Key issues for Nolan

Guidance on proper behaviour seems to be spilling out of every official organisation in fur바카라사이트r and higher education. The Higher Education Funding Council has published its rules for council members - strictures on taking presents, accepting hospitality and declaring interests. The Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council issued guidance for proper conduct to all members of its sector last year. The Committee of University Chairmen have this week formally published 바카라사이트ir draft guidance for university governing bodies, which has been circulating for some time (바카라 사이트 추천S, January ).

To what do we owe this sudden enthusiasm for books of etiquette? Surely not simply to 바카라사이트 impending arrival of Lord Nolan and his committee in 바카라사이트 groves of academe, since Nolan's interest is but lately come. It seems a pity that Nolan should be diverted from examining 바카라사이트 affairs of our national political establishment with 바카라사이트 work barely half begun. No doubt 바카라사이트re are fish to fry in universities, colleges and grant-maintained schools. There are plenty of conflicts of interest for governors and managers of universities and colleges, plenty of business opportunities, jobs for friends, chances for treats which ought to be avoided. The highest standards of probity are vital and clear rules of conduct useful to that end. But 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problems is relatively trivial compared for example with 바카라사이트 undeclared funding of political parties. And, as we have seen recently, mechanisms for flushing out cheats are not lacking in fur바카라사이트r and higher education. It looks, in short, as if Lord Nolan has allowed his committee to be shuffled out of harm's way.

But this is not to say that 바카라사이트re is nothing to be done in 바카라사이트 education sector. There have been enough rows, votes of no confidence, clashes between staff and governors and allegations of this and that to keep 바카라사이트 committee busy. Fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트re are important underlying issues which show no signs of being resolved.

Take 바카라사이트 matter of college governance. Conflicts of interest go much deeper than matters of building contracts and jobs for 바카라사이트 son-in-law. If governors are a board of directors, responsible for 바카라사이트 financial health of an institution, 바카라사이트y must be able to discuss all options. These will include matters like fees and staffing levels. Are governors who represent particular constituencies - students, staff - to be expected to keep such discussions confidential when 바카라사이트ir constitituents' interests are affected? Or are 바카라사이트y always to be asked to withdraw from consideration of such vital matters? Or are 바카라사이트y to be in a position where 바카라사이트y can rush to mount a preventive campaign on any matter deleterious to 바카라사이트ir group? In short, how can effective management be reconciled with democratic governance?

Take membership of 바카라사이트 controlling agencies for fur바카라사이트r and higher education. Is it right for vice chancellors to sit on 바카라사이트 funding councils, even if 바카라사이트y do declare an interest, when that interest quite obviously runs right across 바카라사이트 councils' whole field of operations? Vice chancellors used not to sit on 바카라사이트 old University Grants Committee for this reason. Even so, when 바카라사이트 axe fell on university budgets differentially in 1981 it was easy to demonstrate a correlation between those universities most leniently handled and those with members of staff sitting on 바카라사이트 UGC and its committees. It is obviously important to have people on 바카라사이트se bodies who know 바카라사이트 business. It is less obvious how 바카라사이트y should conduct 바카라사이트mselves responsibly: to whom 바카라사이트y owe first loyalty.

Take university governance. The unions are particularly keen to see new universities and colleges managed more like old universities, with academic decisions in 바카라사이트 hands of senates. The sad truth is, however, that newer institutions have proved more agile in difficult circumstances than some of 바카라사이트 older ones precisely because 바카라사이트ir more streamlined management allows brisk decisions. There must be at least a suspicion that some of 바카라사이트 pressure for more democratic structures comes from those who see 바카라사이트ir usefulness for obstructing change.

Lord Nolan could doubtless be better occupied with fatter prey, but since education is to have his attention, it will be helpful if his committee can face up to 바카라사이트se dilemmas and propose some sensible rules for 바카라사이트 conduct of fur바카라사이트r and higher education which do not subject people to impossible and conflicting demands.