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ERIC Number: EJ932079
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-478X
EISSN: N/A
The Price of Competition
Leech, Emma
CURRENTS, v37 n3 p42-45 Mar 2011
"Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education," popularly known as the Browne Review, is the independent report on higher education and student finance commissioned by the British government to review how to fund university education in England. Its long-awaited publication in October 2010 sparked the most volatile and contentious arguments about U.K. education in a generation. Riots in Parliament Square, student sit-ins, politicians in disarray, media outrage, and worried parents have all been part of the heady debate over how higher education can be sustainably financed yet remain accessible to anyone who has the talent to succeed. Some of the report's main principles state that higher education institutions must persuade students that they should "pay more" in order to "get more." In 2012, how students in England fund their undergraduate degrees will change radically. Many in the United States find it difficult to understand what the fuss is about since students in the U.S. system are used to paying significant sums for their education. In the U.K., however, variable tuition fees--where universities have some flexibility in setting the level of fees they charge--were first introduced in 2005. Now that the government has agreed on a way forward based on the Browne Review, and these policies have become law, those involved in higher education should reach a common consensus to make the best of the new financial realities. Marketing and communications professionals will play a critical role in making these far-reaching changes to government policy a success--changes that affect not only how students will fund their studies but also how universities will finance staffing, facilities, research, and professional services. In this new higher education landscape, the author points out that institutions will need to maintain very high academic standards; engage more closely with students and enhance the student experience; improve communications with staff, students, external partners, and other stakeholders; invest in facilities; and effectively communicate success while keeping channels open for constructive feedback.
Council for Advancement and Support of Education. 1307 New York Avenue NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-328-2273; e-mail: memberservicecenter@case.org; Web site: http://www.case.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom; United Kingdom (England); United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A