Or is it? This year, you could say, is more of the same. However, shifts in the market seem to have conspired against the Uni:
- lower numbers of 18 year olds;
- apprenticeships still being talked about and anticipated (leading to late engagement in the recruitment process), though not fully understood by some in the sector, let alone the students;
- greater levels of offer making by medium and higher tariff HEIs, some of whom have lowered their tariffs;
- much wider use and abuse of unconditional offers;
- more vigorous marketing by a wider selection of HEIs, with institutions coming in earlier and wielding what appear to be higher spends and shinier incentives (e.g. Northampton laptops and Bucks New's new Clearing Access bursaries).
Mood music from UCAS and others continues to encourage applicants to pursue aspirational choices, without a thought of whether Russell Group and - forgive the vernacular - "posh" unis are right for everybody. While choice and opportunities are abundant for students, universities are focussed on the bottom line and, as a result, becoming less touch-feely and more hard nosed in their approach.
All a far cry from what feels like the old, pastoral days of Clearing, but which - as Ellie pointed out last week - was only a few years ago. New Clearing has HEIs of all stripes and colours snarling and promising and focussing their attention on students who don't have the same level of impartial advice in schools. I would suggest that this state of affairs gives a far greater likelihood of hasty, hypnotised entrants entering academic worlds which may feel more hectic and, potentially more – well – "academic" than they had hoped.
We owe it to potential students and to each other to make sure we give people the best information and the best opportunity we can. Most students, one hopes, will have a fulfilling life changing experience; most who come to Bedfordshire will also acquire life changing debts. Manageable, justifiable - arguably. But certainly nothing most sane people would blithely rush to embrace.
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| University recruitment 2020? |
University marketing 2020?
What will I be doing this year? I'm getting out of the office and will need to brush up on my phone manner. The continually stretching gap between initiatives/day-to-day departmental operation and resource has seen me drafted into manning phones in the PG Centre for the first couple of days of Clearing this year. I'm half looking forward/half dreading it. Talking to people on the telephone rather than fighting fires on email will be interesting and quite a departure from the blinkered monster that is email.
The author sends an email
Phones, eh? Many colleagues will still have them on their desks. Take a look. It's that funny black wedge with the handset with coily lead coming out of it. Remember? A device enabling people in remote locations to talk to each other. But not on the internet.
This telephone thing was debunked in the second half of the last century, but really comes into its own in Clearing, when people from different backgrounds and frames of reference need to talk and really understand each other, rather than just shouting directives. Could there be a wider use for it in the normal working week, I wonder?
When telephones were bad....
This telephone thing was debunked in the second half of the last century, but really comes into its own in Clearing, when people from different backgrounds and frames of reference need to talk and really understand each other, rather than just shouting directives. Could there be a wider use for it in the normal working week, I wonder?
When telephones were good....
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