Maintaining autonomy means working together

by Tony Bruce

Professor Geoff Crossick’s presentation to the conference on autonomy raised some fundamental issues about the relationship between universities and the state, and the role of the funding council.

No risk to institutional autonomy?

by Bahram Bekhradnia

The breakout session on autonomy was highly entertaining, though not exactly mould-breaking – nor even, in the words of Geoff Crossick, Warden of Goldsmiths, who presented – very important. He didn’t mean that the topic wasn’t important, but that the discussion wasn’t going to lead anywhere nor add to our insights. But it was fun.

The price of quality

By Bahram Bekhradnia

Tim Melville-Ross, the HEFCE Chair, is such a likeable man. Rather than subject his new Chief Executive to delivering a Chief Executive’s report after only six hours in post, Tim effectively did that job. Among other things he asserted that maintaining the unit of resource for teaching is absolutely key for maintenance of quality. This is encouraging.

MPs need to be educated, too

By Bahram Bekhradnia

Much of the audience discussion on day one of the conference was dominated by the university vice-chancellors who had appeared before the select committee in the course of the latter’s investigation of universities and students.

Striking the right balance in tough economic times

by Conor Ryan

Sir Alan Langlands addresses the conference

With world leaders pressing for greater regulation of the world financial system at today’s G20 conference, it was appropriate that HEFCE’s new Chief Executive, Sir Alan Langlands, was talking about getting the balance right in the university sector in his address to the conference this afternoon.