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It's important that any organisation is obvious about its reason or cause for being. But never is there a far more important the perfect time to re-examine one's "raison d'etre" than during instances of cutback and monetary restraint. And what type of organisation is best positioned to philosophically issue its existence than universities, that are started on significant imagined (and certainly, the willpower of philosophy - sorry, I am biased, it can be what I studied up to my masters' diploma!) And I may possibly be exposing my bias by pre-supposing the relevance or centrality of the questioning from the answer.

What is a college?

Is it the expertise it generates? But research normally requires place from the non-public sector also, albeit a lot less transparently - although the peer evaluation technique can also be underneath fireplace. More info: click here.

Could it be the "learning" imparted on students by lecturers and "experts"? But MIT, as an example, areas its program materials on the internet without spending a dime - so why pay ever-increasing tuition fees? And, what's the price of a piece of paper that says you discovered a thing, when 10 several years afterwards you have most likely forgotten, or maybe the information and facts may be changed with additional present-day info?

Can it be the fact that graduates "get positions," as lots of universities state in their advertising product? Presumably the glass ceiling on earnings is lesser which has a degree, but with increasing use of instruction, as a way to differentiate on their own with the "competition" college students are owning to undertake 2nd or 3rd levels - a primary degree is often no longer adequate.

Could it be the effect universities make about the economy & within the community? But arguably so does industry of any form, although undoubtedly this is often a somewhat unidirectional argument as one feeds the other.

Can it be 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 much more than a little idealistic.

Is it the physical experience? But classes are usually virtual, and e-books and online journals are slowly replacing their paper siblings. While lots of students live on campus and organise themselves socially according to their studies and interests, this way too is not an exclusive feature in the university experience.I would argue that it truly is all on the above - while in 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 can be nebulous, and it truly is complicated, and that's what makes it beautiful.

But should each college 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 important for communications.