SGH Martineau: Cliché or competitive edge? – Deconstructing the student experience

An impressive sunset wraps up our coverage of the Cliche or competitive edge conference at Warwick Business School in The Shard

Smita Jamdar wraps up todays event with a summary of the talks and themes throughout the conference. “Thank you so much for coming and I hope you’ve enjoyed the day”

Ken Sloan (University of Warwick) sums up his thoughts on international outlook, “If it isn’t at the heart of the entire experience then there are massive groups of staff and students who we’re not thinking about”

Ken Sloan (University of Warwick) mentions that a third of staff at the University have come from outside of the UK, “I do wonder whether or not we spend enough time thinking about the intercultural experience that some have had and drawing on that to help others across the institution”

Ken Sloan (University of Warwick) “Increasingly we’re using our Alumni differently; seeing them as an integral part of the way that students get access to contacts”

Ken Sloan (University of Warwick) “If we’re serious about having international students in our institutions we have to understand what they need”

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) suggests that unique selling points are more a result of working to please an audience that is already there.

Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “They [individual students] wanted to have a unique experience, they had to feel loved and embraced and feel a part of the program”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “You will have courses where some students achieved 400 points and some 200. How you teach those two students in the same room is a challenge”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) now answers questions from the audience. Ryan speaks in response to a question on employability: “Some of these people are going to go on to be next generation leaders and if they ave a broad range of skills they will succeed”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) asks if we can provide a broader education where people pick up a wide range of skills.

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “Students do not want a single honours degree – they want a broader education. Very few members of staff are so passionate about their subject to the exclusion of all others. Most of us are in knowledge per se”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “Why are we educating with single honours degrees when what people need is so much wider?

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “USP’s are very rare, usually niche”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) asks what is it that applicants think they’re buying? Are these things really distinctive?

Employability?

Years abroad?

Years in industry?

Volunteering?

Employer links?

Field trips?

Alumni mentoring? Buddying?

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) mentions that 15% of students at DMU have three A’s at A Level. “This is thanks to our USP”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) “Birmingham takes more top grade students than LSE and Imperial put together. It’s the subject mix that is going to determine the average tariff score”

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) explores that unique selling points of family cars are ‘entirely perception’

Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) begins by asking what is the unique selling point of an institution “Liverpool – bit like leeds but more depressed and even cheaper” are these things really distinctive? The audience resounds with ‘no’

Smita Jamdar now introduces Professor Cillian Ryan, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean for Faculty of Business and Law, De Montfort University who will speak on What is a USP (Unique Selling Point) anyway? Making education distinctive 

Phil Baty (THE) says that he would like to see a platform where universities can shine and show off strong areas that aren’t captured in rankings.

Phil Baty (THE) says that even with a lack of good quality data on teaching, rankings are hugely important especially internationally.

Phil Baty (THE) ends with a quote from Socrates “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear” and will now answer questions.

Phil Baty (THE) “It is important to look at your brand, your unique selling point, your niche”

Phil Baty (THE) talks about movement in the top fifty higher education institutions and individual institutions who are starting to climb rankings. Baty mentions New York University, Kings College London and Boston University as three institutions climbing up in different ways.

“One of the things they’ve [Boston University] been doing is promoting their brand among peers and university leaders”

Phil Baty (THE) mentions research from idp “The international ranking was the most important factor in choosing which education institution to attend”

Smita Jamdar introduces Phil Baty, Editor at Large, Times Higher Education as “apparently one of the top 15 most influential people in education”. Baty will speak on Institutional reputation.

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “If we could stay away from a university price war, that would be a good thing. Competing at the bottom would be a disaster”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “If Harvard is worried about the future of higher education, then you had better be worried. If you’re not thinking about it then you’re not in the game”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “Irrespective of what happens to fees, looking at how we deliver our teaching and learning is vital”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) suggests that if you drop price (fees) then you will have to drop cost. In universities, this means dropping staff.

