Freedom, funding and the future of the universities

ABSTRACT

We argue that a university has an intellectual and a social purpose. The former involves the advancement of knowledge and the provision of a liberal education, purposes which are not inconsistent with vocational ends. The social purpose includes upholding standards of freedom and democracy in society and acting as an independent source of criticism within a university's area of competence. The scope of such criticism must reflect the scope of the university and so will often involve cultural and ethical, as well as scientific, technological and economic, dimensions. In order to achieve these purposes a university needs autonomy and freedom for its members in teaching and research. This concept of a university is being challenged in Britain partly by some within the universities who regard it as an impossible dream, and partly by a radical reforming Government. We discuss case studies of the erosion of university autonomy by means of the UGC and CVCP policies on academic standards, research selectivity and small departments. We suggest that the ‘crisis˚s in universities is a philosophical rather than a financial one, and that it is being used to increase the control by government and industry. The dangers of large scale and uncritical acceptance of industrial funds are pointed out: as possibly leading to a value shift within universities with the result that technology generation would become a prime aim. In such a shift we suggest that there is a danger of compromising the proper role of the university in society. We point out that the problems facing Western industrialised society require primarily an ethical and cultural response. It is therefore of paramount importance for universities to address these problems from an ethical standpoint, and in this way play their part in the intellectual and moral development of society.