The management of multicampus systems

Multicampus systems are widespread in the American higher education scene, where 80% of students study in multicampus institutions. They are increasingly becoming a factor in universities worldwide. The incorporation of teacher training colleges into universities, and now the current trend towards mergers, means that they will become a major feature in South African higher education too. A recent study of the American multicampus systems suggests that the hopes that multicampus systems would deliver more coherent and rational planning did not always materialize. A major reason is that in multicampus systems there seems to have been little will to rationalize resources between campuses. At the same time, the loss of a clear identity and voice for the local campus has meant that the ambitions and goals of local campuses have sometimes been stifled. The local campuses sometimes became discouraged and demoralized. The question is whether a management system can be developed which will tend to both of these opposites. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.18(2) 2004: 346-35