Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Defining future university relationships to place: The
University of Warwick’s Chancellor’s commission – a practical example
Presentation to Understanding Devolution event
Name David Marlow Third Life Economics Date 20th October 2015
Introductions... David Marlow University of
Warwick Commissions
The Chancellor’s Commission 2015
University of Warwick (UoW) – the first fifty years...
From one of ‘seven sisters’...to a UK ‘top ten’ and ‘top 50’ global research institution
The 2012/13 EIA The 50th Anniversary
celebration...and the global reach
...but what about the relationship to its own regional and local places in its second fifty years?
Assembling and incepting the Commission...
Selecting, appointing and convening Commissioners
Desk Research and some new commissioned research
Consultations with UoW, local and C&W leadership teams Interviews, hearings,
roundtables, digital Defining the KLOIs, conceptual
frameworks and propositions Determining a process to
December 2015 and beyond National, regional hearings,
student and young person involvement
Emerging ‘difficult issues’ Can UoW convene an independent commission about
itself? And how to get UoW ownership of process and recommendations Should UoW seek a corporate or polycentric approaches
across its ‘family’ of entities? Major limitations of traditional, descriptive,
‘incidental’ EIAs – more reflective deliberative, ‘mission-driven’ and change-oriented The ‘already doing that’ syndrome’ with so much going on
Developing mutual understandings between local leadership teams and university leadership teams Responding to local and regional demands/ambitions or
shaping them – especially given current contested local and regional leadership contexts
Sorting out different levels and modes of contribution Good neighbour and co-designer locally...; Anchor and co-
anchor in C&W...; One of multiple HEIs in Midlands (e.g. M6...)
Local and regional dimensions... UoW, C&W – on the edge or
central pivot point? C&W sometimes part of GSE,
sometimes part of ‘Midlands’, sometimes part of ‘north’
Devolution dilemmas:- Midlands engine, WMCA,
C&W LEP, LAs, places Central and local government
OR local leadership teams UoW – political neutrality or
a genuine leader and ‘player’
National ‘mixed messages’ National HE teaching and
research systems Pressures of global
competitiveness within...national (and England)
politics and administration Multiple purposes and
motivations for devolution Values or patronage, deal-
driven Decentralisation – what and to
whom at which geographical and institutional levels
Manchester – a model or sui generis
Some preliminary hypotheses... Universities ‘should’ have principles, policies and
practice to proactively contribute to successful places where they have a major footprint
Universities should move increasingly from ‘incidental’ impact to purposeful and effective interventions
Universities should strive to be a ‘good citizen with and for its neighbours – recognising and seeking to mitigate pressures to which it contributed
Commission to test and develop these hypotheses in the UoW context
Concluding remarks...and discussion points...
The use of independent commissions as part of the university-place relationship development process
HEI conceptual ‘place-based’ frameworks – self-interest, ‘civic’, other relevant constructs
Navigating SR2015, ‘devo-deals’ and other imminent changes/announcements
