Picture: students of German in Dresden on a summer course. Higher Education adds value to people’s lives in many ways, not just financially, argues Prof Paul Boyle, such as opportunities to study abroad. Swansea student Gabriela says of her visit: “I got a lot out of it. I visited different places in Germany and made friends from all over the world”.
In discussing the value of Higher Education, let us not make the mistake of reducing it to letters or numbers alone, remembering instead that not everything that counts can be counted, writes Professor Paul Boyle, Vice-Chancellor.
Given the current financial climate, the question of value is at the forefront of many minds, including within the Higher Education sector. I welcome this, as it is past time for a frank national conversation about the true value of Higher Education and how it is paid for here in the UK.
However, mindful of Oscar Wilde and the crucial distinction between knowing “the price of everything and the value of nothing”, it is essential that this discourse is based on a full and rounded concept of value. This needs to go beyond simple quantitative measures, to take account of the wider contribution that our sector makes.
At Swansea University we have been putting this principle into practice over the past week as we respond to thousands of prospective students who are considering studying with us. We know that each applicant is so much more than the letters or numbers that appear next to any given subject on their transcript, and this approach shapes our admissions process. We make efforts to see the whole person, taking the time to understand the experience and values that sit behind their grades.
The same principle should apply when considering the ongoing value of a university education to an individual.
A degree undoubtedly adds measurable value; 73% of graduates credit university with getting them the job they wanted and 64% say it has improved job security, according to a recent survey by Universities UK. 85% of women and three-quarters of men will be financially better off after going to university, even after accounting for taxes, student loans and earnings deferred while studying.
Yet Higher Education also enriches people’s lives in other ways and these too must be factored into any assessment of its value. Opportunities to study abroad, for example, can be transformative for an individual, as part of their overall university experience.
But nowhere is the need for a broader view of value more urgent than in political and media commentary on universities, much of which remains based upon ill-founded stereotypes.
In times of economic pressure, universities can become lightning rods for value-focused critique. It is simple to measure some of the value that institutions like ours can create, such as their direct economic impact or the number of health professionals they train.
But their immeasurable value is no less crucial: the transferable skills we cultivate in our students, or the support our research provides for innovation in areas from life sciences to semiconductors. Universities are uniquely placed as anchor institutions in their regions, leading civic initiatives and bringing together the private, public and third sectors; for example within ventures such as UK Government’s City Deals.
The negative discourse surrounding international student numbers in the UK is also highly regrettable. In fact they are a precious asset, contributing £42 billion to the UK each year, according to Universities UK.
Yet the benefits of a diverse international student community go far beyond any financial contribution; as we see at Swansea, they can serve as ambassadors and advocates for our university and region across the globe. In this globalised world, in which people, businesses and other organisations collaborate freely across national borders, universities add enormous value by creating opportunities for UK and overseas students to learn, live and socialise across cultures and societies beyond their own.
Finally, the disappointing rhetoric about so-called ‘low-value’ degrees from senior UK Government figures is also usually based on a very narrow understanding of value, and on an assumption that certain subjects neither have it nor create it. Those keen to measure degree value through a narrow lens would do well to remember that one of the world’s largest companies, Apple – its logo a design icon of our time - was founded by a man inspired by his studies in calligraphy.
As the discussion on the value of Higher Education continues, let us not make the same mistake that we can sometimes make with our young people, in reducing their total value to letters or numbers alone. Not everything that counts can be counted.