Consultation Responses
Changes in the landscape for freedom of speech in Higher Education
Dr Alex Bols spoke at the conference Next Steps for Freedom of Speech at UK Higher Education on 23 April 2024, organised by Westminster Higher Education Forum and Lord Griffiths. The content of his speech is published below. Keynote speakers at the conference...
GuildHE Response to UKRI Call for Input to New Deal for Postgraduate Research
GuildHE Response to UKRI Call for Input to New Deal for Postgraduate Research GuildHE Institutions provide unique models of entry and exit for postgraduate research studies. In these providers, the profile of a PhD candidate does not reflect the rest of the UK...
REF 2021: World-leading research and exceptional environments for researchers at the UK’s smaller and specialist universities
95% of GuildHE institutions submitted world-leading research to the REF, a remarkable achievement and testimony to the excellence of the sector in key research areas. GuildHE congratulates our member institutions on their success in REF 2021. The results demonstrate...
Unleash the untapped potential of smaller and specialist universities and colleges to enable sustainable growth
GuildHE’s submission to the 2021 government Comprehensive Spending Review
Student visa system – new briefing document
Universities UK, Guild HE, MillionPlus, the Russell Group, University Alliance and UKCISA have jointly produced a briefing document outlining how significant improvements could be made to the student visa route as the system is reviewed by government. It sets out...
GuildHE Statement on Post-18 Funding Review
We need a post-18 education system that supports student choice, is fair to all learners and fully funds the costs of high quality higher and further education. Crucially, we must improve the skills base of the working age population if we are to increase UK...
Policy & Publications
GuildHE works on a number of policy areas producing research, insights and analysis.
New research highlights limitations of LEO data
Graduate earnings are an unreliable measure of the value of university degrees and should not be depended on for setting tuition fees or the public funding of higher education. New research, commissioned by GuildHE with support from the HEAD Trust, and...
About us
GuildHE is an officially recognised representative body for UK Higher Education.
GuildHE funded research drives innovative solutions to Industrial Strategy Grand Challenges
Two projects using sound and advanced digital creative technologies will be developed to drive innovations in learning in schools and care of people with Dementia thanks to funding from CREST, GuildHE's research network. Memory Tracks will investigate the impact of...
GuildHE Responds to Post-18 Education and Funding Review
GuildHE has responded to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, highlighting key priorities, including maintaining teaching quality, supporting mature and part-time learners, addressing student poverty, improving flexibility, and providing clarity for learners.
PRESS RELEASE: GuildHE responds to review of post-18 education and funding
Following the launch of the Government’s review of post-18 education and funding, GuildHE urges the Government to take this welcome opportunity to restore student maintenance grants.
GuildHE welcomes the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) to membership
GuildHE welcomes the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) to membership.
World-class Teachers, World-class Education – Report calls for teachers to be trained to Master’s level
All teachers should be trained to Master's level in order to attract the most ambitious candidates into the profession, according to one of the UK’s leading experts on teacher education. In a call to Government, James Noble-Rogers, Executive Director of the...
Creative universities contribute more than £8 billion to UK economy
Creative focused universities and colleges contribute £8.4bn and over 312,000 jobs to the UK economy. A new report into the economic impact of these institutions shines a bright light on the huge contribution they make to the nation's prosperity - both directly and...
TEF – Measuring what counts, or counting what’s measured?
Alex Bols, Deputy CEO, GuildHE delivers lecture on the TEF to the University of Chichester, 9th December 2015.
Doing the Math on Higher Education Data
What are higher education data for? And whom do they serve? These questions were prompted by reflecting on and comparing what was said about data in the 2011 White Paper, Students at the heart of the system, and this month’s Green Paper, Fulfilling Our Potential. In...
Autumn Term Blues
As we approach the beginning of September the HE sector is busy preparing for the new term, and worrying about the new term blues (well, there are no yellows left!) So what’s on the agenda for the term ahead? Teaching excellence and quality New Head Boy, Jo, has been...
