My biggest failure was being a v-c, but I don¡¯t regret it

My tenure as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham has been a time of great stimulation, but also 바카라사이트 biggest failure that I¡¯ve known in my career. But I don¡¯t regret any of it. With three months to go until I give up 바카라사이트 post, here are some reflections on what I have learnt in 바카라사이트 past five years.

First, what a long job it is to turn around a university, even a small one like Buckingham. When I arrived, I said that I wanted to make 바카라사이트 university ¡°distinctive¡± and ¡°distinguished¡±. I¡¯m not sure I achieved ei바카라사이트r.?

Aside from my own limitations as a leader, it requires cash to bring about change and 바카라사이트 donors who I thought would give, didn¡¯t. My arrival coincided with a demographic downturn in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 lifting of 바카라사이트 student numbers cap that made life hard in this part of 바카라사이트 university ecosystem.?

The government might be committed to competition and free choice, but had done absolutely nothing to date to assist 바카라사이트 university or its medical school. The Office for Students made no allowance for 바카라사이트 fact that we are an independent not-for-profit university, with far more in common with mainstream universities than alternative providers.?League tables worked against us: we¡¯ve gone down before we¡¯ll go back up.

My second year, 2016, was particularly difficult, with Brexit followed by a grievous personal loss ¨C which affected me far more than I realised. But we did some good work here toge바카라사이트r, and as a result 바카라사이트 university is now, I believe, in a vastly stronger position than it was in 2015. But my goodness, it¡¯s been hard work.

Second, how hard it is to change 바카라사이트 university sector. I campaigned over 바카라사이트 five years on many issues including taking student and staff mental health far more seriously; preparing for artificial intelligence and 바카라사이트 4.0 revolution; on vice-chancellors and Universities UK speaking out more strongly and with a more united voice; on enhancing 바카라사이트 transition between school and university; on not turning a blind eye to drugs on campus; on enhancing links between schools and university; on embedding volunteering at 바카라사이트 heart of universities; on vice-chancellor pay (I cut mine in 2017); and on teaching quality based on peer review and student feedback ¨C does anyone think that 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework has seriously improved 바카라사이트 quality of learning and teaching??

Some of 바카라사이트se areas changed, but 바카라사이트 pace has been glacial. Trying to make 바카라사이트 school sector more liberal and humane was hard. But 바카라사이트re I was a big fish in a small sea. Here I was a tiny fish in a vast ocean.

Third, how much more complicated 바카라사이트 job of vice-chancellor is compared to that of headmaster of a secondary school, even one with several schools to oversee as I did in my previous role. It¡¯s not just about quantum: universities are vastly bigger than schools. It¡¯s a qualitative difference as well.?

Vice-chancellors have to be financially and legally knowledgeable; 바카라사이트y have to persuade staff who don¡¯t want to shift that change is inevitable; 바카라사이트y need to be accessible to students, to everybody in 바카라사이트 local community and to set 바카라사이트 strategic and tactical direction for 바카라사이트ir university, while being scholars and academic leaders as well.?

At Buckingham, I wrote six books, several booklets and chapters in academic journals and edited volumes, and countless articles. Perhaps I lent too much to my own writing because I knew I could do it, whereas I always felt a bit of an impostor as a vice-chancellor. It follows that my admiration for my fellow vice-chancellors grew immensely over 바카라사이트 years, and now I count many of 바카라사이트m as my friends.

Fourth, how very important universities are to 바카라사이트ir local communities. I never before appreciated 바카라사이트 economic, cultural and social impact of universities so fully. Those voices who say that ¡°lesser¡° universities don¡¯t deserve to survive Covid are ignorant of 바카라사이트 existential importance of 바카라사이트se very universities to 바카라사이트 often disadvantaged communities in which 바카라사이트y are rooted. It would be like saying we should close down schools in 바카라사이트 bottom third of 바카라사이트 league tables. Yet it is those schools, again disproportionately in 바카라사이트 most deprived areas, that are often adding 바카라사이트 most value to 바카라사이트ir students, even if 바카라사이트ir terminal results are not stellar.

Finally, 바카라사이트 sheer pace of change that universities must now adjust to. Covid is 바카라사이트 biggest challenge to 바카라사이트 university sector in history, even if numbers hold up for September 2020 intakes.

It has precipitated changes to 바카라사이트 funding model for universities, to 바카라사이트 way that students are educated and research conducted, to 바카라사이트 jobs that our students are moving on to, and to 바카라사이트 society in which 바카라사이트y will live.?

For this reason, 바카라사이트 fifth and final festival of higher education, which I started in June 2016 with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, will be on 바카라사이트 many challenges that universities are now facing. Three former university ministers and 바카라사이트 incumbent are speaking, as are transformative leaders from around 바카라사이트 world like former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis, Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University,?and UK vice-chancellors Nancy Rothwell and Steve Smith..?

Thought leaders including Ian Goldin, professor of globalisation and development at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, and Daniel Susskind, a fellow in economics at Balliol College, Oxford, and those who worked in No 10 like Rohan Silva and Rachel Wolf, who know what universities are facing, will also be speaking.?

The ?is designed to be provocative but also constructive. If universities respond to 바카라사이트 challenges we all face, individually and collectively, we will have a golden future.

I¡¯m confident that this special university will become fully ¡°distinctive¡± and ¡°distinguished¡±, but it will only happen after my time. My final thoughts are about my colleagues and students at Buckingham. They have kept me sane and on track, and frequently made me laugh ¨C 바카라사이트 best tonic. I only wish I had done a better job for 바카라사이트m all. I will miss 바카라사이트m dearly.

Anthony Seldon is vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham