Higher Education Archives - Southern Policy Centre

Civic Universities and the central South

August 7, 2019

Dr Simon Eden There is a lively discussion about the role our universities have in the towns and cities they are part of. As local authorities and other public bodies are forced to cut back, so institutions like universities become more important in civic life. At the same time, Ministers have cautioned against “universities becoming disconnected from the wider world… [and] …seen as distant from their communities” (Sam Gyimah, Universities Minister, September 2018). Universities are of course educators, but they’re…

Localised Widening Participation Strategies – a data-based approach

July 27, 2017

Ruth Eastwood

Higher Education, Publications

The results of a year-long study by the Southern Policy Centre, supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and GuildHE. The study has used ‘open data’, and data held by local councils, to explore why able young people may miss out on university. The data has been used to suggest possible local widening participation strategies.

Widening participation in Higher Education

October 27, 2016

Ruth Eastwood

Higher Education, Publications

New study sheds light on why Southern students miss out on university Over 50 young people every year are missing out on university from just five local government wards in Poole, Hampshire, Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. And over 100 more should be going to university, according to Government targets. These stark figures were at the centre of a ground-breaking conference being held at Southampton Solent University on Friday 28th October. The conference heard the results of a year-long study…

Why are some areas falling behind in university participation?

July 20, 2015

Ruth Eastwood

Blog, News, Skills

SPC launches major new research project into widening participation to Higher Education The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) have produced and published a set of analysis that looks into trends in HE. In particular their statistics on young participation show that there are unexplained gaps in levels of participation from area to area. The Southern Policy Centre have been commissioned by HEFCE to look more closely at five local authority wards in southern England. We want to know: Whether…

SPC hosts senior Higher Education policy round-table

March 4, 2015

Ruth Eastwood

News, Skills

This week, in collaboration with Solent University, we were delighted to host a senior higher education policy round-table. Topics discussed included access, funding and the economic role of HE. Among those attending were the chair of the Business Select Committee, two former cabinet ministers for universities, the current Chief Executive of the HEFCE and other leading figures in the sector. Related links: Southampton Solent University supports SPC’s first inaugural roundtable Our work on education and skills