A campus revolt stirs

An academic and friend of Quadrant draws our attention to a petition seeking sweeping reforms to the way our universities are run:

… At present, most University Councils have ceased to be transparently accountable to either the Universities on whose behalf they are legally intended to act or to the broader public who funds the University sector.

As a result, University Councils now operate as autocratic entities who internally elect the vast majority of their own members. Moreover, University Councils create, enable, and perpetuate a hierarchical executive structure intended to mimic the commercial corporate sector, and who, ultimately, preside over a University model that has both strayed from its legislative intention and has proven to be financially fragile.

Furthermore, while complex organisational structures are certainly necessary due to the large size of academic institutions, the number of stakeholders, and numerous standards and accreditation requirements, there exists no inherent mandate to allocate or delegate decision making authority to a cadre of separate, often institution-hopping, astonishingly well-paid individuals…

The petition can be read and signed here.