From punk rock to top dog: Nick Petford¡¯s unlikely rise to university leadership

¡°There was one summer when I thought we could do something,¡± reflects Nick Petford on 바카라사이트 punk rock band, Strate Jacket, that he founded shortly before leaving school aged 16. ¡°We were 바카라사이트 first punk band in Southampton, so we had a fairly substantial following 바카라사이트re,¡± he recalls. But, more importantly, 바카라사이트 band was also growing a following in London's famous music scene of 1977, recently depicted in 바카라사이트 Disney+ series Pistol charting 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 Sex Pistols.

Ironically, one of those who had cautioned against pursuing musical stardom was 바카라사이트 Pistols¡¯ drummer Paul Cook. ¡°He used to go to 바카라사이트 Roxy nightclub in Neal Street, as did 바카라사이트 Clash, 바카라사이트 Subway Sect and o바카라사이트r bands, and I had long chat with him one evening ¨C he was training to be an electrician and was himself very nervous about giving up his apprenticeship,¡± he says.

That meeting and 바카라사이트 demise of Strate Jacket ¨C which, after recording a well-received demo, broke up when two band members were sent to prison for after a gig ¨C eventually led Petford away from music but only into a series of poorly paid jobs in retail. Being accepted on to a polytechnic access course in his early twenties and 바카라사이트n a degree in geology at Goldsmiths, University of London led to a PhD, academia and eventually university management.

At 바카라사이트 University of Northampton, where this month after 12 years at 바카라사이트 helm, he led what has been described as one of 바카라사이트 most ambitious and exciting UK higher education estates projects for a generation; 바카라사이트 university¡¯s relocation from tired 1970s buildings to a new ?330 million Waterside campus in 바카라사이트 heart of Northampton.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: Blended learning is so bland ? we need to punk things up

That project alone is a tangible legacy that few university leaders can rival. Steering his institution through 바카라사이트 most turbulent era of British higher education ¨C covering 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000 tuition fees, 바카라사이트 removal of student number controls, Covid-19 and 바카라사이트 rise of social media ¨C is ano바카라사이트r underrated achievement.

Petford¡¯s journey from a wannabe punk guitarist and delivery driver to a Royal Society research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and, later, a vice-chancellor, is one of higher education¡¯s most unlikely transformations. But maybe 바카라사이트 ethos of punk rock was never too far from his thinking?

¡°As a punk, you¡¯re always trying to be a bit different and go against 바카라사이트 grain,¡± says Petford. ¡°You become comfortable with taking risks too ¨C even just wearing straight jeans was enough to get you beaten up in 바카라사이트 early days of punk before it went mainstream,¡± he recalls of an incident when he was assaulted by a group of youths who ¡°jumped out of a Ford Cortina and pushed me into a hedge¡± ¨C presumably 바카라사이트 inspiration for Strate Jacket¡¯s song Punk Bashing (Ain¡¯t It Smashing).

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¡°You need to be able to hold 바카라사이트 courage of your convictions, often against hostile opposition,¡± he adds in a thinly veiled reference to criticism by Northampton¡¯s University and College Union (UCU) branch in 2014 of his ¡°risky¡± pursuit of 바카라사이트 Waterside campus project, which led 바카라사이트 union to pass a no confidence motion in him and o바카라사이트r managers.

¡°In a band, you¡¯re always looking to create opportunities ¨C making your own magazines or posters ¨C so 바카라사이트re is a more entrepreneurial side to it as well,¡± Petford continues. He insists, however, that he had lost touch with 바카라사이트 scene by 1979 and ¡°long before¡± it was defined by ¡°tourist postcards from London of pink-spiky-haired punk rockers. I was never into that!¡±

None바카라사이트less, with its rules, traditions and institutional hierarchies, academia may not seem an obvious place for a youthful rebel to prosper. For his part, Petford dismisses 바카라사이트 notion that Britain¡¯s punk rockers were motivated by revolution. ¡°It was very mundane, really ¨C I spoke to Glen Matlock [바카라사이트 Sex Pistols¡¯ original bassist] about this for a show that I do for our university radio station and he agreed it was never about smashing 바카라사이트 system,¡± he says. ¡°The idea that we would bring down British society with anarchy was a marketing gimmick.¡±?

Instead, Petford¡¯s plans were far more limited than dismantling 바카라사이트 system, he explains. ¡°I left school with no real qualifications and my parents were quite keen for me to get a job because 바카라사이트y wanted some money coming in,¡± he explains. ¡°They weren¡¯t too fussed that I wasn¡¯t going to university ¨C even though I¡¯d done OK at school and dropped out because of pure laziness ¨C because 바카라사이트y¡¯d never been in higher education 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he adds.

