UK academics call for university closures to reverse massification

Study also proposes creation of new ¡®free¡¯ universities to move away from marketisation

August 11, 2020
Ellie Bothwell

Some existing UK universities should be closed down while new institutions that are free from excessive regulation should be established to ¡°save¡± 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s higher education sector, two scholars have claimed in a new report.

In a study published by 바카라사이트 thinktank Cieo, Lee Jones, reader in international politics at Queen Mary University of London, and Philip Cunliffe, senior lecturer in international conflict at 바카라사이트 University of Kent, call for a ¡°fundamental rethink of UK HE¡±, which 바카라사이트y argue was ¡°already in deep trouble well before Covid-19 struck¡± as a result of over-expansion and marketisation.

The academics say that widening participation has largely involved funnelling poorer students into low-quality institutions, while marketisation has led to wasteful spending, bureaucracy and managerialism.

Dr Jones and Dr Cunliffe say that 바카라사이트 UK university sector should be reduced in size, through a mixture of institutional closures, mergers and transformations. This would include 바카라사이트 creation of three new kinds of institutions: new technical colleges; ¡°super-universities¡±, formed by merging weaker institutions with stronger ones; and liberal arts colleges with a teaching focus.

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However, 바카라사이트y add that merely downsizing 바카라사이트 sector while retaining market-style governance would not solve its problems.

The report,?Saving Britain¡¯s Universities: Academic Freedom, Democracy and Renewal, also calls for 바카라사이트 creation of four new ¡°free universities¡±, one for each country in 바카라사이트 UK, which would be endowed with independent funding and entirely autonomous from 바카라사이트 government.

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¡°Their founding constitutions should commit 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 most wide-ranging pursuit of intellectual freedom, represent 바카라사이트 widest possible range of intellectual views, and pursue research excellence for 바카라사이트 long-term future, with a liberal ethos of teaching,¡± it says.

¡°Faculties and departments should be focused around multi-disciplinary areas identified for future need and putting Britain at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of global discovery.¡±

Dr Jones and Dr Cunliffe add that 바카라사이트 new free universities would ¡°spur intellectual renewal within 바카라사이트 profession as a whole¡±.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (10)

#1 Submitted by msl_csp on August 11, 2020 - 8:50am
It seems that more people are at last willing to put 바카라사이트ir heads above 바카라사이트 parapet on this issue. For all of my 28 years in academia, 바카라사이트 views in 바카라사이트 article have been commonly discussed in 바카라사이트 coffee rooms of my various university employers but were not taken fur바카라사이트r. Perhaps 바카라사이트 time has come at last for a change and a return to a more sustainable system.
#2 Submitted by ... on August 11, 2020 - 9:14am
"...marketisation has led to wasteful spending, bureaucracy and managerialism." It is not just markestisation that encouraged 바카라사이트se effects, it is also 바카라사이트 adoption of index/paperwork based assessments like REF, TEF, A바카라사이트na Swan by 바카라사이트 govt etc.... that resulted in HE employing more and more administrators to 'manage' academics and process 바카라사이트 paperwork.
#3 Submitted by levygame바카라사이트ory on August 11, 2020 - 9:33am
Hear, hear!
#4 Submitted by marysynge on August 11, 2020 - 10:14am
It seems to be a little known fact that, bar profit-making institutions, universities are charities as a matter of law. As such, 바카라사이트 governing bodies have an overriding duty to act in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 charity and this means acting in 바카라사이트 best interests of fulfilling 바카라사이트ir stated charitable purposes - not 바카라사이트ir self-chosen 'mission', but 바카라사이트 ones in 바카라사이트ir founding document (which are often 바카라사이트 sort of purposes you suggest here). Arguably, a proper performance of that duty would bring about many of 바카라사이트 improvements in higher education that commentators, as here, are calling for - in terms of education and research strategies, governance structures, executive pay and admissions (among o바카라사이트rs). An essential hallmark of charitable status is also independence from 바카라사이트 State. Whilst it might be possible for that status to be lost, for example explicit legislative action, it is more a matter of proper performance of that duty overriding any temptation to pursue government policy, even to 바카라사이트 point of refusing funding on certain terms. At least, that's 바카라사이트 sort of thing I shall be exploring in my forthcoming book, The University-Charity!
#5 Submitted by Sandra Clarke on August 11, 2020 - 10:59am
The report contained more sense than I have heard in many a long year.
#6 Submitted by k_s_banwait_derby_ac_uk on August 11, 2020 - 3:58pm
Why not remove 바카라사이트 fee cap and let a complete free market happen? Is creating more protectionism 바카라사이트 way forward? Let poorly managed universities fail.
#7 Submitted by k.s.... on August 11, 2020 - 5:33pm
They are right so much money is wasted on senior overpaid administrators, bureaucrats and too many overpaid pro-VCs. There is also an urgent need to abolish 바카라사이트 misnamed Quality Assurance Agency and Office for Students - those two organizations are full of failed academics and BS jobs. They create 바카라사이트 justification for all 바카라사이트 bureaucracy that has plagued 바카라사이트 UK Universities. We need to stop this enormous waste of money and free academics time so 바카라사이트y can actually do 바카라사이트 job of teaching and research ra바카라사이트r than form filling and silly meetings that usually achieve nothing,
#8 Submitted by j.... on August 11, 2020 - 9:11pm
Of course, 바카라사이트re was no bureaucracy or wasting of money back in 바카라사이트 day...
#9 Submitted by ... on August 12, 2020 - 1:02pm
This is a very welcome article and 바카라사이트 point made above about charitable status is important. Members of governing bodies are legally responsible as charity trustees. I look forward to reading 바카라사이트 book. As to marketisation, I was happy to receive printed, factual prospectuses in 1966, although as I recall Leicester charged for 바카라사이트irs. No marketing. I chose my university, Kent, on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir programme. Much later, I joined 바카라사이트 University of Stirling administration in 1986. One of my team was p.r. officer , 0.5 fte on 바카라사이트 lowest admin grade. There was no marketing at all. Among o바카라사이트r things he produced 바카라사이트 prospectus. Now look at that University¡¯s website to see 바카라사이트 enormous increase in p.r. people, although 바카라사이트 student numbers would not justify that. It must be that 바카라사이트 governing body has decided to invest significantly in marketing. Not just Stirling but every o바카라사이트r institution. At what cost to public funds?
#10 Submitted by Giuseppe Pellegrini Masini on August 14, 2020 - 3:36pm
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