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The UK higher education system has become increasingly competitive and stratified prompting calls for a reclaiming of the civic role of universities. This paper argues that, if HE is to reclaim its civic function then civic engagement needs to move beyond being a separate strand of activity for universities, instead becoming a guiding principle. This requires an institution-wide commitment. The paper describes a model developed by a Scottish university to support, recognise and embed civic engagement within the curriculum and wider student experience as part of its core mission. The design and delivery of this development are described and early indicators of its efficacy are provided. Findings indicate that it is possible for universities to operationalise a civic mission by focusing on the curriculum as the mechanism through which to highlight and embed common good attributes. The model described could be replicated in other higher education institutions nationally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 researchqualitywithin universities across the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this research informed perspective, I discuss some of the barriers students face during progression to higher education. A crucial role can be played by higher education institutions (HEIs) and other public bodies. I discuss some of the measures taken and critically evaluate these to show how these can be improved. In the absence of a centralised admission system and autonomy exercised by HEIs, it is not clear yet how these targets will be achieved. HEFCE and OFFA play a vital role, but there is further scope towards addressing equality and diversity. This paper discusses some of the ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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." ]. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no shortage of literature addressing the range of reasons why more disadvantaged groups are underrepresented in higher education – and particularly elite universities – in the UK, and it is clear that this has little to do with any real deficiency in terms of ability. This paper begins with an overview of this issue but then extends the argument beyond widening participation (WP) at the point of access. It raises concerns emerging from two relatively underresearched areas in the literature which indicate that ‘WP’ students are faced with greater inequalities than their more affluent peers both during their undergraduate degrees as well as beyond them. Although the focus here is on the UK, this topic and many of its themes will be familiar to educationalists and HE practitioners in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cites reflections on the 2003 British Government White Paper on the direction of higher education. Recognition by the government of the key role of universities in the development of the economy and society; Integration of decisions on funding and structure; Focus on the impact of funding on public expenditure on higher education; Conditions associated with diversified funding; Government commitments to higher education.

For the ‘global middle classes’, cultural reproduction increasingly involves the international school as they promise considerable distinction [Bourdieu, P. 1984. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press] granting University passage past Anglo gate-keepers. This paper draws on research providing a multiphase exploration of the character of senior leadership in IB international schools. Participants emerged as white ‘English’ and Christian. However, data collected show that these leaders do not operationalise (organisational) international values; instead, they draw upon their own societal values in leadership. Yet, their stories and outlooks of global-mindedness sit uncritically, framed in ‘Inner Circle English’ [Kachru, B. 1985. “Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle.” In English in the World: Teaching and Learning the Language and Literatures, edited by R. Quirk and H. G. Widdowson, 11-34. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] advantage. Participants lean on a power-narrative of middle-class ‘Englishness’. As powerful policy-makers, this orientation defines the international school’s mission and vision. It appeals to the surge of international education, particularly in the global South, where international schools can be seen as incubators of ‘English’ epistemic advantage. It is unlikely that the consolidation of the ‘Brand of Britain’ will affect this demographic and their choices to ‘go UK’. The affordance of diminishing EU participation in the UK higher education system may work in favour of globalising middle classes and elites. Conversely, it is unlikely that lower income EU or UK domestic HE participation is likely to profit from this move. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents research from a small-scale study analysing how graduates and alumni feature in the strategic plans of all Irish universities (n = 7). The data suggest that the word 'graduate' is used to describe the work of the university as an enabler for the graduate, to prepare for the employment to acquire key skills, towards a foundation of 'graduateness' such as reflective thinking, moral reasoning and lifelong learning aligning with the institution's key performance indicators. In contrast, 'alumni' are featured related to alumnus/alumna success. Irish Higher Education Institutions view alumni as a key enabler to contribute to the university's mission and vision: through giving, both of their time and philanthropic donations. Based on the strategic plan discourse, the role of alumni in Irish universities suggests a similar trend, relying on alumni as an internal stakeholder with an external ability to offer value to the institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of reflexivity in supporting middle managers in understanding and facilitating large-scale change management projects in their organisations. Utilising an example from a UK university, it is argued that the development of a conceptual model to fit local circumstances enables deeper understanding and better informed decision-making. The cultural and practical difficulties of applying industry-derived management models to higher education institutions are noted. A more nuanced approach is advocated instead, recognising the need for university managers to conceptualise their own circumstances by taking account of local organisational norms and culture to better understand and therefore manage challenging change projects. In conclusion, practical theorising can (re-)structure a complex situation and support the middle manager through the emotional and political challenges of organisational change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

