April 7, 2008...5:19 pm
Student leader triumphs in Dragons’ Den
by Conor Ryan
Student leader Gemma Tumelty emerged triumphant when HEFCE staged its version of the hit TV series Dragons’ Den at its annual conference in Warwick University today.
Ms Tumelty, who as President of the National Union of Students had just presided over her organisation’s national conference in Blackpool last week, won the support of vice-chancellors, HEFCE staff and stakeholders alike for her £60,000 bid to improve the voice of students in higher education.
Her bid attracted a winning 27% of votes, using palmlet technology, narrowly defeating proposals from Lord Dearing for a stronger investment in languages and business skills and from Sustainable Development commissioner Anne Finlayson for more environmental and community opportunities for students.
Her winning proposal was for a regional pilot – which, if successful, could be rolled out nationally - that would map the engagement of students and provide better training for those involved in university and course committees.
Ms Tumelty pointed out that student voice was now high up the national agenda - the government had appointed a minister for students. Investment in her proposition would bring better results for universities and colleges in the National Student Survey, as well as ensuring better engagement by students and a more valuable contribution from them to university life and learning.
“Students are well place to judge the quality of courses,” she added. The pilot would develop networks of students who could share and spread best practice. The mapping process would also help to engage part-time, mature and international students, who tended not to get involved at the moment.
The format for the Dragons’ Den session required each participant to make a five-minute pitch followed by a five-minute interrogation from the audience. At the end of the session, each candidate had one minute to make a final bid for audience support.
Ms Tumelty used her final pitch to allay audience concerns that her proposal would only have small or moderate impact. She said it would improve the effectiveness of students in committees and the extent to which students helped in solving problems. “Students can make the higher education sector even more world class,” she promised.
While the process was just for fun, with Ms Tumelty being presented with a bottle of champagne by HEFCE chair Tim Melville-Ross, the NUS President must be hoping her pitch has been logged by those present for any future real bid.
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