Why are UK unis failing? Because their VCs destroyed perceived degree value for both home and international markets, and borrowed/spent recklessly as if degree demand was perpetual. They knew it wasn't, but planned to cash out of their grift before the sector collapsed.

But this is not how universities are supposed to work...

@DrMJBunting Yes basically that is what is implied but it is important to note that the public increasingly has woken up to the fact VCs killed UK degree value, which makes them even less interested in unis.

RT @HigherEd_UK: The UK HE model was based on the Tesla model: pump up the perceived degree value, market based on the hype, lie constantly…

RT @HigherEd_UK: Uni quality declining means even fewer students will want to apply next year -- which means still more cuts to come. http…

@llantwit And to be clear I fully endorse exploiting nationalistic sentiment here.

@dramdarcy No it is not. And yes they do. UK HE has become a unique kind of failure, combining the worst aspects of every HE system on earth and cherishing them as a perverse self-declared excellence.

@llantwit I fear that appeals to the national interest alone will only get you part of the way to the mass backlash you need.

@amwilson_opera No, but as a separate matter, and relative to any sustainable situation, UK academics (esp. ECR) are actually underpaid -- if the goal were to have them do research. Of course, we know the goal is not that, but instead to put your PhD on the web page and endorse a degree mill

@samswoora That's considered a high salary for the academic researchers with 10+ years of education who produce the basic research behind, for instance, the entire economy. Salary is based on how much you can enrich another person immediately, not how 'smart' you are.

It wasn't aimless. Universities were taken over by management who deliberately wanted to make them focused on degree sales, and not learning.

The gym does not hand you a piece of paper recognised by society (for now) that falsely states 'this person is ripped' after just doing some robot watching. This analogy would have worked before university managers made degrees purely transactional.

How can VS 'prevent' compulsory redundancies if it devastates the income-generating foundations of a uni?

RT @HigherEd_UK: The UUK model of managed decline -- VS used politically to 'avoid CR', followed by inevitable long-planned CR/restructure…

@sheffielduni The walls are closing in on the Sheffield Senior “Management” Team.😂

"Remember, the next round of compulsory redundancies may not be so harsh if you do a good job here!"

The UK HE model was based on the Tesla model: pump up the perceived degree value, market based on the hype, lie constantly about true decline, try to cash out before reality hits. It actually worked out for those who orchestrated it.