Student Experience as a Social Contract

Good evening everyone – and many thanks to Alan for his kind words.

We are fortunate, as a University, to have someone of Alan's calibre as our Chair of Governors. The Governing Body, and the wider University, are well served by his leadership, experience and ambition. He has backed our strategic direction and is a good supporter to me as Vice Chancellor and the senior team, but he also knows when to pose the difficult questions. And that's just how it should be!

I'd like to welcome the many students that are here tonight - it's good to see you here – and outside normal lecture hours! I can assure those of you who watched the first episode of the Freshers documentary series last night that it was just a snapshot of the first weekend at this University – we will see our students in lectures, workshops, meeting their personal tutors in the weeks to come.

But I hope you'd agree that it was an authentic, and positive, view of the Freshers' experience here at Bedfordshire, reflecting the support we provide through our Freshers' Angels; Accommodation Services and Induction and Registration – as well as the social side of course!

And it's great to see so many friends and partners of the University in the audience. I would personally like to thank the many of you that welcomed me here to the University and to the region during my first year as Vice Chancellor.

What has struck me over the year is that having a University – particularly a mission-based University such as ours – on the doorstep of our communities, really matters to people across Bedfordshire.

When our work directly touches the lives of families, communities, and businesses – through our teaching, research or partnership work – we raise the bar for this region.

But the other side of the coin is that, frankly, not enough of our audiences know enough about what we can do for them. Or what we can do together. That is not unique to us – Universities across the UK face a similar challenge.

It's not a challenge solved by marketing or communications. It would easy if it was – we have a great award-winning team here led by Patricia Murchie – it's a bigger collective task of realising and projecting our impact. We had a good discussion on this challenge at the recent meeting of our University Court – and it's good to see many members of the Court here this evening.

I sometimes think that, working at a University, we take it for granted when we come across examples of great research, inspirational lecturers, student achievements, news of our alumni out there in the world.

We know who we are; What we do; When and Where we're making a difference.

However we sometimes forget that off-campus there isn't the same appreciation of the potential that exists within our University community – both staff and students.

It's not just a matter of bringing people into the University, for example into our new Postgraduate and CPD centre (Harvard style lecture theatres and all) - but by using our best resources – our people – and getting into your offices, factories, research facilities, community centres, schools and so on.

When we do this, we have a great story to tell. For example:

• The recent successful MK:Smart 'Catalyst' project – match-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council, Universities and Private Companies – worth Sixteen Million Pounds and an international model of best practice in the use of data for intelligent and integrated urban growth; and
• The work of our Research Institutes – breaking new ground in areas as diverse as: working towards a cure for Parkinson's; Training the best new graduates to lead Social Work practice in the years to come (recently referenced by the Prime Minister); On diabetes, organ donation and transplantation; The European-level work of our Centre of Computer Graphics and Visualisation and much much more.

As I said, it's important that we also bring people into the University. By opening up our lecture halls and seminar rooms – we open up minds to challenge and debate. I've been delighted by the internal and external response to my series of public policy lectures over the last year – a response to the quality of speakers (David Blunkett and John Bercow; with more big names lined up for this academic year: Jack Straw, Helena Kennedy, Andrew Adonis and Eric Pickles).

This partnership approach is also one of my main ambitions for this annual event. I want it to become an established opportunity to bring together valued partners, friends and supporters of the University, and to share our local and global ambitions and aspirations.

It was during another inaugural address – Franklin Roosevelt's first inauguration – that FDR described the "the joy of achievement, the thrill of creative effort."

It was a call to bring the American people together to meet the promise of the nation. There might not be an obvious parallel between our challenges and that of post-depression America – but to value achievement, creativity, partnership and collaboration in delivering on a mission is certainly a shared purpose.

I will return to these values throughout the lecture – and you will also have the opportunity to question my top team at the end of my remarks.

I propose, each year, to theme the lecture around one of our key strategic objectives. I'm sure it won't come as a surprise that this year I've chosen to focus on the Student Experience. My – our – number one priority; and something that will become a defining characteristic of this University.

During this lecture I will look back at our progress over the last twelve months and look ahead to future challenges and opportunities. I aim to set this within the wider higher education context and our regional, national and international partnerships and developments.

You might think that it's obvious that a University would prioritise the student experience. I can assure you that across the sector it is far from being obvious.

But it would be foolish to ignore our new reality:

• That of £9,000 fees;
• The Government's emphasis on the 'student as consumer';
• And a philosophical approach in favour of a market in higher education;

All influences that drive our focus on the student experience.

