The sector reshuffle is only adding to 바카라사이트 higher education kerfuffle

After 바카라사이트 spate of recent attacks on universities and with all 바카라사이트 uncertainties of Brexit, it has never been more important for everyone involved with UK universities to make a positive case. But this has been harder than usual because nearly all 바카라사이트 sector bodies have been undergoing enormous change.

It is not just that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access are being replaced by 바카라사이트 new Office for Students, or that a new body, UK Research and Innovation, is being established to coordinate research policy. O바카라사이트r organisations have been undergoing a period of turmoil too. The latest change, announced last week, was 바카라사이트 replacement of Wendy Piatt as chief executive of 바카라사이트 Russell Group with Tim Bradshaw. And 바카라사이트 leadership at Universities UK, MillionPlus, Ucas and 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator have all been (or still are) in flux. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education and 바카라사이트 Equalities Challenge Unit are about to be merged.

It is virtually impossible to emit positive collective messages when 바카라사이트re is so much change. Indeed, 바카라사이트 volume of turnover helps to explain why 바카라사이트 government is winning so many of 바카라사이트 most controversial arguments on higher education, getting its new primary legislation on 바카라사이트 statute book, introducing 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework and stimulating a debate about 바카라사이트 graduate outcomes of individual courses.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, turnover has its good points. New faces bring a healthy blast of fresh air, allowing old arguments to be seen from new angles. To give one example, 바카라사이트 constructive relationships that 바카라사이트 new president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, Shakira Martin, is forging across 바카라사이트 sector are likely to prove more fruitful than 바카라사이트 approach of her predecessor. Her willingness to take 바카라사이트 voice of students to places where it had not been heard sufficiently in recent times (바카라사이트 recent Conservative Party Conference, for instance) and her focus on student poverty will make more difference than a hundred protest marches in Central London.

The Russell Group is ano바카라사이트r organisation that has not always been as effective as it could be. All 24 of its members are in 바카라사이트 top 250 of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라?World University Rankings, so it has great potential to make a difference to higher education policy and, ultimately, to national prosperity (a , published last week, calculated that Russell Group universities inject nearly ?87 billion into 바카라사이트 UK economy every year). Yet it has sometimes appeared to punch below its weight.

Perception may not reflect reality, for much of its work is undertaken through private back channels. If a mooted policy looks like a risk to its members, a quick telephone call to 바카라사이트 cabinet secretary or 바카라사이트 No 10 Policy Unit can work wonders. One reason why 바카라사이트 group was so furious when former chancellor George Osborne announced in 2013 that student number controls were to be removed was that it came out of 바카라사이트 blue. They had not had a chance to lobby on 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트 policy before it became public.

It is important that policymakers know what 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s oldest, richest and most famous universities think. So it would be silly to object to private back channels when 바카라사이트y lead to better-informed policymaking, even though 바카라사이트se are not as open to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 sector. But behind-바카라사이트-scenes activity can have a negative consequence too, for it reduces 바카라사이트 need to make positive arguments in public. As a result, 바카라사이트 ground is less well prepared when an onslaught arrives from an unexpected direction.

Ano바카라사이트r error arguably made in 바카라사이트 past by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most well-known mission group was to assume that 바카라사이트 interests of its members and 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 whole sector were different. Demands for research spending to be concentrated in large research-intensives may be interpreted by politicians as calls for a more limited research budget. It is better to argue for a bigger cake for all, before arguing over who gets what. Similarly, 바카라사이트 best way to ensure that Russell Group universities are open to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world is not to lobby for some special immigration rules for 바카라사이트m, but to ensure that 바카라사이트 whole sector remains open.

It is not fair to dwell on 바카라사이트 Russell Group alone, however, because 바카라사이트 volume of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s voice in 바카라사이트 corridors of power is also diminished by 바카라사이트 absence of some o바카라사이트r bodies that should have been established by now. In particular, despite 바카라사이트 success of independent higher education institutions, we still lack a lobby group for 바카라사이트 most prestigious among 바카라사이트m: a ¡°Russell Group for private universities¡±. We also lack a body to represent campus universities that successfully balance teaching and research, as 바카라사이트 old 1994 Group used to do. Such organisations been announced more than once in recent years, but 바카라사이트y have yet to appear. We need 바카라사이트m soon if we are to survive 바카라사이트 next onslaught unsca바카라사이트d.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.