The Wonkhe Show

This week on the podcast the Quality Assurance Agency has “gone woke” – or has it? New minister Robert Halfon has set out his priorities in the role. Plus there’s a Plan B for research, some new equality data and DK reviews the Chancellor’s autumn statement. With Osama Khan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Academic at University of Surrey, Jenny Shaw, Higher Education External Engagement Director at Unite Stu...

This week on the podcast there’s a new report out on regulation - are small and specialist providers at a disadvantage? Plus new figures show that a quarter of providers had no governors from a minority ethnic group, we’ve been debating the Dearing review 25 years on, and there’s a new review of OfS’ statement of expectations on harassment and sexual misconduct. With Debbie Holley, Professor Of Le...

This week on the podcast the free speech bill reaches committee stage in the Lords, and the NUS President has been terminated. What are the implications for culture on campus? Plus there’s a new report out on estranged students, and we discuss the final question set for the new National Student Survey. With Jess Lister, Senior Policy Manager at Public First, Sunday Blake, Associate Editor at Wonkh...

This week on the podcast Rishi Sunak has been reshuffling his team of ministers - what could the impacts be for higher education? Plus we have the results of UCU's ballot on industrial action, applications appear to be in decline and students seem to have been forgotten about in the cost of living crisis - again. With Carole-Anne Upton, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Middlesex University, David Kernoha...

This week on the podcast Suella Braverman is gone - but has the threat of a crackdown on international students gone with her? We’ve launched new research on belonging and we look at the implications for universities. Plus there’s a new review out on blended learning and hidden history looks at the origins of UCL. With Heidi Fraser-Krauss, CEO at Jisc, Ian Dunn, Provost at Coventry University, Sun...

This week on the podcast OfS is to survey the scale and nature of sexual misconduct affecting students - we discuss why and what next. Plus the UK has accidentally hit the 2.4 per cent of GDP target for research and development spending, and we consider the culture of debate on campus through two new reports. With Shân Wareing, Deputy Vice Chancellor at University of Northampton, Nick Hillman, Dir...

This week on the podcast the team has been at Conservative party conference - is a crackdown coming on international students? Meanwhile OfS has published data on student experience and outcomes, and there’s interesting new guidance out on students undertaking a placement. With Andy Youell, Executive Director Regulation at UCEM, Selena Bolingbroke, Director at Sighthound Consultancy, David Kernoha...

This week on the show we’ve been to Labour Party Conference. Was anything of interest for higher education announced? Plus the Office for Students has been revising its approach to access and participation, there’s new research out on perceptions of free speech among both students and the wider public, and UCU has a report out on staff and social class. With Claire Taylor, Deputy Vice Chancellor a...

This week on the podcast we're at the end of the 2022 applications season - has there really been a crunch on university places? We also consider if the sector and its students have the energy for the year ahead, and there's a new pamphlet out on academic freedom calling for better education on the concept. With Smita Jamdar, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, Gavan Conlon, Partner at London Econom...

This week in a special edition of the podcast, academic registrar and sector historian Mike Ratcliffe reflects on the history of the relationship between the royal family and higher education, as well as the fight between Oxford and Cambridge over who is the oldest university and the origins of a student-centred approach to governance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Liz Truss is the new Prime Minister - what does that and her ministerial appointments mean for higher education? Plus we discuss the cost of living, a new report from Jisc on the digital student experience, and there's an exciting new feature to play along with. With Gary Hughes, Chief Executive at Durham Students’ Union, Ailsa Crum, Director of Membership, Quality Enhance...

Before the show returns properly for the Autumn season, this week the team meets to discuss what you might have missed (or wish you'd missed|) over the summer, including everything from clearing and student numbers to the cost of living crisis, the Conservative leadership contest, the culture wars and the B3 bear. Plus Mike Ratcliffe has a tale of town gown conflict. With David Kernohan, Acting Ed...

This week on the podcast we have a new minister at the Department for Education - but will she be around for long enough to make a difference?  Plus there’s new applications data from UCAS, a coming cost of living crisis for students, a new report on academic governance and evidence suggesting a growing cheating problem in online exams - can anything be done to stop it? With Jenny Shaw, Higher Edu...

This week on the podcast we attempt to keep up with the drama at No.10. What does it all mean for higher education? Plus this year’s NSS results are out, the sector tries to get a grip on grade inflation and there’s a new report out on Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities. With Alistair Jarvis, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Partnerships and Governance) at the University of London, Anne-Marie Canning, CEO...

This week on the podcast there’s a ministerial intervention over equality charters in the name of free speech. How should universities respond? Plus there’s new research on staff views of technology, and big questions over Labour’s policy on fees and funding as speculation mounts about a snap election. With Martha Horler, Head of Registry Services & Business Intelligence at Futureworks, Johnny Ric...

This week on the podcast graduate anxiety is on the rise and feelings of dissatisfaction and low worth are becoming more prevalent. What’s going on? Plus major changes to the student rental housing market are coming, and there’s new polling out on students and free speech. With Paul Ashwin, Professor of Higher Education at Lancaster University, Alexis Brown, Director of Policy and Advocacy at HEPI...

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...