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Professor Sir Ian Diamond is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, an appointment he has held since 1 April 2010. He was previously Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council. He was also Chair of the Research Councils UK Executive Group (2004-2009) the umbrella body that represents all seven UK Research Councils. This article contains the script of the 2015 lecture to the Association of University Administrators (AUA) delivered on Oct 15th 2015. The notion of UK universities stimulating positive action within their institutions by working collectively rather than competing with one another was discussed. Diamond spoke on institutions needing to remain true to themselves through robust governance systems in order to achieve their core strategic goals. This latest report builds on the earlier work presented at the 2011 Universities UK (UUK) efficiency and modernisation task group, which he chaired and which highlighted the significant contribution (amounting to £73 billion) that UK Higher Education Institutions make to the wider economy and society.

Higher education is increasingly defined by data, indicators and metrics. The paper examines how English universities conceptualise and articulate their perspectives on 'teaching quality' in the context of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) in the UK. By adopting a qualitative thematic analysis approach, the author examines how a sample of English higher education institutions [n = 18] articulated their perspectives on teaching quality by analysing the 'teaching quality' section of their qualitative TEF submissions. The findings have shown that higher education policies, such as TEF, have greatly shaped institutions' perspectives on teaching quality and teaching excellence. In turn, universities' articulation of teaching excellence appeared to have significant implications for their management and academic practices, such as institution priorities, resource allocations, performance evaluation and academic career development.

This paper presents a lecture given at the 17th Annual Lecture of the Association of University Administrators (AUA). The subject of the lecture is equality and diversity in higher education (HE) leadership, or possibly the absence of equality and diversity. The author focuses on what can be done to ensure that capable women enter HE leadership positions. Research referencing the gap between UK white undergraduates and black and minority ethnic (BME) students in degree achievement--as well as satisfaction levels--is discussed as a mirror of the disparity in the workplace in regard to gender equality in academic staffing in the UK. Research shows that people who felt they had been disadvantaged in their own careers by bias, conscious or not, were not necessarily actively promoting equality and diversity in their own workplaces. The speaker suggests that organisations keep equality and diversity on the agenda--particularly for professional development--in order to make a good contribution to overcoming discrimination.

The alternative format PhD, in which doctoral candidates produce a thesis composed of a series of peer reviewed publications, is growing in popularity internationally. However, across the HE (HE) system in the United Kingdom (UK), universities have been slower to adopt the alterative thesis format. This paper presents a systematic narrative review to understand the development of institutional-level policies pertaining to the alternative thesis format across UK HE institutions (n = 135), identifying best practice and opportunities for improvement. The paper evidences a fragmented policy landscape in which there is a notable lack of consistent and coherent policy and guidance across institutions, that may in fact compound existing inequalities in doctoral provision. Recommendations are made to encourage the design of institutional policies that support PhD candidates to opt for the alterative format thesis where appropriate, with wide ranging implications for the HE sector.

Universities are increasingly accountable for their research output, not only to government but also to an increasingly diverse range of funding bodies. However, the growth in research management structures has been neither universal nor evenly distributed. It would be easy to cite lack of resources as the reason for the uneven development between regions. The range of needs and barriers discussed in this article tells two things. First, research management structures are more likely to take root in a favourable institutional environment. Second, the list of issues suggests that institutions and countries will respond to the need for better research management in different ways. Both of these conclusions suggest diversity and unevenness in the growth of research management structures, but neither undermines the notion of a global research management profession. Whatever its individual circumstances, any university that retains research as part of its mission statement needs to find ways in which the resources available for the research function can be maximised, and the results accounted for and applied. To this extent, research management is a universal issue. A discussion of how UK practitioners can help on this issue is presented.

This paper is a systematic review of the UK Widening Participation (WP), Higher Education (HE) student demographic. It argues that the presence of traumatic emotional experiences in WP student populations connected to psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory contributes to engagement barriers in HE. Using PRISMA guidelines, 43 publications were screened based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. This paper identifies WP students' experiences of trauma and how this affects their HE educational engagement. Secondly, it encourages the HE community to consider commitment to the WP demographic. Thirdly it identifies support strategies for WP student success and improvements for HE Institutions (HEI's) commitment to meeting WP agendas. Additionally, educational and psychological links that have not previously been examined are presented acknowledging the complexities of the WP student demographics. Furthermore, reinforcement for HEI's commitment to social mobility from both a political and institutional standpoint aligning to the WP student demographic barriers to engagement is articulated.

