From Engagement to Impact: Social and Cultural Perspectives on the Regional Role of Universities

1. From Engagement to Impact: Social and Cultural Perspectives on the Regional Role of Universities John Brennan Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, the Open University

2. Theproject Higher Education and Regional Transformation (HEART): social and cultural perspectives 4 contrasting universities and their regions Impacts on disadvantaged groups and communities The views of universities and their stakeholders ‘Discourses’, ‘engagement’ and ‘impact’

3. The HEART project research team Project directors Prof John Brennan, Open University Prof Allan Cochrane, Open University Dr Yann Lebeau, University of East Anglia Ruth Williams, Open University Researchers Dr Michael Amoah, Open University Dr Alice Bennion, Open University

4. Areas of focus Local partnerships to extend participation in higher education to socially disadvantaged groups The ‘cultural presence’ of HEIs in disadvantaged communities The civic role of HEIs and their constituences Local employment opportunities and their constituences

5. Regions are different……. ….in terms of their geographical location communications (degree of isolation) clarity of their boundaries (defining the region) economic profile social and ethnic mix extent of mobility (inward/outward) extent of population loyalty/identity image/confidence stability/change educational provision

6. Universities are different…. …..in terms of ‘who’ their students are, ‘where’ they come from, ‘why’ they come, ‘what’ they experience, where they ‘go’ to the university’s ‘embeddedness’ in its region (history and context) the ‘balance’ between teaching & research and the regional relevance/focus of both ‘rewards’ and ‘incentives’ for staff extent and nature of ‘partnerships’ extent and nature of ‘institutional change’

7. Universities and their regions Universities interact with their regions in different ways (types of engagement and impact) Universities influence what is possible within their regions Regions influence what is possible within their universities

8. Social and cultural perspectives (1) Connecting the economic with the social/cultural Social mobility opportunities are affected by economic developments Aspirations may also be affected But economic developments affected by ‘aspirations’, ‘confidence’ & ‘identity’

9. Social and cultural perspectives (2) Connecting the social/cultural with the economic Cultural ‘attractiveness’ may attract inward investment and mobility Cultural ‘diversity’ may or may not have economic implications but it can be influenced by HE (inflows and outflows of students and staff)

10. Social and cultural perspectives (3) The cultural is important in its own right Cohesion or segmentation/fragmentation/conflict: does HE play a role? Notions of ‘active citizenship’: e.g. student volunteering, staff on school governing bodies Notions of ‘university as good neighbour’: e.g. senior staff serving on key regional agencies Notions of ‘image’, ‘attractiveness’ and ‘confidence’ of a region

11. Social and cultural perspectives (4) The role of the public sector Role of HEIs in producing labour force for key public sector agencies (health service, schools, local govt etc) Initial training and CPD Important to current residents but also in attractiveness of region to inward investors (and individuals)

12. Forms of engagement Direct or indirect Embedded, strategic of accidental Core functions or special initiatives Autonomous or responsive ‘knowledge’ or ‘spending’ related Private or public Closed or open

13. The case studies: commonalities and differences in terms of…… Universities and economic development (including significance of regional agendas to university missions and significance of universities to regional agendas) Regional and university ‘images’, local and institutional ‘cultures’, the relationships between them and the drivers of change Aspirations and opportunities for personal change and social mobility and the role of universities in shaping & facilitating these Universities and their support for active citizenship, their contribution to regional leadership and co-ordination of the ‘public good’ The role of universities in tackling social inequalities & relative disadvantage

14. Impact: helping the socially disadvantaged Raising/changing aspirations Raising attainment levels Creating new opportunities/routes to access existing higher education provision Creating new higher education provision to meet different needs and aspirations e.g. part-time, continuing professional development, workplace learning Confidence raising General awareness raising

15. Impact: winners and losers? Social mobility and ‘escape’ for the few? Implications for the ‘many’? ‘Our town’ or ‘your town’? Fragmented or cohesive community? Generational effects?