October 28th, 2008
Universities, students and the community
Last Thursday I was interviewed by a researcher working for the Open University’s project on the impact of universities on local economies, for around an hour. The discussion was interesting and thought-provoking, and gave me an opportunity to consider the positive work done by the University of Manchester and the Students’ Union as institutions, and work done by individual students.
The University of Manchester is one of the best universities in the world, leading in many research fields, and only accepting students with high academic performance. It is also one of the largest in the world, with around 40,000 students and 10,000 staff. It is surrounded by some of the most deprived areas of England, including Longsight and Moss Side, which means it is possible to walk in a very short space of time from the imposing and well-kept site of Whitworth Hall to boarded-up housing and roads strewn with potholes. It is a stark difference.
It is little wonder that there is resentment from some sections of local communities towards the University and students - the priorities of local residents and students coming to study are very different, which is perfectly acceptable. An institution with the footprint the size of the University of Manchester can create shockwaves and have a major impact on decisions taken by the council, which may again be different or even conflicting with the priorities of local residents. This has to be managed; and usually it is managed well. The economic benefits a university such as Manchester brings to the city are significant.
But universities are more than just about economic benefits from increased traffic in shops, and more than just the research conducted. It is about the people at the university as well. Staff and increasingly many students have children which attend local schools and are very much a part of the community. Students, while their time in Manchester is often short, and their time in one area is often even shorter, are still part of the community. Students, just like any other group, take part in civil society, through volunteering in hundrds of different ways, and the entrepeneurship of many students in starting and maintaining small businesses. It would not be possible to list all the types of volunteering students take part in - so here’s two which I have involved myself in.
In June 2007 I applied to be a school governor to a secular high school in south Manchester. My application was, to my surprise, accepted. Governors are the largest volunteer force in the country and in addition to learning more about accountability, budgets and openness I have had the opportunity to ensure that the benefits of the new school buildings for pupils shortly to start construction are maximised. It has been a fantastic experience for me.
My second type of volunteering is part of a university-wide programme of volunteering in schools. For my final-year project I had to spend two hours in a school in Levenshulme teaching pre-GCSE children about ants. While the amount of time I spent teaching was short the amount of preparation I put in was much longer. My supervisor warned me that if I didn’t get them onside in the first five minutes I could write the whole hour off. The teachers really value students coming into engage their pupils, and hopefully the pupils will have been inspired by other young people teaching them - which may lead to them attending university when previously they had not thought about it.
Education is its own reward - a university is something to be proud of and so are its students. Students are a part of the community and shape the community, not just improving the local economy but improving local society.
Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.
– Thomas Jefferson
