Universities as charities

NCUP would like to draw your attention to an important book The University-Charity by Mary Synge.

Writing about her book in the HEPI blog, the author asks:

“On the website of nearly every university, you will find an explanation that the institution is a charity. But what does this mean, apart from generous tax advantages? And why are universities not generally talked about as charities, in the same way as, say, Oxfam or Macmillan Cancer Support?”

Reviewing the book in The New Conservative*, Duke Maskell states:

“Mary Synge’s starting point is that there is a growing body of literature expressing deep dissatisfaction with what has been happening in universities in the last half-century or so.”

At NCUP we consider that the book, available at this link, raises some important issues regarding the operation of UK universities.