Policy interventions have created tighter controls over the duration of individual doctoral candidatures. In response, institutional regulations in UK universities typically require that a doctoral researcher's progress is carefully monitored through progress review procedures to maximise the chances of timely completion. Despite the ubiquity of progress review procedures, little is known about how they influence doctoral researchers' progress and chances of completion. This study addresses that gap by drawing on case study data of progress monitoring procedures in a UK-based research-intensive university. These findings were also validated via two workshops with participants from other UK universities. The paper argues that progress monitoring can be an effective and supportive intervention for dealing with project-related and time management issues that occur during doctoral candidature. However, the effectiveness of progress reviews is contingent on how they are perceived within doctoral researchers' social networks and overcoming social norms that create barriers to transparent reporting.

In 2011, David Willetts issued a White Paper with the title "Students at the Heart of the System". In 2011 the headlines were, inevitably, about the new tuition fee regime which, it was hoped, would change the thinking of university leaders so that they focussed less on research excellence and more on the needs and aspirations of students. After seven years leading the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), and listening to the real fears and hopes of potential and current students, Mary Curnock Cook asks whether this objective has been achieved and argues that there is a long way to go before great universities are truly oriented culturally and organisationally to their student customers.

This paper assesses the growing UK private sector in education and questions whether it is, as its supporters suggest, a valuable addition to an already diverse national system. An earlier "Perspectives" paper (Woodfield et al 2011) explored the emerging partnerships between public and private sectors. This follow-up explores the roles that the private sector providers are now playing. To understand this fully it is essential to analyse the range and type of private providers, since their different characteristics and functions mean that only some are relevant to this debate. (Contains 1 table.)

Massification of higher education has not been able to solve societal issues in the UK to the extent originally envisaged. Whilst universities have achieved increased student numbers and widened participation from various societal groups, those coming from socially disadvantaged groups can still often have a very different experience of university from that of their middle-class peers and may also have more difficulties in winning graduate-level jobs. This paper focuses on issues of social justice, concentrating on those affecting students from lower socio-economic groups in British society. These students can be seen to form a sub-group amongst less traditional university student groups, and for the purposes of this paper the shorthand term "non-traditional students" is used for this socially disadvantaged sub-group. In addition to access and recruitment, questions of curriculum, pedagogy and student support are discussed as means to improve student retention. Some pointers are also drawn to the wider debate about how the whole system might be improved and where attitudes might need re-examining. (Contains 10 notes.)

In a previous paper, this author argued that the present governance arrangements for UK universities and colleges, and in particular the preferred official model for governing bodies, were no longer fit for purpose (if indeed they ever were), and that some fundamental reforms were needed. This paper sets out some reform proposals. The author goes on to put forward ideas for reform of university governance. [For Part I, see EJ925045.] (Contains 1 note.)

Much has been written about the glass ceiling and pay differentials in higher and further education (HE, FE) for women academics (McTavish and Miller 2009, Rees 2007) but very little about discrepancies for women "professional managers" within UK higher education. Professional managers as a term needs to be defined as universities call their generalist administrative/management staff by a variety of titles, eg academic-related, professional services, support, administrators, managers etc. In this paper, the term "professional manager" is used as in Whitchurch (2007) to capture the professionalism of staff undertaking generalist roles, such as in student services or departmental/faculty management. For this paper, the author has carried out desk research looking at universities' annual monitoring reports in order to find the difference in the percentage of women at the varying pay grades in the professional manager grades of 6 to 9 and above. She hopes that this research will add to the debate on gender inequality for professional management staff in universities in the UK. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

The focus of this paper is to reflect on research ethics practices at universities and particularly on the additional considerations needed as "enterprise" becomes a key driver across the sector internationally. The outcome of the paper is to identify suitable guidelines for dealing with the management of research ethics in this changing environment. The focus of the research is informed not only by the currency of research ethics as a growing concern and challenge around the world, but also by its interrelationship with governance and enterprise. Applicable examples are taken from the South African and British contexts.

This paper is the second part of an edited version of a Keynote Presentation delivered at the 2006 AUA Annual Conference at Queen's University Belfast on 11 April. The first part was published in perspectives 10.3 in July 2006. In the Presentation Sir David commented on three areas of unfinished business with which New Labour has struggled; in the first paper he considered the funding and organisation of the sector, and concluded with the question: "What will this mean for expansion and fairness?"; this paper concentrates on participation and social justice, and higher education and the public interest. [See EJ739880 for part one this Keynote Presentation.]

This paper discusses the cost and purpose of regulation in the higher education sector in the United Kingdom. Higher education is changing fast, facing competition from around the world and offering new economic drive in Britain's regions. Tuition fees bring much needed investment to this growing sector. This means a new challenge for funding councils--to free up universities and colleges so they can respond to student needs. Tax-payers, students, funding bodies and the Government need assurance about the quality, standards, and cost-effectiveness of this sector; three things grouped together under the label of "accountability." The author contends that there should be three core regulatory aims: (1) to develop better processes that reduce the cost of reporting and inspection; (3) to adopt risk-based regulation; and (3) to guard against "gold-plating" by universities and colleges in responding to regulatory demands. [Paper presented at the Annual Lecture of the Association of University Administrators (8th, Centre Point, London, October 12, 2005).]

