University management - new finance models need better equipped leaders

By Geoff Sharrock. In these challenging times, what is needed is less anecdotal critique of managerialism and more research into how leaders can implement well-considered change.
As governments and universities struggle with the economics of mainstream higher education, many public systems are slowly (or suddenly) becoming mixed economy models. The OECD's Education at a Glance 2011 told the story of the shift. Between 1995 and 2008, public spending on tertiary education across OECD countries fell from 77 to 69% of total spending; while from 2000 to 2008, private spending grew 117%, or four times faster than public spending.