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 | The HEA is as relevant as ever, new leader says | | published on : 09-16-2014 | | Category : Higher Education | | The Higher Education Academy is more relevant than ever to universities, despite having to halve its workforce to cope with massive budget cuts, its new chairman has insisted.
Don Nutbeam, vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton, took over as chair of the organisation’s board of directors last month, possibly at the most difficult moment in its 10-year history.
The York-based outfit, which champions good teaching, was informed in April that it would lose all its funding council money by 2017, which accounts for about 80 to 85 per cent of its overall income.
That decision forced the HEA to make about 90 of its 180 staff redundant over the summer and to announce a slimmed-down portfolio of activities focused on just four areas of work.
But Professor Nutbeam, who has taken over after the retirement of University of Leicester vice-chancellor Sir Bob Burgess, believes that “the future is not as bleak as it may feel right now”.
“The change in funding arrangements does not alter the relevance of the HEA,” Professor Nutbeam said in an interview with Times Higher Education.
In fact, the organisation’s importance may have increased in recent years thanks to reforms that mean nearly all undergraduates are now paying tuition fees of about £9,000 a year, he thought.
“With students paying significant fees and going into significant debt, universities recognise much more that they need to provide an outstanding educational experience. An organisation that helps them deliver outstanding teaching will be more valued than ever.”
The HEA’s decision to “sharpen its focus” and talk to its university subscribers about what activities they value has also been useful in reconfirming the organisation’s purpose, Professor Nutbeam said.
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