Chapter 1: Introduction

This book is designed to shed light on an aspect of higher education that is relatively little researched, yet of growing importance and impact: that is, the increasing tendency for the careers of those who work in universities to be ended abruptly with the individual concerned ‘exited’ from their post.

Market dynamics and the impacts of regulation and government policy are playing their part in this as more universities experience funding crises leading to restructuring, resizing and mergers. But there is more to understanding the reasons why people are being exited from higher education than purely sector economics. Corporatism, together with commercialisation, shapes cultures, attitudes, values and careers as well as the very nature of what is means to be employed in higher education today. That employment is now more uncertain at every level of university employment is a key take-away of this book.