There is a strong focus on the importance of student engagement in higher education, with increasing attention on how students can participate in their university's decision-making processes. Yet, although the concept appears to be almost universally accepted, it is rarely problematised. This has led some commentators to conclude that student engagement lacks theoretical clarity. Consequently, an increasing number of authors have sought to address this. This paper adds to those efforts by proposing a model for student engagement that recognises the importance of institutional action in facilitating different types of participation. These are aligned with expectations for student activity, but the key message is that the university shapes its students' engagement. This reinforces arguments that engagement needs to be cognisant of the power dynamics of higher education. In line with this, the paper borrows from debates around public participation to enhance understanding of student engagement in institutional governance.

This paper considers the likely shape of the next UK Research Excellence Framework (REF). It explores some of the recommendations from the 2016 Stern Review (those concerned with "outputs") and their envisaged impact on the exercise. Drawing on lessons learnt from the previous round of the REF, and some wider commentary, the paper considers some of the problems emergent from REF2014, whether they can be mitigated, and whether new problems might emerge in REF2021. Prominently, the issues of "burden" and "gaming" are explored. Although there are some grounds for optimism, much more detail will be needed before we can be reasonably confident about achieving a less burdensome and a more accurate evaluation of research "quality" within universities across the UK.

Since 1998-99, when the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly were established, higher education policies appear to have diverged across the four "home countries" of the UK. This divergence is most visible in the contrasting tuition-fee and student-support arrangements for students entering HE in 2012, and in the values and philosophies that underlie them. Devolution, it would appear, has started a process which is inexorably leading the four HE systems of the UK to go their own separate ways. Or has it? In this paper, the author suggests that the forces which keep the four systems together are at least as strong as those which pull them apart. There has been some divergence, and there will probably be more, but even this divergence has been constrained and shaped by the four systems' continuing interdependence. The UK dimension continues to be important. (Contains 2 tables.)

Not for the first time in its history, the UK Higher Education sector finds itself in a position of significant financial constraint. The current coalition Government's actions to address the budget deficit have led to sweeping cuts across many public sector departments, but it is higher education that has seen the most draconian reduction in public financial support. The combined impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review (Treasury 2010), the Browne Review (Browne 2010) and the changes to tuition fee structures from 2012 onwards have left higher education institutions (HEIs) unsettled. In these austere times it is easy to see how some HEIs, especially those for whom widening participation (WP) is no more than a value-added extension of student recruitment activity, may consider WP to be one of the first belt loops to be tightened. It is in this context, of imposed financial constraint and differential engagement with the broader philosophies of WP activity, that this paper approaches the topic of whether the introduction of the Equality Act will help or hinder efforts to widen participation. Viewing the Equality Act through a WP-tinted lens encourages a reflective mindset as a way of auditing one's own institution and (hopefully) ensuring that WP remains (or for some, becomes) embedded within institutional cultures.

This paper discusses a way of thinking about disability which has emerged out of the UK Disabled People's Movement over the last three decades in opposition to the preceding medical model of disability which viewed disability as synonymous with problem. Disabled people are increasingly challenging the notion that their embodiment is inherently problematic, and engaging politically with the social model of disability which locates difficulties experienced by people with impairments within the social arena. The arguments are relevant to practitioners working in higher education who wish to engage in productive equitable relationships with disabled students and colleagues and are particularly pertinent in relation to the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) which places duties upon all public bodies. Some of the language associated with impairment and disability is unpacked, some issues which impact on identity are considered and the notion of an "affirmative model of disability" is introduced which is gaining prominence in the literature and is congruent with the positive ethos of the Equality Act (2010).

The author has been asked by the Editor-in-Chief to write about the impact of fees on the sector. He does so with concern for the impact on and implications for applicants, students, graduates and their families. Home and European Union undergraduate tuition fees are of course only part of the fee picture for higher education institutions (HEIs), but are by far the most topical and controversial, especially in England. From the Browne Review (Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance (2010), the Government's White Paper on higher education (BIS 2011) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) consultation document on teaching funding (HEFCE 2011) they know the key ingredients but they do not yet know how the cake will come out of the oven. In this commentary he attempts to identify some of the trends that may develop as a result of these policies and how they may affect students and their families, employers and existing or new providers of higher education, all in the context of international developments in higher education.

