Challenges to Built Environment Educational Models

1. BEECON 2006 13th September 2006 Challenges to Built Environment Educational Models Can 21st Century Professions sustain 20th Century Education Models? Professor Sarah Sayce Kingston University Chair CHOBE

2. The Basic Proposition…. • Our education is appropriate if we have: • Strong demand for courses • Industry relevance • Good research base • High teaching capability • Legitimacy within HE (and hence ability to attract able staff) So have we? But first..

3. CHOBE • Council of Heads of the Built Environment • A misnomer as it represents Surveying, Building & Real Estate – not the full BE spectrum • Some universities may have more than one member • Aims: • Networking • Lobbying • Representation on Professional Body Groupings • Commissioning /undertaking research • Professional body linkages: • RICS. CIOB, CIAT, CIBSE, IRRV and • CIC

4. CHOBE • CHOBE therefore does not represent all the BE educators. • It is aiming to develop a relationship with e.g. SCOSA, SCOLA as shared interests apparent • Proposition is that Built Environment education has been (?is going) through a period of transformation and that there is a persistent view that it has failed to maintain competitiveness at the hands of other disciplines • So is this the case? If so, what can we as educators do? • Workshop May 2006: challenges

5. The Built Environment If CHOBE isn’t all of Built Environment – what is and does a definition matter?

6. The Built Environment • does such a grouping as ‘the built environment’ exist in educational or professional body terms? • Many professional groupings stem from 19th century technological developments and growth of ‘middle class’ status. • Education system developed on basis of professional examination: strong technical knowledge

7. The Built Environment • Reflected in the binary divide and placing of disciplines • Arguments of what is legitimate HE study • Missions and skill base shifting from traditionally technical to managerial • This in turn has influenced the relationship with HEI • From accrediting knowledge-based programmes based on detailed syllabi emphasis is shifting

8. The Built Environment • Shift from technical to managerial and strategic advisors (to a greater or lesser extent) leads to impact on the educational models servicing them • It has also led to a raft of newer organisations: e.g. BIAT, BIFM, Academy of Urbanism etc. • Currently extremely varied models to support professions both in terms of accreditation process and in time of study: • One year postgraduate conversion • 5 year funded undergraduate & postgraduate

9. The Built Environment • UCAS: • Building : K • Architecture: K • Planning: K • Real Estate: N • Housing: K • Transport: K or N • Civil Engineering: J • Land Management: N

10. The Built Environment • Research (RAE) • G (27) Civil Engineering • H (30) Architecture & Built Environment • H (31) Town & Country Planning • H (32) Geography & Environmental Studies • H (33) Archaeology • O (64) History of Art, Architecture and Design

11. What does this mean? • The implications: • Very hard to get the message across to both potential students and to some University decision-makers • Screened out by all the government literature for careers etc • Difficult to track through UCAS • Presents lack of unified profile in RAE • BUT • It perhaps reflects sums up the diversity of our professional education landscape

12. The Built Environment • Built environment as a collective terms stems from the 1960s postwar reconstruction /redevelopment period • Coincided with growth of tertiary education.. • And the growth of Polytechnics

13. Genesis of our Academic models • Gloomy predictions of the 1960s: more will mean worse • Universities 50 years ago: • 44 in total • 5,000 students maximum • 4% participation rates • Differential funding (Architecture v Engineering v Surveying or Planning)

14. The Built Environment • It is no coincidence that BE ‘faculties’ tend to be in ‘new universities’; but it is also the case that much provision is not grouped together in a cohesive way. • Now professional boundaries have blurred.. • Some models have adapted (conversion routes) • But we still have little convergence and anomalous position re funding So is this appropriate?

15. Proposition • Changes beyond our control may challenge the legitimacy of differential funding • Market changes • Bologna

16. Proposition: market changes • The whole building cost approach: • Design: 0.1 • Construction: 1 • Running: 5 • Occupancy: 200 • As corporate occupiers become more sophisticated in their requirements – so a shift to understanding user requirements – this is where the demand for skills will go.. • Need to integrate skills of technical expertise and management

17. Bologna Process • Will change models throughout Europe – perhaps radically • Will add emphasis to LLL concept • May have implications for one-year conversion Masters • Will possibly necessitate the convergence between our currently disparate professional education models. • But will Architecture & /or Engineering retain distinctiveness?

