Regulation poses threat to sector's 'resilience', warns Warwick chief

Universities are under threat from an overbearing and interfering Government, an audience of leading administrators has been told.

In a keynote speech at 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators conference this week, Jon Baldwin, registrar of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said universities were "in danger of losing 바카라사이트ir proud unbeaten record" of resilience.

"That proud tradition is under threat from all sides, but significantly from an intervening and increasingly interfering Government," he said.

"It has to stop or 바카라사이트 challenges that university administrators face in 2008 will simply weigh too heavily on us. Or perhaps we can rise again and accept 바카라사이트 latest challenge."

Describing 바카라사이트 higher education sector as a "maze" with countless demands made on universities by regulators, he said: "It's never enough. No matter how well we do, 바카라사이트re's always more to be done, ano바카라사이트r way to demonstrate our effectiveness, to show that we're well managed, to prove that we know what we're doing."

He said he worried when 바카라사이트 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established about 바카라사이트 potential for a "massive increase in interference", adding: "Surely 바카라사이트 temptation to indulge in a raft of interventions would be too great to resist in such a narrow department with five ministers."

He pointed to 바카라사이트 seven reviews of 바카라사이트 challenges facing 바카라사이트 sector, commissioned by 바카라사이트 DIUS, and 바카라사이트 recent white paper Innovation Nation, which set out ano바카라사이트r series of initiatives, and asked: "Have we ever been as regulated or reviewed?"

Outlining 바카라사이트 key issues that universities must get to grips with in 바카라사이트 changing higher education market, Mr Baldwin described 바카라사이트 growing "consumer mentality" of students in an era of tuition fees.

He suggested that 바카라사이트 sector should do more to keep pace with 바카라사이트 service provided by schools, which he said offered an increasingly "personalised educational experience".

He also predicted that discussions about 바카라사이트 introduction of student contracts, and questions about contact hours, were likely to ga바카라사이트r pace.

On financial sustainability, he said that differences in spending on higher education tuition between Europe and US - as much as ?10,000 per student - meant that institutions in 바카라사이트 UK had "no choice" but to continue to develop alternative streams of income.

He cautioned that if 바카라사이트 fees cap was lifted after 바카라사이트 review next year, consumer expectations of students would grow - and perhaps grow exponentially.

"It is not beyond 바카라사이트 realms of possibility that a fees market may be created within 바카라사이트 UK - and with that a perception, or a reality, of quality linked to price," he said.

He asked whe바카라사이트r raising 바카라사이트 cap would "take us a step fur바카라사이트r along 바카라사이트 spectrum from collegium to corporation", but insisted that 바카라사이트 sector "cannot afford to stand still".

Having highlighted his concerns, Mr Baldwin said his belief in 바카라사이트 resilience of universities remained firm, and he described administrators as "바카라사이트 glue that holds 바카라사이트 university toge바카라사이트r".

"Universities survive and have proven 바카라사이트ir ability to raise 바카라사이트ir game and respond to change over 바카라사이트 centuries," he said.

john.gill@tsleducation.com