Policy, principle, and practice: co-operative studies in higher education

Diarmuid McDonnell (Co-operative Education Trust Scotland and University of Aberdeen)

Elizabeth Macknight (University of Aberdeen)Mainstreaming Co-operation

05/07/2012

Outline

• Introduction• Project details• Policy, principle and practice• Co-op studies framework• Opportunities and barriers• Priorities• Conclusion

Introduction

Despite the wide-ranging successes of co-operatives, in financial terms as well as in the development of sustainable communities, the study of these democratic forms of enterprise remains surprisingly absent from the curricula of most university business schools around the world.

KTP

Government-sponsored collaboration between universities and industry; promote commercialisation of research.

Co-operative Education Trust Scotland

University of Aberdeen

Project purpose

“To promote understanding of co-operative, mutual, and employee-owned business models within tertiary education, filling the current gap and broadening CETS’s offering to the education sector.”

Policy

Government – skills agenda and economic growth

University of Aberdeen – curricula reform

Scottish education – Curriculum for Excellence

Edinburgh City Council; Mondragón University

Principle

• education, training and information; and• working together through local, national, regional and

international structures

Development of resources was guided by our concept of co-operative education:

• the study of co-operative models of enterprise;• researching topics related to co-operative models of

enterprise; and• the accumulation of knowledge and skills needed to

establish a co-operative.

Practice

Practice (2)

Practice (3)

1. Market research2. Seek expert advice3. Benchmark4. Quality control5. Offer added value – a solution6. Marketing7. Feedback, lessons log, and embedding

knowledge

Framework

Action-Orientations Creation Transformation Integration

Research Knowledge • Co-operative research centres

• Critical / applied / action research

• Coop articles, books, cases, materials

Curricula & Awards • New curricula and awards

• Redesign curricula and assessment

• Update courses and content

Learning & Teaching Develop co-operative andragogy / transformative learning strategies

• Existing pedagogies

Coop Ownership and Governance

• New co-operative business schools / universities

• Convert to coop ownership / governance

• Democratise decision-making

Social Inclusion • Lifelong learning• Open membership

• Paradigm shifting knowledge transfer projects

• Existing knowledge transfer

Support Networks As context dictates

More radical More conservative

Know

ledg

ebas

eSo

cial

Cap

ital

Opportunities

1. QAA business and management guidelines

2. Interest in related studies

3. International Year of Co-operatives

4. Focus on enterprise and entrepreneurship

Barriers

1. University marketing departments

2. Exposure and materials

3. Misconceptions and misinformation

4. Dominant ideologies

Priorities

UK Centre for Co-operative Studies

Foundation for Co-operative Education (FCE)

Priorities (2)

Professorial Chair of Co-operative Studies

Co-operative Learning Space

Conclusion

Renewed interestResurgence?Short timeframePromotional work

www.abdn.ac.uk/cetsdiarmuid@cets.coop