From the thin concept of quality to the thick one: remedial responsibilities of the universities

Abstract

This article explores the notion of the responsibility of the university in the global context and attempts to link it to the concept of quality broadly conceived. Specifically, it is argued that there are certain similarities between the discourses of philosophy of higher education (global responsibility of the university) and political philosophy (global justice). It is argued that it is possible to apply David Miller’s notion of remedial responsibility to universities. Based on this, the article offers a dynamic model of university responsibility derived from Georgian higher education reality, which offers promise for improving the quality of university life (understood as an overall betterment of quality of well-being of the students, the teaching and administrative staff). It is suggested that such an approach provides the basis for the richer, thick concept of quality against the thinner one, which only focuses on measuring outcomes and economic efficiency.