Reflecting on last week’s Graduations, and why I didn’t go to mine

Last week we had graduation ceremonies at the Luton campus, which are exciting and hectic in equal measure.

Though not as busy as the summer ceremonies, the November graduations as just as important for recognised the achievements of our students, and we attend as many as we can to capture the joy and excitement of the day.

Here's a few snaps yesterday's #BedsGrads - the full album can be viewed here: https://t.co/0ShBKihNyo pic.twitter.com/DQ0sEvWP3a

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) November 17, 2017

I‘ve sat in on countless graduations, tweeting (using the hashtag #BedsGrads), writing down quotes for the press release later, and there is always a danger of forgetting how special the day is to the students graduating, as well as their family and friends, especially when your head is down and you’re furiously scribbling away.

Then you’ll hear a name you recognise. When you look up, there is a student you interviewed for a press release a year or so ago collecting their degree. It’s during those moments that I feel a sense of pride, especially if I know they have been through a tough time to get to that ceremony and collect their degree.

I detested my graduation –I begrudging went to the ceremony after I got my degree, but refused to go to the one after I finished my Master’s. Sometimes I regret, mostly I don’t!

It was mostly because the year I spent doing my Master’s at Kingston University was one of the hardest of my life so far, so much so I nearly quit. So when it came to the end, I was glad to see the back of it.

But whenever I go home to see my parents, there are two photos on the wall you can’t fail to notice. The photos are of my sister and me in our graduation caps and gowns (my sister graduated a few years before me from Southampton Solent.)

Both my parents had very successful careers - my dad was an air traffic controller and my mum until recently ran her own business. Neither of them went to university. They were from working class backgrounds in a time when going to university was just not an option for them. So the fact that both their children went through Higher Education must mean an awful lot to them.

My point is that behind every student at graduation is a family – parents, guardians, partners, children and friends – a small army of supporters willing them on to succeed. And every student has fought their own battles to get their degrees, many of which were probably fought in private.

Congrats to the @uniofbeds #Classof2017! #BedsGrads 🎉🙌🎓 pic.twitter.com/GJZUxhN2YZ

— UoB Press Office (@uobnews) November 16, 2017

So to the Class of 2017, I salute you!    

By the way, our press releases about graduations are now online, so please do take a look.

Civic University - is now the right time?

Civic universities? Well, they sound like a lot of fun. What are they? Where do I sign up?

Hang on; what are they? Do we have un-civic universities??

Woah.... In short, and after some hard-hitting desk research (three cuppa exercise), the civic university can be summarised as an institution working towards the 'community good'; focusing and acting as a regional 'anchor institution'. There's a wider beautifully honed Powerpoint on one of my intranet pages. Or you can look on line for some wonderfully opaque diagrams. Like this:

Err, ok

Don't we do "civic" already? What's driving the agenda?
Right. The idea of a civic university is excellent, though one - I'd suggest - that many institutions have been applying for years.

Higher Education is, however, under the cosh. Headlines about VC salaries suggest self-serving fat cat academics - or fat-catDemics - diverting money from poor students and thus inflating fees, reducing WP missions and generally bringing on financial meltdown. Yes, most VCs are paid salaries the rest of us can only dream of, but carving and distributing a quarter of a million quid and distributing it even to a small student population of, say 10,000 barely raises an extra 60p a week, per student, over a 42 week academic year.

The whole media stance and political point scoring is a bit stinky whichever way you look at it. It's hardly on the same scale as the sort of ludicrous mess our friends the bankers got us into a few years ago.

Good. Myth debunked. Sort of. What about this Heaton-Harris fellow?
Tory MP Chris Heaton-Harris' request for details about the way universities teach Europe and Brexit which commentators outside the sector have compared to the McCarthy purges of the 1950s.

The McCartney witch trials

All of which is leading to a good deal of 'harrumphing' and sneering at the higher education sector and precisely the sort of moaning stunned pro-EU "snowflakes" are accused of. Makes my blood boil.

But hang on, there's the Green League rankings.....
This should receive more attention than either of the areas already under discussion - not least because we did very well (6th place; YEH!) - but it won't. The Green League ranking will also doubtless be buried under other news stories coming out - directly or indirectly - from the sector's push into the 'market'.

So, civic universities is a rearguard action?
Well yes and no. No, obviously. But maybe a bit 'yes' . While many of the principles of the civic university are written into most post-94 institutions' DNA, the recent accentuation may be an attempt to mirror the bluff and bravura surrounding more negative stories.

On the other hand, there may be something in trumpeting universities' civic agendas (agendi?) to justify or explain inroads and universities' increasing interest and gains from Further Education.

But still, there's a load of good stuff in the civic university agenda, much of which is reflected in our very own Strategic Plan. It's difficult to tell if the drive towards civic responsibility is 2017's version of the clamour for the central place of the student consumer which was raging a few years ago - it seems like the two are going to run together, applying even more pressure on universities.


Right, I'm off for a winter break. See you all soon. Comments below always welcome.

Hi, مرحبا, 你好

Hi, my name is Ibraham and this is my first blog post. I have been asked to write a blog and I am happy to do that.

Anyhow, let me introduce myself dear reader. I was born in the UK, grew up in Jordan, Middle East, lived for a while in China and then came back to the UK. I am a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) a think tank/social action establishment whose slogan is “21st century enlightenment”. I have graduated from this lovely university with a bachelor degree in Business Studies International. I enjoy books, volunteering, sports and philosophy.

My greatest passion currently is social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurs, start-up social enterprises if you are not familiar with a social enterprise I like to define it as: A charity that makes money that has enhanced impact and is sustainable. Currently in the UK a social enterprise has 3 times the start-up rate, compared to a conventional business. Furthermore, according the IOD (Institute of Directors) they said that social enterprise is the future of business in the UK. Lastly, the UK has the largest social enterprise sector to date in the world. For instance Co-op and fair trade are examples of a social enterprise.

At the university, I work as the Policy and Events Assistant in the Vice Chancellor’s office. This is my first ‘proper’ job and I am really excited about this. As to what I do, I spend my days chasing cats……. well, not really. I help out with policy work, events and I spend one day a week with MARC to help out with whatever needed. So far, I have been really enjoying this job and I have met a lot of interesting people. I had no idea, the extent of systems and structures that the university employ.

Also, it is the same establishment I could notice differences between the departments I work at for example the Vice Chancellor’s Office has many visitors, people do get along well and everyone is just lovely. On the other hand, at the MARC department they are easy going with a friendly atmosphere. However, I can’t seem to make up my mind to who is my favourite.

I started working at the end of September of this year and I am on a graduate placement. I have learned a great deal and I am looking forward to learning more during the following months.

If you could spare a few hours in the week why not volunteer. There are lot of organisations that could use your skills and experience. Especially people as talented as yourself.

Lastly, I hope you have enjoyed this piece and if there is anything I can help you with please do tell me. I am also learning Law and I am bit stuck on this one, so feel free to contact me, if you are willing to give any advice.

Thank you J