The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast we analyse the Labour Party’s plans for education, scrutinise HEPI and UPP’s report on the fact that so many students live away from home in the UK, discuss the results of Advance HE's Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, and finish up by delving into free speech on campus through Policy Exchange’s report into “academic freedom”. With Philip Plowden, Vice Chancellor of B...

This week live from Wonkfest our guests reflect on two intense days of higher education wonkery. We also chat the coming general election and UCU's impending industrial action. With Andrea Burrows, MD at OES; Mary Curnock-Cook, Independent Education Expert; Jonathan Simons, Director at Public First; and Wonkhe's CEO Mark Leach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in a half term special Team Wonkhe takes a look at OfS' initial provider registration process, pulling out key themes and asking - is its regulation working? With Wonkhe's editor Debbie McVitty and Wonkhe's Associate Editor Jim Dickinson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast we dive into the EHRC’s report on racism at British universities, scrutinise HESA’s report on the graduate premium, discuss the new initiative to help people with criminal convictions access HE and examine HEPI’s report into education in prison.  Plus there's a chat about quality and value for money, a cracking correlation quiz and Hidden History looks at "free" Masters de...

This week on the podcast we investigate the government’s plan for a new science agency, discuss transnational education, talk about the Office for Students’ Insights report into disabled students and their Disabled Students’ Commission, and consider how we might meet demand for higher education over the next decade, With Ben Vulliamy, CEO of the University of York’s Students’ Union; Kate Wicklow,...

On the podcast this week we talk about Chris Skidmore’s intervention into student accommodation not ready for the new term, and his letter to Research England about the future of UK research. We dig into what’s changed in the two years since UUK set up its harassment and hate crime task force, and discuss HEPI’s new report into how students view the Augar Review. With Andy Youell, strategic data a...

On the podcast this week we discuss Labour's party conference resolution on capping the percentage of kids from private schools going to uni. We also discuss the newly launched "research on research" institute, a new report on care leavers and HE and an intervention on VC pay from the Taxpayer's Alliance. With James Wilsdon, professor of research policy and director of impact and engagement in the...

This week on the podcast we talk about equality, privilege, and TUNDRA; and the shelving of £7,500 fees. We also chat UUK’s new guidance on initiations and a new survey on student financial pressure. With Selena Bolingbrooke, Lead for External Engagement & Strategic Development at Goldsmiths, University of London; Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice and Vice Dean of Humanities at the U...

This week we dive into Unite Students and HEPI’s new insights report, discuss Gavin Williamson’s letter to the Office for Students, look at the barriers faced by Black PhD students, and discuss whether freshers’ week needs a rethink.  With Jenny Shaw, Student Experience Director at Unite Students, Pete Quinn, former board member at AMOSSHE and now HE consultant, and Wonkhe Associate Editor Jim Dic...

The podcast is back for its autumn season, and we're chatting all the gossip and speeches from Universities UK's annual conference in Birmingham. There's also news on international students, a new unistats from OfS, and the return of Hidden History. With Wonkhe's own Jim Dickinson (Associate Editor), Debbie McVitty (Editor) and Mark Leach (CEO) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

On our final podcast of the season we dive into the Department for Education’s technical review of level 4 and 5 qualifications and the results of a review into the Warwick WhatsApp issue. We take a look ahead to clearing and look back on a year in higher education policy.  With Mary Stuart, vice chancellor of the University of Lincoln, Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice and Vice Dean...

This week we dive into the Office for Students’ annual report and look at wider issues of governance surrounding the OfS investigation into De Montfort University. We take a detailed look at this year’s National Student Survey results and - it’s that time of year - we discuss priorities for incoming students’ officers. With Mary Curnock Cook, former chief executive of UCAS, Pete Quinn, former boar...

This week on the podcast we discuss the Sutton Trust and Social Mobility Commission’s report on the educational backgrounds of Britain’s leaders and what the findings suggest about social mobility. We look at LEO, analyse an exercise reviewing the Research Excellence Framework, and take stock of where the sector is with the debate over free speech. With Paul Greatrix, Registrar at the University o...

This week on the show we chat the results of UCU's FOI requests to universities about VC membership of remuneration committees, and the PM’s prevention plan to tackle mental ill health across the education sectors. And it’s that time of year - we take a look at graduation costs for students. There's also a dose of True Crime on Campus and our Correlation Quiz. With Rachel Piper, Policy Manager at...

This week we discuss the annual student academic experience survey produced by HEPI and Advance HE to dissect students’ perceptions of value for money, teaching and assessment.  We also explore trends in international student mobility, and higher education has finally made its appearance in the manifestos of candidates for leadership of the Conservative party - we take a look.  Plus True Crime on...

The long awaited Augar review is finally out, and this week our top wonks discuss the proposals, implications for the sector and politics of the review. Plus a look behind the curtain at what went on at the launch event. With Wonkhe's Editor in Chief Mark Leach; our Editor Debbie McVitty and our Associate Editor David Kernohan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the expected publication of the Augar review of Post-18 Education and Funding, Mark Leach asks if it will avoid the education policy trap.

This week we discuss the Higher Education Policy Institute’s report on staff mental health and the University of Oxford’s programme to widen access to the institution. There is a statement of intent on degree classifications, and the question of how responsible universities should be for freshers’ weight gain. With Justine Andrew of KPMG; Amatey Doku of the National Union of Students; and Wonkhe’s...

This week we discuss the government’s strategy on research and innovation and the Minister’s intervention on anti-semitism. Duncan Exley, former Director of the Equality Trust, has published a book scrutinising the UK’s social mobility problem and we chat Wonkhe's Car Parking Ranking. With Luke Myer of Edge Hill Students’ Union; Sarah Barr-Miller of UCAS; and Wonkhe’s David Kernohan. Hosted on Aca...

This week we discuss the Minister’s intervention on non-disclosure agreements and research, and get up to speed with the latest in the row over conditional unconditional offers. The Higher Education Policy Institute has a report on measuring wellbeing. With Graeme Atherton, director of the National Education Opportunities Network; Kate Wicklow, policy manager at GuildHE; and Wonkhe’s Minto Felix....

The amount that EU students may have to pay to come to a UK university has been across the news this week, and our podcast guests analyse the debate. We also talk ONS figures on “over-education”, the UUK/NUS report on the BME attainment gap and Cambridge’s decision to look into its past. We also catch up with OfS’ Richard Puttock about data. With Rachel Hall, Universities Editor at the Guardian, A...

We’ve been on our Easter break at Wonkhe towers, so this week we’ve got a special treat - the whole season of the Hidden History of HE in one podcast. Find out about the university curriculum that was designed exclusively for women, the origins of the commuting university, the battle to be the oldest university, and the students at a university where most of the rules were for those that taught th...

On the last podcast before our Easter break, we discuss the rise of non-disclosure agreements for university staff, the state of the Office for Students’ access and participation data, the refusal of affiliation for an anti-abortion group in Aberdeen, and students with low prior attainment doing well at university. With Shan Wareing, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) a...

In this special bonus edition of the podcast, Wonkhe's editor Debbie McVitty sits down with Wales' Education Secretary Kirsty Williams to discuss higher education policy, politics and the challenges of being a woman in public life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A centre-right think tank has a new report out on generational differences. We also discuss NUS' conference, data on stalking and a fascinating rent guarantor scheme aimed at care leavers. With Nick Hillman, Director at HEPI, Jess Moody, Senior Advisor at Advance HE and Wonkhe's own Arthi Nachiappan. The shownotes and correlation quiz are on wonkhe.com Note this episode contains discussion of stal...