Michael Bailey and Des Freedman, eds., The Assault on Universities: A Manifesto for Resistance

Abstract

Michael Bailey and Des Freedman, eds., Assault on Universities: A Manifesto for Resistance. London: Pluto Press, 2011. This edited collection is essential reading for any one concerned about current state and future trajectory of university. Many if not all of its sixteen essays could (and should) be used as course readings advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses, especially courses sociology and related disciplines concerned with higher education, social movements, and neoliberalism. whole book is a treasure trove of insightful commentaries, challenging critiques, penetrating analyses, and inspirational calls to action. Except for last three essays, its focus is universities and higher education policy UK, but Canadian readers will find obvious parallels with effects of similar policies being pursued Canada. Central to overall narrative of this book are events that took place England final months of 2010 response to Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Report, known commonly as Browne Review. Lord Browne of Madingly, formerly CEO of British Petroleum, was commissioned 2009 by Labour government to recommend ways to fund higher education into future. However, Browne's review was released under auspices of a new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government on October 12th, 2010. government began immediately to act on its recommendations with legislation that significantly increased tuition fees with long-term changes to mechanism for funding universities. On November 10th, less than a month later, students filled of London and other university cities, to an extent not seen England over forty years, to protest proposed legislation. By end of year, they had occupied spaces forty-six universities and other public buildings. While they initially targeted tuition and fee increases and related proposals for student financing, their actions soon escalated into a full-fledged in streets student movement that challenged entire political and economic program of Britain's new coalition government. Student marches and occupations were not only response to Browne Review. Although media commentary focused almost exclusively on tuition increases, Browne also recommended that government's annual block grant for teaching be almost entirely eliminated and replaced with direct financial aid to students. (1) This proposal was perceived by academics, commentators, and other concerned citizens as a death knell to public higher education. In Stefan Collini's words, rather than treating higher education as a public good, it treats it as a lightly regulated market which consumer demand, form of student choice, is sovereign determining what is offered by service providers (i.e., universities). (2) essays Assault on Universities respond to these events, providing nuanced and astute critiques not only of Browne Review, but more importantly of longer term shift higher education policy that Browne is designed to extend. This shift dates back to at least Margaret Thatcher's time office--even longer, according to one writer, who reminds us of E.P. Thompson's seminal essay, The Business University. (3) Thompson's powerful critique of practices unfolding at Warwick University 1970s stands as an early warning that university leaders were already tacking back from arms length relationship to the military-industrial complex that 1960s student movement struggled to establish. Since then, book's contributors argue, universities have been encouraged, indeed compelled, by government policies to ever more deeply subjugate their research and teaching activities to diverse needs of global capital. As subtitle reveals, (A Manifesto for Resistance) contributors have written this book to mobilize support for reversing policies that have been key to advancing university corporatization. …