Dear Indizar,
You have asked many questions, and I hope I give you here the
foundation by answering them and adding much more information of my
own. However, books could be written on the subject you?re asking
about. A $75 dollar answer could hardly cover every aspect of such a
huge issue. Therefore, I hope that if you have any further, more
specific questions, you?ll post them on Google and I?ll refer to the
specific issue.
Basically, like with the foundation of a business, one must know what
is the target audience, where to establish, and where the funds would
come from.
To begin with, let's explore what a university is, as opposed to any
institute of higher education. A university is defined as : "An
institution for higher learning with teaching and research facilities
constituting a graduate school and professional schools that award
master's degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate division that
awards bachelor's degrees." (SOURCE: The American Heritage?
Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright ? 2000
by Houghton Mifflin Company. As quoted in Dictionary.com
<http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=university&r=67>).
In other words, if you want to establish a university, and not just an
institute of higher learning, it should have research facilities as
well as research facilities, and should train and educate in all three
levels of higher-education, including the Ph.D. level. A university is
an institute that encompasses more than one discipline or faculty, and
therefore there should be a more "universal", all encompassing,
approach.
The foundation of a new university requires, therefore, extensive
infrastructure and resources, usually beneath the abilities of only
one person (unless you are BillGates-ga). A university would require,
normally:
- faculty
- research and teaching facilities
- administrative staff and infrastructure
Please note, that many other services that are available in most
universities, such as athletic or social services to the students, are
not part of the minimum requirements of an institution to be
considered a university.
For example, Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, invested
$200 Million in a new Catholic Conservative university, which he hopes
to put into action before 2006 (See: Stoffel, Meredith, "Domino's
Pizza founder establishes conservative Catholic colleges", The
Heights, March 24, 2003,
<http://www.bcheights.com/news/2003/03/24/Features/Dominos.Pizza.Founder.Establishes.Conservative.Catholic.Colleges-397905.shtml>).
Monaghan, by the way, began his academic adventure by forming a 2-year
academic institute, granting associate degrees. The institute
developed into a four-year institute, the Ave Maria College. Only now,
after the establishment of those two, he is interested in forming a
university on their basis (SOURCES: Catholic News Service, "Domino's
Pizza Founder to Open Ave Maria University in Florida", From the issue
of 11/28/02, <http://www.catholicherald.com/cns/avemaria.htm>). This
is not the only case, and in many cases, universities develop from
institution that formerly offered only lower degrees, and established
research and graduate degrees further along the way. See, for example,
the history of the ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA:
<http://www.rc.net/tanzania/tec/saut.htm>
While classes might be carried out in any building, laboratories in
particular (and less so but also libraries) demand special
infrastructure. As you?ve mentioned yourself, universities require
more than not partnerships with the industry. This is done by using
reputation (that a new university usually lacks), but also by using
fund raising techniques, which are essential for universities.
Grant-writers or specialists in locating philanthropists are some of
the basic personnel needed. Industry leaders usually have an interest
in supporting research that would benefit them. However, many
institutions usually compete for the same resources, hence the need in
good fund raisers. Here are several basic links to organisations
supporting scientific research:
Google Directory - Research Funding Organizations
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Institutions/Research_Funding_Organizations?tc=1/>
Research grants are not the only source of funding you should think
of. As mentioned before, alumnae?s and other donations consist an
important part of the budget. Tuition fees are of course a
money-generating, but do not exceed their contribution: in many
faculties, and certainly in scientific ones, students? tuition fees
would not cover the costs of the degree. Government funding is
possible in cases where the university is supported by the government,
which of course depends on several governmental requirements (this
depends on the place where you live).
In fact, the more I study this topic, I find it unlikely for a single
person, who is not extremely (Monaghan or Gates level), to be able to
establish a university from scratch. One needs organisational support
(a group of people willing to dedicate resources as well), or
governmental and para-governmental reliance. In many countries, it is
highly unlikely that a private university could succeed under such
conditions, and universities are created only if the government
decides there is a need in a new university, or in ?upgrading? an
existing college or institute of higher education into a university.
