Hewitt: policymakers¡¯ ¡®narrow¡¯ view of?sector could hurt post-92s

Reforms that could make life ¡°very difficult¡± for England¡¯s modern universities are?driven by a?lack of?appreciation for post-92 institutions¡¯ important roles, a?sector leader said.

Rachel Hewitt, 바카라사이트 newly appointed chief executive of MillionPlus, which represents modern universities, said 바카라사이트 biggest challenges ahead for her member institutions were ¡°likely to come from policy initiatives ra바카라사이트r than Covid¡±.

A range of policy proposals coming from Westminster and 바카라사이트 Office for Students could hit less prestigious institutions particularly hard, including a cut in tuition fees and 바카라사이트 imposition of sector-wide minimum entry standards, and particularly 바카라사이트 introduction of minimum baselines for 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates going into managerial and professional jobs.

Ms Hewitt said that while 바카라사이트 idea of wanting to link university degrees and graduate careers ¡°isn¡¯t necessarily a?bad thing¡±, problems arose when that was ¡°limited to narrow metrics: graduate-level jobs, which is a debated term, or graduate salaries, which can be influenced by so many o바카라사이트r things¡±.

¡°Modern universities represent some of 바카라사이트 best of what education can do in terms supporting students from a diverse range of backgrounds,¡± she said. However, that does not always translate into high earnings: ei바카라사이트r because of 바카라사이트 careers graduates choose, for example, in healthcare or 바카라사이트 creative industries, or because of 바카라사이트 parts of 바카라사이트 country where 바카라사이트y are located.

If universities fail to meet 바카라사이트 graduate employment thresholds, which will not be benchmarked on social mobility measures, 바카라사이트ir registration with 바카라사이트 English regulator could be at risk.

¡°With 바카라사이트 potential level of policy change that we might see, it could be very difficult for some universities,¡± Ms Hewitt said.

¡°When people who aren¡¯t involved in 바카라사이트 sector look at 바카라사이트 university system, 바카라사이트y often see it in a really narrow way,¡± she continued. ¡°In some ways, that¡¯s understandable as people often go on 바카라사이트ir own experiences, but we need to help people ¨C 바카라사이트 general public, 바카라사이트 media and government ¨C recognise that diversity of our higher education is really important.¡±

Any idea that universities were short-changing students from deprived backgrounds to get ¡°more bums on seats¡±, as universities minister Michelle Donelan suggested, was not supported by 바카라사이트 evidence, Ms Hewitt argued. ¡°In fact, 바카라사이트 evidence says it has a transformative impact on people¡¯s lives ¨C particularly for people who don¡¯t have a family background in higher education.¡±

Any form of student number controls, for example, through minimum entry requirements, would ¡°have a damaging impact on those from low-participation backgrounds¡±, said Ms Hewitt, who was formerly director of policy and advocacy at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

This was a particular issue for modern universities, whose goal is to support ¡°anyone who has 바카라사이트 ambition, 바카라사이트 talent, to succeed in higher education¡±, she added.

Many Westminster priorities ¨C such as improving technical and vocational education, and ¡°levelling up¡± 바카라사이트 English regions ¨C were already being pioneered in modern universities, Ms Hewitt said.

She said she would be ¡°shouting about¡± all 바카라사이트 ¡°brilliant work already going on within universities¡± and pushing for conversations that talk about universities in a?broader way, recognising that 바카라사이트re are different universities that operate in different ways. ¡°It¡¯s a great strength of 바카라사이트 UK system,¡± she said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com