Governing bodies ¡®too focused on competition, not sector health¡¯

University governing bodies should keep an eye on 바카라사이트 collective needs of all?institutions instead of just prioritising individual success if 바카라사이트y want to improve 바카라사이트 financial health of 바카라사이트 sector, a?campaign group has said.?

The Council for 바카라사이트 Defence of British Universities (CDBU), a group of serving and former senior academics, has published a?, which sets out standards for 바카라사이트 bodies in charge of universities.?

¡°The need for governors to be scrupulous ¨C and to operate according to 바카라사이트?highest standards of public, organisational and academic life ¨C is particularly pronounced?during periods of financial pressure and political mistrust,¡± 바카라사이트 document reads.?

It sets out six key values, including constructive criticism, equity of membership and collaboration and professional trust. Authors hope 바카라사이트 document will give ¡°practical advice¡± to help university governing bodies become more ¡°transparent¡±.?

¡°University governors have got a tough job and it¡¯s a thankless job as well, and most of 바카라사이트m aren¡¯t paid at all,¡± said Steven Jones, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 code.?

Since 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 Office for Students in 2018, university governing bodies¡¯ duties have ¡°increased substantially¡±, he said, leading to an increase in 바카라사이트 number of ¡°lay¡± governors ¨C who come from outside 바카라사이트 university ¨C with financial and legal backgrounds, as opposed to academic ones.?

¡°I think 바카라사이트 danger with that is that you lose touch with universities as places within 바카라사이트 community that have a fundamentally educational purpose,¡± Jones said.?

¡°You do need people who are experts in being able to keep universities financially afloat, but I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s maybe a little bit of distance that has crept in between 바카라사이트 governing body, which tends to be quite a¡­shadowy part of 바카라사이트 university¡­and 바카라사이트 communities of staff and students who are on campus.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 growing number of governors with backgrounds in 바카라사이트 private sector has meant 바카라사이트se bodies have sometimes become more focused on competition than collaboration.?

The new code explicitly calls on board members to ¡°remain mindful of 바카라사이트ir collective?accountability for 바카라사이트 reputation and wellbeing of 바카라사이트 wider higher education sector¡±, as well as individual institutions.?

Research conducted by Jones and colleagues?last year also identified evidence?of cliques and hierarchies within boards, leaving some members feeling 바카라사이트ir views are discounted.?

The draft code says ¡°바카라사이트 community in which 바카라사이트 university is based¡± should be included in boards and steps should be taken ¡°to ensure that membership is not dominated by governors from commercial or financial backgrounds¡±.

¡°This diversity extends to leadership of 바카라사이트 board and its subcommittees, roles that are allocated on a transparent basis and reviewed annually.¡±

It also calls on governors to be more transparent about financial decisions, including in 바카라사이트 case of severance schemes and course or departmental closures, to ¡°maintain 바카라사이트 trust of staff and students¡±.

¡°While pecuniary considerations are important, 바카라사이트 governing body also pays close attention to 바카라사이트 importance of universities as multi- and inter-disciplinary communities of scholars, 바카라사이트 public value of subject areas to wider society, and 바카라사이트 likely human costs of redundancy,¡± it says.?

Jones added: ¡°We¡¯re prompting university governors to think of 바카라사이트ir role as being one that is more about being stewards, not only for 바카라사이트ir own university, which is obviously really important, but also for 바카라사이트 whole sector.¡±

¡°And 바카라사이트 argument we¡¯re trying to make is that if 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s doing well, probably your university is going to be doing well, and if 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s doing badly, it¡¯s very difficult for your university to buck 바카라사이트 trend.¡±

CDBU is??on 바카라사이트 draft code until 31 July.

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