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Formation Continue du Supérieur

7 août 2012

Contrat de Plan Régional de Développement des Formations Professionnelles - PACA

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.pngLa loi du 24 novembre 2009 relative à l’orientation et à la formation professionnelle tout au long de la vie, prévoit que le Contrat de Plan Régional de Développement des Formations (CPRDF) prend effet le 1er juin de la première année civile suivant le début de la mandature, et qu’il doit être contractualisé entre l’Etat et la Région.
Selon cette loi, il revient à la Région, non plus d’adopter un PRDF mais d’élaborer ce CPRDF dans le cadre du Comité de Coordination Régional de l’Emploi et de la Formation Professionnelle (CCREFP).
Sur la base d’un diagnostic régional partagé, ce CPRDFP a pour objet de définir, outre des orientations communes permettant d’engager les signataires, une programmation à moyen terme des actions de formation professionnelle des jeunes et des adultes et d’assurer un développement cohérent des filières de formation professionnelle initiale et continue.
Pour l’élaboration de ce contrat, la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur a fait le choix d’une démarche de concertation élargie basée sur les travaux d’un « Groupe Multipartite » composé, de représentants de la Région, des partenaires sociaux (collèges employeurs et salariés), des services de l’Etat, des acteurs de la formation, associant Pôle Emploi et l’ARDML.
Le CPRDFP vaut également schéma prévisionnel de l’apprentissage, schéma régional des formations sociales et schéma régional des formations sanitaires.
Retrouvez la conférence inaugurale en vidéo. Toutes vos informations sur: Site dédié au CPRDF-PACA.


Per lo sviluppo del presente contratto, la Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur ha optato per un più ampio processo di consultazione basato sul lavoro di un "Gruppo Multiparty" composto da rappresentanti della Regione, partner sociali (datori di lavoro e dipendenti universitari), i servizi dello Stato, di giocatori di formazione, centro di lavoro che unisce e ARDML. Trova la lezione inaugurale in video. Tutte le informazioni: Sito dedicato a CPRDF-PACA. Più...
7 août 2012

Former pour sécuriser l'emploi

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.pngEn Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, les demandeurs d’emplois, les salariés et les entreprises sont accompagnés. La formation est le levier prioritaire pour favoriser l’emploi et l’activité.
« J’ai suivi cinq semaines de formation en maintenance marine à l’Institut de promotion et de formation aux métiers de la mer, dans le cadre du plan de formation de mon entreprise… C’est une bonne démarche! » Salarié d’une petite PME spécialiste de l’électronique de navigation pour la pêche, la plaisance et la grande plaisance, Stéphane a été directement touché par la crise. Face à la diminution de l’activité et en accord avec son employeur, il a pu suivre une formation cofinancée par la Région. Au bout du compte, il a évité le chômage technique et conservé son salaire. Autre avantage: l’entreprise a été allégée en charges sociales pendant la durée de la formation. Pour le maintien dans l’emploi, la transition ou la reconversion professionnelle des salariés des TPE et des PME en difficulté en Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, la formation des salariés est indispensable. Mieux vaut en effet pour l’entreprise disposer de ressources humaines qualifiées lui permettant de s’adapter aux besoins du marché. De son côté également, mieux vaut pour le salarié développer sa qualification afin de pouvoir évoluer, voire se reclasser, en cas de besoin.
Mutualiser les moyens
Responsable du développement économique sur son territoire et responsable de la formation, la Région a mis en place des dispositifs ciblés, en accord avec les partenaires, visant à apporter des réponses communes face à la crise. Un fonds régional de formation, doté de 5 M€, a ainsi été créé: « IRIS », pour Intervention Régionale pour l’Investissement Social. Il finance des dispositifs nouveaux ou résultant d’une adaptation de mesures existantes. Ce fonds mutualise les moyens et interventions de la Région et de ceux mobilisés par les partenaires sociaux, notamment AGEFOS-PME, OPCALIA, FONGECIF. « Dans le cadre du nouveau fonds IRIS, nous avons deux objectifs: sécuriser l'emploi, en accompagnant le plan de formation des entreprises, et agir directement pour l'emploi en raccourcissant les transitions professionnelles; à cette fin, nous allons expérimenter avec le Pôle Emploi et la Région une « Préparation Opérationnelle à l'Emploi » et accompagner le Contrat de transition professionnelle, explique Vincent Vanadia, président de l’AGEFOS-PME PACA. Nous formerons avant tout les publics les plus fragilisés par la crise, exposés à la perte d'emploi car n’ayant pas ou peu bénéficié de formations ou ayant un niveau de formation insuffisant au regard de l'évolution des technologies ou de l'organisation du travail. Nous devrions accompagner plus de 1 000 personnes ».
Susciter des actions de formation

