Undoubtedly the issue of value for money in higher education is becoming increasingly important . But the treatment of the issue is dangerously simplistic.
The McNamara fallacy has it that we tend to measure things that we can easily measure, but disregard that which we cant easily measure . The fallacy also posits that we think that if we cant measure it easily, it cant be important. And we presume that which cannot be measured, doesn’t exist. This is all relevant to the way we approach value in higher education.
A University is not just about preparing young people for the jobs market and affording them entry to the top cohort of high earners. A university education is a good in itself. It benefits the individual and is also a public good. It offers space where you can grow and develop as an individual and into a rounded citizen.It is not just about cultivating a potential ‘productive’ employee. Simply putting monetary values on degrees is crass. Utilitarianism and philistinism are two sides of the same coin. Universities are not there to teach, for utility. They are teaching- for life. Studying the arts, for example, helps us to understand and reflect on what it is to be human, tapping into our subjective experience of the world, making sense of our lives . It helps us to observe, to notice, to think, to think critically and laterally too, to apply reason , to develop insight, to communicate. And to grow up,
How do we value ,or put a value, on a job ? Should it be just based on a future salary, or other metrics ? And we really dont seem to value anything that is not easily measurable and can slot neatly into some clunky ranking system. Often, in society, we place too little value on essential, caring occupations. The type of occupations that determine whether or not we are civilised. Too often though these receive little remuneration and have little status, yet are vital . Maybe this goes some way to explaining why social care is in such a perpetual state of crisis.
I also wonder why so many universities are so bad at making sure that their students know about their values and what they are trying to achieve for them, for society , for their communities. The idea of a civic university, rooted in its local community but also outward looking is gaining currency.
But it seems, more broadly ,that universities rarely bother to enter the argument about their broader benefits and the value they provide. Much attention is paid to admissions, of course, to get bums on seats, in a competitive market. but once students are signed up , insufficient attention is paid to students needs and in supporting their transitions to the next phase , ensuring that the student voice is heard and acted on. Nor is much attention and resource invested in ensuring students are made aware that the university ,as an institution, stands for values beyond the requirements of the employment market and their role in it .
We need a more adult ,and less simplistic debate ,on how we value our universities ,a university education and the outcomes we seek from these institutions .Do not let the philistines prevail.
Montrose42 Blog 