Dear John,

Your review is like inhaling an enormous breath of fresh air. At a time when so many of our university academics seem increasingly politically aligned and engaged in the socialization of education, it is refreshing to see QUT displaying self responsibility and getting on with the real job.

Conversely, those seemingly politically aligned and driving socialization, seem to believe that more political alignment and more socialization are the answer to their funding and reputational woes.

You suggest that one of the great myths is that <<Universities can regain the golden age by resisting neoliberalism and managerialism>>.

If I were to equate these “isms” with politicization and socialization, I might challenge you that these are just myths. That said I don’t know what the “golden age” is that is referenced however, I do think that C.P. Snow in his Rede Lecture was very much on the money.

Except it seems for QUT.

Thanks for the article.

The answer for all universities and their economic survival is online. Online courses can be mass produced for a volume consumption Market/demographic.
The continuing roll out of the fibre to the home NBN, will assist in this outcome.
And second year students may be able to defray some/all their fees, by assisting first year students with their online enquiries? Ditto third, forth, fifth and post grad students?
This will also allow students to review their own studies and enlarge/update information, in a win/win/win outcome?
The production of higher education DVD's, will also provide an additional source of income from core education activities. And allow some students to purchase/review lecture material, particularly those who need to work part time, in order to attend university courses?
As an interesting aside, a long term study followed a number of US students from 62, till recently.
Around 50% of the sample had pre-schooling to improve their reading skills/information absorbing capacities; the other 50% missed out.
The very different long term outcomes were stark!
Children who had not learned to read by year 2, invariably left school illiterate.
Those that had the pre-schooling that enhanced their reading skills, were better more attentive students, who as a demographic, were more likely to graduate from high school, get good jobs, buy a house etc/etc.
The others were more likely to drop out, become long term welfare recipients, contribute to generational poverty and post code poverty traps; and or, end up in prison.
A recent survey of voters armed with this pertinent information, saw 9 out of 10 voters, declaring they would be prepared to change their voting intentions, if one party, were to legislate compulsory pre-schooling! [Information is power!]
All education, but particularly higher education, absolutely needs as a prerequisite essential, a solid sound foundation!
Rhrosty.

Dear Rhosty,

your first para tells me you didn’t bother reading this article, the rest of your post is a mixture of a party political broadcast and a malfunction in your “tin foil” head gear.

Dear Spindoc: Wrong on all counts, as usual. And typical play the man offensive rubbishing, when you have nothing of actual substance to contribute! Rhrosty.

Rhosty,

Regarding your suggestion of compulsory pre-school (which, btw, is in place now in WA)..I wonder why the Finnish system is so successful, as their children start school at seven years-old?

http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-finland-phenomenon-inside-the-worlds-most-surprising-school-system-588.php

Could it be that there is more to successful education than bunging very young children into school willy-nilly, especially when the basic model is flawed

John, managerialism and neoliberalism are inherently at odds. I'm not sure why you conflate them in your article?

I also disagree that managerialist policies designed to implement specific processes that are themselves intended to produce certain outcomes, but often mistake compliance with process for results, can be in any way productive of good teaching or research. If the processes are indeed well-designed and the policies themselves well-considered, then they can lead to a focus of effort (the Manhattan Project is a famous exemplar, but even there the most useful outcomes were derived from people accepting considerable personal risk to step outside the policies imposed by risk-averse managers). If, as is more common, the processes are chosen for ease of monitoring, or convenience of managerial implementation, then the outcomes are bound to be constrained to minimally-compliant and useless fluff, whatever the grandiose goals.

Otherwise, a good article and presumably a decent read from Coaldrake and Stedman, even if it sounds like something of an apologetic rather than analysis as presented.