The Sorry State of British Universities: HMV gone, Jessops gone, and more are going- Are Universities next to go?
For many years the idea of a university going bankrupt has seemed impossible. But senior academics and others are warning that some universities could easily go the way of HMV or Jessops.
The Sorry State of British Universities: Will they ever learn?
I remember well. The 1980s and 1990s. I, too, was part of that crowd. Complaining all the time. Wanting more freedom, less restrictions and interference, more autonomy: Yes, more marketforces, the invisible hand, freedom, and more. Why? Because we thought we were wise, educated, letters after our names. In short, as the TV advertisement says, because “We are Worth it”!
What a disaster that has been. What a bitter harvest that has brought us all, especially for the students. Could we, the seriously educated, but not necessarily wise people see that there are two sides to a coin: If you want market forces when it suits you, then you must also accept market failures when things are not going your way. As the old saying says: “You cannot have your cake and eat it”!
Lest We Forget: A Bit of History
What is a University?
Let me quote a passage or two from a Foreword I wrote a few years back for a book of the same title as above:
“The world of knowledge and competence is in a constant state of flux. The same can be said for the universe of visions, aspirations and dreams. Changes are occurring every day on a national and world scale…All of these things are increasing the need for new knowledge and skills, for new scenarios for our global society. Love, courage, honesty, justice, spirituality, religion, altruism, vocation, creativity, the common good – life itself – are again becoming major issues.
In today’s largely decadent, money-driven world, the teaching of virtue and building of character are no longer part of the curriculum at our universities. The pursuit of virtue has been replaced by moral neutrality – the idea that anything goes. For centuries it had been considered that universities were responsible for the moral and social development of students, and for bringing together diverse groups for the common good.
In the last few decades, however, and especially since the 1970s, a new generation of educational reformers has been intent on using places of learning, and in particular universities, to solve national and international economic problems. The economic justification for education – equipping students with marketable skills to help countries compete in a global, information-based workplace – has overwhelmed other historically important purposes of education.
The language of business management is now being applied to educational establishments: schools and universities are ‘downsized’ and ‘restructured’, and their staffing is ‘outsourced’. But, if there is a shared national purpose for education, should it be oriented only towards enhancing this narrow vision of a country’s economic success? Is everything public for sale? Should education be answerable only to the ‘bottom line’? Are the interests of individuals and selective groups overwhelming the common good that the education system is meant to support?
I have been part of these changes and have witnessed their negative consequences for students and staff. An education system that has turned students into customers or clients, pitted members of staff against each other, removed collegiality and turned classrooms into mass-production factories, financed by profits from the sale of alcohol, cigarettes, medical drugs and arms, has brought a bitter harvest and needs to be changed. Education has to be reunited with its roots in theology, philosophy and the virtues.”…
In short we must realise that, in days of spiritual hunger, education needs to do more than grope in the dark. It needs to point students to the light of the world.
And now let us look at what is happening today: Could a university be the next HMV?
“For many years the idea of a university going bankrupt has seemed impossible. But senior academics are warning that some universities could easily go the way of HMV or Jessops – and leave a huge dent in the image of British higher education.
Data on the number of new students accepted in universities for the 2012-13 academic year, released by Ucas on Friday, revealed that a large number of institutions suffered a drop in numbers compared with the previous year. But some modern universities took a disproportionate beating.
Student numbers at the beleaguered London Metropolitan University, which has undergone serious subject cutbacks, were down a huge 43%. They were down 20.4% at the University of East London, 18.4% at the University of Cumbria, 16.3% at the University of Central Lancashire, 16% at Liverpool Hope University and 15.6% at the University of Lincoln.
The chair of Ucas, the universities admissions body, Prof Steve Smith, told a British Council conference in Tokyo last week that following the introduction of higher fees and the unleashing of a real market in higher education, "there is the risk of market failure for institutions"…
Read more:
Peter Milward, What is a University?
http://lass.purduecal.edu/cca/jgcg/downloads/WhatIsAUniversity.pdf
Anna Fazackerley, “Could a university be the next HMV?”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jan/21/universities-brankruptcy-market-forces-cutbacks
Kamran Mofid, “Towards an Education Worth Believing In”
http://www.gcgi.info/news/133-towards-an-education-worth-believing-in