The socio-cultural and learning experiences of music students in a British university

Research into student experience in Higher Education has largely focused on students' role as learners. However, the student experience encompasses a much wider range of behaviours and beliefs than can be captured through a focus on teaching and learning alone. I report the findings of a research project which explored student experience in the music department of a British red-brick university. Music presents a particularly interesting case study given the presence of extra-curricular musical activities, the opportunity for social interaction between staff and students outside the formal context of the lecture or seminar room, and perceptions of Western art music as a form of ‘middle-class’ culture. Analysis of survey and interview data reveals the centrality of musical performance activities, and in particular the development of a performer identity, to students' experience of belonging and achievement. The influence of students' socio-economic background is also considered: social class was largely invisible to respondents within the departmental context, possibly because it is an invisible norm, within larger contemporary discourses in which social class is equated with financial difference rather than cultural difference. However, the research revealed an association between socio-economic background, term-time employment and academic achievement. The implications of these findings for teaching and learning in music in Higher Education are considered

Male access and success in higher education

The gendered landscape of higher education (hereafter HE) has changed significantly over the past two decades. As has long been the case, men are more likely to secure graduatelevel employment after their degree, although the advantage over women in this respect is now marginal. Men still form the majority of faculty and HE managers. Since the early 1990s, however, women are now more likely to start an undergraduate course than men, to successfully complete it and to achieve a ‘good degree’. Although the gender gap is less significant beyond undergraduate study, women are also more likely to undertake post-graduate courses. The speed and scale of the change in undergraduate participation patterns makes it a social phenomenon meriting further attention

Towards a strategy for workplace learning: Report to HEFCE by CHERI and KPMG

The study, undertaken between March and November 2005 aimed to inform HEFCE thinking on developing a strategy for workplace learning by: exploring the nature, purposes and outcomes of workplace learning; considering workplace learning within the broader relationships between the worlds of work and learning; exploring emerging changes in higher education which may impact on workplace learning in the future; identifying structural issues that currently enable or inhibit workplace learning, and identify future opportunities

‘Of course we must be equal, but …’: imagining gendered futures in two rural Southern African secondary schools

Based on focus group discussions held with students at rural secondary schools in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, this paper argues that secondary schools provide important spaces for the (re)construction of gendered identities among rural girls in southern Africa. Central to processes of identity formation in rural secondary schools are normative discourses centring on notions of ‘culture’ and ‘equal rights’. These discourses are (re)produced in secondary schools and are appropriated by students in making sense of their lives. Both are ambiguously related to dominant gender ideologies and are mobilised by students in ways which do not simply conform to an accommodation/resistance dichotomy. Also highlighted is the complex articulation of identity production and materiality. Identities are constructed in the context of the school in relation to expected material performance in contexts removed in time and space. The ‘culture’ and ‘equal rights’ discourses are understood and negotiated in relation to expectations of future lives beyond the spatial and temporal boundaries of the school: lives imagined in relation to particular (generally urban) geographical contexts

Pedagogy For Employability

This guide, produced by the HEA, constitutes a revised and updated version of the Pedagogy for Employability publication first published in 2006. The publication has been updated with the practitioner in mind – those teaching in the classroom and those engaging with policy and student interactions in other ways, such as careers guidance and learning development workers. Practitioners are our focus, as we discuss the policy and institutional context that frames the environment within which people work. The early sections of this publication are intended to illuminate the possibilities and constraints that operate in different national, institutional and departmental situations, having a direct impact on the way that teaching and learning takes place between practitioners and students. Case studies of learning and teaching that support the development of student employability, in the classroom, through distance and part-time learning and in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, are provided throughout the publication. In the later sections of the publication we focus particularly on the curriculum and learning and teaching practice

The management of academic workloads: full report on findings

The pressures on UK higher education (from explicit competition and growth in student numbers, to severe regulatory demands) are greater than ever, and have resulted in a steady increase in measures taken by universities to actively manage their finances and overall quality. These pressures are also likely to have impacted on staff and, indeed, recent large surveys in the sector have indicated that almost half of respondents find their workloads unmanageable. Against this background it would seem logical that the emphasis on institutional interventions to improve finance and quality, should be matched by similar attention given to the allocation of workloads to staff, and a focus on how best to utilise people’s time - the single biggest resource available within universities. Thus the aim of this piece of research was to focus on the processes and practices surrounding the allocation of staff workloads within higher education. Ten diverse organisations were selected for study: six universities in the UK, two overseas universities and two non higher education (but knowledge-intensive) organisations. In each, a crosssection of staff was selected, and in-depth interviews carried out. A total of 59 such interviews were carried out across the ten organisations. By identifying typical practices, as well as interesting alternatives, views on the various strengths and weaknesses of each of their workload allocation approaches was collated; and associated factors requiring attention identified. Through an extensive process of analysis, approaches which promoted more equitable loads for individuals, and which might provide synergies for institutions were also investigated

Guide for members of governing bodies of universities and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Contents Introduction Glossary of Terms Part I 1 Summary of Responsibilities of Members of Governing Bodies 2 The Legal Status of Institutions 3 The Framework of Governance of Higher Education Institutions 4 Conduct of Governing Body Business 5 The Regulation of Financial Affairs 6 Staffing Matters 7 Students Part II Annex A Funding of Higher Education Annex B The Funding Councils Annex C Representative Bodies in the Higher Education System Annex D Quality of Learning and Teaching Annex E Health and Safety Annex F Abbreviations and Acronyms in Higher Education Annex G Higher Education Institutions funded by the HEFCE Annex H Higher Education Institutions funded by HEFCW Annex I Universities funded by DHFETE Annex J Corporate Governance: Model Statements for Inclusion in Annual Reports and Accounts Annex K Guidance on Whistleblowing Annex L Bibliography Index Introduction Institutions of higher education are characterised by a distinctive ethos. Despite diverse backgrounds and traditions, they are united in the common purpose of the provision of teaching, and the pursuit of knowledge and research, including research which contributes to economic growth. They are also committed to the principle of academic freedom, that is the freedom to question received wisdom and put forward new and possibly controversial ideas. Additionally, they are autonomous organisations, responsible for the management and direction of their own affairs. Members of governing bodies need to recognise, and be committed to, the distinctive principles and ethos of higher education in order to contribute effectively to the work of the institution with which they are associated. This Guide is intended to assist members of governing bodies of universities and colleges of higher education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the performance of their duties. The Guide is divided into two Parts. Part I is directly concerned with the role of the governing body. It outlines the legal status of institutions and their structures of governance, and considers the responsibilities of members of governing bodies towards their own institutions, to Government and Parliament, and to the wider community. Part II of the Guide consists mainly of a series of appendices which provide background information about the higher education system. This information is included in order to help members of the governing body understand their role in a wider context. The internal organisation, procedures and regulations of individual institutions vary enormously and the Guide presents only a broad overview. Members of governing bodies should refer to the secretary or registrar or clerk to their governing body for more detailed information and guidance about the internal arrangements in their particular institution, or about issues raised in the present Guide. The Guide has been prepared by the Committee of University Chairmen (CUC) in association with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment for Northern Ireland (DHFETE), and in co-operation with Universities UK (formerly CVCP), the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA) and the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP). This is the third edition of the Guide and it has been updated to take account of various changes in higher education and the CUC’s review of corporate governance published in December 2000. Ron Haylock Chairman of the Committee of University Chairme