Retrenchment in British Universities: Lessons Learned

The 43 British universities conducted a mandated budget and enrollment retrenchment over the 1981-84 period. This exercise required that the universities achieve budget restrictions ranging as high as 40 percent. No major North American research university has in recent history been forced to undergo such a severe retrenchment. This presentation is a report of a four-month field study conducted by visiting 14 British universities, selected in part, by the size of their mandated reduction. The emphasis of this report is on successful policies, procedures, philosophies, and techniques that may be applicable to other institutions of higher education, irrespective of nationality.