The prime feature of the student's legal relationship with his or her university is that it is governed by contract law, and in all other aspects of life such a contract can be reviewed/investigated by the courts in the event of a dispute between the two parties to the contract. In the world of academe, however, the key aspect of the contract (the delivery of teaching and examining by the university) is beyond such investigation, even by a court (let alone, say, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator [OIA]). This is because the English courts (in line with courts around the world) apply judicial deference to the exercise of expert academic judgement--and hence this concept, as explored in this paper, is a "Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card" for universities. Will this privilege of academe continue? Is it threatened by the HRA/ECHR, by the expansion of public law judicial review, by the increased application of consumer law, by the growth of discrimination law? Or perhaps it will be challenged via the QAA and the Bologna Process "enforcing" (over?) precision in "learning outcomes"? This article attempts to give answers to these questions.

Institutional research in UK higher education is rarely consolidated into a central office function. This is in marked comparison to the position of IR in the USA where most universities accord it a high status which is absent from the UK context. The collection, analysis and interpretation of data in the USA appears, on the whole, more systematic than is the case in the UK. As a consequence, IR is probably more effective and efficient in assisting institutions to "know themselves" and hence to focus activities to optimal purpose. In this paper the authors characterise and codify the different IR functions that can be applied to resolve institutional questions that universities face in their attempt to be more nimble and effective with respect to known knowns and known unknowns while preparing them to be ready for the inevitable unknown unknowns. As higher education in the UK becomes ever more competitive, the potential of IR and of self-knowledge becomes increasingly important to ensure survival and success. (Contains 2 figures.)

Institutional research (IR) has a variety of definitions. International societies, such as the US-based Association for Institutional Research (AIR), stress not so much the topics of research, but the outcomes: "improved understanding, planning, management, and operation of postsecondary educational institutions and agencies"; "promote the development of institutional management, planning and policy implementation." There is also a strong focus on applying research and engagement with practitioners: "strengthen the interaction between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners"; "encourage the development and application of appropriate methodologies and techniques from many disciplines to further such research, analysis, and planning." This paper proposes a broad framework for conceptualising research into the student learning experience (SLE). From this framework the author derives a taxonomy for forms of enquiry into the SLE, a taxonomy that has been used to help guide the Higher Education Academy in its funding for small projects investigating aspects of the SLE. The conceptual framework also provides a perspective on the nature and variety of Institutional Research (IR). (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

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 expounding the idea of "being strategic", this paper considers what is meant by strategic management, how it might be practised in the context of higher education management, and whether or not it is worth the effort. The author looks first at some of the most influential management approaches and techniques. He examines two key components of strategic management: (1) strategy formation; and (2) strategy implementation and evaluation, with a particular emphasis on the crucial stage of formation. Then, he considers some of the most helpful approaches in each case by using a case study based on the author's experience as Director of Student Services at the University of Sheffield. Finally, it is important to note how the two components are inter-linked and need to inform each other. (Contains 2 figures.)

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 that it is evident that the rising challenge facing individual institutions has invariably changed the structure and role of the senior team in nearly all universities and colleges. However, there seem to have been fewer fundamental changes than might be imagined. (Contains 6 figures.) [This paper is based on a Keynote presentation delivered at the AUA Annual Conference at the University of Nottingham in April 2007.]

Over the last few years there has been increasing interest in process-based approaches in higher education administration, including "business process modelling" for development of information systems, "process redesign" to remove duplication and bottlenecks, and "process management" to improve operational performance. The process perspective is concerned with the entirety of activities that are needed to produce an output or deliver a service to a customer, regardless of the organisational units or functions that are involved. This paper describes the Participatory Process Review approach developed collaboratively within the Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) consortium, and how it has been applied at the University of Luton. Three main conclusions are presented: (1) Participative process review has so far proved to be an effective way of achieving organizational change; (2) Participative process review involves a process of sense-making, understanding, and "moments of truth", especially in terms of appreciating the "customer" perspective, that can lead to proposals that can be surprisingly radical and can address difficult issues; and (3) At the same time as it creates support for change, participative process review creates expectations of change. These expectations need to be acknowledged, and properly managed, particularly in terms of setting realistic timescales for any large-scale changes involving significant investment, recognising the need for the process review to be followed through rapidly by detailed modelling and planning, and then carried through into ongoing management and evaluation of change. (Contains 2 figures.)

This paper, the first part of an edited version of a Keynote Presentation delivered at the AUA Annual Conference, Queen's University Belfast, on April 11, 2006, describes the fate of UK higher education during the course of the last parliament and identifies New Labour's two successive and contradictory higher education policies. The author comments on three unfinished bits of business with which New Labour has struggled: (1) the funding and organisation of the sector; (2) participation and social justice; and (3) higher education and the public interest. [The second part of this presentation will appear in the next issue of "Perspectives."] (Contains 5 figures.)