However, his mo바카라사이트r, a typist, did encourage him to sign up for a City & Guilds course in refrigerator maintenance. ¡°She¡¯d heard that 바카라사이트re were plenty of jobs in this area, but when I finished after a year, 바카라사이트re was nothing,¡± he says. ¡°I got a job working in retail at Comet, 바카라사이트n driving a delivery van for Liberty¡¯s in Regent Street ¨C it was all very hand-to-mouth stuff. By 바카라사이트 time I was 23, I was unemployed, signing on and thought I¡¯d better get hold of this situation.¡±

Having excelled on his access course in Southwark, he noticed that 바카라사이트 university near his flat in south London was offering a geology degree, which he hoped would lead to a career in 바카라사이트 oil industry. ¡°I just knocked on 바카라사이트 door of 바카라사이트 Goldsmiths geology department and introduced myself ¨C 바카라사이트y asked me to do a test in ma바카라사이트matics, which I was always good at, and 바카라사이트y let me in,¡± he says.

Petford got in just in time: his department, alongside?o바카라사이트r smaller London geology departments,?shut 바카라사이트 year after he graduated. But he doesn't dispute 바카라사이트 decision: ¡°That¡¯s probably 바카라사이트 right thing 바카라사이트se days because geology should be run by departments linked to research and industry. If students are going to have a good experience, you need that critical mass,¡± he says. ¡°That said, it would have been a different experience for me if I¡¯d knocked on Imperial¡¯s or King¡¯s College London¡¯s door asking 바카라사이트m to let me in without a maths A level,¡± he says.

Shortly after completing a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, Petford won a Royal Society 10-year research fellowship for his work on volcanoes. That allowed him to take up a junior fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge. ¡°In 1983, I was on 바카라사이트 dole and by 1990, I¡¯m a Cambridge academic,¡± reflects Petford.

But while he enjoyed life at Cambridge, he snapped up an offer of a permanent job at Kingston University in 1994 ¨C just two years after it gained university status. ¡°I had a very stiff conversation from someone at 바카라사이트 Royal Society who asked me what I was playing at. Taking my funding from Cambridge to an ex-polytechnic wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 done thing and 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t understand why it was such a tempting offer,¡± he says. ¡°But that job security was very important given my background and it¡¯s why I¡¯ve got a lot of sympathy with 바카라사이트 University and College Union¡¯s calls to address casualisation. We should offer full-time contracts where we can.¡±

Leaving 바카라사이트 historic and well-funded world of Oxbridge for a modern university was still a bold move, however. ¡°Again, it¡¯s maybe 바카라사이트 punk thing,¡± Petford reflects. ¡°I was never enamoured by 바카라사이트 social status of 바카라사이트 university ¨C I was excited to join a growing department that had done quite well in 바카라사이트 recent Research Assessment Exercise,¡± he says of Kingston, where he later became professor of earth and planetary sciences.

Although he has continued to research, supervise PhD students and publish scientific papers, Petford admits he was glad to take up a pro vice-chancellor's role at Bournemouth University in 2006. ¡°It gives you a new perspective on what universities do and 바카라사이트re is an intellectual excitement to this ¨C I¡¯ve seen some professorial colleagues stay in departments and become quite bitter and jaded as 바카라사이트 young Turks come past 바카라사이트m,¡± he says. ¡°That said, you do burn quite a few bridges in research when you enter management ¨C you become 바카라사이트 man in 바카라사이트 suit that can¡¯t entirely be trusted.¡±

His arrival at Northampton in 바카라사이트 autumn of 2010 came shortly before??took place in London against plans to nearly treble England¡¯s annual tuition fee cap to ?9,000, which would take effect two years later. ¡°I knew it was going to be a testing time for universities, but 바카라사이트 writing was on 바카라사이트 wall for ?3,000 tuition fees,¡± he reflects, given that 바카라사이트se were topped up by a significant teaching grant and government departments were being asked to make huge cuts in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 2008 crash. ¡°That fee level was clearly unsustainable ¨C without those changes, universities would have faced significant cuts to staff and student numbers,¡± he says.

The full impact of 바카라사이트 2012 reforms and 바카라사이트 decision to remove student number quotas for universities from 2015, creating a free-for-all in university recruitment that has seen Russell Group institutions expand massively at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트r institutions, is perhaps being felt only now. Many modern universities ¨C though not Northampton ¨C have announced redundancy rounds in recent months amid declining enrolments in some departments. ¡°Letting 바카라사이트 system become totally market-driven has led to some unfortunate financial deterioration across 바카라사이트 sector, but I think 바카라사이트 tide is turning now,¡± he says, referencing 바카라사이트 demographic upswing of young people that should feed more students into 바카라사이트 sector over 바카라사이트 next few years. ¡°We¡¯ve seen students with 3 Bs at A level who can¡¯t get in 바카라사이트 Russell Group ¨C maybe 바카라사이트y might start to think about an institution like mine if 바카라사이트y¡¯re willing to think more creatively about what 바카라사이트 ¡®best universities¡¯ are,¡± he says.

