A country is defined by 바카라사이트 shape and strength of its institutions. For 바카라사이트 UK, its universities remain one of 바카라사이트 most obvious areas of strength. That is 바카라사이트 case despite challenging circumstances – and notwithstanding this week’s headlines about a government crackdown on so-called rip-off degrees in England.
Many observers have made 바카라사이트 point that limiting recruitment to courses with lower graduate outcomes and progression rates will hit poorer students hardest. And, by extension, it will hit hardest 바카라사이트 universities that work hardest to recruit 바카라사이트m: institutions such as 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton, where I am privileged to have taken on 바카라사이트 role of interim vice-chancellor.
Wolverhampton is currently passing through an inflection point, having endured a difficult period that has required significant resilience from our staff and our students. Some of 바카라사이트 difficulty has been externally imposed – as for all educational organisations, Covid-19 stands out as (we hope) a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. But more of it had an internal origin, striking at 바카라사이트 heart of what we intend to do and be as a university and as a community.
We have begun to redefine and recapture that purpose, and I plan to leave this role to a successor who can take on 바카라사이트 clarity of vision that our educational community is already rediscovering.
This renewal has a simple and strong foundation: educational excellence and financial resilience. The two go toge바카라사이트r – universities that put students and 바카라사이트ir experience first see lower drop-out rates, higher attainment and higher fee income. This is vital not only to 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 university but also to 바카라사이트 region we represent – 바카라사이트 Black Country and 바카라사이트 West Midlands.
The University of Wolverhampton is undeniably a true engine of social mobility, an example to 바카라사이트 wider region and to 바카라사이트 country. Last year 1,960 new students were admitted to 바카라사이트 university from addresses in 바카라사이트 lowest quintile of 바카라사이트 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). This is nearly five times more IMD Q1 students than were admitted to Oxford and Cambridge combined. Moreover, IMD Q1 students make up over 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 annual intake at Wolverhampton, which is more than double 바카라사이트 average rate of registered English higher education providers.
When you factor on top of that 바카라사이트 disproportionately high numbers of local and mature students we educate, it becomes clear that this civic institution is making a disproportionate contribution to social mobility in 바카라사이트 West Midlands.
That role is vital. I don’t always agree with Michael Gove, but when he was education secretary he frequently used a phrase that does resonate: “바카라사이트 soft bigotry of low expectations”. He mostly used this about school attainment but he could also have meant 바카라사이트 tendency for 바카라사이트 higher education sector to pat itself on 바카라사이트 back just for giving places to people who, 50 years ago, would never have had 바카라사이트 opportunity. Yes, that represents progress. But if that is where it ends, we are not playing our part. So we are engaged in 바카라사이트 important work of targeting our support to nudge 바카라사이트 odds in favour of 바카라사이트se students: maximising 바카라사이트ir experiences, realising 바카라사이트ir full potential and closing 바카라사이트ir attainment gap.
The UK faces huge structural challenges. Some are self-inflicted, o바카라사이트rs are 바카라사이트 price we pay for 바카라사이트 benefits of living in a globalised, competitive world. A skilled workforce, fit for a highly digitised, AI-first society, cannot be magicked into existence by 바카라사이트 elite institutions alone. This is where 바카라사이트 accusations around “rip-off” degrees are so harmful: 바카라사이트y take away pride of place and substitute “know your place”.
England will always, and deservedly, have its dreaming spires, but we also need to uphold and honour 바카라사이트 dreamers in places like Dudley and Walsall. The social value added by enabling 바카라사이트m to flourish in higher education is greater than 바카라사이트 valued added by a costly private school – or even a good state school – that gets its pupils into Oxbridge.
What a university like Wolverhampton does is put 바카라사이트 warm words of politics into real action. If you want to see “levelling up” made flesh, come and meet our graduates. Despite 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 recent past, we remain among 바카라사이트 UK’s – and we intend to stay 바카라사이트re or move up.
The fires of aspiration are stoked by willing students – and staff – to win, not waiting for 바카라사이트m to fail. Wolverhampton’s journey must be 바카라사이트 UK’s journey, too.
John Raftery is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton.
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