Power and responsibility

Since institutions of higher education may have many objectives and perform many distinct functions, they cannot readily be classified by reference to one (or more than one) functional dichotomy. It is clear that to divide institutions into two types labelled ‘traditional’ and ‘service’, would conceal as much as it would reveal. Even a distinction between ‘long‐cycle’ and ‘short‐cycle’ institutions is misleading. It will fit those countries or regions where an intermediary multi‐purpose type of college has been developed, falling between secondary school and university, and serving the university or ‘long‐cycle’ system as a filler, for the promotion or ‘cooling out’ of students. The distinction is however of less value in examining any form of ‘comprehensive university’ model, and breaks down completely when applied to the British binary system.