But they are not the only influences.

Our belief in the prioritisation of the student experience is fundamentally about doing the right thing.

Right for the student;

Right for the University;

Right for economy and society that we produce engaged, experienced, entrepreneurial graduates.

I'd like to put the relationship between student, teacher and university within the frame of a social contract.

In exchange for paying a fee – and for me that fee is a payment to join a community (the University community) – you become a partner in an experience that enriches, stretches and develops you in a way that no other experience can.

A community based on values.

We have to guarantee an experience that nurtures a democratic citizenship, academic capacity and contribution to society. We can only live up to that promise through a relentless focus on quality and delivering on our guarantee to students.

A University of Bedfordshire student becomes an employable, entrepreneurial, global citizen through experiences such as:

• Becoming a Peer Assisted Learning Leader, students supporting each other and learning co-operatively under the guidance of students from the year above;
• Being in the small cohort of students anywhere in the UK that experiences life and study abroad for a period – through our China Summer School – the largest such UK-China University cultural exchange;
• Working on behalf of fellow students,and with staff and the students' union, as a Learner Representative;
• Grabbing the opportunities of our enhanced internships, work placements and careers offer;
• And developing an intellectual curiosity, social confidence and self-respect within a multi-cultural University and local community, that gives them the tools to thrive in modern Britain and the globalised economy.

And of course, as part of that contract, it is our duty to invest in the best possible learning and social environment, and for students to make the most of it.

So, that's why we're investing Forty-Six Million Pounds in the new library here at Luton;

Twenty Five Million Pounds at the Bedford campus on a new academic building, sports facilities and staff accommodation;

A new large Lecture Room for Nursing and Midwifery at Butterfield;

A new home for the Art and Design department at the old Alexon building – part of Luton's cultural quarter; and

A new modern venue for the Students' Union, replacing the old Park pub.

Speaking in the American context of a similar academic social contract, the historian Jacob Neusner puts it simply: "it is what we promise you; and what you must demand of us".

I want to be clear – and I have often talked of this, but it is worth emphasising – this is our proposition for student as partner, not student as consumer.

The student as partner is the student as citizen.

The idea of customer and provider runs against that idea of a University community. I reject those labels of consumer or customer or commodity.

But that is not to say that the best elements of customer service, feedback and interaction should be ignored, far from it – I believe in students as partners in all aspects of our decision making.  That's why we've taken the decision – a sector-leading decision – to bring our Students' Union President (Daniel Login) onto the Executive Team as a full member.

But a warning from me on marketization – if we entrench the notion of 'customer' and 'provider' – we won't get the best educational relationship, service or outcomes. We will also nurture a "compensation culture" – the bill in the NHS for this has almost reached £19 billion – a fifth of the English NHS budget.

I know that we are setting an ambitious agenda – tackling what some see as an apathetic generation, with political party membership falling, newspapers and news sources losing currency, a loss of trust in the great civil society actors.

But I believe that if Universities aren't the crucible for developing a new form of citizenship and civic engagement, then frankly who else is going to meet that challenge?

And speaking of challenge, the University community we are developing is one that seeks challenge and debate from the student body and students' union – that is crucial to what we seek from an active partnership.

The University is there to provide and facilitate opportunities – of all shapes and sizes – but it needs the commitment of students to actively engage, contribute positively and take responsibility. And to do these things when challenging the University to do more!

But as part of that social contract – it's also about rights and responsibilities.

And there's a wider societal dimension. That's why I was delighted with the commitment of our students over the last academic year – with over Twenty Seven Thousand Hours of volunteering in our local communities.

That is some achievement. But I know that even more can be done this year – to those external guests in the audience please come forward with your ideas, proposals and requests for student and University support and engagement.

Not that we're short of ideas within the University. Only last week I launched our new Student Experience Fund – Bedfordshire Steps – worth Three Quarters of a Million pounds. It is open to bids and proposals from across the University community to shape and lead the enhancement of the student experience, engaging students as partners and co-creators.

In addition – we have innovation groups looking at the use of technology and global citizenship within the curriculum, which will report to the Executive soon.

I'd like, for a moment, to further explore the use of technology within learning.

One of those developing approaches is the so-called 'MOOC revolution' (Massive Open Online Courses) and a more virtual learning experience. Some of you will have seen the launch of the UK-based platform 'Future Learn' last month.

