216 pieces
Newest first, since February 2011 · page 4 of 11
· Research
Once you can describe an academic support system, you can begin to evaluate it
It is tricky to infer direct causation from academic support to student success, but it can be done. Debbie McVitty and Rachel Maxwell called in the experts
With Rachel Maxwell
· Comment
Higher education in general election manifestos – the 2010s
Debbie McVitty gallops through the final decade of our manifestos series with the reflection that even when it’s been uncomfortable for HE, the political endorsement of the value of universities has been more consistentl
· Comment
Labour’s tertiary approach to higher education quality could take lessons from Scotland
Labour’s manifesto puts teaching quality in the context of a post-16 education review. Debbie McVitty looks over the border to learn what a tertiary quality system could mean
· Comment
How an incoming government could act immediately to stabilise universities at risk of financial collapse
The new government needs to walk the line between allowing universities to collapse and pledging to protect them indefinitely. Sarah Seed, Matthew Howling and Debbie McVitty think they have found a way of doing that
With Sarah Seed and Matthew Howling
· Comment
Higher education in general election manifestos – the 1990s
By the end of the eighties the architecture of HE as we know it was in place – but not the funding. Debbie McVitty hunts for solutions in the manifestos of Major, Kinnock, Blair, and Ashdown
· Comment
Higher education in general election manifestos – the 1970s
The seventies saw galloping inflation, strikes, and the polarisation of politics. But Debbie McVitty also finds in General Election manifestos of the time the arrival of students as a political force to be reckoned with
· Wonk Corner
The British Academy’s manifesto for the social sciences, humanities, and arts
Right now, lots and lots of universities are reviewing their course portfolios to identify what mix of subject offerings will ensure their ongoing financial sustainability.
· Comment
What are a future Labour government’s options to secure the future of higher education?
After the election, there will be thinking to be done about the sustainability of the higher education sector. Debbie McVitty parses out the options
· Comment
What does the General Election mean for higher education?
There will be a General Election on Thursday 4 July. Debbie McVitty thinks through how the campaign might unfold
· Comment
The Secret Lecturer’s view of university life is almost wholly grim
A new book promises to lift the lid on the unvarnished realities of academic life. Debbie McVitty wonders if it really is as bad as all that
· Policy Watch
OfS assessment of university finances warns of need for structural change to stave off risks of provider collapse
The regulator for England’s higher education providers is expecting some extreme measures if all institutions are to avoid insolvency. Debbie McVitty has the lowdown
· Wonk Corner
How to improve higher education learning and teaching – a user’s guide
A new independent report by higher education expert Dilly Fung for the Office for Students fillets the latest TEF submissions of 31 providers that improved their rating since the last exercise to see what can be learned
· Comment
A first look at UCAS’ new grades on entry tool
UCAS has a new tool showing successful students’ actual grades on entry to their courses. Debbie McVitty got a sneak preview
· Comment
Higher education in general election manifestos – the 1940s and 50s
Debbie McVitty finds the seeds of an emerging consensus around the value of higher education expansion in party manifestos of the post-war years
· Policy Watch
A bluffer’s guide to the Australian Universities Accord
There’s been a major review of higher education in Australia – with much to digest for the UK sector. Team Wonkhe walks you through the proposals
With David Kernohan, Michael Salmon, Livia Scott and James Coe
· Comment
It is not sustainable to expect universities to offer specialist mental health support
The mental health challenge is real – but universities are at risk of being pushed to deliver mental health support beyond their educative mission, argues Debbie McVitty
· Comment
Five aspirations for effective academic support systems
Drawing on insight from a new Wonkhe/Solutionpath project, Rachel Maxwell and Debbie McVitty explore how universities are approaching the wicked problem of reimagining academic support
With Rachel Maxwell
· Comment
The link between place and widening participation should be more explicit
Expanding higher education isn’t explicitly on any political party’s agenda, but you can’t have regional economic regeneration without it, argues Debbie McVitty
· People
Chris Husbands: “most politicians look at the sector and think they are looking into a mirror”
As Sheffield Hallam’s vice chancellor prepares to move on, he speaks to Debbie McVitty about his experience of policy influencing and the need for creative leadership in higher education
· Analysis
TEF submissions reveal a range of conceptions of educational gain
A crowdsourced analysis of TEF submissions shows that there is no single working definition of educational gain. Debbie McVitty, Adam Matthews, and James Coe don’t find that to be a problem
With Adam Matthews and James Coe