This paper provides recommendations for embedding a market- and marketing-informed approach within the development process for a new international campus. It includes a brief outline of the current global profile of international campuses (as one form of transnational education) before highlighting the role of marketing at key stages of campus development from initial business case through to full operation. Recommendations for integrating marketing into campus development are derived from a series of structured interviews with eight senior staff at three UK universities, all with campuses in Malaysia. Some participants were UK-based, others Malaysia-based; all had responsibility for marketing the international campus at some level. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence-informed marketing guidance and good practice that is relevant to institutions considering establishment of an international campus.

UK higher education has seen a shift towards greater businesslike operations and accountability, with increasingly specialised support roles and fewer 'generalist' administrators; however, professional training, structured career development and planning, and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) have been less well prioritised than similar activities in the academic and research staff groups, and little research currently exists to consider how professional services staff undertake and engage with professional development activities. A quantitative study of professional services staff was conducted in a large Russell Group university, where a significant number of professional services staff reported inequity of treatment compared to their academic colleagues. This paper examines the relationship between effective development review and institutional support for training and engagement with CPD activities by non-academic administrators, and aims to provide practical recommendations for improvements to practice.

The recent period can only be seen as one of rapid and substantial churn as UK governments have attempted to widen participation, strengthen the national system of innovation and control the direct public costs of higher education. Very similar issues have dominated the debate in Australia. This paper compares the current position of two higher education systems which have done similar things but in a different order, and in different social, political and economic settings. The paper, in a longer version that is available on the HEPI website, was first presented in HEPI's annual lecture series. The version published by HEPI contains all the tables and figures used in the lecture. In 2003, in the first of the HEPI lectures, Lord Dearing addressed four themes: finance; competition and growth; diversity of provision and the role of Higher Education in society. Despite all the changes in the past decade, all these issues remain at the core of the debate on the design of effective higher education systems. With reference to these themes, the paper considers: the organisation of the two university systems; entry standards and social equity; the effect of deregulating student numbers; research patterns; and the relationship between business and universities. The technical analysis of student support mechanisms and loans structure is not investigated because detailed coverage has already been given in a number of studies commissioned by HEPI during 2014.

The expansion and specialisation of "non-academic" higher education roles, in response to increased regulation, monitoring and measurement of the sector, can be attributed to a rise in neoliberal manageralism and globalisation. Such changes have challenged the professional status of the academy, potentially "de-professionalising" academic staff. This paper explores the extent to which a concurrent professionalisation of administrative and managerial staff has occurred, and examines the case for higher education administration as a profession. Building on a conceptual framework linking the literatures of 'professionalism' and "identity", and referencing qualitative analysis undertaken as part of a doctoral thesis, the findings reveal that higher education administrators/managers possess the necessary tools to construct an identity as a professional, but that they lack the collective self-confidence to claim university administration as a profession. The paper recommends that through the facilitated acquisition of "academic empathy", increased sectoral and societal visibility, promotion of higher education administration as a career path, and the development of a strong and consistent public voice, it is possible to instil the collective self-confidence necessary to proudly assert that university administration is a profession.

The understanding of gender inequality for women entering work has not been subject to significant research or theorizing. This small study indicated that young women entering the workplace are subject to direct discrimination and by using an intersectionality approach this paper proposes that the intersection of gender and young age results in women being identified as the out-group, stereotyped and subjected to micropolitics. This paper also argues that the continued unequal power relations in organizations ensures that equality and diversity policies do not change the individual non-conscious processes that take place that allow the continuation of the glass ceiling.

The quality of working life (QoWL) has preoccupied practitioners and management scholars since the 1960s [Grote, G., and D. Guest. 2017. "The Case for Reinvigorating Quality of Working Life Research." "Human Relations" 70 (2): 149-167. doi:10.1177/0018726716654746], while satisfaction and occupational stress for professional and academic staff in universities are issues of growing concern amidst a context of poor student mental health literacy [Gorczynski, P., W. Sims-Schouten, D. Hill, and J. C. Wilson. 2017. "Examining Mental Health Literacy, Help Seeking Behaviours, and Mental Health Outcomes in UK University Students." "The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice" 12 (2): 111-120]. The enhancement of QoWL appears increasingly difficult to achieve within the UK higher education (HE) sector, with constant external and internal reforms [Bessant, C., and S. Mavin. 2016. "Neglected on the Front Line: Tensions and Challenges for the First-Line Manager-Academic Role in UK Business Schools." "Journal of Management Development" 35 (7): 916-929. doi:10.1108/JMD-09-2014-0105], the "tyranny of metrics" [Muller, J. Z. 2018. "The Tyranny of Metrics." Princeton: Princeton University Press], and the continuous decline in QoWL survey results, which became an issue for many UK universities [Denvir, A., J. Hillage, A. Cox, A. Sinclair, and D. Pearmain. 2008. "Quality of Working Life in the UK." http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/452.pdf]. Furthermore, there is little understanding of how university HR departments enhance QoWL [Yeo, R. K., and J. Li. 2011. "Working Out the Quality of Work Life: A Career Development Perspective with Insights for Human Resource Management." "Human Resource Management International Digest" 19 (3): 39-45. doi:10.1108/09670731111125952]. This paper presents a new perspective by looking at the role of HR and management in achieving QoWL in the UK's HE sector. The incongruity between strategic human resource management metrics in the HE sector to measure employee well-being and self-reported employee satisfaction has a significant influence on student satisfaction, particularly in large units like business schools. Drawing on secondary data, we contribute to debates on current challenges faced by UK universities and offer practical suggestions to improve QoWL.

