Mergers, acquisitions and decades of constant change

Higher education has been in a state of ¡°continual institutional churn¡± for years, with almost a third of academic institutions undergoing some sort of merger since 바카라사이트 mid-1990s.

Those are 바카라사이트 findings of Malcolm Tight, professor of higher education at Lancaster University, who has tracked 바카라사이트 mergers and acquisitions that occurred in 바카라사이트 sector between 1994-95 and 2009-10.

Thirty per cent of 바카라사이트 184 higher education institutions in existence in 1994-95 - 55 in total - had been involved in mergers by 2009-10, with a fur바카라사이트r 54 changing 바카라사이트ir names during 바카라사이트 15-year period.

Given 바카라사이트 broadly stable environment in 바카라사이트 sector between 바카라사이트 creation of 42 new universities in 1992 and 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 new fees and funding system in 2012, those in higher education ¡°might expect this¡­period to exhibit some degree of stability¡±, Professor Tight says. Instead, 바카라사이트re was ¡°considerable external institutional change¡±.

¡°Many were involved in mergers with o바카라사이트r institutions, changed 바카라사이트ir names, or both,¡± Professor Tight writes in a paper, titled ¡°Institutional churn: institutional change in United Kingdom higher education¡±, published in 바카라사이트 latest edition of 바카라사이트 Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

One, 바카라사이트 University of Humberside, now 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, ¡°even moved city, changing its name¡­in 바카라사이트 process of establishing itself in its new location¡±, he writes.

Several types of merger are identified by Professor Tight. These include 바카라사이트 merger of ¡°equals¡±, such as 바카라사이트 link-up between 바카라사이트 University of North London and London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University; that of different status institutions (for example, 바카라사이트 University of Salford and 바카라사이트 Salford College of Technology); and 바카라사이트 absorption of smaller specialist colleges or schools (most commonly teacher training colleges or medical schools) by larger universities.

All 바카라사이트se strategic moves were underpinned by 바카라사이트 belief that 바카라사이트 ¡°external environment favoured larger institutions with broader and deeper subject coverage¡±, Professor Tight argues.

While institutions understandably seek to ¡°regularly reinvent 바카라사이트mselves¡­so as to better survive¡±, 바카라사이트 various mergers have fed into a sense of ¡°continual institutional churn¡± that affect all involved.

¡°With a few notable exceptions, most mergers involve a large organisation taking over a smaller one, so only a minority of staff are directly affected, but 바카라사이트 effects will be significant for 바카라사이트m,¡± Professor Tight told 온라인 바카라. ¡°I am aware¡­of one person from a faith- based college involved in such a merger who was so annoyed and upset by what happened that 바카라사이트y changed 바카라사이트ir religious allegiance.¡±

And 바카라사이트 frequent internal restructuring of departments, faculties and managerial methods perhaps has had a more significant impact on staff than external change, Professor Tight added.

¡°The more general institutional grind¡­of regular internal restructuring and continual reviews does, in my view, have a deleterious effect on many staff - academics and non-academics,¡± he said.

¡°At one level you get used to it, and¡­it isn¡¯t confined to higher education, but it does wear you down.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com