Academics Responding to Change. New Higher Education Frameworks and Academic Cultures

This book examines how academic staff at one British university respond to a period (1991-96) of rapid change, including rapid expansion in the number of students and new systems and structures, and especially to institution of the "credit framework" structure. Chapter 1 presents background information on the higher education system and the implementation of the credit system in the United Kingdom. Chapter 2 critically addresses the claims made about the credit framework by its detractors and supporters. Chapter 3 examines the factors that condition academic responses to the implementation of the credit framework. Chapter 4 offers a review of the literature; Chapter 5 develops a model of different types of academic response to change; and Chapter 6 uses empirical evidence from the study and theory to reassess earlier approaches to higher education, particularly the role of women academics. The final chapter summarizes and discusses the conclusions of the study. These conclusions criticize the overemphasis on disciplines, an oversimplification of "culture" in higher education, lack of recognition of the gendered nature of cultures, and a passive model of academic responses to change. Appended are materials on research methodology and a glossary. (Contains approximately 575 references.) (DB)