This paper argues that universities do have responsibilities to their wider communities, and that those responsibilities--or that "engagement"--should be managed in a way that is not solely dictated by the university. The paper, which focuses on UK universities, first explains why the contemporary context makes it important to consider communities in the plural rather than think of a single community. Following this, a range of engagement frameworks are examined in order to consider how a university's responsibilities could be analysed. The existence of multiple frameworks demonstrates that engagement has different purposes and timescales, aspects of which can be illustrated in various ways. The approach of using a framework also allows recommendations to be made for how engagement can be managed, if indeed it can or should be. A framework developed in a report for the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement is selected as it offers the closest fit for a framework that enables a focus on universities' responsibilities to their wider communities. Case studies are given to highlight some of the issues a university may need to consider when undertaking engagement activity. The paper then investigates what motivates a university to engage and concludes that in seeking to manage the complexity that is engagement in the twenty-first century, a university is also demarcating its aims, purposes and priorities. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures and 1 note.)

Perhaps more than any other country in Europe, the UK has well-established equality law and practice, originating with the Race Relations Act of 1965, but based on a longer history of struggle for equality. In 2011 public bodies, including higher education institutions (HEIs), were required to respond to the implementation of the Equality Act 2010--new legislation which extended legal protections from discrimination and which required the sector to be transparent about the progress being made towards equality for all people working or studying in their campuses. So, does this mean UK has now achieved substantive equality? As chief executive of Equality Challenge Unit, the body tasked with advancing equality and diversity in higher education, the author believes that great strides have been made in the higher education sector, and in society as a whole. But it is also clear that inequality remains, albeit often in more complex and subtle forms than have been understood before. In this article, the author discusses the evolving concept of equality and explains why re-invigorating the equality agenda is an institutional priority. He also discusses the transformative power of higher education, which occupies a unique position in society, providing ideas-led drivers that result in economic as well as social change. He argues that embedding equality and diversity, particularly within systems, structures and practices, has the potential to produce huge benefits for society as a whole, contributing new and developing models of economic and social activity and embedding attitudes that staff and students will carry with them into the wider society.

During the half century of the AUA's existence UK universities have experienced the fastest rate of growth and most far-reaching changes in their history. Funding arrangements in particular have changed radically. Since 1961 the finance office has been transformed from a small group of bean counters into a key management group at the heart of all universities. Fifty years ago it was a dead end for anyone who aspired to the most senior management positions; now financial expertise is one of the main highways to top management. In 1960 the profile of the UK university system had not radically changed for fifty years despite two world wars. In this article, the author talks about higher education funding and financial management from 1961 to 2011.

Inside the academy there is a cultural perspective that it should run itself, in the sense that "business as usual" should be done with no one's hands obviously on the levers. This theory reaches its high point in the "self-government" of Oxford and Cambridge colleges. In this article, the author explores the question, "who runs our universities?", and explains that it is the duty of university governance, leadership and management to analyse, adjudicate and steer through the overheated battle between those inside and those outside UK universities about who is really in charge.

The UK higher education sector is facing a significant reduction in the level of public funding over the next few years. In August 2010 the Cabinet Secretary informed groups of vice-chancellors that they should prepare for cuts of 35% over the four years 2011-2015, the period covered by the next Comprehensive Spending Review. It is inevitable that, faced with this level of diminution, careful attention will need to be paid to the level of expenditure on administrative services. In this review the author looks at expenditure on the processes and activities that underpin the institutional mission and organisation, and not at the total of non-academic expenditure, only part of which should be classified as administrative. It is important to give a health warning about higher education statistics. Institutions can vary in their interpretation of the requirements, and the definitions can alter over time. The way particular services and activities are undertaken will vary and this will affect the way in which the costs are reported. It can be very misleading to take returns made by individual institutions and attempt to construct comparative cost league tables. Nevertheless, when taken as an aggregate these data should give a clear indication of the direction of expenditure. Leslie and Rhoades (1995) list a range of possible reasons why USA's expenditure on administration was growing at a faster rate than expenditure on academic activity. In this article, the author discusses the parallel trend in the UK. (Contains 5 tables.)

