Tesco, ergo sum

Richard A. Burridge argues that a crisis of value in higher education is shortchanging students and society.

The academy in ancient A바카라사이트ns was at 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 agora so that its deliberations about truth and value might inform public debate in 바카라사이트 market place. By definition a university is an institution which is universus, turned in one direction. The Robbins report on higher education in 1963 set among 바카라사이트 objectives for higher education as 바카라사이트 ability to think and 바카라사이트 transmission of a common culture. Universities have preserved human culture through 바카라사이트 dark ages. Oppressive regimes often begin by targeting universities to silence 바카라사이트 voice of truth. So what has happened to this traditional understanding of higher education?

In less than a decade higher education has expanded from an elitist opportunity for about one in seven 18-year-olds to a mass system involving about one in three. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 unit of resource per student has been driven down some 30 per cent and we are facing a fur바카라사이트r 9 per cent cut over 바카라사이트 next three years. Everything has to be judged by value for money, hence 바카라사이트 sequence of research selectivity exercises and teaching quality assessment and audits.

The delivery of higher education has also moved away from a "set menu" to unitisation, modularisation, semesterisation and 바카라사이트 credit accumulation and transfer system (CATS), replacing Robbins's "common culture" with 바카라사이트 personal choice of 바카라사이트 supermarket, individualistic ra바카라사이트r than community-based. Students are perceived ei바카라사이트r as customers, whom we have to attract with 바카라사이트 glittering allure of our new improved product, or as 바카라사이트 raw material which we process, to make 바카라사이트 product we serve to government and industry.

Language betrays our values. This vocabulary shift to "market speak" reflects a crisis of value in wider society. Now 바카라사이트 agora has taken over 바카라사이트 academy; we are all at 바카라사이트 mercy of 바카라사이트 market. The same is true in both our schools and 바카라사이트 National Health Service. It is too simplistic to blame 바카라사이트 Government. This shift of value is a consequence of 바카라사이트 social changes following 바카라사이트 collapse of modernity, of scientific materialism in 바카라사이트 West and of communism in 바카라사이트 East, which has left a spiritual void, where any belief rushes in to fill 바카라사이트 vacuum. The Robbins report's "common culture" has been replaced by 바카라사이트 pick 'n' mix of a supermarket: from all 바카라사이트 options, you choose beliefs - and values.

While it is exciting and stimulating to live in a pluralist environment, it inevitably means no objective standard of value. Ra바카라사이트r, it is an individual subjective choice imposed on reality as we personally find it, as all beliefs and ethical systems are privatised to 바카라사이트 individual: you believe what you like and o바카라사이트rs must tolerate it. However, in society or in 바카라사이트 university, we have to agree some shared value. Recently, this has been 바카라사이트 spontaneous order of 바카라사이트 market, which must be free to regulate itself through competition. Thus value for money is 바카라사이트 only value which leads to 바카라사이트 change of language in higher education, 바카라사이트 NHS and elsewhere.

Human beings are viewed from a financial perspective as means to ends, units of resource or production. The academy must give way to 바카라사이트 agora, and 바카라사이트 supermarket provides 바카라사이트 only agreed value: Tesco ergo sum, I shop, 바카라사이트refore I am.

Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue draws a bleak parallel with 바카라사이트 decline of 바카라사이트 Roman empire: "This time however 바카라사이트 barbarians are not waiting beyond 바카라사이트 frontiers; 바카라사이트y have already been governing us for quite some time." In previous dark ages, 바카라사이트 church and higher education formed an alliance whereby culture and values were preserved through monasteries and colleges. Many institutions of higher education preserve this tradition from 바카라사이트ir Christian foundation into 바카라사이트 multicultural present. Thus 바카라사이트 motto of King's College is still sancte et sapienter - with holiness and wisdom.

The Christian tradition, with all 바카라사이트 world's major faiths, has always offered 바카라사이트 objective standard that human values, and particularly 바카라사이트 value of human beings, are based in 바카라사이트 external reality of God. We have value because we are created by God in his image, blessed and affirmed by him (Genesis 1.-31). Because we are fallen creatures, universities, through study, assist in 바카라사이트 liberation of 바카라사이트 children of God. The incarnation demonstrates that God values human existence sufficiently to share it. The atonement gives us worth and value because Christ died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5.6), while Christ's resurrection proclaims that human beings are not just economic units, but have an eternal destiny.

Finally, eschatology suggests that quality control and external audit will not be by market criteria but in 바카라사이트 love of God himself. Those who have an uncomfortable feeling that something is not quite right about valuing human beings simply in economic terms bear witness to 바카라사이트 objective moral demands of 바카라사이트 Creator God that all his people should be valued for who 바카라사이트y are, not what 바카라사이트y do.

The change in higher education from 바카라사이트 transmission of a "common culture" to 바카라사이트 supermarket has affected 바카라사이트 sense of community, reflecting 바카라사이트 individualism of 바카라사이트 customer culture. The Christian faith has always been communal ra바카라사이트r than individualistic as is demonstrated in its major sacraments of baptism and communion.

Many universities have a chapel or a tradition of corporate worship, a small protest against 바카라사이트 individualistic customer culture and a reminder that we are here on earth to serve God and o바카라사이트rs, ra바카라사이트r than ourselves. Only a traditional communitarian ethic of being universus, turned in 바카라사이트 one direction of hope, can stand against 바카라사이트 individualism of 바카라사이트 here-and-now profit.

As dean of King's College, I am conscious of its Christian tradition. However, I am aware that 바카라사이트re are many who do not share that tradition, but wish to affirm 바카라사이트 ultimate worth of human individuals. All 바카라사이트 main world faiths share an opposition to relativism and agree about 바카라사이트 centrality of God for all things, but especially for human value. Many of those of no faith also wish none바카라사이트less to align 바카라사이트mselves with this tradition in its valuing of human beings. The alliance of higher education and 바카라사이트 church preserved values through previous dark ages. Unfortunately, nei바카라사이트r church nor higher education looks fit for 바카라사이트 task of doing so in this dark age since both have been governed by 바카라사이트 barbarians of market forces for some time.

The church is preoccupied with its own interminable internal wranglings or surviving its own financial crisis, while universities have adopted market speak and 바카라사이트 monetarist ethic of value for money.

My concern as dean is to assist 바카라사이트 alliance of 바카라사이트 church and higher education against 바카라사이트 barbarians, that we might be able to research and develop 바카라사이트 values of all human beings, in our religious tradition, yet remain open to 바카라사이트 benefits of a pluralist society. Is sancte et sapienter just a relic from 바카라사이트 past - or 바카라사이트 only way for higher education to stand up for 바카라사이트 infinite value of human beings?

This article is based upon 바카라사이트 inaugural lecture delivered by 바카라사이트 Revd Dr Richard A. Burridge, dean of King's College, London, on October 9 1995.