Dearing: A nearly forgotten inquiry Rhiannon Birch 14 February 2014
Research question Did the Dearing Inquiry represent a major exercise in codification? Codification: the establishment of principles, protocols and frameworks Are there differences between the terms of reference and the scope of the recommendations? Does this imply a broader agenda is at work?
The Dearing Inquiry: overview Response to: Financial crisis General Election, 1997 National Inquiry, not single issue report The remit: Recommendations on: purposes, shape, structure, size and funding of higher education Teaching, learning, scholarship and research 20 year horizon
Key concepts New Public Management Neo-liberalism Audit Culture Codification Autonomy Power Accountability Government University
Remit and Recommendations The remit was supported by additional principles which refined and extended the overall scope. 75 recommendations can be mapped directly to the remit. A further 18 relate to Governance (13) or Funding (5). Dearing’s immediate press: student fees, renewed growth and widening participation But also codification?
Proposed methodology The Dearing archive: Evidence submissions Committee minutes (including oral submissions) Administrative documents Re-evaluation of the evidence Limitations of documentary sources Conceptual lenses Sampling, reading protocols, interviews