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “Universities need to look at different industries and look for new ways to make sense of the challenges in the higher education market and get better at competing in that environment”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) imagines a world where Apple may run universities ‘iUni’

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “Collaboration is really important” Petford suggests that universities could run courses collaboratively with students studying at more than one university over their course.

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “What airlines compete on is experience, experience as you fly. What can you do that is different enough to warrant £9000 fees”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton): The rise in fees did not result in a loss of buyers as it would in other capacities, for example buying a car at three times its previous cost. So the willingness to pay is perhaps far higher than £9000.

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) talks about the ‘willingness to pay’ and the reasons that universities charge £9k fees “Price is a signal of quality”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “One of the things that universities and airlines have in common are high costs”

Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton) “Nothing is safe in this world, nothing is secure. The world is changing rapidly and universities aren’t changing fast enough”

Smita Jamdar introduces Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor, University of Northampton who will speak on Universities and Airlines, not so different?

Smita Jamdar wraps up this mornings sessions as we break for lunch. This afternoon we will hear from Prof. Nick Petford (University of Northampton), Phil Baty (THE), Prof. Cillian Ryan (De Montfort University) and Ken Sloan (University of Warwick)

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) finishes up with Out of The Box. A short film showcasing some European universities and how they are distinguishing themselves with radical architecture, design and branding. To achieve their ambition, many have reinvented the academic workplace.

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) “Enabling spaces that are shared and cherished, rather than owned and controlled”

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) mentions key challenges for university estates

Much more, much better for much less

Strategic thinking and planning – physical and mental agility

Students at the heart of the system

Soft skills as important as technical capabilities

Thorough understanding of university finances and whole system economics

Understanding competition and competing

Communication

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) “Sustainability is critical to ensuring value for money”

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr (University of Roehampton) “Competition makes us faster, collaboration makes us better”

Smita Jamdar introduces the next speaker, Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr, Director of Estates and Campus Services, University of Roehampton who will speak on The Quality of the University Estate

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) answers questions. Dunn describes creating an estate, “Actually creating spaces where students can stop and work together is important”,”the effect is short lived in once sense but can have a great effect on student experience”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) closes his talk with “we need to develop a new normal”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) “We need to engage with students much more and get involved with what they do, at the moment we take too much action from one side.”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) talks on the extra costs at university and how this can put new students off “We need to be really clear about the whole process”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) suggests that getting ‘clever with data’ can help to improve student experience

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) “I still believe that we deliver higher education to 40 per cent of the age group as if it were five per cent of the age group. We need to understand a little more about the people that we have in front of us”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) “There is far too much belief that technology can solve everything and that it can replace things that we do face to face”

Ian Dunn (Coventry University) “It is the taught which really defines the student experience”

Smita Jamdar introduces Ian Dun, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), Coventry University as the next speaker. “There is often a complete mismatch between what students think they will receive and what staff think they are delivering”

Nick Hillman (HEPI) “I’m not sure that anybody at Whitehall completely believes the student funding system is unsustainable”

Nick Hillman (HEPI) answers a question from the audience on student growth “I think it will differ between institutions”

Nick Hillman (HEPI) “I agree with Liam Byrne’s recent statement ‘People know that international students are good for Britain'”

“All three main political parties are currently on course to repeat the scenario of the 2010 election” Nick Hillman (HEPI) on government spending

My personal hunch is that the extra places will eventually get filled” Nick Hillman (HEPI) on student number controls, “I think we’ll see more recruitment of EU students, more pathway courses, as well as more play by the alternative providers”

Nick Hillman, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) is first to speak on Setting the scene. “I’ve been asked to speak today about the challenges facing institutions, focusing on the impending removal of student number controls, the general election and the subsequent spending review.”

Smita Jamdar introduces today’s conference as “The start of the student experience season”

Good morning, this live blog will begin at around 10.15am. The agenda for the delay is as follows: