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NTU to co-lead national centre to promote social mobility

Nottingham Trent University has been selected to co-lead a national centre to research and develop best practices for universities on how to improve social mobility.

    Students on campus

    Working with King’s College London and the Behavioural Insights Team, the consortium has been chosen to establish and oversee an evidence and impact exchange.

    The exchange – a charity that will launch during Spring 2019 – will focus on developing an evidence-based understanding of ‘what works’ to facilitate the access and success of students from underrepresented groups to higher education.

    Working with experts across the sector, the consortium will develop an online toolkit, disseminate best practice and develop research forums to inform all higher education providers in their approaches to social mobility.

    “It will enable people from diverse backgrounds to gain better access to higher education, to have better experiences at university, and to have better access to graduate jobs when they leave.”

    Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University

    Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, said: “It is a privilege for NTU and our partners to be selected to establish this important national centre which will help improve the ways in which higher education providers engage with students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

    “Through employing an evidence-based approach, NTU makes a significant contribution to social mobility. This centre is an evolution of that approach, enabling all of us in the sector to develop a better understanding of the needs of underrepresented groups.

    “It will enable people from diverse backgrounds to gain better access to higher education, to have better experiences at university, and to have better access to graduate jobs when they leave.”

    Nottingham Trent University – the 2017 Times Higher Education University of the Year and the Times and Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2018 – recruits a quarter of its home undergraduates from households with a combined income of £15,000 or less.

    The institution has an impressive graduate employment rate, with four out of five graduates securing graduate entry jobs or training six months after leaving NTU. These figures are broadly the same for all students, regardless of economic or ethnic background.

    NTU has long been committed to finding out ‘what works’ in higher education social mobility initiatives.

    David Woolley, Director of Student and Community Engagement at Nottingham Trent University

    King’s College London is a research-intensive, selective university, a member of the Russell Group and the University of London. It has a track-record of commitment to and innovation in widening participation.

    The Behavioural Insights Team, which was formerly part of the Cabinet Office, is a social purpose company and one of the largest conductors of randomised control trials in public policy in the country.

    The OfS will fund the Exchange for three years. It is expected to become financially sustainable after that.

    David Woolley, Director of Student and Community Engagement at Nottingham Trent University, said: “NTU has long been committed to finding out ‘what works’ in higher education social mobility initiatives. We are really excited to partner with like-minded institutions to progress this important agenda.”

    • Notes for editors

      Nottingham Trent University (NTU) was named University of the Year 2017 at the Times Higher Education Awards, and Modern University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. These awards recognise NTU for its high levels of student satisfaction, its quality of teaching, its engagement with employers, and its overall student experience.

      NTU has been rated Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest ranking available.

      NTU is one of the largest UK universities. With 30,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across four campuses, the University contributes £900m to the UK economy every year. It is one of the UK’s most environmentally friendly universities, containing some of the sector’s most inspiring and efficient award-winning buildings. 96% of its graduates go on to employment or further education within six months of leaving.

      Our student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 88% satisfaction score in the 2018 National Student Satisfaction Survey.
      The University is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable Nottingham Trent to be a vehicle for social mobility. NTU is among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

      NTU is home to world-class research, and won The Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2015 – the highest national honour for a UK university. It recognised the University’s pioneering projects to improve weapons and explosives detection in luggage; enable safer production of powdered infant formula; and combat food fraud.

      With an international student population of over 3,000 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook

    Published on 28 February 2019
    • Category: Press office