Recruitment and Admissions Forum (2020 series): Student numbers: where now?

Josephine oversees all youth research and insight at the award-winning agency, YouthSight. Leading a team of specialist researchers, she helps clients grow by better understanding the needs of Millennials and Gen Z. During her nineteen years as a researcher Josephine has worked with many university clients as well as brands like the BBC, BMW, Facebook, Google, Tinder and Sport England. She is the mastermind behind the State of the Youth Nation – the most up-to-date youth tracker in the UK; keeping clients plugged into youth culture since 2015. She is a regular on the conference circuit, having spoken in Milan, Chicago, Boston and Vienna.

Mike is a Professorial Teaching Fellow at TEDI-London and has a strong track record in project-based learning and has published widely in innovations in engineering education. His technical subject area is in metallurgy and materials science, having worked in the steel industry before entering academia. In a previous role he was the Assistant Dean for Academic Development for the faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering & Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University of which he is now an Emeritus Professor.

Mike has been on Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) teams for Subject Review, Higher Education Review, Quality Review Visits and Quality and Standards Review for a wide range of Universities, further education colleges and alternative providers. He is a Governor at Northern College for Adult Education, Barnsley, and chairs its Curiculum and Quality Committee.

Mike is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and is also an active member and on the Board of the UK Engineering Professors’ Council, being also a member of its Recruitment and Admissions sub-committee.

Mike worked nationally as an Associate Director of the Materials Subject Centre from 2003 to 2012 at the University of Liverpool. Mike is also a National Teaching Fellow and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Peter joined UCAS is 2015, initially as Head of Service Delivery, subsequently taking on the Admissions Delivery portfolio, covering the full breath of UCAS’ Operational Delivery. He leads and manages the core service delivery to UCAS’s provider, student, and adviser customer groups. He is accountable for the admissions, results, collection, and data quality services, including digital learning and business change. He leads the delivery of the annual Confirmation and Clearing activity as well as working across the breath of UCAS’s change initiatives. Peter is a Biochemistry and Physiology graduate with experience broad range of roles related to applicant and student administration, including Head of Admissions at both the University of Southampton and Middlesex University.

Stella Fowler is the EPC Executive Policy and Research lead. She is responsible for all aspects of policy and research including projects; data analysis; report writing; member surveys and consultations; and events and communications. Stella has worked in HE analysis for over 20 years with experience at UCAS, on the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association (HESPA) Board and in senior university planning and research data management roles.

Rachel joined HEPI in November 2018, as Director of Policy and Advocacy and has written about a wide variety of HE policy issues, including the financial stability of universities and the impact of focusing on graduate employment metrics. Prior to joining HEPI, Rachel held a number of roles at the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), focused on data policy and governance and gathering requirements for information that could be met from HESA data. Rachel also lead on the review of data on graduate destinations and designed and implemented the new Graduate Outcomes survey.

Lucy Collins is Director of Home Recruitment and Conversion, University of Bristol. Lucy graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Sociology in 2000.  She then went on to gain an MSc in Sociology and Social Research in 2004. Lucy has always been interested in education and believes strongly in the transformative effect of higher education. Following two years working for the educational charity Common Purpose, running a citizenship programme for young people, Lucy returned to the University to take up the post of Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer in the newly created Widening Participation Office. In 2006 she was appointed as Head of Widening Participation and Undergraduate Recruitment. In 2015 Lucy became Head of UK Student Recruitment at the University of Bristol, a role encompassing the development and delivery of strategy for the recruitment of all home students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.  In July 2018 Lucy became the Director of Home Recruitment and Conversion. Lucy and the Home Recruitment Team developed the Bristol Scholar’s scheme in 2016, a new initiative designed attract high quality students from the city of Bristol whose potential is not reflected in their predicted A Level grades. Lucy has been a school governor for over 12 years.  She is currently Vice Chair on the Board of Venturers Trust, a multi-academy trust in Bristol, co-sponsored by the University and the Society of Merchant Venturers.