Undoubtedly the most important development in higher education in recent years has been the seemingly inexorable expansion of national systems. In a comparatively short time period many countries have moved from an elite to a mass model. Furthermore, expansion has invariably changed the whole experience of higher education for all the interested parties from, presidents, rectors and vice-chancellors to first-term undergraduates.

Structuring Mass Higher Education examines the impact of this change upon the existing national structures of higher education. It also defines and highlights what makes an ‘elite’ university – something which institutions must strive for in order to gain their position as global players. With case studies and contributions from a wide range of international authors, the book explores questions such as:

These are critical issues with which both policy-makers and institutional leaders will have to grapple over the next ten years, making Structuring Mass Higher Education a timely, relevant, and much needed text. It will appeal to policy makers and practitioners within higher education as well as student and scholars worldwide.

Undoubtedly the most important development in higher education in recent years has been the seemingly inexorable expansion of national systems. In a comparatively short time period many countries have moved from an elite to a mass model. Furthermore, expansion has invariably changed the whole experience of higher education for all the interested parties from, presidents, rectors and vice-chancellors to first-term undergraduates.

Structuring Mass Higher Education examines the impact of this change upon the existing national structures of higher education. It also defines and highlights what makes an ‘elite’ university – something which institutions must strive for in order to gain their position as global players. With case studies and contributions from a wide range of international authors, the book explores questions such as:

These are critical issues with which both policy-makers and institutional leaders will have to grapple over the next ten years, making Structuring Mass Higher Education a timely, relevant, and much needed text. It will appeal to policy makers and practitioners within higher education as well as student and scholars worldwide.

In recent years most western democracies have experienced a shift from elite to mass higher education, with the United States leading the way. This text compares the experience of this very important social change within different nation states. Whilst recognising the critical global economic forces that appear to explain the international nature of the change, it sees the issues as rooted within different national traditions.

There is a particular focus upon the discourse of access, especially the political discourse. The book addresses questions such as:

Leading academic experts explore the ways in which different systems of higher education have accommodated mass access, constructing comparative pictures and comparative interpretations and lessons in an accessible and informative style. This book should be critical reading for students in education, sociology and politics, as well as policy-makers and academics.

In recent years most western democracies have experienced a shift from elite to mass higher education, with the United States leading the way. This text compares the experience of this very important social change within different nation states. Whilst recognising the critical global economic forces that appear to explain the international nature of the change, it sees the issues as rooted within different national traditions.

There is a particular focus upon the discourse of access, especially the political discourse. The book addresses questions such as:

Leading academic experts explore the ways in which different systems of higher education have accommodated mass access, constructing comparative pictures and comparative interpretations and lessons in an accessible and informative style. This book should be critical reading for students in education, sociology and politics, as well as policy-makers and academics.

An almost universal driving force for contemporary change in universities is the shifting view of higher education as more of a private than a public good. Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education presents a contemporary global picture of this move towards the privatisation of higher education, and examines how these shifts in ideology and funding priorities have significant policy implications.

The resulting developments, such as the imposition and escalation of student tuition fees and the emergence of online providers of higher education, emerge out of a combination of economic, political and ideological pressures, further enhanced by technological changes. By using multiple international and regional examples to analyse the various pressures for privatisation, this book examines the different forms privatisation has taken, whilst offering an analytical interpretation of why the privatisation drive emerged, why it has been resisted in some instances and what forms it is likely to assume in the future.

Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education illustrates and challenges the emergence of a new relationship between the university, government and society. It is an essential read for higher education professors, university managers and higher education policy makers across the world.

An almost universal driving force for contemporary change in universities is the shifting view of higher education as more of a private than a public good. Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education presents a contemporary global picture of this move towards the privatisation of higher education, and examines how these shifts in ideology and funding priorities have significant policy implications.

The resulting developments, such as the imposition and escalation of student tuition fees and the emergence of online providers of higher education, emerge out of a combination of economic, political and ideological pressures, further enhanced by technological changes. By using multiple international and regional examples to analyse the various pressures for privatisation, this book examines the different forms privatisation has taken, whilst offering an analytical interpretation of why the privatisation drive emerged, why it has been resisted in some instances and what forms it is likely to assume in the future.

Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education illustrates and challenges the emergence of a new relationship between the university, government and society. It is an essential read for higher education professors, university managers and higher education policy makers across the world.

How has the system of governance changed? Do British higher education institutions still exercise autonomous control over their development as was widely believed to be the case but a few years ago? These questions are pursued through a three-pronged strategy. Firstly, to examine the institutional changes which have occurred since the 1988 Education Reform and the emergence of the funding council model of governance. In particular, we want to know how the various institutional actors – the higher education institutions, the government departments and the funding councils – interact with one another to shape policy outcomes. Secondly, to explore the political context within which these institutional actors have to work. This means examining the role of the political parties, policy networks and the parliamentary forces all of which have a major stake in influencing the direction of higher education policy. This section of the book incorporates the move towards political devolution in the United Kingdom and examines what is different, and what is similar, about higher education policy-making in Scotland and Wales in comparison to England. Thirdly, the book observes the process of policy-making and change in relation to critical issues: the funding of higher education, the research assessment exercises, the quality assurance regime, and the widening participation agenda. In effect it examines policy-making in action.