Ce sont les organismes paritaires interprofessionnels, administrés par les représentants du patronat et des salariés (FONGECIF, etc., ci-dessus cités) qui sont chargés de la collecte et de la gestion des fonds de formation pour les entreprises et/ou les salariés. Le « Pôle emploi » et le Fonds social européen peuvent aussi être associés à certains dispositifs. Les salariés les moins qualifiés ou en situation la plus précaire en bénéficient prioritairement, les entreprises aidées étant bien entendu les plus fragilisées par un carnet de commandes défaillant. Pour les demandeurs d’emploi, mais aussi pour les salariés en insertion, le fonds IRIS peut susciter et financer des actions de formation s’adressant à des demandeurs d’emploi qualifiés qui sont candidats à un projet de recrutement identifié et ont besoin d’une adaptation au poste de travail. Le projet doit être présenté par des acteurs locaux – associations, collectivités ou autres – en réponse à la problématique propre à un territoire donné, à une filière d’activité ou une catégorie de la population particulièrement fragilisée. Enfin, autre volet de ce dispositif: les aides au développement économique, une veille économique avec les partenaires de la Région et un partenariat renforcé avec les entreprises. - Thierry Auffray.
En savoir plus
Jeunes demandeurs d’emploi, apprentis, lycéens, étudiants, adultes… le site regionpaca.fr vous propose un réseau d’information pour les contacts des organismes et centres de ressources pour la formation en Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Retrouvez plus d'informations sur Réseau d’accueil et d’information.
Vous pouvez aussi consulter le portail de l'emploi et de la formation en Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Ce site s'adresse à toute personne, privée ou professionnelle, recherchant des informations dans les domaines de l'emploi et de la formation en région: www.emploiformationpaca.org.
Site dédié aux Métiers en région

Le site Métiers en région a vocation à présenter les caractéristiques des principaux métiers exercés dans notre région, les formations permettant de s’y préparer et les emplois offerts par les entreprises de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.png~~VProvence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, in cerca di lavoro, i dipendenti e le imprese sono accompagnati. La formazione è la leva principale per promuovere l'occupazione e l'attività. Questi organismi paritetici interprofessionali, amministrato da rappresentanti dei datori di lavoro e dei lavoratori (FONGECIF, ecc., Già citata) che sono responsabili per la raccolta e la gestione dei fondi per la formazione per le imprese e/o dipendenti. Il "centro per l'impiego" e il Fondo sociale europeo può anche essere associata a determinati dispositivi. Più...
7 août 2012

Formation professionnelle continue dans l'enseignement supérieur - PACA

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.pngDepuis 2003, un accord cadre entre la Région et les six universités de son territoire, ainsi qu’avec le CNAM et le CESI. Objectif: favoriser le développement de la formation professionnelle continue dans l’enseignement supérieur.
A ce titre, la Région a pour mission de co-financer la mise en œuvre de trois objectifs structurants de l’activité de formation continue:
* l’accueil/l’information des publics prioritaires,
* l’individualisation des parcours de formation,
* le développement de la validation des acquis de l’expérience.
Le public bénéficiaire:

* Principalement les demandeurs d’emploi qui ont interrompu leurs études depuis plus de 12 mois.
* Egalement, dans un second temps, les publics en promotion sociale, dont parmi ceux-ci prioritairement les salariés en situation précaire et les femmes isolées.
Pour ces publics éligibles qui intègrent une formation, le principe de gratuité est réaffirmé. L’objectif visé prioritairement est l’acquisition d’un premier diplôme universitaire national à dimension professionnelle, dans une optique de retour à l’emploi.

