The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast MPs are struggling to pin universities’ problems on the right body - where does responsibility lie when things go wrong? There’s also the next phase of our research on belonging with Pearson, a fall (in England) to dramatic new lows for student financial support, and the free speech bill clears the commons. Plus we listen in as George Freeman and Ottoline Leyser appear at...

This week on the podcast the 2022 Student Academic Experience Survey is out - has the student experience bounced back post-pandemic? Plus we discover that free speech is alive and well on UK campuses, we think big about microcredentials and there’s some interesting new data out on innovation and outreach. With Marian Hilditch, academic registrar at the University of Bradford, Amatey Doku, consulta...

This week on the podcast OfS has launched eight investigations into suspected poor quality courses. What happens next? Plus VCs seem to be lasting longer than before, and there’s a raft of new reports out on skills. With Ant Bagshaw, Partnerships Director at OES, Rachel Hewitt, Chief Executive at MillionPlus, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at...

This week on the podcast the press and politicians have been attacking the Race Equality Charter - how should universities respond? Plus there’s some interesting new LEO data out on the industries in which graduates are working, and OfS has published new figures on grade inflation. With Chris Shelley, Director of Student and Academic Services at the University of Greenwich, Clare Adams, Head of Ed...

This week on the podcast the results of the Research Excellence Framework have been published - what do they mean and how should the exercise change? Plus a higher education bill has been announced in the Queen’s speech, and we reflect on our Access All Areas event where we discussed the big issues with OfS’ John Blake. With Carl Lygo, Vice Chancellor of Arden University, Shân Wareing, Deputy Vice...

This week on a heavily West Midlands infused podcast, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator has published its annual report - what is it telling us about complaints and consumerism in HE? Plus sector bodies have been publishing their responses to the English HE reform proposals, there’s a new report out on student suicide and information sharing, and Michelle Donelan is putting “boots on the g...

This week on the podcast the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has argued for 70 per cent HE participation - but are interventions from Blair doing more harm than good? Plus the Home Affairs committee reports on spiking, IFS has a report on student loans and Michelle Donelan has been talking about free speech. With Paul Greatrix, University of Nottingham Registrar, Diana Beech, Chief Executiv...

This week on the podcast we’re in Scandinavia learning about student representation, student rights, brewing societies and campus ombuds. Plus there’s a report out in Scotland on Covid harms in HE, and Michelle Donelan has published views on NDAs, mental heath and precarity. With Evie Croxford, President at Sheffield SU, Becky Ricketts, President at NUS Wales, Gary Hughes, CEO at Durham SU and pre...

This week on the podcast the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) has published its annual Student Development Survey - what does it tell us about graduate jobs and skills? Plus we discuss staffing in the sector, a new report from HEPI on China, and institution-level student financial support. With Helen O’Sullivan, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Chester, Pete Quinn, indep...

This week on the podcast Rishi Sunak has delivered his spring statement, and we get across the politics, the policies and the implications for universities and students. Plus UKRI has a new strategy out, and HEPI has published a new version of a social mobility index for universities. With Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice and Vice Dean for Social Responsibility in the Faculty of Hum...

This week on the podcast the Office for Students’ consultations on quality have closed - what has the sector been saying? We’ve been kicking off a debate about meeting demand for HE in the next decade and whether student number controls are part of the answer. Plus OfS has launched a review into blended learning, and there’s two new reports on disabled students. With Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI...

This week on the podcast we discuss the crisis in Ukraine and what universities can do,  and would like to do if only the home office allowed it. There's also Phillip Augar on the government's response to his review, a new admissions code, a look at university finances via the National Audit Office and DK's been to digifest.  With Paul Greatrix, Registrar at the University of Nottingham; Laura Tam...

This week on the podcast the Office for Students has new conditions on quality and standards - but what does it all mean? Universities UK has published new guidance on staff-to-student sexual misconduct - does it go far enough? There’s also a look at our research with Pearson on belonging, and a new HEPI report on drugs. With Michelle Morgan, Dean of Students at the University of East London, Andr...

