In 1969/70 many wondered whether the newly created Open University would survive to the end of the century. One politician called the OU project ‘blithering nonsense’, the press was scathing and the educational establishment was sceptical. The 1970 election could have ended the whole enterprise had not Margaret Thatcher, believing in the OU’s aims, bulldozed the infant project over the obstacles placed by her cabinet colleagues and civil servants.
Given these unpromising beginnings it is gratifying that the OU is often hailed today as the most important educational innovation of the late 20th century. But it will soon be the early 21st century. How do things look for the OU from that perspective? Some predict our demise. Former OU staff member Tony Bates recently addressed the Asian Association of Open Universities on the imminent ‘death of open universities’. He argues that the OU is mired in the mass market industrial methods of a Fordist age whereas the future lies with traditional universities – like his current institution, the University of British Columbia – that can adapt well to the working and consumer styles of the electronic age.
A majority of those outside the OU, however, think we are riding the wave of the future. Our Pro-Chancellor, Sir Bryan Nicholson, recently hosted a lunch for senior business people where the general view was that traditional universities face serious challenges but the OU has the right cards in its hand.
Looking at the OU from the inside the picture is, as always, mixed. While we still think of ourselves as an innovative organisation, newer institutions are making louder claims to be the way of the future. The former University for Industry, now LearnDirect, presents itself as an up-to-date version of the OU - a claim reinforced by its recent decision to operate largely on the web. The centre of gravity of the government’s agenda for widening participation in lifelong learning has moved firmly from higher to further education. Thirty somethings without degrees, long our most important student clientele, will soon be a much smaller percentage of the population.
Student recruitment for 2000 produced good news and bad news. Two new, but very different courses, T171 and DD100, have each broken records by attracting over 10,000 applicants. However, by late November the number of current students registering for new courses in 2000 was still significantly down on last year across most Faculties and Schools. The OU student population has always been heavily skewed toward lower level courses but we should not relish an even greater imbalance, especially at a time when drop-out rates are the focus of media attention.
I believe we can continue to thrive in the new century. We offer a unique combination of quality and scale. But to remain the leader we must continually reinvent ourselves, remembering as we do so that past success is the greatest enemy to the renewal of any mature organisation.
My very best wishes to you all for this very special Christmas and New Year.