Read: Universities can help everyone level up

The University of Greenwich is a multi-campus university with bases in Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway. While each campus has a unique identity, everyone on our campuses has a shared purpose: to create opportunities and change lives for the better.

We know that university can be a catalyst for great things and at Greenwich our students are at the heart of everything we do. This is particularly important to us because our vibrant, diverse student body reflects the diversity found across London and Kent, where many of our students come from and live. 

A high proportion of our new, full-time undergraduates are the first in their family to come to university (56%), with almost two-thirds identifying as Black, Asian and Minority ethnic. Also, over half of our students come from the 40% most deprived areas in the country, and we feel strongly that opportunity should be available to everyone. 

And this starts with removing potential barriers before our students even join us. We work closely with schools and colleges in our region and beyond to provide support and advice to prospective students. We’ve also just announced a new partnership with The Adecco Group that will provide targeted support to young people from low social mobility backgrounds. This partnership will deliver apprenticeships and traineeships, employability programmes, and a school and colleges outreach project to help ensure Higher Education is an option for everyone.

While our students are studying with us they can expect this support to continue. Our project with Greenwich Students Union providing peer-led check-in calls for specific student groups has just been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award in the Outstanding Support for Students category. And 97% of students who completed the check-in call continued their studies in the next academic year. 

Our outstanding Student Wellbeing Service helps our students with specific learning difficulties, mental health conditions and long-term medical conditions. And academic support is complemented by STAART (Support Through Accessibility Retention and Transition), an award-winning disability and diversity focused initiative which provides information and guidance to disabled and diverse students – both future and current – who have concerns about going to university or completing their studies.

As well as removing barriers and providing support to our students (and staff) where and when it is needed, we are also focused on opportunities for successful employment, including the best training, placement and support opportunities to ensure our graduates are able to flourish in their new careers. 

Our employability fairs maximise our location and access to the City and Canary Wharf, giving students a chance to connect with major companies such as Bloomberg, IBM UK and the NHS. They also enjoy work placements which help them learn the skills needed for the workplace and we are proud to provide access to cutting edge equipment to develop their skills. Our state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Labs at Avery Hill make use of Augmented Reality and fidelity mannikins, which can blink, breathe, and even give birth.

Our university also has an important role to play within the region and within our immediate communities in south east London and Medway. In the last two years, we have worked to further develop our relationships with businesses and organisations, especially those whose values align with our own. 

We work closely with our neighbouring football club, Charlton Athletic, which, together with the Charlton Athletic Charitable Trust, allows for the sharing of expertise, research and facilities. In addition to developing internships, employment and other opportunities for students, they can also be found working and filming events at each match day.

Levelling up is also about flexing and responding to a job market which we know may present more challenges than in previous years. We can make a difference here too, and we have adjusted our courses and support to meet changing demands. Our new Elevate degrees provide flexible learning to those with busy lives. Students are on campus one day a week, with remaining study taking place online. This helps with commuting costs and is ideal for those who live further away, as well as saving on childcare for those with families.

And the support we offer to students doesn’t end when our students graduate. They then become part of our thriving Alumni community. Ask Alumni+ helps graduates broaden their networks, offers career advice and the chance to become a mentor, creating a circular support plan for all our students.

Universities have a vital role to play in helping people achieve their potential. This is done in numerous innovative and continuously developing ways and it has the ultimate result of being beneficial to our communities, our society and to us all. 

Professor Jane Harrington

Vice-Chancellor, University of Greenwich