Presentation: Professor Mary Stuart

Beyond Access to Social Mobility: the challenges for different student groups moving through Higher Education Mary Stuart Vice Chancellor University of Lincoln

Themes • What is the issue about Social Mobility? • What is Higher Education’s role in creating Social Mobility? • Widening Participation and Social Mobility do they inter-relate? • What impact should concerns about Social Mobility have on what we do in HE? • Extra curricular activities and graduate employment

• Mass higher education is now a worldwide phenomenon. More than 150 million students are enrolled in universities worldwide, an increase of 53 per cent in just a decade. Globally, 26 per cent of the relevant university age group now participates in higher education, up from 19 per cent in 2000. In many rich countries, more than half the eligible population is in higher education and in some countries, the figure is as high as 80 per cent. Even in much of the developing world, enrolments are increasing dramatically (THE, Sept, 2010).

The British HE ‘field’ •...in important respects choice of [and within] university is a choice of lifestyle and a matter of ‘taste’ and further that social class is a key aspect of these subtexts of choice...there is choice as class-matching and thus also a form of social closure (Reay et al, 2005:29)

The British HE field What is the ‘gold standard’ HE experience? • Rite of passage from home • Based on a growing to adulthood • You live HE • The ‘classroom’ is only part of this process

Milburn Report, 2009

• Access to the UK’s top jobs has become less, not more, socially representative over time

Milburn report 2009 • 58/70 birth cohorts – 58 saw strong trajectory of upward social mobility 70 flattened off. • 75% of Judges, 70% of FDs, 45% of top civil servants 32% of MPs were independently schooled

The Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility Graduate employment gives access to a professional career .... • ‘Employers said they found it increasingly hard to fill graduate vacancies because students fail to match academic achievement with leadership, teamworking and communication skills’ (Milburn report, 2009: 44).

The role of Higher Education in Social Mobility – so what is happening • Evidence that young people develop these [communication, teamworking and leadership] skills through...extra-curricular activities. BUT • ‘our evidence also suggests that there are fewer opportunities for those from less privileged backgrounds to benefit from such opportunities’ (op cit)

The Research • HEA funded project looking at engagement with extra curricular activities at University amongst different student groups (2007/8) • ‘snap-shot’ approach – 2 yr undergrads from 4 different type of institutions with different demographics.

Ethnicity

New University (in London) Institution 1

New University (in London) Institution 2

Old University (in London) Institution 1

Asian

20

22

23

Old University (campus based in the counties) Institution 2 2

Black

15

18

11

1

Non- UK

14

12

7

17

Other

3

6

5

4

White

43

40

54

74

Not Known

5

2

0

2

Institution type New

Age:

Gender:

Disability:

Ethnicity:

SES:

Courses:

Religion:

Old

count

%

count

%

≤ 21 years old

210

62

228

79

Mature students

129

38

59

21

Males

141

41

145

51

Females

203

59

141

49

Disabled

6

2

8

3

Learning needs

16

5

26

9

White

148

43

243

86

Ethnic minority

195

57

41

14

Class 3b-5*

77

25

57

21

Class 1-3aI**

231

75

210

79

Vocational

259

75

86

30

Academic

85

25

201

70

No

114

33

182

64

Yes

227

67

103

36

n=

344

287

Pubs/bars Prayer/Worship Musical activities Sport Shops/cafes Family committments Films Library Internet Communities Study See Friends

University type

new university

old universities

0

1

2

3

4

Mean days per week (5-point likert scale)

5

Employed

yes

no

Total

Class category Lower SES 39.1%

60.9%

100.0%

54.4%

45.6%

100.0%

50.9%

49.1%

100.0%

Higher SES

Total

• ECAs engaged in at the old universities are offering more opportunities for social interaction. Students at the older universities, which are campus-based, do significantly more ECAs that are based around their university sites , whereas those at the new university, which is spread around multiple city-based campuses, do significantly more solitary ECAs . •Furthermore, those studying at the new university are less likely to say that their commitments and activities provide them with a good support network of friends compared to those at the old universities.

Days per week in Prayer/Worship My commitments and activities provide me with a good support network of friends (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree) Days per week keeping family commitments I have made good friends at work (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree) Days per week in paid employment Days per week in pubs/bars

Mean (5-point likert scale)

4

3

2

1

0 Black

Not Black

Ethnic background

Visiting the library Keeping family committments Visitng pubs/bars Visiting the Students' Union On councils/committees

Mean days per week (5-point likert scale)

4

3

2

1

0 Asian

Not Asian

Ethnic background

Mature students are spending more time in the library, with family and in prayer Visiting the library

3.2

Keeping family committments

Mean time spent per week (days)

3

In Prayer/Worship

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.2

2

1.8

Young (