There are profound changes affecting universities. Under pressure from the forward march of neo-liberalism, there is a process of forgetting about the origins of the university and its distinctive place in society. Whilst responses by university management often amplify these consequences, there are similar tendencies within academic professional cultures. Both combine to enable forms of power to individualise issues around the pursuit of recognition for global excellence. Within universities, this creates an organisational space or "missing middle" that needs to be the subject of reflexive consideration and action in order that the unique role of the university in society is not lost. This article examines these forces in order to contribute to a critical reflexive practice to resist current forces and develop resistant and imaginative cultures.