The Wonkhe Show - podcast cover

The Wonkhe Show

Mark Leachwonkhe.com
Every week the Wonkhe team and guests from across higher education dissect the week's big policy developments, and we also feature interviews, features and views from around the sector.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Bailout, social distance, governance, optimism

This week on the podcast we look at the fallout from the Government's support package for universities and students. We also ask whether it's possible to create a viable socially distanced student experience, the role of university governance in the next phase, and share some optimism about the future. With Mary Curnock Cook (serial non-exec director), Chris Shelley (Director of Student and Academic Services at University of Greenwich). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

May 07, 202046 min

The Covid-19 support package for universities and students

In a special extra edition of The Wonkhe Show, the editorial team discusses the Government's Covid-19 support package for universities and students. Wonkhe's Editor Debbie McVitty has all the information on the measures; Associate Editor Jim Dickinson takes a look at a proposed new OfS registration condition; Associate Editor David Kernohan takes a deep dive into a new thing called Clearing Plus; and CEO Mark Leach considers the politics of the package. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

May 03, 202044 min

Key workers, complaints, international demand, mental health

This week on the podcast we look at the proposal from Universities UK and MillionPlus on attracting government funds to the sector to support current and future key workers. We also reflect on the OIA annual report, interrogate new evidence on the intentions of international applicants, and think about mental health in the context of the pandemic. Hosted by Wonkhe CEO Mark Leach; with Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor at Exeter University and Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, Undergraduate Education Officer at B...

Apr 30, 202043 min

No Buildings from September?

In this special extra edition of the Wonkhe Show, we’re looking how universities might prepare for the prospect of having to deliver fully online courses into September. What principles might be adopted? How should staff be supported? And how can universities engage with students in managing this shift? Hosted by Debbie McVitty, Editor of Wonkhe, with Andrew Turner, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor at Coventry University, Rachael Curzons, Chief Partnerships Officer at Aula and Eve Alcock, SU Presid...

Apr 26, 202038 min

Bailouts, admissions, September

This week on the podcast we look at UUK's proposed higher education bailout and NUS' proposed student bailout and consider how the proposals are being received by Government. We also look at the ongoing moratorium on unconditional offers, talk to Durham's VC, wonder how universities will ever re-open, and have a think about what September might look like for students and universities. With sector student experience expert Michelle Morgan, Professor of Higher Education at Lancaster Uni Paul Ashwi...

Apr 23, 202039 min

Uni budgets, quality, admissions

This week on the podcast we discuss the impact of Covid-19 on university finances, we have a think about maintaining quality and standards in the middle of the crisis and we discuss the big admissions questions as the moratorium on unconditional offers continues. With Smita Jamdar, Partner & Head of Education at Shakespeare Martineau and Andrew Hargreaves, co-founder of dataHE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 09, 202040 min

Number controls, safety nets, community contribution

This week on the Wonkhe Show we're thinking about student numbers, and the types of regulation and national intervention needed during and after the Covid-19 lockdown. We also think about students and their need for safety both over assessment and enrolment, and the role universities are playing in the community during the crisis. With Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe, with Selena Bolingbroke, Lead for External Engagement & Strategic Development at Goldsmiths, University of London; ...

Apr 02, 202040 min

Covid-19 and admissions, REF, regulation and accommodation

This week on the Wonkhe Show we start to try to make sense of the fall out from the Covid-19 crisis. We discuss admissions and student recruitment, the cancellation of the REF and the prospects for PGR students, the character of regulation required for the coming period and the major issues around student accommodation for both next term and beyond. Hosted by Mark Leach, CEO of Wonkhe, with Mary Curnock Cook, independent higher education expert; Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI, and Jim Dickinson,...

