Process and Structure in Higher Education

During the 1980s, the whole higher education scene in Britain shifted dramatically. Originally published in 1980 and here reissuing the second edition of 1992, Process and Structure in Higher Education presents a synoptic model of how the system as a whole now functions, and how its various components are interconnected.

Drawing on detailed interview data from leading figures in British higher education, on their own inside knowledge and research, and on an extensive review of the relevant research literature, the authors explore the characteristic values and practices of the four main levels in the system—the central authorities, the institution, the basic unit and individual—and analyse the pattern of relationships between them. They note the changes that have taken place in the last decade, and look ahead to how the system seems likely to develop in the future. Although the analysis is based on the UK, much of it is relevant to higher education in other countries.

In its unravelling of complex issues such as academic freedom, the tensions between research and teaching, the influence of market forces on institutions of higher education, and the apparent resistance of leading universities to change, Process and Structure in Higher Education does much to demystify the nature of higher education. It will be of lively interest both to those engaged in academic activity and those concerned in its management.