Differentiation of English universities: the impact of policy reforms in driving a more diverse higher education landscape

Purcell, Wendy M.; Beer, Julian; Southern, Rebekah

doi:10.1080/13603108.2015.1062059

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…At the time of its transformation under a new president vice-chancellor (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015), the UK sector was undergoing significant national policy-led changes with a shift in public funding from government grants to per-capita student fees. This marketized approach was a source of substantial disruption in the sector, with institutions responding by seeking to differentiate their academic offer (Purcell et al, 2016). PU adopted a mission-led transformation based on the concept of enterprise and sustainability as key to institutional health over the long term, committing to transforming lives through education and research.…”

Section: Plymouth University (Pu)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals

Purcell

Henriksen²,

Spengler

2019

IJSHE

239

171

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Purpose Universities can do more to deliver against the sustainable development goals (SDGs), working with faculty, staff and students, as well as their wider stakeholder community and alumni body. They play a critical role in helping shape new ways for the world, educating global citizens and delivering knowledge and innovation into society. Universities can be engines of societal transformation. Using a multiple case study approach, this study aims to explore different ways of strategizing sustainability toward delivering the SDGs are explored in a university setting with an example from the UK, Bulgaria (Europe) and USA. Design/methodology/approach The first case is a public UK university that adopted enterprise and sustainability as its academic mission to secure differentiation in a disrupted and increasingly marketized global higher education sector; this became a source of inspiration for change in regional businesses and the local community. The second case is a business sector-led sustainability-driven transformation working with a private university in Bulgaria to catalyze economic regeneration and social innovation. Finally, a case from the office for sustainability in a major US research university is given to show how its engagement program connected faculty and students in sustainability projects within the institution and with external partners. Findings Each case is in effect a “living lab,” positioning sustainability as an intentional and aspirational strategy with sustainable development and the SDG framework a means to that end. Leadership at all levels, and by students, was key to success in acting with a shared purpose. Partnerships within and with universities can help accelerate delivery of the SDGs, enabling higher education to make a fuller contribution to sustaining the economic, environmental, cultural and intellectual well-being of our global communities. Originality/value The role of universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the SDGs has been explored by way of three case studies that highlight different means toward that end. The collegiate nature of the higher education sector, with its shared governance models and different constituencies and performance drivers, means that sustainability at a strategic level must be led with leaders at all levels acting with purpose. The “living lab” model can become a part of transformative institutional change that draws on both top-down and bottom-up strategies in pursuit of sustainable development.

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Section: Plymouth University (Pu)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals

Purcell

Henriksen²,

Spengler

2019

IJSHE

239

171

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“…Universities now operate in a global market where there is increasing pressure to be sustainable, competing in new ways to attract students, deliver world-class research and be impactful through innovation and their work in communities; they are also seeking to accommodate the rising expectations of students and other key stakeholders demanding value and lifelong return on investment [5]. Using a case study approach to examine three different strategic sustainability From the three case studies, there is no one-size fits all approach or blueprint to follow to bring universities and the SDGs closer together, rather there are a range of means that can be adopted to position sustainability as a strategic agenda.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PU is a large (30,000 students) public university, the UK sector was undergoing significant policy-led changes with a shift in public funding from government grants to per-capita student fees. This marketized approach was a source of substantial disruption in the sector, with institutions responding by seeking to differentiate their academic offer [5].…”

Section: Plymouth University (Pu)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drawing on examples of different ways of strategizing this agenda in a university setting, an example is given from each of the UK, Europe and USA. The first, a UK university undergoing pan-institutional change framed by enterprise and sustainability that served to redefine its academic priorities and differentiate the institution in an increasingly marketized and disrupted global higher education sector [5]; this mission-led change went on to catalyze and accelerate change in business, civic and community settings in the wider region [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Universities as the Engine of Transformational Sustainability in Delivering Against the Sustainable Development Goals: Livitabng Labs for Sustainability

Purcell¹,

Henriksen²,

Spengler³

2018

Preprint

Self Cite

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Universities can do more to deliver against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with faculty, staff and students as well as their wider stakeholder community and alumni body. They play a critical role in helping shape new ways for the world, educating global citizens and delivering knowledge and innovation into society – universities can be engines of societal transformation. Here, using a case study approach, different ways of strategizing sustainability in a university setting are explored with an example from the UK, Europe and USA. The first case is a public UK university that adopted enterprise and sustainability as its academic mission to secure differentiation in a disrupted and increasingly marketized global higher education sector which then became a source of inspiration for change in regional businesses and the local community. The second case study is a business sector-led sustainability-driven transformation working with a private university in Bulgaria to catalyze economic regeneration and social innovation. Finally, the case of Harvard’s Office for Sustainability engagement program is given to show how this approach connects faculty and students with institutional sustainability plans and external partners.  Each case is a living lab, positioning sustainability as an intentional strategy. Leadership at all levels, and by students, was key to success in acting with purpose. Partnerships within and with universities can help accelerate delivery of the SDGs, with higher education making a fuller contribution to sustaining the economic, cultural and intellectual well-being of our global communities. 

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“…Several papers with mixed methods focused on regions. For instance, the paper titled "Differentiation of English Universities: The Impact of Policy Reforms in Driving a More Diverse Higher Education Landscape" by Purcell et al (2016) explains that the richness of the Great Britain sector must be portrayed horizontally with stratified excellence by focusing on return on investment. The report titled "A Holistic Approach to Regional Strategies: The Case of the Basque Country" identified and analysed the Basque Country's smart specialisation strategies over the last 30 years (Navarro et al, 2014).…”

Section: Mixed Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence revisited: literature on smart specialisation calls for more mixed research designs

Fellnhofer

2017

IJKBD

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Differentiation of English universities: the impact of policy reforms in driving a more diverse higher education landscape

Cited by 13 publications

References 16 publications

Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals

Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals

Universities as the Engine of Transformational Sustainability in Delivering Against the Sustainable Development Goals: Livitabng Labs for Sustainability

Evidence revisited: literature on smart specialisation calls for more mixed research designs

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