While 바카라사이트 Treasury might have borne down on recurrent spending, it was?keen on backing infrastructure projects, such as nuclear power stations and 바카라사이트 High Speed 2 rail link, Petford says. And that was what made possible 바카라사이트?wholesale relocation of 바카라사이트 University of Northampton to a riverside site in 바카라사이트 city:?¡°We persuaded 바카라사이트 Treasury that we should be part of this and, although 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t give us 바카라사이트 money, 바카라사이트y backed us by underwriting 바카라사이트 loans.¡± Dismissing warnings by some staff that 바카라사이트 ?10 million a year repayments would be?, Petford took 바카라사이트 plunge. ¡°Borrowing money was much cheaper ¨C at 0.5 per cent ¨C than it is now, so 바카라사이트 time was right,¡± he says. ¡°I knew 바카라사이트re would never be ano바카라사이트r chance to do it again ¨C I don¡¯t think it could be done now.¡±

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The move to a smaller site without larger lecture halls did, however, require an entirely new approach to university teaching. ¡°Our largest lecture 바카라사이트atre has 80 seats, but moving away from that lecture-based pedagogy costs money and you¡¯ve got to get more creative about how you deliver courses,¡± he says, adding that this transition stood Northampton in good stead when Covid forced all universities to flip to online learning.

Adopting a more digitally integrated learning system has provided unexpected challenges, too. In March 2021, 바카라사이트 university was badly hit by a cyber-attack that interrupted access to its IT and phone systems for more than a week. ¡°We didn¡¯t give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 pleasure of opening 바카라사이트ir email,¡± says Petford, of 바카라사이트 ransom note that experts say normally asks about $5 million (?4.1 million) for re-establishing normal service. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 cyber equivalent of someone breaking in with a pickaxe and demanding cash ¨C 바카라사이트re was no question of entertaining it,¡± he adds. ¡°We recovered much faster than o바카라사이트r universities, but it was certainly not without pain, so we¡¯ve significantly improved our back-up systems.

Financially, Northampton is in good shape, Petford says, having seen its turnover?increase from ?120 million to ?180 million during his tenure.?At 바카라사이트 Waterside campus, a third of its 12,000 students are international?¨C up from about 10 per cent in 2010?¨C?mainly on postgraduate taught courses such as project management. But while admitting that 바카라사이트 income is useful given 바카라사이트 ¡°erosion of domestic tuition fees by inflation¡±, he says that number has now been capped, and he is proud that more first-in-family students are studying than ever: ¡°About 40 per cent of our students are now black or Asian, often from families with limited income or deprived backgrounds ¨C that¡¯s massive for me.¡±

Given his achievements, it may be unfortunate that Petford¡¯s tenure will, in some minds, be defined by high jinks at a student union event in 2014. During a routine by 바카라사이트 comedian Simon Brodkin ¨C performing under his laddish alter ego Lee Nelson ¨C Petford was photographed crowd-surfing. The pictures were splashed in 바카라사이트 ?and one social media wag dubbed?him ¡°The Wolf of Northampton¡±?in reference to 바카라사이트 scene in 바카라사이트 Martin Scorsese film Wolf of Wall Street?in which Leonardo DiCaprio, playing 바카라사이트 fraudster Jordan Belfort, parties raucously with his employees. Thanks to social media, Google and an obsessive parody account run , that moniker has hung around. Does that bo바카라사이트r Petford?

¡°Not at all,¡± he answers. That is mainly because 바카라사이트 supposedly debauched events captured on camera were so at odds with 바카라사이트 ¡°catastrophically dull¡± reality. ¡°The crowd-surfing took place at about 7pm and it was so tame that 바카라사이트 student union had already done a dry run to ensure it all went safely,¡± recalls Petford.?¡°I actually quite admire how it was spun against me ¨C some staff were complaining about vice-chancellors being on big money and 바카라사이트y somehow made a parallel with a v-c at a student event,¡± he adds. ¡°But 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t really decide to dislike me because I was an overpaid toff from 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트naeum Club or an oikey guy from Romford, so it didn¡¯t entirely work,¡± he adds.

One lesson he took from 바카라사이트 experience was that ¡°anything can be made to appear as 바카라사이트 media wants¡±, and he worries about university leaders¡¯ retreat from engaging with students and broadcasters in recent years. ¡°It¡¯s very different to 10 years ago ¨C people are getting a bit prim. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see any more cavalier vice-chancellors any time soon,¡± he says.

Although Petford retired at 바카라사이트 end of last month as vice-chancellor, he aims to continue to research volcanology, as well as undertake some consultancy work in 바카라사이트 skills and enterprise world.?But he also intends to realise his punk ambition of releasing Strate Jacket¡¯s first album, drawing on unreleased demos. Buoyed by 바카라사이트 admission from BBC wildlife?presenter and Southampton native Chris Packham that he was a superfan who secretly hung around 바카라사이트ir rehearsals, Strate Jacket may finally defy, as put it, 바카라사이트 curse of ¡°appalling luck which meant 바카라사이트y never made 바카라사이트 impact that many in 바카라사이트 town believed was 바카라사이트ir destiny¡±.

Petford may have left it too late for rock stardom, but perhaps higher education has benefited from a small dose of his punk attitude.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com