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It's important that any organisation is clear about its goal or reason behind being. But never is there a more significant time to re-examine one's "raison d'etre" than in the course of situations of cutback and financial restraint. And what type of organisation is best positioned to philosophically issue its existence than universities, who will be founded on essential considered (and indeed, the self-discipline of philosophy - sorry, I am biased, it really is what I examined approximately my masters' diploma!) And I may possibly be exposing my bias by pre-supposing the importance or centrality in the questioning within the respond to.

What's a university?

Could it be the information it generates? But study normally takes area within the personal sector too, albeit significantly less transparently - but the peer evaluate method is usually underneath fire. More info: click here.

Could it be the "learning" imparted upon college students by teachers and "experts"? But MIT, by way of example, sites its training course products on the net without cost - so why spend ever-increasing tuition expenses? And, what is the benefit of a bit of paper that claims you learned some thing, when ten many years later on you have likely overlooked, or the facts has become changed with additional existing information?

Could it be the truth that graduates "get jobs," as many universities declare within their advertising substance? Presumably the glass ceiling on earnings is lesser having a diploma, but with raising usage of instruction, to be able to distinguish by themselves from the "competition" college students are owning to undertake 2nd or third degrees - a primary diploma is frequently no longer adequate.

Is it the impact universities make within the economy & within the community? But arguably so does industry of any form, although undoubtedly this is actually 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 college students and staff feel that they can tackle the tough questions without reproach? I think most people would agree this is far more than a little idealistic.

Is it the physical experience? But classes are typically virtual, and e-books and on the web journals are slowly replacing their paper siblings. While several pupils live on campus and organise by themselves socially according to their studies and interests, this much too is not an exclusive feature on the college experience.I would argue that it's 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 really is complicated, and that's what makes it beautiful.

But should each university have its own identity, purpose, 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.