International students make up an increasingly large proportion of the UK's student population. Whether studying at undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research level, they require support just like home students. However, international students can often bring additional issues and complications for the staff who are supporting them. This paper examines the additional complications involved in supporting international students, with a specific focus on cultural issues, and will make recommendations as to how practice can be improved. Key recommendations include the introduction of greater support for staff who teach and support international students and the expansion of orientation programmes for international students to include topics such as current educational culture in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For many universities around the world, internationalisation means the recruitment of fee-paying international students (so-called export education) for primarily commercial reasons. For UK universities, international (non-European Union) students account for approximately 13% of their annual revenues, making them highly dependent on international student recruitment. This paper discusses the attempt by one UK university to change direction and develop a new approach to internationalisation which puts an international learning experiencefor all studentsat the heart of its new strategic plan. It discusses the obstacles to changing direction in this way and shares some of the lessons learned about how to roll out an alternative university-wide internationalisation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) follows a set of submission rules. Here we analyse whether the submission rules of the impact element arguably shaped the submission sizes of the submitting units – a group of academics researching on a specific subject area in higher education providers – to the REF in 2014. The number of impact case studies required was determined by the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members submitted by the unit. We argue that units that did not have an extra impact case study or units' perception of lower quality of additional impact case study made some units to lower their submission sizes. We show that there were proportionately more submissions with a size just below the threshold FTE – a threshold used to identify the numbers of impact case studies – than those just above the threshold, suggesting that some units arguably decreased their size to return fewer impact studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses reform, vision and ambiguity in British higher education. Anyone coming to the British White Paper "Education and Skills: The Future of Higher Education" from outside Great Britain is struck by one thing quite apart from the teeming proposals for overhauling the way Great Britain funds its higher education systems. As words, and sentences, become shorter so the vision conveyed is one of dynamism enforced, vigour, vim and fierce resolve injected directly into the hearts of all associated with the higher educational enterprise, which is to say, virtually everyone from vice-chancellor to first-year student.

This paper examines the future of Western higher education. Situated midway between an analysis and a polemic, it concerns itself with how we might begin to actively design the universities of the future. That will require a productionist account of higher education which is so far sadly lacking. But there are signs that such an account might be possible if we could at least begin to remove the blinkers provided by the tired old narratives of what universities are like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current national and institutional focus on teaching and learning in higher education (HE) in the UK has led to a growing credentialisation of those teaching in this sector. There is now more emphasis on being recognised as being qualified to teach in HE and this information is being included in statistical reports, marketing documentation and other promotional materials. Thus, having a recognised qualification is becoming requisite for many, both those new to teaching in this sector and experienced colleagues, who hitherto had never needed to consider this. This paper considers some of the practicalities and potential pitfalls of introducing a professional recognition scheme for those involved in teaching and supporting learning across a university. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents proposals for higher education that would correspond to world-class aspiration, social inclusion, inadequate resourcing and political reality. Abolition of up-front tuition fees in favor of full-time home and European Union undergraduate; Re-introduction of grants for poorer students; Limitation of tuition fee increases; Differentiation of tuition fees by institution and subject.

China is a major source country of students in the UK's taught Master's programs. The reliance on China as a major source country has caused some concerns over its sustainability. Will the Chinese students continue to come? To answer this question, a push–pull factor analysis is conducted on the perceptions of Chinese students who graduated from the UK around the year 2000 and 2020. The goal is to explore the major pull factors for Chinese students' mobility to the UK and whether there have been changes in the past 20 years. The findings of this pseudo longitudinal study suggest that, though most of the UK's pull factors have stayed stable, the declining weight of the UK's higher education reputation should be concerning. To sustain the UK's attractiveness, the UK universities should slow the neoliberal expansion of international recruitment and strengthen the desirable Socratic approach to teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction in which the editor discusses articles contained within the issue on topics such as comparisons between higher education in Australia and Great Britain, the implications of Great Britain's Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, and professional recognition to college teachers.

