Middlesex University T&L Conf 2012

1. What are universities for?
Mariette Jones and Maureen Spencer
Department of Law
!

2. Public/private good(s)
‘Higher education institutions are more or less public
and private according to the policy and funding
configuration chosen for them. In turn that
configuration always rests on one or another
philosophical position.’ (Marginson p. 413)

3. Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills
‘The Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills is building a dynamic and competitive UK
economy….to achieve this it will foster world
class universities and promote an open global
economy’.

4. Public good
• Democratic forms
• Openness
• Social criticism

5. Liberal higher education
• Euro- focused?
• Training for a certain kind of citizenship-
individualist, rationalistic, belief in progress

6. 104 Respondents
Max possible
respondents
respondents
Percentage
responded
Country
51% (SA)
Actual
(53 total)
18% (Mu) UK 143 31 22%
20 total
30% (UK)
31 total SA 1700 53 3%
Maur- 60 20 33%
itius

7. Age & nationality
Under 21
85% Home
22-29 students International
10% 75% students 25%
5%

8. a) Universities should be funded by
central government.
90
80
70
60
50 Total
40 UK
30 SA
20 Mau
10
0
Strongly agree or agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

9. b) Universities should help develop the
economy.
100
90
80
70
60
Total
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

10. d) Universities should encourage
learning for its own sake.
90
80
70
60
50 Total
40 UK
30 SA
20 Mau
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

11. e) Universities should have concern for the
public good as well as advancing the career
ambitions of students.
100
90
80
70
60
Total
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

12. g) Universities should only teach subjects
which are useful for getting jobs.
Total
35% 42%
Disagree Agree
20%
Neither

13. n) Universities should train students
for work but it is not their only task.
TOTAL
(Uni is)…a place where you
13% learn more about yourself
neither ...it channels you to think as
an individual…
I have learnt to question the
things that I am surrounded
81% agree by .

14. k) It is still worth graduating from university
even though graduate job opportunities may be
limited.
100
90 “A job will be there for sure.. But a job
80 that I will suit best.. it is not the
course or subject that determines the
70
job (Mau)
60
TOTAL
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

15. f) It is important to me that university staff
should conduct research into their disciplines as
well as teach students.
Total
2%
12%
Agree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Disagree
85%

16. i) Universities should be prepared to be
critical of powerful elements in society.
90
80
70
60
50 TOTAL
40 UK
30 SA
20 Mau
10
0 6%
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

17. l) Being at a university has opened my
mind to different ways of looking at the
world.
100
90
80
70
60
TOTAL
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

18. o) Universities should play a major role in
fostering a democratic, inclusive society.
100
90
80
70
60
TOTAL
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

19. Q3: My main reason for coming to
University was:
Total
9%
To get a good job when I
leave
26% To learn more about the
65% subject of my degree
Other

20. Some ‘other’ main reasons for coming
to Uni:
• …now I know what it is that I want to be and
that is to be an advocate not the chartered
accountant that all career guidance
counsellors thought would be fitting for me
(SA)
• I do not want to ever be faced with limitations
or the ' you can not do this ' phrase (SA)
• to educate one self and pass knowledge to
others (UK)

21. Q4: In what way do you think universities
differ from school and/or college (if at all)?
• University is harder
• They promote broad-mindedness and deeper
level of thinking
• Universities encourage self learning.
• No one cares what you do and if you hand in
your assignments. it's survival of the fittest
and you fall and get up again before you finish
your studies, that’s if you even finish.

22. Q5: Please complete the following
sentence: “In my opinion a university is a
place where...”
• one gains independent learning skills (UK)
• you develop yourself as a person (UK)
• leaders learn (SA)
• people of different backgrounds come
together to learn and teach each other new
things (SA)
• people grow (Mu)
• …start building the adult we want to be. (Mu)

23. Q6: Any further comment(s) on how you
perceive the role and function of a
university.
• link between society and economy (UK)
• …provides society with a source of educated and
learned individuals capable filling up leadership
roles … (UK)
• Opens opportunities to people who might not
have them without universities. (UK)
• help me get out of poverty through getting a
qualification (SA)
• To …shape those who will 'shape' tomorrow (Mu)

24. j) Universities should encourage in
students a sense of global rather than just
national citizenship.
100
90
80
70
60
TOTAL
50
UK
40
SA
30
Mau
20
10
0
Agree Neither agree nor Disagree
disagree

25. References
Collini S (2012) What are universities for?
Penguin.
Midgeley R (2010) ‘South Africa: legal education
in a transitional society’ in Stakeholders in the
Space/Time Options
‘The dominant tendency fragments space
and cuts it up into pieces… it bases its
image of the forces occupying space on the
idea that space is a passive receptacle.’
H. Lefebvre The Production of Space
(2005) p89
Law School Cownie F (ed) Hart.
Marginson S (2011) ‘Higher education and
public good’. HEQ 411.