This essay is a contribution to the literature of critique of higher education policy and management. It offers a general discussion of problems arising from the proliferation of mechanisms of audit and quality assurance within the context of concerns about dependence on quantitative measures of values. It argues that uncritical dependence on…

This article explores what is meant by "a balanced higher education system". It argues that the Clarkian "triangle of coordination" (Clark, 1983) and the more recent model of Martinez and Richardson (2003) should be replaced by one that distinguishes between "self" and "collective" interests in both the…

Taking as his cue the House of Commons Select Committee for Innovation, Universities and Skills inquiry into "students and universities," the author begins by addressing four "pathologies" in the current discussion of the student experience: nostalgia and selective memory; condescension and disappointment; moral panic and…

The doctrine of university autonomy in the UK contains a least two major "fault-lines" where the structure is inherently weak and there is danger of functional breakdown. The first occurs at the junction between the institution and the state, the second within the institution, where the unity in policy-making between academic and…

The need for reform of university governance has recently come into question with a series of high profile examples of the apparent failure of the standard "sector norm" model among the post-1992 universities, at London Metropolitan, Leeds Metropolitan and East London Universities. This article takes forward the discussion in two…

The question of the value of higher education is today set in the context of an unprecedented banking and financial crisis. In this context of fundamental change and financial realignment, it is important that we as members of the university remake our case for why the university deserves to be considered alongside all those other worthy causes…

In this article the author, until recently Vice-Chancellor of Southampton Solent University, draws on his long experience of higher education policymaking to suggest how policies for higher education can be improved. His recommendations cover the structure of policymaking, with a reduced role for the Funding Councils and a more effective role for…

The consequences of planned and unplanned developments in higher education since 1968, such as the Open University, the Independent University, stagnation in student demand, and especially, the disintegration of the University Grants Committee system of financing in universities, are considered. (Author/JMD)

It is argued that political input at a local level can be justified in terms of the importance of the institution to the community, of the total responsibilities of a local authority, and of a need for some other power to offset the power of a national body. A regional policy for higher education in Great Britain in advocated. (Author/LBH)

An educational planning exercise that increased centralization in Britain's public sector colleges in 1984-85 is described, and the issues it has raised about the relationship of government and institutions and the nature of educational policymaking are discussed. The responses of eight institutions to the changes are examined. (MSE)

The unsatisfactory position of some British local education authorities concerning their responsibilities for college student distribution and placement and their relationship with the National Advisory Body that manages manpower training policy is discussed. (MSE)

The implication for universities of a trend to orient research and development to national needs is explored. University research policies are responding to fears of losing internally funded research and a growing reliance on external funds. (MLW)

Israel's efforts to respond to growing social demands and to expand higher education are outlined, focusing on the extent of the state's involvement in higher education, demand and supply in Israeli universities, the social and academic functions of the Open University, and the overall academization of postsecondary institutions. (MSE)

The paper decries the present British government's treatment of higher education including such proposals as the elimination of tenure and replacement of block grants with a system of direct contract funding. Institutions of higher education are encouraged to present a compelling position based on educational principles and democratic access. (DB)

The implications of Great Britain's incorporation and reorganization of non-university higher education for the faculty-college relationship is examined, including the role of the new funding agency, the future of collective bargaining, and personnel policy. (MSE)