The article, published in October 2003 issue of Perspectives, illuminates concerns behind writer Burton Clark's quotation in different ways but they relate fundamentally to the broad theme of how academic and managerial responsibilities intersect in today's university. It is also reporting on the incorporation of Information and Communications Technologies into higher education teaching, in Great Britain and more widely, prompts further reflections on questions of institutional strategy and management. The systematic tinder pricing of research and poor recovery of research overheads may threaten institutional solvency and the aim too often is the generation of research activity, rather than of profit.

The author discusses the roles of private sector providers in the diversity of provision in higher education in Great Britain. He discusses the importance of analyzing the range and type of private providers and distinguishes several ways to stratify them including ownership, motive and target audience. He states the relevance of the study findings by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in knowing the motives of the students in Great Britain who prefers private providers.

The article presents books, papers, and articles related to higher education. They include the "British Universities in China: The Reality beyond the Rhetoric" for British involvement in China, the "University Dynamics and European Integration," by P. Maassen and J. Olsen, and the "British Universities: Past and Present," by R. Anderson.

In this article the author discusses the review and renewal of quality assurance in higher education (HE) in Great Britain. He notes that Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) with HE have entered into a series of reviews, assessments, and discussions to renew the Quality Assurance System (QAS), the Academic Infrastructure, and provision of public information. Moreover, he explores QAA's priority areas in the future including student engagement, investigating complaints, and reaching the public.

In this article the author talks about the challenges faced by academics and administrators who undertake the leadership and management of research activity in contemporary universities in Great Britain. According to the author, the higher education reforms in Great Britain have increased the workloads of many academics, leaving less time for research. The author says that research activities at universities will be much more challenging in the aftermath of the economic recession.

Introduces the British higher education-related articles published in the January 2004 issue of "Perspectives". Advice for university managers on how to manage success and leadership; Boundary between delivering and managing the delivery of teaching and learning; Development of roles of administrative managers.

This article discusses the decline of diversity, autonomy and trust in post-war British higher education. The following offers reflection on the history of the relationship between British higher education and various British governments since World War II, and most particularly since 1980, the beginning of the Thatcher revolution, and puts current events into an historical as well as a comparative perspective. One advantage is the tendency of a foreign observer to stand outside the institution and its political context, and to raise questions about what natives ordinarily take for granted.

The article comments on the typology of higher education professional services staff and its effects on individual professional and career development in the field of higher education in Great Britain. It includes an in-depth analysis of the shift from generalist to specialist professional services staff in higher education, as well as a discussion on the issues' implications for higher education.

The article focuses on the impact of regulation on the way higher education operates in Great Britain. Considerations were focused both in terms of the breadth of auditing and in the resulting changes to the procedures and practices of institutions. Although the bureaucratization, as some would argue, of schools satisfied the government's monitoring and standard settings agendas, the associated burden is clearly evident to managers, administrators and academics alike.

Editorial. Focuses on the program of the Association of University Administrators Continuing Professional Development Award in Great Britain. Combination of job-related learning with approaches to career-long development; Exploration of higher education environment; Views on learning opportunities on the Web.

The article presents information on a consultative paper published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in December 2009, which outlines several changes to quality assurance (QA) for higher education in Great Britain. The HEFCE consultative document (HEFCE 2009) states that there is lack of consistency in educational standards, and present QA arrangements are inflexible. For this, the document proposes improved information for students, and changes to institutional audit.

There has been an increasing interest in the lived experiences of professional services staff working in the higher education sector, but little attention has been given to the role that job title plays in the shaping of working identities for this group of staff. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of twenty members of professional services staff working in a research-intensive UK university. Job titles were important to the participants but challenges and frustrations arose, sometimes from the job titles themselves, but largely from a lack of understanding of the professional services job structure and how job titles, roles and responsibilities were understood by others within and outside the organisation. Recommendations for institutions and individuals are provided based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers how the decisions of the UK government, following the Brexit referendum, may impact on higher education in Africa. Ghana and South Africa are the two countries chosen to exemplify the claim that academic staff in African higher education will lose opportunities to acquire experience in British universities. Academic mobility between Africa and the UK is expected to fall significantly following Brexit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Focuses on the impact of market segmentation on the higher education system in Great Britain. Inclusion of corporate planning activities on educational management systems; Institutional competitive advantage brought about by explicit market segmentation; Implementation of educational change through polarity management.

