In an effort to completely transform both teaching spaces and pedagogical orientation, a multi-stage project that tied professional development efforts for faculty and administrators to a redesign of existing classroom facilities was initiated. The goal was to simultaneously transform learning and spaces for learning in order to change the…

In this article, the author discusses the process of organizational change, focusing on the distinction between contractual terms and conditions and non-contractual working conditions and the effect this distinction has on changes, and on contract termination and redundancy procedures. He then outlines the United Kingdom's Transfer of Undertakings…

This article explores the issues facing practitioners working in the field of student complaints and appeals (including academic appeals). It is a reflective study which examines some general and historical issues, using anonymised case studies where appropriate and highlighting the diversity of practice across the sector. The author observes that…

In this article, the author reflects on the changing senior leadership and management structures in our higher education institutions. The author presents objective evidence of these changes but includes his own interpretations based on many years of observation and frequent discussions with colleagues across the whole sector. The author notes…

At the time of writing, UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have either completed, or are part way through, implementation of the Framework Agreement (JNCHES 2003). This process was born out of the recommendations of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1997) developed by Bett in his report two years later (Bett 1999). …

In this paper, the author explores the answers to the following questions: (1) What does the "marketisation" of higher education mean? (2) What are the potential implications for United Kingdom higher education? and (3) How should everyone handle those implications? He also cites the three main reasons why higher education cannot simply be left to…

The call to be strategic--and with it the concept of strategic management--can bring to mind a wide range of definitions, and there is now a huge array of academic literature supporting the different schools of thought. At a basic level, however, strategic thinking is probably most simply about focusing on the whole, rather than the part. In…

There has been an increasing call in the UK over the last decade for universities to become more entrepreneurial with a strengthening of university and industry/community links to contribute more significantly to the knowledge economy., and for UK higher education institutions (HEIs) to consider ways in which they can more actively engage in…

This article presents the first part of Professor David Eastwood's paper given as the AUA Annual Guest Lecture on October 24, 2007. He begins the article with some reflections on the distinctiveness and the self-referential self-confidence of higher education (HE) because he wants to torsion his later remarks against what he takes to be its…

Implementing change is always difficult. It is even more difficult when change is not a priority for anyone else, individuals do not have the authority to tell people to "just do it" and they do not have the resources to "do it themselves". These are some of the challenges the Records Management Section at the University of Edinburgh faces, but it…

This article is based on sessions at AUA Conferences in 2006 and 2007, which looked at some factors to take into account when considering the structure of the administration. Roughly, "administration" is defined as the "non-academic" management and operations that support the delivery of teaching and learning, research, and enterprise--in old…

This is Part 2 of Professor Eastwood's paper given as the AUA Annual Guest Lecture on 24 October 2007. In Part 1 he summarised the historical development of British higher education and reflected on five topics which appear to be settled in the HE debate: desirability of mass HE; desirability of sector diversity; a mixed economy for funding;…

Managing universities "is" different from managing in most other sorts of organisation. In this article, the author shows why this claim is more than just special pleading, and how it relates to the particular form of the organisation. Appreciating their integrative aspects helps people to understand some of the difficulties that they regularly…

Like it or not, an institution's IT infrastructure is a matter with which institutional strategic planners must concern themselves. Information systems represent a significant investment, they perform mission-critical functions, and the appropriate use of information and learning technologies can have a critical part to play in delivering against…

This paper is based on a keynote speech delivered to the AUA Annual Conference, Belfast, April 2006. It discusses the concept of organisational development as it applies to universities, where internally developed approaches applying some of the core principles of standard frameworks are the norm. The author discusses several organisational…