I think that these developments have a part to play, but it has to be something new, fresh and enriching for both learner and teacher. But my instinctive view is that we're seeing too much hype at present – not backed by real substance.

If we just replicate the current lecture hall experience, but doing so remotely, then I don't see how that provides a quality student experience, even if we know that the 'product' is one of quality.

And, on that word - 'product' – I think there is a danger at the moment that the experience can be a 'passive' one.

Whilst those of us who believe in students as partners in the University experience are keen to emphasise the 'process' – collaborative with fellow students, teachers and the academic community – I'm wary of any approach that plays to the idea of a passive students -  a single consumer of a single product.

I think this applies to a 'consumer' of an online product as much as it does to traditional campus-based Universities. If we end up further embedding the 'transmitter – receiver' relationship then it will have been a huge missed opportunity.

In fact, a recent warning sign was the decision by San Jose State University – an early adopter – to suspend its MOOC project with Udacity, because of poor pass and completion rates by both enrolled and non-enrolled students.

We need to look at the entire learning space and how it can challenge and stimulate both students and teachers, in a collaborative process. That is one of the next great challenges for higher education.

Not that we're lacking for challenges!

Across key operational and policy areas, there are mixed messages from the UK Government:

• On immigration and international students;

From our perspective – our firm offers are the same level as last year, but visa approvals are down. But when international students appeal against those decisions – there is a 100% success rate. We are seeing a mix of the political and operational. At a national level this is a market worth eight billion pounds to the UK economy and could be worth almost seventeen billion pounds by 2025 according to a Department of Business, Innovation and Skills report.

• The value of going to University;

Too many mixed messages from Government and this is reflected in sections of the media.

• The role of universities – and which universities – in shaping qualifications and student progression;

And we've seen recently that even Mr Gove's chosen few University friends aren't convinced about the process and desired outcome.

• The funding balance between research, widening participation and social mobility to name just a few.

I don't seek to make a party political point – indeed to go back to the idea of 'student as consumer' it was Lord Mandelson, at the outset of the Browne Review of Higher Education Funding, who described students as "consumers of the higher education experience".

Further in the spirit of consensus, it was good to hear David Willetts (the Minister for Universities and Science), in his speech to the HEFCE annual conference this year, talk of higher education's "wider social and cultural gains" alongside the "public and private returns".

And I was delighted to welcome David to this University in May to open our Postgraduate and CPD Centre – where he met students, staff, influential figures from the computer games industry and many of our key partners. He spoke of this University "innovation" and "flair" – and we should be proud of that recognition.

But, back to his speech at the Funding Council conference - He was speaking in the context of the benefits for the individual, and it's relation to national well-being.

Of course, we know that the interplay between public and private – and the very definition of higher education in England and even the corporate status of Universities – is part of the Government's master plan for the sector.

It is committed to a more diverse and competitive University environment in England. And increased competition from alternative and private providers is obviously a key part of this.

I don't want to overstate the impact of the recent Government decision on BPP Private College – but the announcement last month that it is to be granted full University status, for me, is a totemic moment.

It represents something that the Coalition believes to be a 'good thing' – but it also represents their determination to expose the rest of us to more competition, and as they see it, drive up quality and choice.

But also, perhaps, to drive some of us out of business.

I think there are further debates to be had regarding the private sector and its commitment to student democracy, representation and experience; progression and social impact; and perhaps quality assurance and a level playing field.

That said, the Government does (in part) recognise these issues and has sought to bind us in to the same obligations and standards, as long as courses are designated for student support.

To be honest – we are where we are on this philosophical approach to higher education policy. Within that environment, I'm up for the challenge from private providers, and believe that it can offer innovative approaches that we would do well to engage with.

Within that competitive environment, I've come to the view that students and institutions in England are better served by a complete liberalisation of full-time student numbers.

At the moment, the only aspect of the market that is 'deregulated' and open to full competition is those students that achieve ABB and above at A Level or Equivalent.

I welcomed this liberalisation – in fact it builds on my work as Minister, allocating extra student numbers and employer co-funded places.

But I have a real concern that the initiative is limited and it seems will stop at ABB.  This contributes to unfortunate impression that it's only universities which exclusively recruit at ABB or above that matter, further polarising the sector and the choices made by students at both sixteen and then again when applying for University. Let alone the skills challenge that the UK faces.

