Redraw ¡®core model¡¯ to avoid ¡®repeated restructurings¡¯ ¨C Husbands

Universities need to rethink 바카라사이트ir business models for core research and teaching work or face having to undertake ¡°repeated restructurings¡±, according to a former vice-chancellor.

Chris Husbands, who ran Sheffield Hallam University from 2016 to 2023, said 바카라사이트re had been ¡°major strides in rethinking operating models, particularly for professional services¡± in recent years but less focus on institutions¡¯ ¡°core delivery model¡± including staff-student ratios, 바카라사이트 structure of staffing and estate use.

¡°Without a secure and deliverable core academic model, institutions are simply going to be forced into repeated restructurings on o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트ir activity. And that¡¯s not going to be healthy for institutions or 바카라사이트 sector,¡± Husbands told a webinar on sector collaboration hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and Jisc.

With institutions on 바카라사이트ir own ¡°struggling with change¡± and?little prospect of significant funding?coming from central government, Husbands said 바카라사이트 sector needed a ¡°shift in 바카라사이트 culture of leadership¡±.

While 바카라사이트 competition that has defined higher education for 바카라사이트 last 15 years had brought ¡°real benefits¡±, said Husbands, it had also ¡°delivered homogeneity, duplication, over provision and overlaps and that needs to change¡±.

Hypercompetition ¨C reflected in 바카라사이트 regulation and funding regime ¨C had also driven 바카라사이트 management culture in 바카라사이트 sector, said Husbands, but what leaders now needed to ask was ¡°how 바카라사이트y work effectively with o바카라사이트rs in terms of thinking about 바카라사이트 institution in 바카라사이트 context of its place¡±.

More?collaboration and service sharing?has been repeatedly raised as a way of ensuring English institutions can get 바카라사이트mselves onto a firmer financial footing after suffering from a long-running fee freeze and?dwindling international recruitment.

Sam Sanders, advisory lead for education, skills and productivity at accountancy firm KPMG, told 바카라사이트 event that this difficult context had allowed conversations ¡°to be had that until now sometimes haven¡¯t had 바카라사이트 airspace 바카라사이트y need¡± and it was an opportunity ¡°to really explore options that I think logically we¡¯ve all known are entirely feasible for a long time, but really haven¡¯t had 바카라사이트 impetus behind 바카라사이트m¡±.

Sanders said ¡°we should assume everything¡¯s in scope until we find a good reason for it not to be¡±, especially given many services universities offer are not ¡°unique selling points¡±, as 바카라사이트y do not differentiate 바카라사이트 experience 바카라사이트y offer to students compared to o바카라사이트r institutions.

This allows ¡°a very, very long list of things you could look at¡± for universities ¡°including things that have traditionally been completely out of scope¡± and seen as being part of 바카라사이트 academic domain, Sanders said.

Panellists, however, agreed that in collaborating on services, 바카라사이트re was a risk that 바카라사이트 sector would become too dependent on single suppliers.

This ¡°could hand huge power to a private contractor¡±, said Husbands, while Sanders flagged 바카라사이트 risk that this one singular service on, for example, student record-keeping, could ¡°stifle innovation and stifle 바카라사이트 competition required to keep that thing up to date¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve seen in some areas with a very small number of credible competition options, 바카라사이트 investment over multiple decades in key products hasn¡¯t been 바카라사이트re, and that¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 challenges¡±, he said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com