First Class?
Challenges and opportunities for the UK’s university sector

ISBN: 9781860303272

Author: Kay Withers (ed)
Contributors: Robert Anderson, University of Edinburgh; Ronald Barnett, Institute of Education, University of London; Meghan Benton, Constitution Unit; Claire Callender, Birkbeck, University of London; Ewart Keep, SKOPE (the ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance); Alix Green, University of Hertfordshire; Donald E. Heller, Pennsylvania State University; Luke Hildyard, ippr; Kay Withers, HM Treasury.
Price: £12.95
Publication Date: 26 August 2009

Over the past few decades, higher education in the United Kingdom has been transformed, expanding to a mass, bordering on universal, system. There are now almost 2.4 million higher education students. In this position of relative strength we are left with two broad options: to accept the status quo, or to ask ourselves some difficult questions about what we really want higher education to achieve, and what sacrifices we may have to make to get there.

The contributors to this collection reflect on different aspects of higher education policy and purpose, around the key questions of:

• What are universities for?
• Who are universities for?
• How should the sector be organised?

Download the introduction via the 'view executive summary' button below.