Focuses on the impact of electronic scheduling system on higher education sector in Great Britain. Reasons on the difficulty in introducing the diary system in administrative offices; Process of the electronic diary system; Steps in introducing the diary system to the whole organization.

With recent changes in how UK higher education is funded, universities are operating in a context in which finances are uncertain. It is more important than ever that university leaders are able to manage the finances of their organisations in ways which both provide long-term security and allow for investment in strategically important initiatives. Teaching intensive universities must be able to generate income and oversee the allocation of resources in such a way that responds to student pressure to provide high-quality education and improve services. This article explores the benefits, disadvantages and challenges of aligning corporate and financial strategies in order to support delivery of their strategic aims and operational targets. Recommendations are made for well-managed, well-researched risk taking and developing autonomy within academic and professional services units, such that local resource allocation decisions are also in line with the organisation's strategic aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional staff total approximately 23% of staff in universities in the UK, which in 2014/15 was the equivalent of 95,870 individuals (hesa.ac.uk). With their increasing span of responsibility, it is surprising that there has been little research into the careers of these staff. This study, part of a larger careers study, highlights some key attitudes to, and needs from, their careers. Via a multimethod instrument, of which only descriptive statistics are presented here, it is shown that professional staff are motivated by an integrated set of needs attributed to traditional, boundaryless and protean career theory. It is also shown that professional staff overall are satisfied in their roles, but there is a mismatch between the desire for a career and promotion opportunities, and those forthcoming from their organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Green PaperFulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice[BIS. 2015. Sheffield: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474227/BIS-15-623-fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice.pdf] suggests that the United Kingdom Higher Education (HE) landscape will be transformed, with greater emphasis on the quality of teaching and dissemination of high-quality learning and teaching (L&T) information to students. The latter is important for achieving the Government’s widening participation agenda. Previously, a survey of the websites of 38 HE institutions found that limited information was provided to prospective students on several aspects of L&T [Hosein, A., and N. Rao. 2015.An Impact Study of the Guidance Documents for Higher Education Providers Published by QAA in 2013. Gloucester: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=3014#.VlKDp4SS1Bx]. This research study analyses interview data from quality assurance and marketing personnel in eight British universities to identify the reasons for this information gap on HE institutions websites. The findings indicate that both institutional and individual practices influence the quality of L&T website information. The recognition of these contributory factors may facilitate the provision of quality information and guidance on effective ways of addressing these. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used in both North America and the UK as a means of documenting and improving teaching quality. This article discusses current research on SET administration and interpretation in both regions. Sections of the article are dedicated to various problems associated with SETs and how these may be addressed. Attention is focused on the underlying theme of engaging students to become active participants in improving teacher quality. Given the large investment in SETs and the strong likelihood that they will continue to be used to measure teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes, it is important to maximise the practical information gained from them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Transnational education (TNE) is a fast moving area. The growth of TNE provision across the higher education (HE) sector has meant professional staff have developed considerable experience and knowledge in this field. However, the development of online and distance learning provision combined with the changing TNE landscape has given rise to new and innovative partnership types and models, creating new market opportunities, and inevitably more competition. New market entrants offer customised content, routes to qualifications, learning and tuition solutions, which present new partnership opportunities for universities. However, organisational practices for due diligence, stakeholder management, quality assurance, financial investment, decision-making and commercial and legal support can require significant adaptation and management. Professional staff must consider new ways to evaluate potential opportunities and risks in TNE where these involve multiple agencies and third parties. This article provides an insight into how these changes in the TNE environment impact professional staff in HE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research on internationalisation in higher education has dramatically expanded over the last several decades. This study aims to provide an overview of the research developments undertaken between 1980 and 2014, on internationalisation in higher education. Explorative, systematic literature screening and analysis were undertaken, encompassing over 7,000 scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed journals during that period. A novel methodology was developed for collecting, screening, coding, and analysing the gathered data. Through the coding system employed, specific trends were identified and quantified in research on internationalisation within regions, countries, disciplines, years, and subjects of study. Several patterns were revealed, reflecting changing trends in research focusing on internationalisation in education, regarding differences over time and different areas of the world. The findings provide a glimpse into the changing directions research on internationalisation in higher education has taken, and might ignite the discussion of future directions and transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We take a multidisciplinary approach mapping the models used by UK higher education (HE) institutions against established international business foreign market entry strategies. We review the conditions in host markets that facilitate market entry and consider how these will determine foreign market entry strategy. We specifically consider four macro-environmental factors: (a) the existence of a market, (b) the adherence to supranational institutions and the harmonisation of national legislation, (c) the convergence of the home and host cultures as manifested by the appeal of UK degrees with the local population and (d) the penetration of technology. These four factors and the models used for exporting UK HE are mapped against market entry strategies. We conclude by exploring the key areas of emerging interest, the differences in the franchise model, the extent to which Greenfield sites differ and the lack of Brownfield activity within the current environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Comments on the satisfaction of customers on the access to higher education in Great Britain. One of the factors of success; Development of e-learning education; Crucial component of learning and teaching strategy; Fact of academic life in the twenty-first century.

