ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Universities United Kingdom's (UUK) role as an interest group seeking to influence policy change and legislation in higher education. It examines UUK’s engagement with the policy cycle, from early debates on the need for reform, the Green and White Papers, through to the passing of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 and into implementation. UUK wanted to protect institutional autonomy, including a sector stake in defining entry and quality and standards. However, while UUK had authority in the debate it has no direct decision-making power in the policymaking or legislative process. It examines looks at some of the outcomes in the Act and UUK’s own successes and limitations. The chapter illustrates how UUK’s role, as an interest group, is best understood as a process of negotiation that required a careful navigation of trade-offs and political capital. The chapter concludes with final reflections on influencing policy and legislation.
