British and American Universities

British and American Universities are similar in their pursuit of knowledge (в погоне за знаниями) as a goal but are quite different in their organisation and operation.

English universities and colleges because of their selective intake, are relatively small. American Universities, which combine a number of different colleges and professional schools, are large, sometimes with 20, 000 to 25, 000 students on one campus (территория колледжа). Teacher training colleges and polytechnics are alternative to the university course for some students in Britain, being established for specific purposes. In contrast, virtually all schools of education, engineering and business studies, are integral parts of universities in the United States. In Britain universities receive about 70% of their financial support through Parliamentary grants. Similarly, in the US, public institutions receive about 75% of their funds from local, state and federal sources, but private colleges and universities receive little or no government support. In the UK, personal aid is provided by the government to over 80% of the students through local educational authorities according to the parents’ income. In the US student’s aid is administrated by the university or the sponsoring agency and is provided by private organisations and the state or federal governments.

The structure of almost all British universities (except Oxford and Cambridge) is similar to Russian ones, with a central administration in the main building, various faculties, and within the faculties, various departments. Professors run the departments, deans rule the faculties, and at the top of the hierarchy is the Vice Chancellor, equivalent to your Rector. He or she has some kind of council to help govern the university.

Oxford and Cambridge, however, are quite different. You must imagine a federation of autonomous republics with a common foreign policy (dealing with the government and other universities) and with a common budget (money from the government and other national and international sources) and a set of common values (the teaching of undergraduates and graduates and the pursuit of scholarly research), which are at the same time fiercely independent «republics» with their own funds, their own students, their own projects and enthusiasm. Both the University and its colleges are very democratic institutions. Every member of the university is also a member of a college. The 3, 200 senior members of the University (those engaged in teaching and research) vote for the Vice Chancellor, who is appointed for four years only and cannot be reelected; they also vote for the two governing councils, for the faculty committees, the library committees, and the administration. At the same time, as «Fellows» (члены Совета) of their own college, they appoint new fellows, select students from the many who apply to enter the university, organise the finances and take on many practical responsibilities.

Task 9. Read the article «Academic Student Life in the US»