Près de 400 formations, du niveau IV (DAEU) à I (Master 2) sont ainsi offertes dans les quatre universités:
* Aix-Marseille Université,
* Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis,
* Université du Sud Toulon Var,
* Université d’Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse.  

Quant au Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers - CNAM de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, le programme d’activités propose l’accès à 50 certifications dans 10 domaines de spécialités différents: mathématiques et sciences; spécialités pluritechnologiques de la production; transformations; génie civil, construction bois; mécanique, électricité, électronique, échanges et gestion; communication et informatique; services aux personnes; services aux collectivités.
Retrouvez les formations supérieures financées par la Région dans le cadre de la formation continue sur le site Espace Compétences: Enseignement supérieur.

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.png~~V Dal 2003, un accordo quadro tra la Regione e le sei università nel suo territorio, e con CNAM e CESI. Obiettivo: promuovere lo sviluppo della formazione professionale continua nel settore dell'istruzione superiore.
Come tale, la Regione mira a co-finanziare la realizzazione di tre obiettivi della strutturazione dell'attività di formazione continua. Trova l'istruzione superiore finanziato dalla Regione nell'ambito della formazione continua sul sito Skills Spazio: istruzione superiore. Più...
7 août 2012

Se former - un droit pour tous

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.pngParce que la vie professionnelle est en constante mutation, il convient de s’adapter, de changer de voie, de rebondir… La formation revêt ainsi une importance capitale quel que soit l’âge. Alors que la mondialisation affecte profondément le monde du travail, que nos sociétés se caractérisent par un chômage persistant des jeunes et des adultes et que près de 10% des jeunes quittent encore les bancs de l’école sans diplôme, il est nécessaire d’offrir à chaque habitant de Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur la possibilité de se former quel que soit son âge. Un droit individuel à la formation et à la qualification tout au long de la vie doit être garantit.
"Un plan régional de formation pour la qualification des jeunes demandeurs d’emploi"

Il propose, en priorité aux personnes dépourvues de qualification, la possibilité de suivre une formation professionnelle qualifiante en établissant un diagnostic des besoins sociaux et économiques des territoires. Ce sont les acteurs locaux, l’ANPE et les missions locales qui en sont chargés. Car il ne s’agit pas uniquement d’obtenir un diplôme, mais aussi que ce diplôme soit recherché par les employeurs. Autrement dit, que l’offre réponde à la demande. Il s’agit également de mettre en cohérence sur l’ensemble de son territoire les différents dispositifs de formation. Les ressources de formation sont nombreuses et diverses: formations technologiques et professionnelles initiale et continue, de premier niveau, secondaire ou supérieure, apprentissage, formations en alternance. Les jeunes et les adultes y ont aujourd’hui accès, quel que soit leur statut. C’est une nécessité car nombreux sont ceux qui se trouvent éloignés de l’emploi. La Région est chargée de coordonner les systèmes de formation, économique et social. Elle développe des dispositifs, crée des passerelles et propose, dans le cadre du dispositif régional de formation professionnelle continue, des programmes adaptés: http://www.cprdf-paca.org/.
Signé par l’usager et la Région, il ouvre droit au statut de stagiaire de la formation professionnelle, ainsi qu'à une rémunération pendant la durée de la formation considérée. Peuvent y avoir accès:
    * Les jeunes sortis de 16 à 26 ans (non révolus)
    * Les adultes demandeurs d'emploi sans qualification
    * Les salariés qui souhaitent se qualifier ou améliorer leur qualification dans l'optique d'une promotion sociale.
Choisir son orientation, se remettre à niveau et obtenir une première qualification, ce contrat en trois étapes se veut le sésame d'un emploi durable. Illustration concrète du droit individuel à la formation, il se traduit par un crédit de formation renouvelable une seule fois.
Le bénéficiaire peut également être rémunéré au titre de stagiaire de la formation professionnelle quand il ne dispose d’aucune autre prise en charge. Les stagiaires sont épaulés dans leur orientation par des conseillers qui les aident à définir leur projet professionnel au sein des organismes de formation, pour les adultes ou dans les missions locales pour les moins de 26 ans.
L’expérience professionnelle : un bagage à ne pas négliger

