These are uncertain times for universities. Brexit, an unfavourable immigration regime, regulatory overhaul and fierce competition for students have combined to make plotting a safe course arguably more difficult than ever before.
The Guardian has commissioned research to understand how university leaders are steering their institutions in troubled times. We carried out in-depth interviews with 51 vice-chancellors, finance directors and chief operating officers. This was supplemented by a survey which received 59 responses from the same target group.
The university leaders painted a complex picture of a far more diverse sector than recent media coverage suggests. These the issues that are troubling them most, in a selection of illuminating quotes from the report [pdf].
Uncertain times: “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a pace of change and upheaval”
All the leaders pointed to a volatile climate, which they attributed to a range of factors, chief among them the new legislation changing how universities are regulated, the unfolding Brexit saga, and the greater competition for students following the lifting of the cap on numbers. The tuition fee hike in 2012 has led to students questioning the value for money of a degree, while staff costs are mounting.
Media coverage: “Higher education has become the new NHS”
Last year brought a tough summer for university leaders, as the vice-chancellor pay scandal erupted all over the media. Higher education had grown used to being viewed with respect as one of the UK’s most successful sectors. Suddenly universities were exposed to widespread criticism that has undermined their purpose and value.
Fee cuts? “You could still get by but you would be limping, some universities it might even push to insolvency”
The government has pledged to review student finance, but details of the form it will take and what it will cover remain under wraps. In the meantime, universities are concerned that if any cut to tuition fees is not supplemented by a government grant, the impact could be serious, pushing those universities which are struggling to recruit students right to the brink.
Clearing wars: “We’re really seeing a ramping up in the behaviour and aggression in the market”
The cap on student numbers, which was lifted in 2014, was intended to lead to overall expansion of the sector. The reality is instead that the top tier universities are lowering their tariffs and luring students with unconditional offers, poaching the applicants who would normally seek out lower tariff institutions. The result has been aggressive marketing - with SnapChat a core battleground.
Brexit: “Brexit makes us a less welcoming country, a less welcoming partner”
Universities came out in force to back the remain campaign in the 2016 referendum. They highlighted the negative impact that Brexit would have on the higher education sector in terms of staff and student recruitment and research funding. Nearly two years down the line, that impact is beginning to be felt. Universities are struggling to recruit EU academics and forge new research partnerships with other European countries – and this is just the beginning.
International students: “We cannot break even, or make a surplus, on any other area of our business”
Calls for the government to take international students out of the net migration target have been reverberating around the sector for years now. They have met with continued resistance from prime minister Theresa May, who is sticking to her views developed as Home Office secretary that too many overstay their visas - despite evidence to the contrary and pleas from Conservative MPs. Universities will be watching amendments to the immigration bill this spring, in the hope that it will offer more favourable conditions for international students, which represent a critical source of revenue.
The teaching excellence framework: “It’s been a lottery”
The government’s Tef assessment exercise, which is intended to evaluate universities on the basis of the quality of their teaching, has been controversial since its inception. Much of the debate has focused on whether the metrics, which include graduate salaries and student survey results, have anything to do with what’s actually going on in the classroom. The first round of results were released this year, shaking up the traditional higher education hierarchy by awarding some Russell Group institutions bronzes while lower ranked universities gained golds – but the secret to their success remains disputed.
Mental health: “We are having to invest a lot of money in supporting those needs”
Mental health problems among university students have been on a rapid rise since the trebling of tuition fees. Sixty-one per cent of institutions have seen demand for counselling services jump by over a quarter in the past five years. Universities are responding to the agenda by expanding mental health and wellbeing services – but some are falling behind, and have been asked to triple their support to meet growing demand.
Value for money: “If there is one thing that we have to absolutely get right it is driving up the quality of student experience”
Student experience has become something of a buzzword in universities in recent years. It’s been given added prominence by the use of the National Student Survey to evaluate institutions in Tef and in league tables. This has combined with the increased competition for students to make investing in shiny buildings and a spruced-up campus a priority for universities.
Business links: “Academics might have looked at businesses in the past as a cheque-writing machine and I think we are trying to shift that attitude”
The “ivory tower” is an old trope used to describe how detached universities are from the real world. Recent government policy has sought to encourage universities to forge closer links with local businesses and the community, through degree apprenticeships and research commercialisation. Before his departure, the former universities minister, Jo Johnson, unveiled the knowledge exchange framework, or Kef, as a means of evaluating universities on the strength of their ties to industry. Its future now lies in the hands of the new minister.
- This research [pdf] was commissioned by the Guardian, supported by HSBC, and carried out by Shift Learning. It was based on 51 telephone interviews and 59 survey responses from vice-chancellors, finance directors and chief operating officers. The raw survey data and technical report are available to download.
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