Old Lace; New Life – How Knowledge Exchange Makes a Real Difference
"I had stopped some of the activities that I used to and I didn't recognise myself anymore. Then I decided to take part in this experiment and in a week I'd made great progress in getting back a bit of optimism" Participant, Transparent Boundaries, Italy Older people...
GuildHE institutions deliver outstanding student satisfaction says independent research
Staff with industry experience and professional expertise, a hallmark of GuildHE institutions, is exactly what students want, according to new research Almost two thirds (63%) of undergraduates in GuildHE universities and colleges place high value on lecturers...
GuildHE announces new Chief Executive
Gordon McKenzie, currently Deputy Director, HE Strategy and Policy at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been appointed as the new Chief Executive for GuildHE. Professor Joy Carter, Chair of GuildHE and Vice Chancellor of the University of...
Educational Diversity and Social & Economic Mobility
GuildHE has just published the fourth and last briefing in our Diverse Institutions Project looking at the contribution to the HE sector of a range of institutions that are often not featured in the national spotlight. This briefing highlights the pivotal role that a...
Student Voices heard at the University of Chichester
At the University of Chichester students are able to contribute to the development of their degree programmes through the Student Voice Programme. Each cohort (Year Group) for each course is able to elect one of their course mates to act as their “Student Voice”. As a...
Student Engagement: Q&A with Jon Renyard
Rhys Wait talks to Jon Renyard, University Secretary and Director of Student Experience at Arts University Bournemouth
Research and Innovation
GuildHE has just published the third and penultimate briefing in our Diverse Institutions Project which focuses on the contribution to the higher education sector of a range of institutions that are often not featured in the national spotlight. This...
GuildHE responds to the Office for Students’ report Financial Sustainability of HE Providers in England
GuildHE responds to the Office for Students’ report Financial Sustainability of Higher Education Providers in England, stating the urgency of a long-term funding solution to protect the current diversity of sector providers. Dr Alex Bols, Deputy CEO, GuildHE said: ...
GuildHE welcomes the MAC report recommendation to retain the Graduate Route in its current form
Today the Migration Advisory Committee's report on the Graduate Route was published, with a letter to the Home Secretary. Dr Alex Bols, Deputy CEO of GuildHE said: "We welcome the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendation that the Graduate Route remains in place...
Advanced British Standard (ABS): the GuildHE view
The British government is proposing a new qualification for 16-19 year olds called the Advanced British Standard (ABS). It combines academic and technical options, with students taking five subjects over two years (in the academic pathway) which include some core...
GuildHE announces new Chief Executive: Dr Brooke Storer-Church
GuildHE is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Brooke Storer-Church as the organisation’s new Chief Executive. Dr Storer-Church will take up the appointment at the end of June 2024 when the current Chief Executive, Gordon McKenzie, retires after nine...
Advancing Higher Education: UCEM endorses ‘Effective Skills Policy: A GuildHE Manifesto for Change’
Ashley Wheaton, Vice Chancellor of GuildHE member institution UCEM, and GuildHE Board Member, sets out below UCEM's support of the new GuildHE publication ‘Effective Skills Policy: A Manifesto for Change' and its important recommendations relating to the...
Effective skills policy: a GuildHE manifesto for change
Tackling the UK skills shortage and productivity problem is key to unlocking economic growth. Universities and colleges play a central role in delivering high level skills essential for upskilling and reskilling the workforce for the future, but the system needs...
Creating a safe and inclusive campus: the ICMP journey to implementing a zero tolerance campaign
In the lead up to the Office for Students’ new condition for registration on harassment and sexual misconduct, Angela Morley, Head of Student Services at GuildHE member ICMP, reflects on their institution’s work to combat harassment, manage complaints, and build an...
Reflections on harassment and misconduct
I’ve recently spoken at several conferences on how the sector should respond to the OfS consultation on harassment and sexual misconduct, and ensure that we are creating safe, inclusive and supportive environments for our students. In response, I believe that this...