This week on the podcast it’s a special edition as the government publishes its response to Phillip Augar’s Post-18 review of fees and funding. We dive into what has been (and hasn’t been) announced, think through some of the implications for universities and students, and consider the politics of everything from the Lifelong Loan Entitlement to freezing fees. And there’s also an interesting annou...

This week on the podcast there’s a bunch of highlights from our student experience conference in London. We hear results from the Student Futures Commission and research on belonging, examples of student and SU led-projects on diversity, insights from generational research and reflections from the outgoing CEO of the Office for Students. With Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive at the Office for Stu...

This week on the podcast there’s a new Director for Fair Access and Participation at OfS, and we’ve published new research on blended learning and careers. Plus the IFS says the government is tightening the screws on students, and UUK is doing work on drugs. With Graeme Atherton, University of West London and NEON, Zuleikha Chikh, SU President at University of Central Lancaster, Debbie McVitty, Ed...

This week on the podcast we go searching for a role for higher education in the levelling up agenda. There’s also interesting new reports out on race and disability ahead of our Secret Life of Students event. With Amatey Doku, Consultant at NOUS, Selena Bolingbroke, Independent Consultant, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, and presented by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief at Wonkhe. Hosted on A...

This week on the podcast we’re crunching numbers as HESA spring tells us about the size and shape of the sector in 2020/21, and UCAS end of cycle data gives us a sense of where we are this year. Who’s up, who’s down, and does it matter? We’re also thinking about assessment, considering the plight of third year students, looking at QAA research on blended learning and Dame Shirley Pearce gives Debb...

This week on the podcast we’re discussing the Office for Students’ new proposals on the outcomes that universities will have to deliver for students. Are they the right way to judge quality? Plus OfS has a new design for the Teaching Excellence Framework, and Michelle Donelan is urging universities to outlaw the use of NDAs. With Mary Curnock Cook, Chair of the Student Futures Commission, Ben Arch...

This week on the podcast we’re back after the break being told that there’s “no excuses” for online learning. How is the sector handling Omicron? We’re also reflecting on exhortations from ministers on improving attainment in schools, reading up on UCU’s new report on harassment on campus, and trying to work out what’s going on with the National Student Survey. And DK has an update on the ARIA bil...

This week on our Christmassy podcast, England has moved to plan B - but what does that mean for students and universities? The UCAS end of cycle report is out - what does a bumper year for high tariff providers mean for their local areas and the test of the sector? Plus there’s new reports on staffing in higher education, the idea of a “one nation” university, and Wonkhe’s bid for the Christmas #1...

This week on the podcast industrial action has begun across the sector - how should universities mitigate any impact on students? There’s also a new briefing out on digital delivery from Universities UK, and new figures on student transfers. With Emily McIntosh, Director of Learning, Teaching and Student Experience at the University of Middlesex; Tim Blackman, Vice Chancellor at The Open Universit...

This week on the podcast there’s a new director for fair access and participation at the Office for Students - what will that mean for students and universities? Plus IFS has some fascinating new data out on social mobility, there’s a new report out on what graduates think about student loans and on Hidden History we look at how women came to study in the sector. With Anne-Marie Canning, Chief Exe...

This week on the podcast we consider the future of regulation of universities, and wonder who gets to decide the "student interest". Plus UCU have announced strike dates, Advance HE has published the results of this year's PTES and on Hidden History we look back at student disciplinary procedures from a different age. With Shân Wareing, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Northampton, Neil...

This week on the podcast OfS chief Nicola Dandridge is stepping down - what next for regulation of higher education? There’s also news from COP, some new stats on the student experience, and concern over antisemitism on campus. With Sue Rigby, vice chancellor at Bath Spa University, Jonathan Grant, Director of Different Angles, Mike Ratcliffe, Academic Registrar at Nottingham Trent and presented b...