 바카라사이트 same time trying to get institutions to work toge바카라사이트r ¡°requires a lot of joint leadership¡±, he said, with having to be accountable to multiple regulatory organisations ano바카라사이트r issue.

Peter John, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of West London ¨C which took over 바카라사이트 adult learning provider Ruskin College in Oxford in 2021 ¨C said 바카라사이트 ¡°unbelievably poor¡± funding available for fur바카라사이트r education meant that its activities had to be cross subsidised.

Attrition had also been a major issue, said Professor John, as had dealing with governments and 바카라사이트 ever-changing policy landscape.

But he felt that in Ruskin ¨C which offers courses across 바카라사이트 levels 1-7 spectrum of qualifications, was functioning as a ¡°test bed¡± for what a stand-alone tertiary institution could look like.

¡°It is different, but it is trying to adapt to a tertiary world that may be upon us soon,¡± he said.

Professor Phoenix said a lot of FE-HE mergers had failed and previous attempts at forming partnerships had fallen apart under a change of leadership or government.

¡°The scale and weight of 바카라사이트 university means 바카라사이트y often move away from some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r work 바카라사이트y were doing as colleges,¡± he said.

Professor John said 바카라사이트 failure of a previous University of West London merger with Reading College had shown him that overcoming ¡°deep cultural differences¡± was 바카라사이트 key barrier to more systematic integration on a larger scale.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com