PUTTING THE UNIVERSITY ONLINE

* What kind of university is emerging from the widespread adoption of new information and communication technologies in teaching, research and administration?

* What is the nature and scale of the work required to put the university online?

* What are the consequences - for academics, students, managers and others - of putting the university online?

New information and communication technologies (ICTs), and above all the internet, hold out many promises for higher education institutions in terms of flexibility, efficiency, quality and access. The vision is that of a virtual institution. Putting the University Online seeks to uncover what the pursuit of that vision means for an institution, its staff, students and other stakeholders, and consequences, intended and unintended, for the role and identity of the university.

This is the first book length study, based on detailed fine-grained analysis of what 'putting the university online' actually means for those involved and the wider institutions. James Cornford and Neil Pollock draw both on theories from the sociology of technology and on a large and diverse body of empirical research in order to explore how universities are attempting to build and use new ICTs to sit alongside, complement and, in some cases, replace established means of delivering, organizing and managing higher education. Their book will help sensitize policy makers, academics, university managers, and students to the limits to, and implications of, the pursuit of a virtual future for higher education.

James Cornford is a Principal Research Associate in the University of Newcastle's Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS). His research interests are focused on the implications of the application of information and communication technologies for organizations, cities and regions.

Neil Pollock is a Senior Research Associate in the Newcastle School of Management at Newcastle University. His research is focused on the application of computer systems in higher education, most recently leading an Economic and Social Research Council funded study of the development of a self service student management system.