18. A look at Demand…. • Do we have a strong demand for our courses?

19. Looking back: early 1990s We seemed to be looking into a vortex Led to concerns of low quality and poor standards & introduction of tariffs

20. Now • Revival in many areas • Growth in overseas student numbers • Masters conversion • Strengthened relationships with industry: • part-time students • funded studentships

21. Demand • We may think we have a buoyant market for our courses but • Compared with other professions: grades perceived as lower: • Medicine: average 400+ points • Architecture: average 300 points • Law: average 290 points • Civil engineering: average 285 • Planning: average; 230 • Building: average: 190

22. Demand: the home market • Compared with other areas: applications are low: • Of 522,155 applicants: • Applying to Architecture: 4,714 • Applying to Building: 3,105 • Applying to Planning: 534 • And for comparison: • Applying to Drama: 10,028 • Applying to Law: 19,097 • Applying to Design: 21,553 • Applying to Music: 6,354

23. Where will home demand come from?

24. Home Market Demand • If we are to maintain numbers (and satisfy employer demand) we need to increase market share • Need to understand why we have lost it….

25. The home market • Structural change in society • Easy to access: perceived ‘cheap’? • Technology subjects: perceived hard? • Cyclical industry – worry over employment? • Or just plain boring? • Advent of fees: need to study with success • First degree is now just a baseline to start a career

26. So what are our strengths and weaknesses? • Suggest that the offer at undergraduate has changed incrementally (professional body influence?) • Our teaching as a sector is good • Tension training v education remains • The age and gender profile of ourselves and professions remain unbalanced.. • Only 10% of architects are under 35; 23% are over 60 • Only 2% of CIOB members are women

27. Can we reverse the Trend? • Recognition that fees won’t mean necessarily revive vocational first degree (except part-time?) if conversion is possible • Will this lead to separate curricula: • Courses strongly linked to employment (an integrated model (c.f. nursing social work) • Generalist courses less employment orientated?

28. Shift to Postgraduate? One example… undergraduate postgraduate • RICS accredited courses: Postgraduate courses outnumbered undergraduate for the first time in 2006

29. Shift to Postgraduate • Significant moves by some professional bodies (RICS; RTPI) • Others are following (CIOB) • Engineering & Architecture different • But: • Medical and vets moving this way • legal, accountancy traditionally have been post -1st degree choice…

30. The Overseas Market • Internationalisation • Has led to expansion of courses for overseas markets • Presents challenges to our curricula- and modes of delivery • Need to recognise that our markets have changed due to: • Demographics: shifting world populations • Economic power base; moving east

31. The Overseas Market

32. Can we rely on this? • The overseas market is volatile • China developing home market • India the next China? • What next? • Competition from ‘down under’ for our students • Cost is vital – so is environment

33. Workplace Learning • Learning does not need formal education; the workplace is a powerful arena for large-scale employers • This implies new forms of relationships – from FD to web-based • But possibility greater regulation of specific activity - e.g. home inspectors – they will be location sensitive

34. The HEI context • Larger (merged) institutions • Research-led v teaching institutions • Participation rates: devalues 1st degree • Rationalised portfolios and ‘matrix’ structures may place pressure on accredited courses

35. The HEI context • Changing role of educators: from ‘sages on the stage’ to ‘guide on the side’ • Provides opportunity to work with employers • Provides world-wide opportunities

36. So: are we doing enough? • We have responded to styles of delivery: some areas have switched to accommodate conversion • Curricula have responded incrementally • Modes are more flexible • Skills are embedded • Is this enough?

37. So: are we doing enough? • The 1960s heralded the explosion of new Universities; it saw a vision of difference – a radical approach both to education and the built environment

38. So: are we doing enough? • The vision was not fulfilled without pain and mistakes: from student revolt to employer concerns • Built environment – coined as a collection of disparate disciplines - has not converged in philosophy or practice • At its worst it presents narrow focused courses aimed at training for the job

39. So: are we doing enough? • Experience is beginning to show that students will (despite /because of the cost) choose something they enjoy – first • Skills for the job come second • The competition internationally will only get stronger…

40. Some Final Thoughts • Employment-led models will work for the technical end of the BE spectrum but • The role of Higher Education should be to push the bounds with innovation and new thought – means developing a deeper research culture across all the disciplines • This means being more than processors of entrants to professions • Build on strength of pedagogic practice

41. Some Final Thoughts • If medicine and law are regarded as good degrees for entry to the city- why not our courses? • Virtuous circle to stimulate demand • Skills post-qualification linked to professional needs present opportunities • Underpin staffing with 3rd leg activity • Develop enterprise with research – push for greater legitimacy of applied knowledge and research

42. So • Much of what is happening is positive: • Recognition of shared ambitions between professional bodies and HEIs • Good teaching • Rising demand • Growing research base • Flexible, adaptive models • But – there are some real challenges that may demand more radical adaptation

43. So The dilemma is to know whether we have reached a tipping point at which incremental rational behavioural change is no longer rational….