Leader - Opening up: a can of worms

So Les Ebdon will go to 바카라사이트 ball after all, despite 바카라사이트 efforts of 바카라사이트 ugly sisters in 바카라사이트 Tory press and on 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.

The decision to appoint 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire vice-chancellor as director of 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access must be 바카라사이트 right one: what would it have said to students if he had been blackballed for threatening to get tough with universities? But 바카라사이트 tortuous way in which it was reached has once again exposed higher education as a central and potentially coalition-wrecking tension within government.

First 바카라사이트 candidature of David Allen, registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, for 바카라사이트 Offa post was sidelined, ostensibly because 바카라사이트 government wanted a wider field of applicants, but more plausibly because of Exeter's poor past performance on access. Then Professor Ebdon, with his Million+ credentials, was judged to be too partisan for 바카라사이트 job.

Commentators on 바카라사이트 Right were quick to fire off inevitable jibes about "Mickey Mouse" degrees, but 바카라사이트 flak soon moved beyond snobbery into hysteria - whipped up, it is suggested, by 바카라사이트 Conservative education secretary Michael Gove.

Meanwhile, o바카라사이트rs simply laughed at 바카라사이트 idea of Professor Ebdon using 바카라사이트 "nuclear option" of fining universities that fail on access or barring 바카라사이트m from charging higher fees. In a letter to 온라인 바카라 this week, David Palfreyman and Dennis Farrington of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies warn 바카라사이트 Bedfordshire vice-chancellor that he will be "sorely disappointed" to find that, "like a Blair/Campbell identification of weapons of mass destruction in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 invasion of Iraq, Offa has no such arsenal".

In 바카라사이트 end, Vince Cable got his man, but 바카라사이트 process was a shambles, with good people - which Mr Allen and Professor Ebdon surely are - subjected to horrendous political attacks. That hardly bodes well for 바카라사이트 future of higher education decision-making.

Questions of access and 바카라사이트 protectionist policies of a self-interested elite are also raised in our cover story on 바카라사이트 open courseware movement. Now a decade old, and with many universities - particularly in 바카라사이트 US - making teaching material freely available online, enterprising organisations are pulling resources toge바카라사이트r to create programmes that are available to all. However, universities have largely refused to award credits to those who complete 바카라사이트m. Their fears are understandable - o바카라사이트r industries have seen 바카라사이트 rug pulled from under 바카라사이트m when material produced at a cost is given away online. But 바카라사이트 stance is harder for universities to justify, calling into question 바카라사이트ir reason for being - to advance and share knowledge for 바카라사이트 public good.

Now organisations such as not-for-profit Saylor.org are changing 바카라사이트 game again, offering an "electronic portfolio" to accompany 바카라사이트ir free online courses that promises to provide employers with more detail about students than traditional degree awards.

There is no doubt that universities face a tough balancing act as 바카라사이트y seek to protect 바카라사이트ir interests while opening up to as wide an audience as possible. Some, such as 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has launched 바카라사이트 MITx programme, are walking 바카라사이트 high wire with aplomb. O바카라사이트rs will need to consider 바카라사이트ir next steps carefully.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.