UK higher education (HE) has become increasingly diverse. Despite the clear social, economic and pedagogical benefits of diversity, it can also be challenging for identity as it may bring about psychological change and compel both the ‘dominant majority’ and ‘minorities’ to adjust to the presence, identities and worldviews of the other. Drawing upon Identity Process Theory from social psychology, the present article explores the potential challenges to identity in a diverse HE context and how students may subsequently cope with these challenges. After a brief overview of Identity Process Theory, two case studies are presented that focus on how social class and ethnic/religious diversity can impact identity. The more general aim of this article is to develop the basic tools for enhancing students’ learning experience in a diverse HE context. It is suggested that HE institutions need to support students from diverse backgrounds in ways that are conducive to a positive identity, and that they must facilitate a shared superordinate identity which can be viewed as inclusive and available to all, regardless of class, ethnicity, religion or any other identity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite numerous criticisms of the UK National Student Survey (NSS) institutional managers still strongly support its use in informing student choice, quality and assurance and quality enhancement activities. This article outlines a granular and nuanced benchmarking system for the NSS which provides both a ‘raw’ score (weighted student satisfaction score) and a normalised quotient (weighted student satisfaction quotient) to enable users to take a more considered approach to the absolute and relative strengths and weaknesses of individual course programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article considers the economic aspects of higher education in Great Britain, focusing on the applicability of consumer protection law to universities. He discusses a report by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), a Consumer Rights Bill under consideration the British Parliament, and a report on the value of higher education, and he addresses the need for university administrators to place a greater emphasis on compliance with consumer protection laws.

The prevention and resolution of student complaints are critical factors in maintaining and improving the student experience. Rob Behrens looks at the wider context, drawing on lessons from beyond higher education, to examine the opportunities and possible pitfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Just who are ‘administrators’ in UK higher education? The definition of administrators is explored and it is argued that it has changed to become looser. Administrative roles are now much more diverse. Technological changes have created new roles and opportunities with progression opportunities for some staff. The statistical evidence from the Higher Education Statistics Agency is considered. This shows that a large percentage of support staff work in academic cost centres and changes in the numbers and type of staff working in different areas are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses changes in the English Higher Education (HE) sector. Topics discussed include the concept of disruptive innovation and the ways this concept applies to the HE sector, an argument that the HE sector in England needs to be distinctive and focus on its strengths, and the use of university mission as a driver of organizational motivation.

An audit of economics provision shows that over the past decade economics has disappeared from large parts of the UK's higher education landscape, especially the post-1992 universities. In the north of Britain the binary system has effectively re-emerged leaving many potential students unable to study key subjects such as economics. Post-1992 institutions appear to have responded to forces in the higher education market by retreating from key subjects. The experience of economics shows how universities exercising their autonomy deal with complex issues such as the link between research and subject provision and the stratification of applicants along social class lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]