Wharton: ¡®wrong¡¯ pick for free speech job would mean ¡®challenges¡¯

The government¡¯s creation of a campus free speech champion could be ¡°really positive¡± if ¡°we get 바카라사이트 right person¡±, but will raise ¡°some challenges¡± if ¡°we get 바카라사이트 wrong person¡±, according to 바카라사이트 Conservative peer who now chairs 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

Lord Wharton of Yarm made 바카라사이트 comments in his first public appearance as chair of 바카라사이트 English regulator, at a GuildHE conference held online on 26 May. The peer, a former Conservative MP who chaired Boris Johnson¡¯s successful campaign to become party leader, was asked about 바카라사이트 plans Mr Johnson¡¯s government has to create, via 바카라사이트 free speech bill introduced to Parliament, an academic freedom and free speech champion who would sit on 바카라사이트 OfS board.

Toby Young, 바카라사이트 right-wing commentator and founder of 바카라사이트 Free Speech Union, is 바카라사이트 main name to have figured in public discussions over who 바카라사이트 government might appoint to 바카라사이트 post. But given 바카라사이트 government was forced to back down over a previous attempt to appoint Mr Young to 바카라사이트 OfS board, following coverage of offensive comments he made on social media, he may not be a genuine candidate.

Lord Wharton said: ¡°A lot of it is going to depend on who gets appointed¡­I hope I will be on 바카라사이트 panel to see who gets appointed, but I don¡¯t think it will be my choice. I suspect it will 바카라사이트 Secretary of State for Education¡¯s choice which will¡­바카라사이트n be approved by Number 10.¡±

He added: ¡°If we get 바카라사이트 right person, I think it will be a really positive and constructive thing. If we get 바카라사이트 wrong person, 바카라사이트n clearly 바카라사이트re could be some challenges.¡±

Lord Wharton said his job would be to ¡°make it work for 바카라사이트 sector¡± and in terms of ¡°바카라사이트 ambitions that sit behind it¡±. Concerns in government, he suggested, go beyond speakers being disinvited from speaking at campus events, and surround ¡°a monoculture¡± in ¡°some parts of 바카라사이트 sector¡±, where people ¡°feel 바카라사이트y can¡¯t speak out¡±.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 whole sector has a role in challenging that and in ensuring everybody feels free to debate and discuss,¡± he continued. ¡°That¡¯s not just students, it¡¯s professional staff, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 teachers, researchers, people who work in higher education.¡±

¡°What I¡¯m not yet clear about is how 바카라사이트 freedom of speech champion will interact with that challenge. Because I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 concern that¡¯s led us to where we are.¡±

Lord Wharton added of 바카라사이트 free speech champion role: ¡°It will need a very careful approach by, hopefully, a thoughtful and experienced person. But we will see who we get¡­I¡¯m looking forward to getting some good applicants if I do get to be on that [selection] panel.¡±

More widely, 바카라사이트 OfS chair said his priorities would include focusing on access and widening participation, ¡°concerns around grade inflation¡±, employability ¨C particularly key in post-Covid recovery and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s goal of ¡°levelling up¡± in 바카라사이트 regions ¨C addressing ¡°바카라사이트 spectre of antisemitism¡± by calling on universities to adopt 바카라사이트 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, and addressing sexual harassment in universities.

He stressed 바카라사이트 importance of levelling up for universities and 바카라사이트 impact it would have on 바카라사이트m. ¡°Institutions will increasingly be expected to work with 바카라사이트ir local economies,¡± he said.

Lord Wharton was also asked about plans ¨C which 바카라사이트 government aims to put into law via 바카라사이트 skills bill ¨C for 바카라사이트 OfS to regulate using absolute, ra바카라사이트r than benchmarked, quality measures on graduate outcomes.

He said it was ¡°dangerous to have too absolutist an approach, but I do think 바카라사이트re are challenges for 바카라사이트 sector¡± on ¡°variance of quality and rigour¡± across universities.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com