The focus is on Australian public universities but I think this discussion could be generalized. As suggested in the title, Colin Beer argues that scapegoating ("placing responsibility for systemic problems on individuals or small groups") and careerism ("advancement (titles, metrics, visibility) becomes more important than educational or scholarly contributions") have become mechanisms for protecting the status quo. "These dynamics normalise the gap between rhetoric (excellence, student‑centred, public benefit, etc) and practice (cost‑cutting, restructuring, market share, brand management, university rankings, etc)." I don't know whether the mechanisms he suggests address these issues - universities need to do more than reform governance and accountability, I think.
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