Undoubtedly the most important development in higher education in recent years has been the seemingly inexorable expansion of national systems. In a comparatively short time period many countries have moved from an elite to a mass model. Furthermore, expansion has invariably changed the whole experience of higher education for all the interested parties from, presidents, rectors and vice-chancellors to first-term undergraduates.

Structuring Mass Higher Education examines the impact of this change upon the existing national structures of higher education. It also defines and highlights what makes an ‘elite’ university – something which institutions must strive for in order to gain their position as global players. With case studies and contributions from a wide range of international authors, the book explores questions such as:

These are critical issues with which both policy-makers and institutional leaders will have to grapple over the next ten years, making Structuring Mass Higher Education a timely, relevant, and much needed text. It will appeal to policy makers and practitioners within higher education as well as student and scholars worldwide.

Undoubtedly the most important development in higher education in recent years has been the seemingly inexorable expansion of national systems. In a comparatively short time period many countries have moved from an elite to a mass model. Furthermore, expansion has invariably changed the whole experience of higher education for all the interested parties from, presidents, rectors and vice-chancellors to first-term undergraduates.

Structuring Mass Higher Education examines the impact of this change upon the existing national structures of higher education. It also defines and highlights what makes an ‘elite’ university – something which institutions must strive for in order to gain their position as global players. With case studies and contributions from a wide range of international authors, the book explores questions such as:

These are critical issues with which both policy-makers and institutional leaders will have to grapple over the next ten years, making Structuring Mass Higher Education a timely, relevant, and much needed text. It will appeal to policy makers and practitioners within higher education as well as student and scholars worldwide.

In recent years most western democracies have experienced a shift from elite to mass higher education, with the United States leading the way. This text compares the experience of this very important social change within different nation states. Whilst recognising the critical global economic forces that appear to explain the international nature of the change, it sees the issues as rooted within different national traditions.

There is a particular focus upon the discourse of access, especially the political discourse. The book addresses questions such as:

Leading academic experts explore the ways in which different systems of higher education have accommodated mass access, constructing comparative pictures and comparative interpretations and lessons in an accessible and informative style. This book should be critical reading for students in education, sociology and politics, as well as policy-makers and academics.

In recent years most western democracies have experienced a shift from elite to mass higher education, with the United States leading the way. This text compares the experience of this very important social change within different nation states. Whilst recognising the critical global economic forces that appear to explain the international nature of the change, it sees the issues as rooted within different national traditions.

There is a particular focus upon the discourse of access, especially the political discourse. The book addresses questions such as:

Leading academic experts explore the ways in which different systems of higher education have accommodated mass access, constructing comparative pictures and comparative interpretations and lessons in an accessible and informative style. This book should be critical reading for students in education, sociology and politics, as well as policy-makers and academics.

An almost universal driving force for contemporary change in universities is the shifting view of higher education as more of a private than a public good. Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education presents a contemporary global picture of this move towards the privatisation of higher education, and examines how these shifts in ideology and funding priorities have significant policy implications.

The resulting developments, such as the imposition and escalation of student tuition fees and the emergence of online providers of higher education, emerge out of a combination of economic, political and ideological pressures, further enhanced by technological changes. By using multiple international and regional examples to analyse the various pressures for privatisation, this book examines the different forms privatisation has taken, whilst offering an analytical interpretation of why the privatisation drive emerged, why it has been resisted in some instances and what forms it is likely to assume in the future.

Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education illustrates and challenges the emergence of a new relationship between the university, government and society. It is an essential read for higher education professors, university managers and higher education policy makers across the world.

An almost universal driving force for contemporary change in universities is the shifting view of higher education as more of a private than a public good. Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education presents a contemporary global picture of this move towards the privatisation of higher education, and examines how these shifts in ideology and funding priorities have significant policy implications.

The resulting developments, such as the imposition and escalation of student tuition fees and the emergence of online providers of higher education, emerge out of a combination of economic, political and ideological pressures, further enhanced by technological changes. By using multiple international and regional examples to analyse the various pressures for privatisation, this book examines the different forms privatisation has taken, whilst offering an analytical interpretation of why the privatisation drive emerged, why it has been resisted in some instances and what forms it is likely to assume in the future.

Towards the Private Funding of Higher Education illustrates and challenges the emergence of a new relationship between the university, government and society. It is an essential read for higher education professors, university managers and higher education policy makers across the world.

How has the system of governance changed? Do British higher education institutions still exercise autonomous control over their development as was widely believed to be the case but a few years ago? These questions are pursued through a three-pronged strategy. Firstly, to examine the institutional changes which have occurred since the 1988 Education Reform and the emergence of the funding council model of governance. In particular, we want to know how the various institutional actors – the higher education institutions, the government departments and the funding councils – interact with one another to shape policy outcomes. Secondly, to explore the political context within which these institutional actors have to work. This means examining the role of the political parties, policy networks and the parliamentary forces all of which have a major stake in influencing the direction of higher education policy. This section of the book incorporates the move towards political devolution in the United Kingdom and examines what is different, and what is similar, about higher education policy-making in Scotland and Wales in comparison to England. Thirdly, the book observes the process of policy-making and change in relation to critical issues: the funding of higher education, the research assessment exercises, the quality assurance regime, and the widening participation agenda. In effect it examines policy-making in action.