As we approach the festive (for some) period, it’s typically a good time to reflect on the year nearly past – the successes, failures and lessons learned – and look to the year ahead and enjoy a well-deserved break. For me, I look back on a year of considerable successes here at ARU – most notably the merger between ARU and the former Writtle University College – and look forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2025 will bring. Financial sustainability, efficiency, disruptors and the impact they will have, student experience, student recruitment, staff recruitment, retention, development and wellbeing, and no doubt many more in the year ahead.
Looking more widely, across the sector, my instinctive thought is that during this year, we’ve come to understand better the financial situation we find ourselves in, and, equally importantly, acknowledge more publicly the broader context within which we firmly sit – especially around public service funding, on which we nearly all depend to a greater or lesser extent –.For some institutions, the position is very stark, with difficult choices being made, and significant changes to their offer. And the impact on the individual staff members involved has been particularly tough. For all of us, there is no doubt the sharpening of pencils, a tough focus on the year ahead, ensuring our money – students’ money – is spent as wisely and thoughtfully as possible.
A recent podcast with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury reminds me of my own time back in Whitehall, in the 90s. The mantra – the acid test for additional public expenditure – then and now is that of the “marginal pound”. For every additional £1 spent, where will the Treasury – the economy, the government, the taxpayer – see the greatest return, be that measured in financial terms or outputs (e.g. more school places, shorter waiting times in hospitals, more tanks etc) and outcomes. So, for me here in HE, my thoughts turn away from the technical explanations of why inflation has eroded the real terms value of the student fee and, instead, to why the government should invest more in HE. And during this year, we as a sector have produced some fantastic arguments of the value of HE. The list is of course long and rich. The points that stick in my mind are:
- Education is the ultimate sustainable solution to many of the other challenges and issues we face. Better jobs lead to better earnings, which drives the economy and reduces deprivation. And the graduate premium – although not the only avenue to higher-paid employment – continues to demonstrate its value
- Universities nurture the personal skills, styles and competencies to enable students to thrive in the adult world. What we offer is much wider, and much more beneficial, than simply what students learn in the classroom, lecture theatre or laboratory.
- We offer one of the UK’s greatest exports, and that in turn contributes greatly to the interconnectivity on which the world works, which is, arguably, more under pressure than ever.
- We develop and educate many of the key public sector workers on which public sector reforms and transformation will depend. The government’s agenda depends in part on our success in doing what we do best. And, of course, we are and will be a key plank in the successful recruitment, development and retention of NHS staff over the medium and longer term.
- We are a key strategic partner for businesses that look to us for education, research and thought leadership in a very competitive market.
- And we have a long and growing reputation as key civic institutions, playing a vital part in enabling all parts of our communities and places to engage, collaborate and develop.
I’m sure this list is by no means definitive, but, as we look to the end of another busy Christmas, let’s celebrate those amazing achievements and the great role we play locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. And let’s also create and curate those crucial answers to the Treasury questions about the marginal pound. We have a strong case to make, so let’s carry on the great work that we all do, in 2025.
Merry Christmas, and my thanks to all those working over the festive period.
