Leading a university department is a bit like farming-each season brings its own tasks, difficulties, solutions and rewards. October in the U.K. university calendar is the start of a new academic year. This is when departments welcome a new intake of young men and women who wish to further their education towards the attainment of their personal educational and professional goals through undergraduate degree courses, or possibly to re-directing their professional lives through Masters programs. It is also the time when universities assess the trends in recruiting, both individually and nationally.
University recruitment depends upon a range of social, economic, demographic and political factors. The reduction in state aid deters many from seeking education away from home, thus depriving students of one of the most important aspects of a university education, the opportunity to discover one's own ability to deal with life.