Mar 26, 202046 min

PODCAST: Mental health, universities and Covid-19

This week on the podcast we ask how we maintain our emotional and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. We also process the events of the week just gone, there’s top tips for staying healthy while working or studying at home, and we have a think about what universities and government should be doing to help. With John de Pury, Assistant Director of Policy at Universities UK and Fran Longstaff, Head of Psychology at Fika. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 20, 202046 min

PODCAST: Budget, COVID-19, OfS in court, misconduct

This week on the podcast we look at the budget and implications for HE, as well as the impacts on the sector of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office for Students has won a court case, and we look at new guidelines on handling cases of sexual misconduct. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 12, 202030 min

Graduate premium, careers, levelling up, culture wars

This week on the podcast we go through IFS’ work on the graduate premium, examine HEPI’s take on how graduate employability has changed universities, and look at Million Plus’ ideas for how to level up higher technical education. We also tackle Turning Point UK’s attempt to address “left wing bias” in university teaching. With Selena Bolingbroke, Lead for External Engagement and Strategic Development at Goldsmiths University of London; and Adam Tickell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Susse...

Mar 05, 202040 min

Admissions, coronavirus, number controls, levelling up

his week on the podcast we take a look at OfS’ new review of admissions, assess the impact of coronavirus on the sector, and look at whether we’re about to see the return of student number controls. We also have a look at a new HEPI report on “levelling up”. With Mark Leach, Editor-in-Chief of Wonkhe; Vivienne Stern, Director of Universities UK International; David Bell; Vice Chancellor of the University of Sunderland; and Graeme Wise, Contributing Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Feb 27, 202031 min

Trinity Hall Cambridge, civic, fair admissions, NSS

This week we discuss Tortoise’s investigation into sexual misconduct at UK universities, consider UPP’s research into public perception of higher education, and dissect polling done on UUK’s behalf about perceptions into university admissions. We also look at the Office for Students’ insight brief into the National Student Survey. With Justine Andrew, Market Director for Education and Skills at KPMG; Pete Quinn, independent higher education consultant and Debbie McVitty; Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted...

Feb 20, 202044 min

Value indicators, wellbeing, NDAs, student engagement

This week on the podcast Universities UK is proposing new VFM indicators, there’s new analysis on teaching and learning and mental health, universities are being accused of using NDAs to gag student complainants and we chat Open Access with UKRI. With Vanessa Wilson CEO at University Alliance, Andy Youell - writer, speaker and strategic data advisor and Wonkhe's editor Debbie McVitty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 13, 202040 min

Student marketing and recruitment special

This week’s Wonkhe Show is a recruitment special, in association with SMRS. We take a first look at the UCAS data on January deadline application data, consider the politics of universities’ offer-making in 2020, and discuss where the lines are when marketing to students. The panel also speculates about how university recruitment practices may change over the next decade as we anticipate rapid growth in demand for HE. Hosted by Mark Leach, Editor in Chief of Wonkhe, with Clare Marchant, Chief Ex...

Feb 06, 202040 min

Access and participation, recruitment, research bureaucracy

This week on the podcast we have a look at the ups and downs of the end of cycle UCAS figures. There's an OfS analysis of access and participation plans out, we think about the implications of a reduction of research bureaucracy and a quick look at immigration and HE. With Rachel Hall, Universities Editor at the Guardian, Amatey Doku, a Consultant at the Nous Group and David Kernohan, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jan 30, 202040 min

Augar delay, access, casualisation, grammar schools

This week on the podcast we consider the implications of another delay to the government's response to the Augar review of post-18 fees and funding. There's a suite of new reports out on access, we look at casualisation, and DK has been poring over new LEO data. With Mary Curnock Cook, independent higher education expert, and Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jan 23, 202034 min

Unconditionals, KEF, research culture, racism

This week on the podcast we're back in the UK and discussing Nottingham Trent's intervention into the ongoing row about offer making in universities. We also discuss the spec for the first run at the Knowledge Exchange Framework, a new report on research culture and we look at the press coverage over the Sheffield students being paid to tackle racist language on campus. With Nick Hillman, Director at HEPI and Jenny Shaw, Student Experience Director at Unite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Jan 16, 202035 min

PODCAST: Harassment regulation, languages, Baltics

This week on the podcast we're live from Helsinki where the Wonkhe SUs European Study Tour has been reflecting on meeting friends from across Europe. We also chat OfS regulation on harassment and sexual assault and a new HEPI report on learning languages. With Eve Alcock, President at Bath Uni SU; Jazz Nesbitt-Larking, President at Bath Spa SU; Katie Smyth, President at Newcastle Uni SU; Gary Hughes, CEO at Durham SU; and Vicky Saward-Read, VP at Kent SU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Jan 09, 202035 min

The Hidden History of HE Box Set: Season 2 Part 2

The Wonkhe Show podcast is on its Christmas break, so as a special treat we’ve rolled up Season 2 of the Hidden History of HE into two special box sets. Every week Nottingham Trent’s Academic Registrar Mike Ratcliffe delves deep into the sector’s past to find out how things were and how things came to be. This week in part 2 Mike looks at the development of the doctorate, the regular execution of university chancellors, the origins of public funding of universities in the UK, the era of universi...

Dec 26, 201928 min

The Hidden History of HE Box Set: Season 2 Part 1

The Wonkhe Show podcast is on its Christmas break, so as a special treat we’ve rolled up Season 2 of the Hidden History of HE into two special box sets. Every week Nottingham Trent’s Academic Registrar Mike Ratcliffe delves deep into the sector’s past to find out how things were and how things came to be. This week in part 1 Mike looks back at attempts to ban the Oxbridge tradition of awarding MAs, the time when the Government closed HE colleges they'd just opened, the end of the binary divide b...

Dec 19, 201931 min

PODCAST: The morning after the general election 2019

In the final episode of our podcast this season, we analyse the general election. We take in the result, overall and at the constituency level, and talk about the big wins and upsets of the night. We move on to examine how this result will affect higher education, as well as the rest of the nation. From Team Wonkhe: Mark Leach, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Jim Dickinson and David Kernohan, Associate Editors; with special guests Hettie Hill, Research Lead at BritainThinks; and Diana Beech, Head of Go...

Dec 13, 201931 min

Free speech, UCAS data, HE SMEs, student data

This week we discuss the state of independent higher education providers, analyse UCAS’ new self-release function for applications, examine a report from King’s College London on student perceptions of freedom of expression and chat about HEPI’s new research into how students feel about the use of their data. With Johnny Rich, Chief Executive of Push and Chief Executive of the Engineering Professors' Council; Andy Youell, HE data specialist; and Debbie McVitty, Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast....

Dec 05, 201950 min

Applications, nurses, 21st century uni, voter registration

This week on the podcast (live from Advance HE's governance conference in London) we discuss the release of the first part of UCAS’ data for the most recent applications cycle, analyse the Conservative’s pledge for 50,000 more nurses, and chat about the University of Lincoln’s manifesto for the university of the 21st century. We also think about the surge in voter registration and what it might mean for the election. With Joe Cooper, Deputy Director of Human Resources at Imperial College, London...

Nov 29, 201937 min

Bolton fire, Oxford Union, election

This week on the podcast we discuss the fire that affected student accommodation in Bolton, unpick the incident where a blind international student was forceably removed from a debate at the Oxford Union, and scrutinise the many demands made for higher education in the current general election campaign. And Hidden History looks at university chancellors... With Jess Moody, Senior Adviser at Advance HE; and David Kernohan, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Nov 21, 201942 min

Labour, residential HE, PTES, free speech

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 Birmingham City University; Smita Jamdar, Education lead at Shakespeare Martineau; and Sofia Ropek, A...

Nov 14, 201935 min

Live from Wonkfest 2019

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.

Nov 05, 201941 min

OfS reviews applications to get on its register

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.

Oct 30, 201933 min

Racism, grad premium, criminals, VFM

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 degrees at Oxford. With Richard Eyre, Chief Programmes Officer at the Brilliant Club; Nick Hillman, Dir...

Oct 24, 201941 min

Science, TNE, disabled students, demand

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, Policy Manager at GuildHE; and Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor at Wonkhe. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

Oct 18, 201941 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android