Even if one establishes a "virtual" campus (teaching done via
correspondence or internet/TV), the faculty and students should still
conduct their research in real libraries and laboratories; medicine
students should have a real university-hospital to train in not every
university has a faculty of medicine); etc. Of course, distance
learning university should have special infrastructure, such as IT
infrastructure, staff that is trained in distance teaching, etc. See
more about the issue of DL :
Laurent Polidori, REMOTE SENSING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES FOR A NEW
UNIVERSITY IN FRENCH GUIANA,
<http://www.isprs.org/commission6/proceedings/papers/010.pdf>
Gordon Davies, ?Creating a new university- the United States Open
University?, <http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie99/papers/1712.pdf>
You could find staff, such as consultants and advisors, as well as
faculty, by publishing in relevant publications, such as:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
<http://chronicle.com/>
Times Educational Supplements
<http://www.tes.co.uk/>
H-Announcements (for Humanities and Social Scientists)
<http://www.h-net.msu.edu/announce/>
There are also legal requirements on establishing new universities, or
to be recognised as a degree granting institution in most countries.
Here, your position depends of course on the place, where you want to
establish the university. Besides national laws, there are also local
laws, such as zoning regulations that must be followed. A town might
not approve of the zoning requirements of a new university, as the new
Ave Maria University learned (See: Catholic News Service, "Domino's
Pizza Founder to Open Ave Maria University in Florida", From the issue
of 11/28/02, <http://www.catholicherald.com/cns/avemaria.htm>). You
could learn a little on the time it takes to be approved from the
experience of other institutions:
Yasar University (Turkey)
<http://www.yasar.edu.tr/yasar.php?lang=eng&q=tan&tab=sayfa&id=2>
Roskilde Univeristy (Denmark)
<http://www.ruc.dk/ruc_en/about/RU-history/>
University of Italian Switzerland
<http://www.unisi.ch/en/index/ateneo/presentazione.htm>
A very good summary of the infrastructure envisioned and required for
a new university could be found in the article:
Marcel Lucien Goldschmid, ?Creating a new university: a way of
transforming higher education??, HERDSA Annual International
Conference, Melbourne, 12-15 July 1999 4,
<http://www.herdsa.org.au/branches/vic/Cornerstones/pdf/Goldschm.PDF>
I am not entirely clear on what you meant by "rated". If you meant,
how it is evaluated by the authorities, in order to approve it, it is
a rather complex process. The government usually has requirements of
academic standards and of infrastructure, to which the university must
adhere. However, accreditation and approval of the degrees usually
takes several years, and depends on inspections of the syllabi, the
libraries and laboratories available to the students and the faculty,
etc. Here, for example, you could see the requirements in the US state
of California:
Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
<http://www.bppve.ca.gov/legislation_regulations.htm>
And assuming that you?ve managed to adhere to the governmental and
financial requirements, found staff and created the infrastructure.
One thing is missing: the students. Students must know about the new
place, and they must be convinced, that despite the lack of reputation
(deriving from the short time it exists), this university is the place
to go.
If you have an existing college, which turns into a university, or if
you?re establishing your university in a region desperate for a
university, it is less difficult to convince newcomers. What if you
start from scratch?
One way is rather simple: advertise yourself within the target
population (high schools, colleges, newspapers addressing parents and
prospective students). Scholarships and grants for students usually
attract students. For example, the newly established faculty of
tourism in the Negev University (Israel), offered full grants to all
those who register before a certain date.
One thing that would assist the establishment of the university, is if
the scientist recruited would be at the top tier of their discipline.
See, for example, the new Hertie School of Governance and their
requirements from the staff:
< http://www.hertie-school.org/bin/php/frontend/index.php3?ACTION=SHOWCONTENT&menuepunkt=66>
Regarding the management of the future university, some of it derives
from its operation as a non-for-profit organisation. Most universities
are administered by a board of trustees, as sometimes required by such
organisations. However, the actual administration is done by
professional administrators, whose profession is to run universities.
Further Information
Stanley Tromp and Douglas Quan, "Probe UBC administrators' role in
private college, critics say", The Peak, issue 12, vol 101 -- March
29, 1999
<http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/99-1/issue12/ubc.html>
Creating a new University of the highest standing
<http://www.ukzn.ac.za/focus/pdf/vol14no1/FOCUS%20PG18-19.pdf>
SALIM RASHID, ?The Worldwide Movement in Private Universities?,
American Journal of Economics and Sociology, July 2000, Online version
available at <http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_3_59/ai_65348067>
Julia Abdoullaeva, ?Notes on University Privatization?,
<http://www.msu.mcmaster.ca/media/000111.php>
A wonderful source on the establishment of a new university is Winona
State University?s ?New University? project
<http://www.winona.edu/newuniversity/default.html>
I hope this answered your question. Please contact me if you need any
further clarification on this answer before you rate it.
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Creating/establishing/opening a new university
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