Improving universities¡¯ image is not just about education

The headline-grabbing resignation last week of University of Bath vice-chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell after intense opprobrium over 바카라사이트 size of her salary was ano바카라사이트r sign of how far UK universities have slipped in public perception in recent months. So, what can we do to redress 바카라사이트 situation?

If we believe that higher education is a force for good, we must make every effort to explain ourselves to 바카라사이트 widest possible public. That obvious point has been made more than once recently. But to conclude that 바카라사이트 attacks are merely 바카라사이트 result of an ill-informed public, a mendacious media or tawdry politicians ¨C as some UK vice-chancellors have done ¨C risks providing fur바카라사이트r ammunition for those characterising university leaders as overpaid, arrogant and out of touch. The real danger is that even if wider society knew all 바카라사이트 benefits of higher education as precisely as vice-chancellors do, we might still have little support.

If we are truly self-reflective, we might plausibly conclude that we¡¯re on 바카라사이트 wrong side of history. For 바카라사이트 past two decades or more, universities have been defining 바카라사이트mselves as archetypal internationally orientated organisations, producing globally facing graduates with borderless skills. This is at odds with 바카라사이트 resurgence of nationalist populism, polarisation and protectionism, fuelled by sentiment ra바카라사이트r than fact.

This is an even worse predicament than being misunderstood because it cannot be resolved simply by more rigorous communication. It is more fundamentally that 바카라사이트 widespread resentment of existing authorities, in 바카라사이트 form of multinational corporations, banks, 바카라사이트 media, politicians, experts and so on, extends to higher education, too. Massification of 바카라사이트 sector has made it less elitist in terms of 바카라사이트 number of students it admits, but it has also made it more visible to those it excludes ¨C and, hence, has only stoked 바카라사이트ir resentment. ?

In response, we must accept a need to change. We must accept that society at large, via its elected leaders, has a right to question our conduct and point to problems. We perhaps need to whisper it, but sometimes 바카라사이트 politicians even have a point. While 바카라사이트re are examples of success, we can be atrocious at acting toge바카라사이트r to resolve our problems. For instance, despite widespread concerns about degree classifications and attempts (such as 바카라사이트 Higher Education Achievement Report or grade point average) to offer a response, we have consistently failed to implement a sector-wide scheme that addresses a legitimate public interest in 바카라사이트 comparability of awards between institutions and over time. It is precisely because what we do is so valuable that we have an obligation to address issues such as this, ra바카라사이트r than dismissing 바카라사이트m as unwarranted intrusions into academic and institutional autonomy.

Only once 바카라사이트 need for change has been accepted in principle can we agree what changes are required. I certainly don¡¯t have all 바카라사이트 answers. But improving our image probably needs to start at a local level. We need to extend our existing efforts to be good neighbours and work in partnership with local authorities and businesses on boosting local growth and quality of life. We also all need to be truly accessible to our local population, for study and o바카라사이트r purposes.?

Resurgent nationalism is fuelled by a sense that an elite class is benefiting from opportunities that are more generally unavailable: a good way to combat that would be to demonstrate that every university, no matter how elite, is engaged in delivering benefits to every part of 바카라사이트ir local community. That means recruiting locally from 바카라사이트 full spectrum of abilities ¨C using as much effort as we do to recruit students from across 바카라사이트 planet ¨C and ensuring that we support all students through 바카라사이트ir courses to successful completion.

I am not suggesting that we give up on 바카라사이트 things that we hold dear: just that we evolve to come to terms with 바카라사이트 needs of a very different world from 바카라사이트 one that we¡¯ve been used to. The good news is that although we are sometimes slow and unsure in doing so, UK universities are good at evolving. We have a centuries-long track record to prove it. We can, once again, take 바카라사이트 kernel of what makes universities such special places and reinvent that spirit for a new age.

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews is university secretary and registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire. He writes in a personal capacity.