With part-time student numbers down 40% in England over the last two years, we need to think big if we are to meet that skills and economic challenge facing us. We are doing just that in Milton Keynes for example – where our new campus UCMK is open for business and on target for student numbers. Thanks to the leadership of Mary Malcolm, David Barrett and Paul Sant, we are developing an offer that is flexible enough to meet the demands of local employers, but robust enough to support world-leading research, such as through the MK Smart project I mentioned earlier.

The Employment and Skills Commission says that over half of new jobs will be in occupations that require degree level qualifications. Across the world, particularly in the BRIC countries we are seeing an explosion in demand for higher education.

And we won't stay with the leading pack, or take our place at the front, if we focus solely ABB students – quite apart from the fact that A Levels are not a definitive indicator of degree potential.

At modern universities such as ours we do recruit students at ABB and equivalent – and at Bedfordshire we recruited more than ever this year -  but we also excel through innovative education and research at unlocking students' potential whatever A Level grades they start with.

This essential role – much of it founded in the hard yards of outreach work and raising aspiration amongst some our most disadvantaged communities to reach their potential, must be incentivised and celebrated. Restricting the liberalisation of student numbers to ABB and above runs counter to this.

Therefore, the logical conclusion is that full-time student numbers should be completely liberalised.

The onus would then be on us as universities to compete on:

• Teaching quality
• Contact time
• Student experience
• Civic and community engagement
• The development of students as global citizens through opportunities such as overseas summer schools,
• And extra and co-curricular offers which enhance employability and entrepreneurial skills.

I know that some colleagues in the modern university sector may not share my confidence, but I'd back our ability to be relevant, thrive and succeed within such a competitive environment.

And we all need to do more to expand the contribution from industry in sponsoring places and meeting the cost of developing the current and future workforce.

From my time in Government, and equally for David Willetts and Vince Cable, I know that the Treasury will have concerns on predictability and affordability.

But we know and are able to predict the number of A Level and equivalent students each year – in fact the number of AAB students in England last year fell below predictions.

And we remain behind competitor economies in national higher education spend and as the shift from direct public spending on English higher education continues we must look at how the whole sector can be empowered to further play our part in growing the economy.

It is becoming increasing clear that a political consensus needs to emerge on future funding and regulation of higher education – student numbers is a key part of that mix, and it is right that we as a University plays a thought-leader role.

We should be proud of our role as a leader and catalyst – in all its guises. My friend and former Government colleague Andrew Adonis - who to my mind is one of the leading thinkers on educational reform - talks persuasively of Universities' responsibilities to their wider educational communities.

He says that "Universities need to become school-intensive as well as research intensive and teaching intensive institutions". I couldn't agree more.

That's why I, and colleagues, are so proud of our relationship with All Saints Academy in particular. This year 93% of pupils achieved 5 or more GCSE grades at A*  - C, and for those that included English and Maths it was 40%, up from 29% only a couple of years ago.

And a further statistic for you – one that I often repeat – Luton is in the Top Five local authority areas for the number of students that go onto University after sitting their A Levels or Equivalents. That's not something you might expect – and I'm proud of our role as a University in making that happen. And Bedford is not too far behind either.

And this progress has taken place despite fears over the potential effect of changes in fees policy over the last decade – and progress has been significant. But neither we, our part of the sector, or Government should take that progress for granted.

There's still more to do in that role and responsibility to our academic partners in the region – and to think creatively about how we further develop the links between lectures and teachers, students and pupils and the wider leadership teams – let alone shared use of facilities.

That is challenge not only for us, but for Universities in general. But I also see it as an opportunity where we can lead our sector – further building our reputation and impact.

The same applies to our prioritisation of the student experience. This August we achieved our best ever score in the National Student, improving at double the national average, but we are not yet punching our weight. There's a lot done – library opening 24/7; the new pub at the Bedford campus; online grade calculator to name but three – but more still do.

And a message from me to the students here this evening - I'm ambitious for this University, but more importantly I'm ambitious for you.  Working with you so that you get the most of your experience here is my number one priority.

Central to that promise – and challenge – is that social contract I have mentioned. Your time here with us has to be the catalyst for transforming the rest of your life.

There must be no question that the time you spend with us is the best – the only – route to grow as a citizen and to have the tools to make the maximum contribution to society.

Our commitment to you – indeed our commitment as a public good – is that we drive, develop and deliver our next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, social workers, nurses, teachers, artists and scientists.

It is the essential mission. It is the contract between student, scholar and society.

We mustn't rest on our laurels but I'm confident of our ability and commitment to keep on meeting those ambitions and to keep on transforming lives.Many thanks for attending, and for listening.