THE CONSORTIUM IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SECOND LOOK
| Date | 01 February 1978 |
| Published date | 01 February 1978 |
| Pages | 219-225 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009800 |
| Author | JAMES W. FOX |
| Subject Matter | Education |
THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 2 OCTOBER, 1978
THE CONSORTIUM IN HIGHER EDUCATION:
A SECOND LOOK
JAMES W. FOX
This paper states the case for the consortium in higher education and then examines
a consortium with which the writer has familiarity. The study of Manitoba's Inter-
Universities North raises questions about the applicability of the consortium idea to the
offering of academic programs. It also suggests that a consortium can become a
disjointed, direction-less organization. Recommendations are made for other institutions
contemplating the establishment of a consortium.
INTRODUCTION
For nearly thirty years the consortium idea has been applied in higher
education "to provide research laboratories, computer facilities, libraries,
faculty and student exchanges, programs abroad, conservatories, special-
ized research centres, admission offices and even broadcast facilities."1
A consortium in education is created presumably for the purpose of doing
something none of the member institutions can do alone. It marshals
fragmented resources, spread among different institutions, for a common
purpose. Theoretically, it is a means of ensuring cooperative program
delivery, cost efficiency, optimal utilization of existing resources, and the
cross-pollination of ideas for innovative program development. Although
the consortium idea has obvious merit when applied to the development
of the kind of non-curricular programs described above, it does have some
potential weaknesses when applied to the offering of an academic
program. As educational costs escalate and student populations decline,
the drive for planning and coordination will be increased. Consequently,
the consortium may be viewed as a means of operating degree-granting
programs. This paper is a description of one such program in Manitoba,
Inter-Universities North. This description is used as a basis for raising
questions and making recommendations about consortia in general.
Inter-Universities North was established in 1970 in response to a
political decision not to build a university in Northern Manitoba. Its aim
was to provide university learning opportunities in the North without a
university, utilizing the three established Universities and their programs.
IUN, as it was called, became a reason for the Universities to act in
consort and a vehicle for controlling the duplication of programs and
institutional rivalries in the North. The decision establishing IUN was
JAMES W. FOX is an Education Specialist with the Public Service Commission of Canada,
Hull, Quebec. Formerly Director of Inter-Universities North, Mr. Fox holds the degrees
of B.A. (Hons.) (Montana) and M.A. (Alta.).
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