It might not have been quite what he had in mind when he said it, but Aristotle was right: good quality assurance must be a habit embedded at every level within higher education, not an isolated occurrence. But even good habits can become mere routine, in danger of being emptied of their original purpose and meaning. Periodically, review and renewal are desirable, even essential. This paper is the author's personal view, some months into his role as Chief Executive of QAA, of the UK HE quality assurance story so far in the context of current concerns, and emerging emphases and preoccupations. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) was established in 1997 following the recommendation of the Joint Planning Group that was originally convened from the funding councils' and institutions' representative bodies to design a unified quality assurance system. In this paper, the author offers some indication of how the QAA is changing to meet changing public and sector expectations for its work and for quality assurance in HE generally. He believes that UK will have a more flexible quality assurance system, with a greater emphasis on providing public assurance. Students will be central to all stages of the quality cycle, from the provision of public information, through providing evidence for audits and participation as auditors, to engagement with the outputs from QAA reviews. (Contains 1 figure.)

This article represents a lecture given by Professor Steve Smith at the Association of University Administrators Annual Lecture on 20 October 2009. There has been considerable change in the sector since the lecture was delivered, however, the Editor and author felt that the issues still pose significant challenges to higher education (HE), and publication also provides a useful yardstick against which to gauge the speed at which those challenges have either crystallised or become more complex. In this article, Smith focuses on the key challenges for the future. He discusses the major themes of the new HE Framework which are likely to include: (1) funding; (2) the "New Industry, New Jobs" agenda; (3) greater flexibility of provision; and (4) social mobility. He also urges the HE sector to work together as a united sector, celebrating difference, not seeing it as hierarchy, and always celebrating excellence in all its forms.

Foundation Degrees (FDs) were launched in 2000 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). One of the key reasons for their introduction was a belief that this new work-based higher education (HE) qualification could help meet employer demand for people with higher technician/associate professional-level skills. According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s "Foundation Degree Prospectus" (2000) there was a shortage of people with these intermediate-level skills, and forecasts at the time indicated that there would be an increasing demand for such skills. This paper examines the extent to which FDs have been able to widen participation, meet employer needs and provide a means for students to progress to higher-level courses. It focuses on the experience of full-time students who usually complete their FD in two years and are able to "top-up" their FD to gain an honours degree with a further period of study, usually one year. The paper draws upon two studies by the author: (1) An on-going study referred to as the "transition study"; and (2) A study into the approach to educational decision-making adopted by students choosing to study for a FD, referred to as the "decision-making study". (Contains 1 figure.)

This article sets the Leitch Review of Skills in the context of the wider skills debate and draws attention to potential flaws, of which higher education (HE) managers need to be aware when responding to this policy pressure. It argues that there are fundamental flaws in the Leitch report arising from underlying assumptions which are unproven in some cases and even untested in others. Its broad assumptions about the drivers for change being primarily economic are understandable, but the report fails to convince on the basis of strong evidence that government fears are grounded. Furthermore the report has a tendency to oversimplify, while experiences across the sector present a much more complex picture of social and economic trends in western society. Academia is a naturally conservative sector; without a more logical and convincing rationale for change, policy resistance could be high. The report shows little respect for academic institutions and their ability to manage their own curriculum development, while affording employers greater input than perhaps they have the time, willingness, or expertise to provide. A partnership approach can have many benefits but it is important to appreciate its limitations and the inherent tensions between policy and the institutions' adaptability to respond. Crucially, the report fails to convince on its claims to serve social justice. Despite claims for up-skilling as a vehicle of social mobility, experience to date suggests that traditional inequities remain. As ever, the sector has done its best to respond to policy pressures. There have been many successful attempts, particularly in post-1992 universities, to develop employable graduates. The author contends that the recommendations made in the report are unlikely to deliver unless and until sufficient account is taken of current working practices, relationships between the academy and industry, and general organisational culture in UK HE.

Globalisation is transforming the international marketplace and accelerating unprecedented socio-economic, cultural, social, political and educational change across the globe. This global transformation has served as a catalyst for increasing deliberation, dialogue and consensus among government, business and higher education to create, attract and retain a highly competitive workforce that contributes to a national economic infrastructure that is sustainable, renewable and responsive to shifts in the global marketplace. At the forefront of these deliberations is the role of universities, domestic and foreign, in creating this competitive edge for nations. The practice of cross-border higher education is growing rapidly and is likely to increase in the future to serve a diversified global marketplace. Today, university leaders are redefining the international dimensions of their institutions in response to globalisation. Internationalism, viewed as a major response to globalisation, evolves in colleges and universities in diverse ways and for varying institutional reasons. In this article, the author examines global trends in internationalism and cross-border higher education and considers the conceptual basis of internationalism for the modern university. The author discusses the driving forces of the international transformation for higher education.