L’exercice d’une activité est la preuve de compétences qui doivent pouvoir être valorisées. La validation des acquis de l'expérience (VAE) permet ainsi aux adultes bénéficiant d'une expérience professionnelle et personnelle de faire reconnaître par un diplôme les compétences acquises. Pour cela il suffit d’exercer une activité professionnelle depuis au moins 3 ans.
La VAE a ainsi inauguré, lors de sa mise en place en 2002, une toute nouvelle voie d’accès à la certification. Aujourd’hui nombreux sont ceux qui ont bénéficié de ce dispositif. Pourquoi pas vous? http://www.vae-paca.org/.
"Des espaces ouverts d'éducation permanente"

La Région a crée en 2004 des « espaces ouverts d’éducation permanente ». Ouverts en dehors des horaires classiques (soirées et samedis), ces centres de ressources offrent un lieu calme et studieux à tous ceux qui souhaitent passer des concours ou se renseigner sur les possibilités d’orientation. Sur place, des outils performants (livres, ouvrages sur les concours, Internet, CD Rom…) permettent de travailler efficacement. Grâce à une nouvelle approche, ces espaces mettent réellement en œuvre la possibilité pour chacun d'accéder à la formation tout au long de la vie en offrant un accès libre aux savoirs et aux connaissances.
http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.png~~V Perché la vita è in continua evoluzione, deve adattarsi, cambiare corsia, rimbalzando ... La formazione è così importante, indipendentemente dall'età. Mentre la globalizzazione sta influenzando profondamente il mondo del lavoro, che le nostre società sono caratterizzate da persistente disoccupazione dei giovani e degli adulti e quasi il 10% dei giovani ancora li lasciano a scuola senza un diploma, è necessario prevedere ogni abitante della Provenza-Alpi-Costa Azzurra può essere formato a prescindere dall'età. Un diritto individuale alla formazione e alla qualificazione per tutta la vita dovrebbe essere garantita. Più...
7 août 2012

