A Reflection on the Policy of University Downsizing: A Leading or Deterring Strategy?

This study aims at examining the university downsizing policy and whether it is a leading or deterring strategy. It is an applied research using qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis methods to study two levels of important higher education missions and the selected countries that have experienced implementing this policy. Data collecting tools were content analysis, taking note, and checklist. The data were analyzed through descriptive-analytical method using an encoding system. According to the findings, the strategy of downsizing universities is mostly based on the external pressures focusing on economic goals, lower costs, and mass production, rather than coming from within the universities. In fact, these pressures are due to the increasing demand for entry into higher education institutes as well as the serious problems with their current funding in one hand and insufficient qualifications of those graduated from these institutes on the other hand. Furthermore, the selected countries have barely achieved considerable success in downsizing the higher education and most of their efforts were doomed to failure.  Thus, considering the policy of downsizing the higher education, the appropriate strategy stemming from this policy in these countries is promoting the agility of the universities. Regarding the agility of the higher education in Iran, this study offers 4 strategies: (1) looking at universities as some self-regulating institutions, (2) implementing an effective comprehensive evaluation and accreditation system to carefully monitor the activities, (3) reviewing and modifying the priorities and selective omissions, and (4) expecting long term returns in higher education instead of looking at universities as some economic corporations with short term returns. Obviously, the success of these strategies calls for the  academic autonomy of universities, decentralization, and scientific management of human resources on the basis of agility in university  which is essential for today`s higher education institutions.