This article first draws together a range of published statistics to analyse trends in participation in higher education in the UK over recent years. That provides evidence of the shifting profile in the student population and sets a context for examining emerging evidence of the impact of recent government policy decisions on control of student…

There is a perception of crisis in UK higher education, particularly in England. This article identifies elements of the perceived crisis, quantifies the depth of the crisis from the perceptions of a sample of nearly 300 academic staff, and exemplifies the gap between stated policy and the realities of delivery. Comparisons are made between…

A British national study of the university research enterprise in 1995-96 assessed the impact of a 1992 change in higher education policy to restructure the entire higher education system. The study investigated impact at the system, institution, unit, and individual levels, in the areas of research policy and strategy, structures, and processes.…