Formation des salariés - PACA

http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.pngLa loi du 13 août 2004 relative aux libertés et aux responsabilités locales a accru les responsabilités des Régions notamment en matière de formation professionnelle mais également de coordination du soutien au développement économique régional. Dans ce cadre, la Région a choisi d’élaborer son Schéma Régional de Développement Economique (SRDE) qui a été approuvé le 12 juin 2006.
La Région a confié aux structures gestionnaires des PRIDES, au titre de leurs fonctions d’animation générale et d’ingénierie de projets, entre autres missions, celle de participer au développement d’initiatives en faveur du développement durable des entreprises (aussi bien sur le volet environnemental que sur le volet social et humain) et de la Responsabilité Sociale, notamment par des démarches qualifications-compétences et de formation des salariés. Dans ce cadre, la Région a réorienté son partenariat historique avec l’AGEFOS PME et l’OPCAREG vers le renforcement des moyens d’action des PRIDES pour la formation des salariés de leurs entreprises parties prenantes.
Au terme d’une convention pluriannuelle d’objectifs 2007-2009, il leur revient, en lien avec la gouvernance des PRIDES, de piloter la réalisation d’actions de conseil en matière de gestion des ressources humaines et de formation des salariés en direction des entreprises des PRIDES et de leurs salariés.
Cet engagement doit permettre la promotion du volet social lié au développement durable des entreprises des PRIDES, à travers trois initiatives:
* l’organisation et la conduite de journées d’action d’information collective et de sensibilisation des entreprises des PRIDES sur l’opportunité de s’engager dans des démarches de type Gestion Prévisionnelle des Emplois et Compétences -GPEC-;
* le soutien apporté à des « démarches de qualifications-compétences » de type GPEC, centrées sur la préparation de plans de formation pluriannuels ambitieux;
* l’ingénierie de l’organisation, de la réalisation et du suivi d’actions de formation professionnelle continue pour les salariés des entreprises des PRIDES.
Ces actions seront dispensées en priorité en direction des salariés les moins qualifiés dont le faible accès à la formation peut, à terme, à la fois entraîner une diminution des compétences nécessaires au maintien dans l’emploi occupé, voire être un obstacle majeur à la promotion professionnelle et personnelle, mais également constituer un handicap au développement et à la croissance des PME.
Par ailleurs, par l'intermédiaire des Organismes Paritaires Agréés au titre du CIF (OPACIF), la collectivité régionale apporte un soutien au développement du Congé Individuel de Formation.
http://www.regionpaca.fr/uploads/pics/logo_paca.png~~VLa legge del 13 agosto 2004 sulle libertà e responsabilità locali ha aumentato le responsabilità delle Regioni, compresa la formazione professionale, ma anche il sostegno di coordinamento per lo sviluppo economico regionale. In questo quadro, la Regione ha scelto di sviluppare il suo Piano Regionale per lo Sviluppo Economico (SRDE) che è stato approvato 12 giugno 2006. Più...
7 août 2012

Students, staff up in arms over mooted changes to HECS funding

http://resources2.news.com.au/cs/australian/paid/images/sprite/logos.pngBy  and . FIVE years ago when arts-economics student Alex McLaren was wondering what to study at university, the last thing on his mind was how much his HECS debt would be. "It just wasn't a consideration. I chose my course out of interest," he said. More...
7 août 2012

