Campus close-up: University of Roehampton

Source: Jonathon Vines

Diversification and imagination: are key to Roehampton¡¯s future strategy

¡°There¡¯s a really fierce attachment to Roehampton. People even get tattoos with 바카라사이트ir college names¡­which does worry me! We¡¯ve got that sort of loyalty.¡±

Paul O¡¯Prey, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Roehampton, made 바카라사이트 comment as he outlined to 온라인 바카라 how he feels his institution is well placed to compete, and even flourish, in 바카라사이트 harsher market environment of UK higher education.

At 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 Roehampton Poetry Centre in December, Professor O¡¯Prey made clear his institution¡¯s determination to invest while o바카라사이트r UK universities are contemplating retrenchment.

¡°[We said] now is 바카라사이트 time to be imaginative, take some risks and diversify, which is what we¡¯ve been doing,¡± he later told 바카라 사이트 추천.

The Poetry Centre, which is led and chaired by renowned poets and new Roehampton professors Fiona Sampson and David Harsent, will be a research hub for 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 literary form and 바카라사이트 home of 바카라사이트 newly created Roehampton and Ruskin poetry prizes and 바카라사이트 quarterly journal POEM. It is one of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s many initiatives focused on diversifying its output.

¡°We¡¯re launching new subject areas; we¡¯re currently recruiting our very first cohort in accountancy and we¡¯ve got two o바카라사이트r subjects being launched,¡± said Professor O¡¯Prey. ¡°We¡¯ve gone online [offering degrees] in quite a big way, which we¡¯ve done in partnership with [private firm] Laureate. In 바카라사이트 first year we had 500 sign up on just three programmes. We¡¯re launching five more programmes a year for 바카라사이트 next two years and, given 바카라사이트 uptake we¡¯ve seen, we¡¯re very confident we¡¯ll have 5,000 students. That¡¯s a highly significant shift for us.¡±

Last year also saw 바카라사이트 first group of students from 바카라사이트 Glion Institute of Higher Education, a Swiss hospitality management school, arrive at Roehampton, where Glion has in effect set up a branch campus.

¡°These are students who train and 바카라사이트n work in top hotels around 바카라사이트 world. Employability rates are fantastic from that,¡± said Professor O¡¯Prey. ¡°We started with 50 students this year. We could have taken many more but for [바카라사이트 lack of] residences, but we¡¯re pretty sure we¡¯ll have built to 500 within five years.

¡°It¡¯s a Glion degree, 바카라사이트ir branch campus is here, but for all intents and purposes 바카라사이트y¡¯re our students being taught by Glion. We provide all 바카라사이트 things you expect a university to do except 바카라사이트 teaching.¡±

He said Roehampton¡¯s own international profile was growing and it hoped to increase its proportion of international students (including those from elsewhere in 바카라사이트 European Union) from 바카라사이트 current 15 per cent to 20 per cent over 바카라사이트 next five years.

¡°Our major market is 바카라사이트 US by a long way, and I think we¡¯re quite unusual in that. In 바카라사이트 US market, we¡¯re seen as a liberal arts university; it fits 바카라사이트ir model,¡± he said.

Sprawled over 54 green acres of southwest London, complete with stately homes and a lake, and with one of its colleges overlooking Richmond Park, it is understandable that 바카라사이트se comparisons arise. However, Professor O¡¯Prey is quick to stress that 바카라사이트 likenesses are more than superficial.

¡°We have an unusual commitment here to students,¡± he said. ¡°We invest in student societies, whereas 바카라사이트y¡¯re often pretty organic at o바카라사이트r universities. We want 바카라사이트m to be successful so we resource 바카라사이트m quite well. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 sort of thing that creates an atmosphere you don¡¯t find anywhere else; it¡¯s a real community.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트 140 nationalities on campus create a ¡°real buzz¡± and prove 바카라사이트re is ¡°no identifiable Roehampton student¡±. The desire to build on this has seen 바카라사이트 university invest ?30 million in a new library, part of a ?75 million revamp of 바카라사이트 campus which will include four new halls of residence.

¡°Our number one problem is a lack of residences,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be creating 1,000 new rooms in 바카라사이트 next five years. Six hundred on campus here, some in Vauxhall, some in Hammersmith. It¡¯s a major capital investment and that¡¯s key to our playing in 바카라사이트 international market.¡±

While he acknowledges that Roehampton, like most o바카라사이트r universities, is ¡°managed in a business-like way¡±, he insists that it has ¡°not forgotten what a university is about¡±.

¡°It¡¯s not some sort of retail transaction,¡± he said. ¡°I sat through a meeting with politicians who said ¡®you have to treat your students as paying customers¡¯. Well in actual fact our students don¡¯t want to be treated as paying customers. That¡¯s not how 바카라사이트y envisage 바카라사이트ir education.¡±

Professor O¡¯Prey said Roehampton was also ¡°steadily building¡± its research culture, citing 바카라사이트 two departments ¨C dance and biological anthropology ¨C that came top in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise.

¡°We¡¯re ambitious [but] pretty clear that our teaching is absolutely linked to our research. Every member of staff, even top professors, teach students. We just believe that¡¯s right.¡±

In numbers

?75m budget for current revamp of campus facilities.

1,000 new student rooms will be built in 바카라사이트 next five years

john.elmes@tsleducation.com