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It is important that any organisation is crystal clear about its reason or cause for staying. But never is there a far more essential time to re-examine one's "raison d'etre" than for the duration of times of cutback and economical restraint. And what sort of organisation is best positioned to philosophically dilemma its existence than universities, who are launched on vital thought (and in fact, the willpower of philosophy - sorry, I'm biased, it truly is what I analyzed approximately my masters' degree!) And I might be exposing my bias by pre-supposing the value or centrality in the questioning within the response.

What exactly is a college?

Is it the understanding it generates? But exploration requires spot during the non-public sector as well, albeit significantly less transparently - however the peer evaluate method can also be under hearth. More info: click here.

Is it the "learning" imparted on students by teachers and "experts"? But MIT, such as, spots its program supplies on line free of charge - so why pay back ever-increasing tuition service fees? And, what is the price of a bit of paper that states you discovered a thing, when 10 many years afterwards you have probable forgotten, or even the details may be changed with more present information and facts?

Could it be the reality that graduates "get jobs," as a lot of universities declare within their marketing substance? Presumably the glass ceiling on earnings is lesser using a degree, but with increasing usage of education, as a way to distinguish themselves in the "competition" pupils are owning to undertake second or third levels - a first degree is usually not adequate.

Is it the influence universities make about the market & within the community? But arguably so does industry of any form, although undoubtedly this is a somewhat unidirectional argument as one feeds the other.

Is it the preservation of "freedom of expression," (although not a widely referred to concept within the UK) whereby both students and staff feel that they can tackle the tough questions without reproach? I think most people would agree this is additional than a little idealistic.

Can it be the physical experience? But classes are frequently virtual, and e-books and online journals are slowly replacing their paper siblings. While several college students live on campus and organise on their own socially according to their studies and interests, this way too is not an exclusive feature on the university experience.I would argue that it can be all of the above - during the way that these pieces are intertwined, and cannot truly exist without one another - although such an ambiguous, large-scale "creature" is challenging to "sell" to politicians and the general public. It is really nebulous, and it can be complicated, and that's what makes it beautiful.

But should each university have its own identity, objective, stakeholders? Or should they be tied together in reaching common goals? How can their success be evaluated? In an era of classifications, rankings, and "tagging," clarity and differentiation is crucial for communications.