The British Academics

First year university students' preconceptions of their teacher's week

“…Halsey and Trow for example, found 64 per cent of University teachers in their study described themselves as more interested in research than teaching [1]. Furthermore, 35 per cent regarded research rather than teaching as their first duty, even though the great majority did so with reservations.…”

Slouching towards a mass system: society, government and institutions in the United Kingdom

“…It was partly met by the upgrading of a number of colleges to full universities, and of others to pre-university status as 'Colleges of Advanced Technology', and partly by plans for a number of new universities to start from scratch in the early 1960s. But most of the extra demand before 1960 was met by increasing the size of the older-established institutions (Halsey and Trow 1971). By the late 1950s, however, it became clear that this expansion was not enough: it became a political issue when the universities responded to increased demand, not for the last time, by raising the grades they required for entry rather than squeezing in all those who met previously-acceptable standards.…”

Beyond the universities: The movement towards mass higher education in Britain

“…This appears quite unlikely if the Department of Education and Science slows down the universities' rate of growth. In any event, Halsey and Trow concluded from their study of British academics that an increase of enrollment in higher education beyond about 15% of the age group would require not merely the further expansion of the ~lite university system, but the development of mass higher education through the growth of popular institutions (Halsey and Trow, 1971). …”

“…For example, they will differ in cost. Halsey and Trow observed that no society can afford to educate 30% of its young people at the cost of education at Harvard, Oxford, or Sussex (Halsey and Trow, 1971). The staff-student ratios, the expenditures for research including faculty time, supporting personnel and equipment, and perhaps the salary scales of universities heavily committed to investigation and high scholarship simply cannot be bestowed on the whole of any nation's system of higher education.…”