Institutional Amalgamation and the ‘New Binarism’

Meek, V. Lynn; O'Neill, Arthur

doi:10.1080/0157603880100204

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 3 publications

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“…It remains to be seen, then, whether the universities and colleges in Flanders will remain 'different but equal' (Neave, 1992), or that they will become more equal than different because, as Meek & O'Neill (1988) put it, "[i]n any institutional hierarchy [within the higher education sector], those institutions at the bottom of the status structure will tend to emulate those at the top.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Context Changes but the Divisions Remain: The binary higher education system in Flanders--the case of information science

Wit

Verhoeven

2003

Studies in Higher Education

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confidence: 99%

The Context Changes but the Divisions Remain: The binary higher education system in Flanders--the case of information science

Wit

Verhoeven

2003

Studies in Higher Education

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The transformation of Australian higher education from binary to unitary system

Meek

1991

High Educ

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The policies of the Australian federal government are clearly intended to bring about a fundamental transformation of the country's higher education system. The Australian case, however, presents several paradoxes. Policy changes are being initiated by a federal government that has no legislative control over state chartered higher education institutions. While the federal government wishes to see a more diversified and adaptive higher education system, it seems to be implementing a reward structure for individual institutions and academics which encourages imitation of the elite universities. Although government claims that its new policy initiatives are designed to debureaucratize the system, a significant proportion of the Australian academic community claims that government is centralizing control. This article explores these and other issues facing Australian higher education, not for the purpose of resolving the seeming paradoxes, but to suggest a particular research agenda for investigating change in higher education.There can be no doubt that over the last three years or so change has been a fundamental characteristic of the Australian higher education system. This does not imply that stability was the distinguishing feature of the system in the past, nor does the statement define the profundity of change: seminal or cosmetic; long-lasting or temporal; revolutionary or incremental. Too often, description of events in higher education assumes implicitly one or more concepts of change -adaptation, evolution, determination, development, etc. -in such a way that the unarticulated concepts are substituted for the object of study. The substance of change and the consequences (intended or otherwise) are first of all empirical questions which themselves demand investigation through a particular and explicitly stated theoretical perspective. It is the purpose of this article to locate the examination of change in Australian higher education within a particular theoretical/conceptual frame of reference.To begin this task, definitions of higher education are in order, both descriptive and analytical.

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Worlds apart? Amalgamation and the restructuring of the higher education system in Australia and the Netherlands

Goedegebuure¹

1989

Aust. Educ. Res.

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Both in Australia and the Netherlands, the higher education system is experiencing profound changes. In this article an attempt is made to analyze these changes and to explore to what extent similarities exist between two countries who are geographically far apart and whose higher education systems are located within different traditions. The article focuses On two main themes. In the first part the change and reforms within higher education policy are explored. After presenting an overview of the Dutch higher education system and the recent policy developments which have taken place, a comparison is made with the recent changes that have occurred in Australia. In this comparison, emphasis is placed on governmental steering, control and institutional autonomy. In the second part of the paper, one of the major instruments adopted in both countries for system change is discussed, namely institutional amalgamation or merger.The objective of the article is to bring forward some broad trends apparent in both countries, not a detailed analysis. A second limitation is that attention is confined to the policy documents and actions of the Australian federal government. State governments" responses and actions are not taken into account. Although this is a i severe limitation, an incorporation of State plans and actions would exceed the scope of this article.

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Institutional Amalgamation and the ‘New Binarism’

Cited by 5 publications

References 3 publications

The Context Changes but the Divisions Remain: The binary higher education system in Flanders--the case of information science

The Context Changes but the Divisions Remain: The binary higher education system in Flanders--the case of information science

The transformation of Australian higher education from binary to unitary system

Worlds apart? Amalgamation and the restructuring of the higher education system in Australia and the Netherlands

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