Highly topical Widening Participation seminar
Date: Monday 3 December
Seminar title: Getting in and Getting the Grades - Economic, social and educational factors affecting progression to higher education
Speaker: Professor Geoff Whitty, CBE, School of Management, University of Bath
Location: 8 West 2.13
Time: 1.15 -2.15pm
About this seminar
Widening Participation remains a highly topical issue as we can see from the media debate over the recently published Milburn report ' University Challenge: How Higher Education Can Advance Social Mobility'. Alan Milburn's report called for universities to redouble their efforts to recruit a more diverse student body, a task that presents a particular challenge for selective universities as gaining a place becomes increasingly competitive. This seminar reviews the research evidence on the impact that economic, social and cultural factors have on educational attainment and progression to university and goes on to explore the role of universities in addressing the issues.
Professor Geoff Whitty started his academic career at Bath in the 1970s and recently served for ten years as Director of the Institute of Education, University of London. He brings extensive experience of both the theory and the practice of leadership and management in education and related professional fields. He has led evaluations of the implementation of major education reforms and has assised universities, schools and local authorities in building capacity for improvement.
His current research includes studies of the interface between schools and higher education. Geoff's book (with others) Education and the Middle Class won the Society for Educational Studies book prize in 2004. He is a specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select Commitee for Education and has held visiting appointments in the USA and New Zealand and Honorary Professorships at four universities in China.
Book your place now
To register your place on this seminar please email A.J.Coyle@bath.ac.uk