Why is it that while we at business schools teach management, credit control, budgeting and how to run successful commercial enterprises, most universities are like the proverbial cobbler's children and go elsewhere to seek advice from consultants?
Why not exploit the talent in universities? We teach debtor collection days, but millions are written off as bad debts. Low retention rates should be the concern of every member of staff from porter to professor.
If universities are to be run like businesses, why not get their own staff and students involved in the budgeting process?
Bala Balachandran
South Bank University