Educational Establishments D Steve Brown
The way universities operate has witnessed a dramatic change in the last two years, with the ConLib move to increase student tuition fees arguably changing attitudes towards higher education for ever.
Whatever the politicians may say, the facts speak for themselves; universities are now businesses and prospective students are customers who, as a result, now weigh-up their options in far finer detail.
No longer is a choice solely about the quality of the education on offer, or a specific course of study; factors such as sporting provision and added value are key determinants in students’ minds reports Tom James
Steve Brown’s School Days!
urham University has maintained its status as a top-ranking institution where academia is concerned; often seen as the second choice for Oxbridge hopefuls who fall short. Durham’s sporting heritage isn’t as well founded as traditional heavyweights like Loughborough, but the last twenty years has seen England’s most northerly Russell Group university rise in prominence to the position they are in today; second in the national rankings behind its East Midland’s counterpart. Durham’s sporting prowess is no accident - it’s taken a concerted effort to be able to compete at the level it does now, through a programme built on elite participation and community work, which has not only seen sporting alumni balloon but also has resulted in it forging closer links with professional and amateur community groups and many of the UK’s leading governing bodies of sport.
In our recent interview with Lancing College, it was clear that the root of success lay in synergy between all departments, sporting and academic. The grounds team was a central cog in the whole operation - one valued at the top level. The same is true at Durham, so it’s little wonder the university is enjoying the levels of sporting success it is.
“We’re the second highest ranked university for sport in the UK, behind Loughborough only,” explains Peter Warburton, Dean of Experience Durham. “We haven’t finished outside the top ten in the last decade, which is testament to what we’ve tried to build here.” “A large part of our growth is due to a
more professional approach in the staffing and in the way we recruit students. Unlike many universities, we don’t offer any reduction in grades because of a student’s sporting prowess; they have to excel in the classroom and on the pitch to attend.”
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