A Conversation With Bill Gates About the Future of Higher Education

http://chronicle.com/img/chronicle_logo.gifBy Jeffrey R. Young. Bill Gates never finished college, but he is one of the single most powerful figures shaping higher education today. That influence comes through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, perhaps the world's richest philanthropy, which he co-chairs and which has made education one of its key missions. Bill Gates never finished college, but he is one of the single most powerful figures shaping higher education today. That influence comes through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, perhaps the world's richest philanthropy, which he co-chairs and which has made education one of its key missions.
The Chronicle sat down with Mr. Gates in an exclusive interview Monday to talk about his vision for how colleges can be transformed through technology. His approach is not simply to drop in tablet computers or other gadgets and hope change happens—a model he said has a "really horrible track record." Instead, the foundation awards grants to reformers working to fix "inefficiencies" in the current model of higher education that keep many students from graduating on time, or at all. And he argues for radical reform of college teaching, advocating a move toward a "flipped" classroom, where students watch videos from superstar professors as homework and use class time for group projects and other interactive activities. As he put it, "having a lot of kids sit in the lecture class will be viewed at some point as an antiquated thing."
The Microsoft founder doesn't claim to have all the answers. In fact, he describes the foundation's process as one of continual refinement: "to learn, make mistakes, try new things out, find new partners to do things."
The interview comes on the eve of Mr. Gates's keynote speech at an event Tuesday to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which created the nationwide system of land-grant colleges. The "convocation" will be held in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities.
Below: A complete transcript of the conversation. First: Three video excerpts from the chat. (More video excerpts are available here: Gates on Technology and Philanthropy | Gates on Lectures and New Universities).
Q. You have been interested in education for quite a while. I was looking back at your 1995 book, The Road Ahead, and you laid out a vision of education and how it could be transformed with technology. It seems like some of that vision is still only just emerging, so many years later. Did it take longer than you thought it would?
A.
Oh sure. Education has not been changed. That is, institutional education, whether it's K-12 or higher education, has not been substantially changed by the Internet. And we've seen that with other waves of technology. Where we had broadcast TV people thought would change things. We had early time-sharing computing—so-called CAI, computer-assisted instruction—where people could do these drills, and people thought that would change things. So it's easy to say that people have been overoptimistic in the past. But I think this wave is quite different. I think it's more fundamental. And we can say that individual education has changed. That is, for the highly-motivated student, the ability to go online and find lectures of various length—to see class materials—there's a lot of people who are learning far better because of those materials. But it's much harder to then take it for the broad set of students in the institutional framework and decide, OK, where is technology the best and where is the face-to-face the best. And they don't have very good metrics of what is their value-added. If you try and compare two universities, you'll find out a lot more about the inputs—this university has high SAT scores compared to this one. And it's sort of the opposite of what you'd think. You'd think people would say, "We take people with low SATs and make them really good lawyers." Instead they say, "We take people with very high SATs and we don't really know what we create, but at least they're smart when they show up here so maybe they still are when we're done with them." So it's a field without a kind of clear metric that then you can experiment and see if you're still continuing to achieve it.
Q. So who's to blame? Are there things like the U.S. News rankings or other pressures that give colleges the wrong incentives?
A.
Well there certainly is a perverse set of incentives to a lot of universities to compete for the best students. And whether that comes out in terms of being more selective or investing in sort of the living experience, it's probably not where you'd like the innovation and energy to go. You'd like it to go into the completion rates, the quality of the employees that get generated by the learning experience. The various rankings have focused on the input side of the equation, not the output.
More...

7 août 2012

Why women leave academia and why universities should be worried

http://static.guim.co.uk/static/c9f90b3c5bbf96869cb84487a1f269cdfddea69a/common/images/logos/the-guardian/professional.gif. A recent report reveals that only 12% of third year female PhD students want a career in academia. Curt Rice looks at the reasons why and warns that universities' survival is at risk.
Young women scientists leave academia in far greater numbers than men for three reasons. During their time as PhD candidates, large numbers of women conclude that (i) the characteristics of academic careers are unappealing, (ii) the impediments they will encounter are disproportionate, and (iii) the sacrifices they will have to make are great. This is the conclusion of The chemistry PhD: the impact on women's retention, a report for the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET and the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this report, the results of a longitudinal study with PhD students in chemistry in the UK are presented.
Men and women show radically different developments regarding their intended future careers. At the beginning of their studies, 72% of women express an intention to pursue careers as researchers, either in industry or academia. Among men, 61% express the same intention. By the third year, the proportion of men planning careers in research had dropped from 61% to 59%. But for the women, the number had plummeted from 72% in the first year to 37% as they finish their studies.
If we tease apart those who want to work as researchers in industry from those who want to work as researchers in academia, the third year numbers are alarming: 12% of the women and 21% of the men see academia as their preferred choice. This is not the number of PhD students who in fact do go to academia; it's the number who want to. 88% of the women don't even want academic careers, nor do 79% of the men! How can it be this bad? Why are universities such unattractive workplaces?
Part of The chemistry PhD discusses problems that arise while young researchers are PhD candidates, including too little supervision, too much supervision, focus on achieving experimental results rather than mastery of methodologies, and much more. The long-term effects, though, are reflected in the attitudes and beliefs about academia that emerge during this period. The participants in the study identify many characteristics of academic careers that they find unappealing: the constant hunt for funding for research projects is a significant impediment for both men and women. But women in greater numbers than men see academic careers as all-consuming, solitary and as unnecessarily competitive.
Both men and women PhD candidates come to realise that a string of post-docs is part of a career path, and they see that this can require frequent moves and a lack of security about future employment. Women are more negatively affected than men by the competitiveness in this stage of an academic career and their concerns about competitiveness are fuelled, they say, by a relative lack of self-confidence.
Women more than men see great sacrifice as a prerequisite for success in academia. This comes in part from their perception of women who have succeeded, from the nature of the available role models. Successful female professors are perceived by female PhD candidates as displaying masculine characteristics, such as aggression and competitiveness, and they were often childless.
As if all this were not enough, women PhD candidates had one experience that men never have. They were told that they would encounter problems along the way simply because they are women. They are told, in other words, that their gender will work against them.
By following PhD candidates throughout their study and asking probing questions, we learn not only that the number of women in chemistry PhD programs who intend to pursue a career in academia falls dramatically, but we learn why. (See also Why go for a PhD? Advice for those in doubt.)
This research and the new knowledge it produces should be required reading for everyone leading a university or a research group. The stories surely apply far beyond chemistry. Remember that it's not just women who find academia unappealing. Only 21% of the men wanted to head our way, too. Universities will not survive as research institutions unless university leadership realises that the working conditions they offer dramatically reduce the size of the pool from which they recruit. We will not survive because we have no reason to believe we are attracting the best and the brightest. When industry is the more attractive employer, our credibility as the home of long-term, cutting edge, high-risk, profoundly creative research, is diminished.
The answers here lie in leadership and in changing our current culture to build a new one for new challenges. The job is significant and it will require cutting edge, high-risk leadership teamwork to succeed. Is your university ready?
Curt Rice
is a regular contributor at University of Venus and vice president for research at the University of Tromsø in Norway.
7 août 2012

