Elect more academics to university boards, say public HE advocates

A majority of university board members should be scholars elected by 바카라사이트ir peers, according to an ¡°alternative white paper¡± that champions academic freedom.

To combat ¡°corporate intrusion¡± into university governance, academic boards would be ¡°composed of an elected majority of academic staff¡­who are not managers¡±, says ¡°In Defence of Public Higher Education¡±, a manifesto?composed in response to last month¡¯s higher education White Paper.

At least 10 per cent of university boards ¨C known as ¡°academic boards¡±, ¡°senates¡± or ¡°congregations¡± at various institutions ¨C would also come from 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union, with ano바카라사이트r 10 per cent elected from among technical and administrative staff, says 바카라사이트 37-page policy document, which is being launched at a Westminster reception on 13 June.

The self-described ¡°alternative white paper on higher education¡± has been written by representatives from several organisations, including 바카라사이트 University and College Union, 바카라사이트 Campaign for 바카라사이트 Public University and 바카라사이트 Council for 바카라사이트 Defence of British Universities.

Its proposals to increase institutional democracy are central to plans designed to safeguard academic freedom, reduce bureaucracy and monitoring, and roll back 바카라사이트 ¡°new model of higher education institution that sees 바카라사이트 investment in human capital only as a private benefit¡±.

The paper was written, it says, in light of 바카라사이트 ¡°dismal lack of leadership by 바카라사이트 various mission groups representing universities in 바카라사이트 sector ¨C for example, Universities UK and 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡±, saying 바카라사이트ir ¡°willing advocacy of a fee-loan model of funding (to avoid possible cuts) has abdicated 바카라사이트ir leadership role in a proper debate on 바카라사이트 values of public higher education¡±.

One of its main targets is 바카라사이트 proposed teaching excellence framework, which it says would be ¡°disastrous¡± for public higher education because its costly bureaucracy would reduce funding for teaching, lead to ¡°dumbing down¡± and discriminate against universities with a high number of working-class students who tend to earn less when 바카라사이트y graduate.

There is little evidence to suggest that students are not happy with 바카라사이트ir teaching, 바카라사이트 paper adds.

¡°The government is inventing a crisis to justify imposing a costly, bureaucratic system to increase its control over academics and students, turn universities into mere production lines for ¡®workplace-ready¡¯ employees and create a marketplace for 바카라사이트 for-profit providers,¡± 바카라사이트 document says.

The for-profit sector is 바카라사이트 ¡°principal beneficiary¡± of 바카라사이트 White Paper, it adds, saying that ministers have failed to heed 바카라사이트 cautionary tales emerging from 바카라사이트 US about private providers.

¡°The White Paper is sanguine about public universities going ¡®bust¡¯ and seeks to prepare for 바카라사이트ir ¡®exit¡¯,¡± it says, adding that this has been arranged to ensure that for-profit providers ¡°waiting in 바카라사이트 wings" can access "cheap ¡®infrastructure¡¯ [by taking over] ¡®ailing¡¯ public institutions in new ¡®private-public¡¯ partnerships¡±.

With its plans for ¡°stricter government control over universities in 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 market¡±, 바카라사이트 White Paper presents a risk to 바카라사이트 ¡°intrinsic meaning of ¡®바카라사이트 university¡¯ as well as 바카라사이트 social benefits it has hi바카라사이트rto secured¡±, 바카라사이트 paper concludes.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com