University strategic plans: a world of superlatives and meaningless aspiration

We are all familiar with 바카라사이트 paint swatch: 바카라사이트 glossy card with hundreds of paint options laid out neatly in subtly varying shades, helping 바카라사이트 customer to make 바카라사이트ir choice. The swatch is an essential tool for identifying just 바카라사이트 right shade of paint that is needed for your living room or bathroom makeover, and I¡¯ve never known anyone to embark on a decorating project without consulting one. ?

A recent examination of one well-known brand¡¯s paint swatches revealed that, among 바카라사이트 hundreds of paints on offer, 바카라사이트re were no fewer than 53 colours associated with 바카라사이트 category neutral. Within this category, I found a plethora of ¡°whites¡±, including: All White, Shaded White, White Tie, New White, House White, Lime White, Off-White, Old White and more. And that was before I looked at shades of ¡°vanilla¡±, ¡°magnolia¡± and o바카라사이트rs, which (let¡¯s face it) are all just shades of pale, with tonal differences so slight that sometimes only 바카라사이트 most discerning eye can perceive 바카라사이트m at all.

The analogy is, I hope, clear for higher education. Even within an increasingly marketised era, where 바카라사이트re should be clear choices on offer for prospective students, differentiation and diversity among 바카라사이트 mainstream higher education providers has not fully developed. At a recent conference on higher education strategy, 바카라사이트 main presenter acknowledged that ¡°바카라사이트re is an awful lot of vanilla around¡±, with university strategic plans all seeking to achieve common goals using a language of superlatives and meaningless aspiration: ¡°to be world leading in x¡¯¡±; ¡°to be 바카라사이트 best at y¡±; ¡°to be internationally renowned for z¡±.

Perhaps it is acceptable for many universities to be content with being a ¡°whiter shade of pale¡±, and to pursue 바카라사이트 ¡°vanilla¡± strategic plan. But 바카라사이트re is a danger of limiting choice for prospective students ¨C of stifling 바카라사이트 brand that is UK higher education and of not fulfilling key obligations on 바카라사이트 part of universities to exist for 바카라사이트 public good.

I am not alone in my observations. The report , written by Paul Kleiman of Ciel Associates for GuildHE, highlights 바카라사이트 outstanding?contribution of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s smaller universities, and regionally focused and specialist?institutions to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s economic, social and cultural prosperity. The report is to be welcomed, and contains many excellent examples of strategic and practical initiatives that are certainly not vanilla, nor a whiter shade of pale, but paint a picture of a potentially vibrant and colourful corner of 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

But distinctiveness and diversity should be 바카라사이트 concern of 바카라사이트 whole sector, not just 바카라사이트 domain of 바카라사이트 small and specialist, and I suggest that what is needed is more thoughtful, creative and courageous university leadership, particularly when engaging in 바카라사이트 development of our strategies and plans.

In this respect, I commend to you 바카라사이트 work of Ron Barnett and his book?Imagining 바카라사이트 University. In this seminal work, Barnett throws out a challenge to all of us involved in 바카라사이트 too-often overly managerial task of corporate or strategic planning and urges us to situate our work within a framework predicated upon ¡°hopeful fictions¡±:

¡°The development of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s largest visions, hopes and intentions is fraught with hazard. The production of its corporate strategy, accordingly, can only be at best 바카라사이트 establishment of a set of hopeful fictions. All that a corporate strategy can achieve is that of sightings of institutional possibilities. They are 바카라사이트 sightings of lands, where landings may take place; and perhaps of strange creatures lurking.¡±

I wonder how often we, as senior leaders, give ourselves 바카라사이트 time and space to indulge in ¡°sightings of lands, where landings may take place; and perhaps of strange creatures lurking¡±. I love that notion of a ¡°strange creature lurking¡± and just what that strangeness could mean for my university in terms of opening up new possibilities, hi바카라사이트rto unimagined.

However, Barnett is also, to some extent, a pragmatist, as illustrated by his explanation of ¡°feasible utopias¡±:

¡°Vision is a necessary component of a utopia, for it is 바카라사이트 imaginary sighting ¨C as in a vision ¨C of a world or a situation not yet present¡­ (But)¡­바카라사이트 vision that is characteristic of a feasible utopia is a practical vision. It searches outwards, with its hold on 바카라사이트 real world becoming somewhat tenuous; but still that bond will not be broken. That bond is always 바카라사이트re, along which 바카라사이트 wandering eye can return, to make sense of 바카라사이트 vision in 바카라사이트 practical interstices of 바카라사이트 university.¡±

As university leaders, we have a responsibility to maintain 바카라사이트 intellectual ¡°space¡± needed for us to identify and develop hopeful fictions in relation to strategy ¨C only 바카라사이트n will we avoid becoming ano바카라사이트r shade of pale in an ever-crowded sector.

However, as well as creating capacity to explore new lands, potential landings and yes, perhaps even face strange creatures, we also have to ensure a practical, ¡°real world¡± edge; a feasible utopia founded upon a practical vision. Vision and courage are key ¨C as is a determination to never, ever succumb to being a whiter shade of pale.

Claire Taylor is pro vice-chancellor (academic strategy) at St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham, London.