Is “excellence” a useful mission for higher education?

I have commented on the essential “nation-state” identity of universities, and how globalization-driven changes in the nature of government are leaving universities without a clear sense of future mission (see e.g.A nation state institution in a market state world, 3/28/06).  Michael A. Peters, in Knowledge Economy, Development and the Future of Higher Education, makes some excellent points about the “default” university  mission that has evolved.

He begins (p.166) by quoting B. Readings (The University in Ruins) regarding some of the consequences of the break-down of the link between the university and the nation state:

The economics of globalization mean that the university is no longer called upon to train citizen subjects, while the politics of the end of the cold war mean that the university is no longer called upon to uphold national prestige by producing and legitimating national culture.

Peters goes on to write:
Readings suggests that excellence has become the last unifying principle of the modern university.  When Ministry policy analysts or university administrators talked about excellence, unwittingly they bracket the question of values in favor of measurement and substitute accounting solutions for questions of accountability. As an integrating principle excellence has the advantage of being meaningless: it is non-referential.

Peters closes this section by reemphasizing:
...the discourse of excellence is essentially contentless.  It does not enable us to make judgments of value or purpose; it does not help us to answer questions of what, how, or why we should teach or research; in can provide us with no directions but serves only to maintain and monitor the system in the ‘audit society’.

Understanding of mission will be critical as universities cope with globalization. Important choices will need to be guided by the beacon of a clear mission. However, for most institutions,  understanding of its mission is generally based primarily on its history- characteristics of its location, traditional funders, available pools of students who could be convinced to come to its location to study.  The mission generally has grown over time by evolution, not direction.   Successful globalization will require a quantum leap in understanding of mission,  because it demands that the institution look beyond the limitations of space and geography and history that have formed and “boxed in” the mission of today.  Peters makes a powerful argument that “excellence” as mission will not provide the guidance necessary to handle the challenges of globalization.      

Comments

[John Moravec]

"Excellence" = "malaise forever!"

All university leaders need to look at how they can leapfrog the competition to provide meaningful experiences for students, revenue for the institution, and development of the university's knowledge and innovation capital.

Lloyd, what language would you like to see universities and university leaders use to survive in a world dominated by globalization, a quest for knowledge/innovation and accelerating change?

[Lloyd]

John, sorry for the delay in responding. I think generic excellence is no substitute for an understanding of mission. Most universities are approaching globalization with a pretty generic view of their mission - they are not differentiating themselves. Excellence in different types of missions can look very different - it should not all be about the most expensive faculty, the best prepared students, etc. I think the language of differentiation, with excellence in that differentiation, will win the day.