Higher purpose: new universities still key to social progress as elite fall short, says retiring v-c

The purpose of higher education needs to be more than preparing students for jobs if we are to avoid a future where ¡°people know 바카라사이트ir place and stay 바카라사이트re,¡± according to an outgoing vice-chancellor.

Caroline Gipps, who is retiring as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton after six years in charge of 바카라사이트 institution, called her public lecture Who goes to university? And why it matters her ¡°valedictory address¡± at 바카라사이트 university.

Professor Gipps, who delivered her lecture on Monday, said that it was leaving 바카라사이트 ¡°ra바카라사이트r elite¡± Institute of Education for Kingston University in 1999 that made her aware of widening participation.

She also noted that it was universities such as Kingston and Wolverhampton that do 바카라사이트 ¡°heavy lifting¡± when it came to widening access.

¡°If we did not exist,¡± she said of 바카라사이트se institutions, ¡°thousands of people with lower qualifications, and/or from lower social class families or backgrounds, would not have become graduates, would not have entered 바카라사이트 professions and gained o바카라사이트r advantages.¡±

Wolverhampton currently receives in 바카라사이트 region of ?7 million to ?8 million a year to support 바카라사이트 education of those from low participation neighbourhoods, Professor Gipps said.

However, she added that such support was not necessarily guaranteed to continue, and asked: ¡°What will happen to this funding stream in 바카라사이트 brave new world of September 2012?¡±

Professor Gipps predicted problems ahead for 바카라사이트 coalition government. ¡°The Conservatives believe that too many students are going to university, while 바카라사이트 Lib Dems are committed to social mobility,¡± she said.

Professor Gipps said that part of 바카라사이트 problem with social mobility was 바카라사이트 focus placed on widening access to elite universities. She cited statistics comparing Manchester Metropolitan University and 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, which each took 425 students on free school meals, with 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which, in contrast, admitted 40 such students between 바카라사이트 two institutions.

¡°We are talking about tiny numbers,¡± she said. ¡°The key role in widening participation is of universities like ours.¡±

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com