More than bricks and mortar: how to make the most of your facilities

http://static.guim.co.uk/static/c9f90b3c5bbf96869cb84487a1f269cdfddea69a/common/images/logos/the-guardian/professional.gifBy Eliza Anyangwe. Good facilities are integral to good universities, so how can HE leaders finance, plan and manage their estates in a way that leads to gains and not losses?
Campus development: everyone's at it. From minor refurbishment projects to more sizeable construction jobs, it would seem - in the UK at least - that appetite for new, bigger and better facilities has defied the austerity mantra. State-of-the-art facilities are not simply a vanity project. They help attract students, provide a tailored space in which academic staff can teach and conduct research, and are part of the wider distinctiveness and economic strategy.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) puts it this way: "Research shows the increasing importance of the role of higher education institutions in local and regional economies through knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. Facilities play a crucial role in meeting educational needs and providing places where knowledge exchange can happen. However, they are an expensive commodity to provide and maintain."
And at a time of considerable change in higher education, coupled with a global economy in renewed crisis, many wonder if greater gains could not be achieved by investing elsewhere in the sector - predominantly in teaching and research. But the question shouldn't be whether buildings are worth more than brains. In an assessment of which is more valuable to the creation of scientific knowledge, scientists or facilities, assistant professor Fabian Waldinger concludes: "It is difficult to evaluate how much high quality scientists and better facilities contribute to the creation of scientific knowledge".
Similarly, a non-targeted injection of funds into capital projects won't guarantee a university's survival. As a recent report into US colleges and universities found, development without a good strategic plan could lead to liquidity issues. The report, The financially sustainable university, explains: "Many institutions have operated on the assumption that the more they build, spend, diversify and expand, the more they will persist and prosper. But instead, the opposite has happened: Institutions have become over-leveraged."
So how can facilities and senior managers finance, plan and manage their estates in a way that leads to gains and not losses? And as technology permeates all areas of HE, what is its role in facilities management? Join our live chat panel to explore what an effective learning environment looks like, what the benchmarks and performance indicators of effective management are, and how to make university facilities financially and environmentally sustainable.
7 août 2012