UK higher education has a proud tradition stretching back centuries, with St. Andrews almost 600 years old, and teaching having existed at Oxford for more than 900 years. There is no reason why universities established more recently should not demonstrate similar longevity. The management of stakeholders has always been central to the successful university: councils, courts, senates, academic boards, local authorities, government departments, citizens, students, parents, etc. However, there is now a very real danger of losing that proud unbeaten record. That proud tradition is under threat from all sides including, significantly, from a potentially interventionist government. It has to stop or the current challenges that university administrators and managers face will simply weigh too heavily on them. In this article, the author outlines the current challenges in higher education administration and management in the UK and discusses how institutions and administrators should begin to address and respond to challenges.

The emergence of "managerialism" in the governance and direction of UK higher education (HE) institutions has been led by government demands for greater accountability in the quality and cost of universities. There is emerging anecdotal evidence indicating that the estimation performance of HE spreadsheets and regression models are poor. The authors argue that there is a need for a holistic approach to HE planning in order to improve quality, increase productivity and reduce costs. The Holon Framework is being developed to improve and control teaching and research processes within an academic department of a modern UK university. This interdisciplinary methodological approach aims to empower academics and administrators through resolving relevant problems, generating a pragmatic vision and moving towards it using on-line metrication instruments and tools. In this article, the authors argue that there is a need within HE management to take a systemic view of the socio-processes at work within institutions and that the full range of academic activity (including research, teaching, administration and management) can be viewed from the perspective of process improvement and control. They argue that the Holon Framework enables process improvement and control through its different modes of activity. To illustrate the use of the Framework the authors outline some aspects of a particular pilot study and examine one sub-Holon (Admissions) and drill down into one of its component holons (Marketing). (Contains 10 figures, 8 tables and 1 note.)

An emerging literature is beginning to create a theoretical framework for analysing the role of professional managers in the context of UK higher education. In this article, the author argues, drawing from his own experience in a range of higher education institutions, that this literature misses a crucial distinction amongst professional managers and specialists from professions which exist outside the world of higher education. Building on this distinction to analyse the professional services staff, the author recommends ways in which institutions can reduce the professional-academic divide in university management. (Contains 3 figures.)

This paper arises out of a study conducted for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education on "Professional Managers in UK Higher Education: Preparing for Complex Futures," and focuses on those aspects relating to professional and career development. The author reviewed understandings in the literature about the roles and identities of professional staff in higher education, and of movements that were occurring in relation to these. The second, empirical part of the study involved interviews with twenty-nine middle and senior managers in three case institutions, and also seven heads of administration from institutions across the UK. This showed how individuals were not only interpreting their given roles in a more active way, but were also moving laterally across functional and organisational boundaries. This paper offers discussion and analysis of study implications for career and professional development. (Contains 3 figures.)

The introduction of tuition fees in 1998 has transferred more of the cost of higher education (HE) onto students and inevitably their families. As students make a greater contribution towards their education, they have increased expectations regarding the services and facilities that higher education institutions (HEIs) provide in support of their studies. The result has been a growth in the number of complaints handled by HEIs over the past few years (Baty and Wainwright 2005a) and an increasing caseload being handled by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). This paper looks at how HEIs are having to respond to a growing complaints culture in the sector, as evidenced by the increasingly influential role of the OIA and by students becoming more assertive in their demands and expectations of their HE experience. These developments are impacting on how HEIs engage with their students during the application, enrollment and post-enrollment processes. The paper concludes by briefly examining the anticipated impact of top-up fees which come into effect in September 2006.

The "Times Higher Education Supplement" of 9 February 2006 briefly reported that the Privy Council, tasked with approving the statutes of universities, was now going to leave their internal arrangements in their own hands. These underlying policy directions need to be set in the context of the important change of emphasis from "audit" to "risk management", encouraged by the Higher Education Funding Councils which are the statutory bodies entrusted with the disbursement of public funding to higher education institutions. It remains a statutory requirement that a university have its accounts audited to a publicly approved standard, in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting for Further and Higher Education. The proposed changes to Privy Council oversight have been put together on the basis of a study of the needs of chartered universities, with another for statutory corporations to follow, but there is no indication of comparable research into the needs of Oxford and Cambridge. These two universities still operate under the provisions of the Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923, which have always given them a considerable liberty to create their own domestic legislation. The proposed lifting of the requirements for Privy Council supervision in other kinds of university is likely to stimulate consideration of the present provisions in both the ancient universities, because they too are affected by the policy directives to improve efficiency (lighter bureaucracy), and to see trouble coming and deal with it before it leads to waste of money and resources (risk management).