Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the pressures on British universities for greater quality and accountability, linked closely to funding, are leading to loss of quality. These governmental pressures, exerted through the Funding Councils, are wholly different from those applied in a quite separate way from another government source, the Employment Department. This article analyses the nature and effects of the two kinds of pressures in terms of change theory. This also demonstrates that the observed effects were not only largely predictable but to a substantial extent were predicted, and warns of the danger that the resulting deleterious effects may become irreversible.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ball, C. (1985).Fitness for Purpose. Guildford: SRHE/NFER-Nelson.
Baume, C. (1992).SCED Teacher Accreditation Year Book. Birmingham: Staff and Educational Development Association.
Benne, W. G., & Chin, R. (1969).General strategies for effecting changes in human systems. In W. Bennis, W. G. Benne and R. Chin (Eds.),The Planning of Change (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Berg, B., & Ostergren, B. (1979). Innovation processes in higher education.Studies in Higher Education, 4(2), 261–269.
Brookman, J. (1993). Welsh reward for teaching excellence.Times Higher Education Supplement, 8, 10, 1993, p. 3.
Brooks, G., et al. (1991).Enterprise in Higher Education: Second Year National Evaluation. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research.
Cryer, P., and Elton, L. (1990). Catastrophe Theory: a unified model for educational change.Studies in Higher Education, 15 (1) 75–86.
Cryer, P. (1993).Preparing for Quality Audit and Assessment Establishing a Quality Assurance System in Higher Education. Sheffield: Universities' Staff Development Unit.
Davies, G. (1993).Quality assessment methodology: how it addresses employer-education links. Second Quality in Higher Education Seminar, Warwick University, December 1993.
Elton, L. (1961). Can universities change?Studies in Higher Education, 6(1) 23–34.
Elton, L. (1988). Accountability in higher education: the danger of unintended consequences.Higher Education, 17, 377–390.
Elton, L. (1991). Enterprise in higher education: work in progress.Education & Training, 33 (2), 6–9.
Elton, L. (1992a). Quality enhancement and academic professionalism.The New Academic, Spring 1992, 3–5.
Elton, L. (1992b). Research, teaching and scholarship in an expanding higher education system.Higher Education Quarterly, 46, 252–268.
Elton, L. (1993).University teaching: a professional model for quality. In R. Ellis (ed),Quality Assurance in University Teaching. Buckingham: SRHE & OU Press.
Elton, L., Gray, H., & Marshall, L. (1990).Employers and the higher education curriculum: the Enterprise in Higher Education Initiative. Guildford: Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education.
Elton, L., & Partington, P. (1993).Teaching standards and excellence in higher education: Developing a culture of quality. Occasional Green Paper No. 1, (2nd ed.), Sheffield: Universities' Staff Development and Training Unit.
Fullan, M. (1985). Change process and strategy at the local level.The Elementary School Journal, 84, 391–420.
Fullan, M. (1990).The management of change: an implementation perspective. In J. Megarry (ed),Facing the challenge. Oxford.
Hale, B. & Pope, N. (1993).A Vision for Higher Education. Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh.
Higher Education Funding Council England (1993).Quality assessment. Circular 10/92.
Jones, P. & Lewis, J. (1991). Implementing a strategy of change in higher education.Studies in Higher Education, 16, 51–61.
Lawton, D., & Gordon, P. (1987).HMI. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Lewin, K. (1952).Field theory in social science. London: Tavistock Publications.
Middlehurst, R., & Elton, L. (1992). Leadership and management in higher education.Studies in Higher Education, 17, 251–264.
Miller, C.M.L., and Parlett, M. (1974).Up to the mark. London: Society for Research into Higher Education.
National Advisory Board and University Grants Committee. (1964).Higher Education and the Needs of Society. London: HMSO.
Pollitt, C. (1987). The politics of performance assessment: lessons for higher education.Studies in Higher Education, 12, 87–98.
Sallis, E. (1992).Total Quality Management in Education. London: Kogan Page.
Schein, E.H. (1972).Professional education. New York: McGraw Hill, ch 8.
Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. (1991).The first year of Enterprise in Higher Education. Sheffield: Employment Department.
Williams, P. (1992a).The UK Academic Audit Unit. In A. Craft (ed),Quality Assurance in Higher Education. London: The Falmer Press.
Williams, P. (1992b).Academic Audit Unit Annual Report, 1990/91. Birmingham: CVCP Academic Audit Unit.
Additional information
Lewis Elton obtained an M.A. in Mathematics at Cambridge University and a B.Sc. in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics at the University of London. He is a Further and Higher Education Adviser to the UK Employment Department and Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the University of Surrey. His special interests are in the improvement of university teaching and learning; staff development; distance learning; and organizational change in higher education. Pat Cryer obtained a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics at the University of Exeter and a Ph.D. in Educational Development at the University of Surrey. She has recently resigned as Professional Adviser of the UK Universities' Staff Development Unit and is now a Consultant in Higher Education. Her special interests are in issues of quality; staff development; and teaching large classes.
The opinions expressed in this paper are our own and do not commit the Employment Department.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elton, L., Cryer, P. Quality and change in higher education. Innov High Educ 18, 205–220 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01191114
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01191114