Ninety per cent of vice-chancellors feel UK universities have “never faced greater threats or uncertainties”, amid worsening relations with the Westminster government and the Office for Students in particular, but some envisage a more collaborative, region-focused future beyond markets and competition.
The findings come from the latest edition of PA Consulting’s annual survey of UK vice-chancellors, this year based on responses from 40 leaders, supplemented by 15 follow-up interviews, published on 12 October and shared exclusively with Times Higher Education.
“UK universities are facing unprecedented challenges on multiple fronts, beset by criticisms of the cost and quality of educational provision, poor post-graduation outcomes for students, culture wars on campuses, and unsustainable financial deficits,” says the survey report.
Ninety per cent of survey respondents agreed with the statement that “the UK university sector has never faced greater threats or uncertainties”.