Religion in higher education: why tired narratives won't do

http://static.guim.co.uk/static/c9f90b3c5bbf96869cb84487a1f269cdfddea69a/common/images/logos/the-guardian/professional.gifBy Adam Dinham. University leadership needs to engage in better debate about religion in order to best serve their staff and students of all faiths. People will be talking about Mo Farah's Olympic triumph in the men's 10,000m for days to come. Rarely commented upon, however, is the fact his achievement coincides with Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally fast from sunrise to sunset and follow a discipline of prayer and dedication which can be highly demanding, both of mind and body. This presents a massive challenge to Muslim athletes, and many – Mo among them – decided to excuse themselves from fasting this year after careful discussion with family, friends and clerics.
Students around the world will face a similar dilemma next year when Ramadan falls in the middle of university and school exam periods. What, if anything, should educators be doing about this? The Religious Literacy Leadership Programme, which works with university vice-chancellors, staff, sector leaders and students to develop outlooks and strategies that engage positively with faith, appreciates this challenge more than most.
'Religious literacy' has become a talking point since we lost the ability to talk about religion when we needed it most. Billions of people around the world are religious, despite secularism's expectation that religion would have declined to vanishing point by now. Migration and globalisation mean that we all encounter the full range of religious beliefs – and non-beliefs – in everyday life, as voters, volunteers, service users, partners, leaders, and educators.
How well do we handle those encounters? This is an important question, not just for universities and not just during Ramadan, but for all religious traditions, faiths and beliefs in all sectors and settings. Liberalism's answer has been to rise above the fray, to insist on neutrality in shared public space, in the hope the debates will go away. The rise of Islamophobia in the aftermath of 9/11 and 7/7 show this approach to be inadequate. As do the millions of volunteer hours and pounds contributed by faith-based social action and community initiatives, which represent a missed opportunity for those who choose to ignore them. We need a renewed public language for public faith.
The exams during Ramadan issue is a good example of why. Come exam time for the next few years, Muslims everywhere will be waking at 4am to eat breakfast before the sun comes up. These meals can be hearty affairs and many people will carry on with their days from there. The dilemma for stressed-out students, with one or maybe two exams in the day, is whether to snatch a little sleep there or then, or wait for an opportunity for forty winks later in the day. The alternative – and the one which usually plays out – is simply to plough on so that by the middle of the afternoon exam many of these students are pie-eyed with exhaustion, hunger and thirst. These are not the best conditions for performance. Dinner has to wait till the end of the long summer day and it's a case of late night eating, sleeping on full stomachs, and waking again before dawn. These are not ideal conditions for any student.
How then can universities prepare for this? Their choice of approach will depend on wider attitudes towards religion, both inside and outside higher education. Some institutions will make no accommodations. Others will bend over backwards to provide an atmosphere of care and support for their students. In universities with big Muslim populations, like University of Bradford, there will be a compelling sense of the issues and which practical measures might help. In those with very limited diversity, the issue may seem all but irrelevant.
The advice which the Religious Literacy Leadership Programme will issue in the autumn proposes a common sense approach, rooted in open discussion with religious students and staff about what seems most reasonable, and with local Muslim groups and Imams to hear how they might be able to help out. These don't need to be big, formal engagements: forging warm, local relationships will help build up the knowledge and resilience required. And in the vast majority of cases, a common sense approach will lead to a common sense response.
Whatever the practical solutions, it is crucial that we get better at thinking about religion. Kneejerk reactions, semi-conscious hostility or tired narratives about its role in conflict and conversion simply won't do. Those attitudes belong to another century. Knowing a bit about the lived experience of religious identity is as important to demystifying the 'other' as race discourse has been to nurturing ethnic diversity in our institutions. Surfacing our often ambivalent and muddled feelings about religion will also be important in order to crack open a more good-tempered, well-informed discussion.
In short, we need to improve the debate significantly – not more religion, but a better quality of conversation about religion, for all of our students, of all faiths (and none).
Adam Dinham is professor of faith and public policy and director of the
Faiths & Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London.
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