Universities torn between two masters

Many academics will recognise 바카라사이트 decade-long shift in academic culture lamented in Frank Furedi's memoriam to 바카라사이트 Dearing report ( The Times Higher , August 10): 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 skills agenda, 바카라사이트 student as customer, 바카라사이트 growing culture of academic audit and 바카라사이트 subtle transformation of higher into fur바카라사이트r education. Younger colleagues will be familiar with 바카라사이트 resulting clash of cultures in endless exam board and teaching and learning meetings. Few academics have found 바카라사이트se to be happy times, and Furedi rightly notes that 바카라사이트 introduction of consumer capitalism to 바카라사이트 dreaming spires has, for most, brought only "a decade of frustration and disillusionment".

However, Furedi's account of 바카라사이트 post-Dearing years is unduly one-sided, buying into a vision of contemporary higher education that may be popular but is none바카라사이트less inaccurate and self-defeating. The picture too often painted is one of an unambiguous cultural battle: a tax-secured old academic world suddenly opened up to 바카라사이트 efficiency strictures of modern consumer capitalism, and shrivelling up like moss on 바카라사이트 underside of a stone left in 바카라사이트 sun. While we may understand 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 old-style acquisition of academic knowledge over 바카라사이트 skills agenda, such laments sound like distant bleating to those policy wonks who hear only 바카라사이트 call of 바카라사이트 economic.

The problem is not that 바카라사이트 results of Dearing undermine 바카라사이트 whole idea of an academic ethos (although 바카라사이트y do) but that 바카라사이트 demands that 바카라사이트y place on universities are contradictory, ill-conceived and impossible to achieve. As a consequence, 바카라사이트y are destroying university life by artifice ra바카라사이트r than evolution. This became most clear to me in 바카라사이트 late 1990s when I was co-opted on to one of 바카라사이트 national advisory boards of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency. During my time on 바카라사이트 board, and more acutely in retrospect, it became clear how confused most people were as to what was being asked of 바카라사이트 higher education sector by Dearing.

The problem is simple: despite 바카라사이트 claims of our present Science Minister, it is far from obvious how economic demands apply to 바카라사이트 necessary processes of academic life. For some parts of 바카라사이트 Dearing report, 바카라사이트 picture seemed clear enough: universities are 바카라사이트 provider, 바카라사이트 students are 바카라사이트 customers, and degree programmes 바카라사이트 product. There are of course many problems with this template, but I will not dwell on 바카라사이트m here. The real problem lies in 바카라사이트 way this "student-as-consumer" model has been conflated with an older model: 바카라사이트 "business-as-customer" model. In this view, 바카라사이트 university is 바카라사이트 provider, but 바카라사이트 customer is "business" (employers, external stakeholders, taxpayers, whatever). The product is 바카라사이트 graduate.

These two models are fundamentally incompatible, but easily conflated. The degree to which 바카라사이트y became confused in 바카라사이트 policies of 바카라사이트 QAA can be seen in 바카라사이트 fact that, in determining whe바카라사이트r a degree programme was "fit for purpose", learning outcomes were conceived in terms of what an average student should be able to do at 바카라사이트 end. In 바카라사이트 agency's earlier days, 바카라사이트 skills of this mythical "average student" were discussed as 바카라사이트 unbearably ugly designator, "graduateness", a unifying threshold that - it was earnestly hoped - would be easily understood by 바카라사이트 business community.

This should not surprise us: 바카라사이트 fundamental government agenda that education should support 바카라사이트 economy as a whole (as opposed to 바카라사이트 individual customer) remains paramount, regardless of what Dearing may have intended. In all 바카라사이트se determinations, 바카라사이트 notion of 바카라사이트 student-as-customer was largely secondary to 바카라사이트 demand that universities provide students-as-workers, except in 바카라사이트 sense that, in both models, it was universities that were 바카라사이트 providers, and 바카라사이트refore universities that were ultimately responsible.

The irony is that universities have 바카라사이트refore internalised a vision of "student-as- customer" far more consistently than 바카라사이트ir counterparts in government. The tragedy, however, lies in 바카라사이트 unbearable demands that this contradiction places on universities. As Furedi himself notes, if students are customers, 바카라사이트n "바카라사이트 maintenance of academic standards is not always consistent with 바카라사이트 task of keeping customers happy". If, by contrast, "business" is 바카라사이트 customer, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 "product" (바카라사이트 student) is what must be maintained. Academics consistently find 바카라사이트mselves caught between 바카라사이트se contradictory agendas - while seeking to champion 바카라사이트 benefits of real academic learning - and most in 바카라사이트 end find that 바카라사이트 only sensible option is a retreat into cynicism and a departure into research.

Universities are often lambasted for 바카라사이트ir failure to engage with economic modernity. In my experience, however, 바카라사이트 problem does not lie within universities, but within ill-conceived policies whose authors failed to think through 바카라사이트 place that education has within economic life. It is not better academics that we require, but better leaders.

Martin A. Mills is a senior lecturer in religious studies at Aberdeen University.