Trouble-shooting Wolverhampton university chief prepares to hand over reins again

Professor John Raftery came in to the university in February with a reputation as a 'trouble-shooter' – the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based academic takes short term jobs in education where problems have been identified.

But he is also well versed in the business world and part of his remit at Wolverhampton was to look at the university's finances during a period before he arrived where more than 100 courses were suspended and then cut amid a £20 million budget deficit.

He will be in place until October when Professor Ebrahim Adia, from Bolton is appointed, and there will be a changeover period in the meantime.

Professor Raftery praised the work done by all the staff at the university but in particular the academic ones in delivering 'relevant and productive' degrees in the wake of Prime Minister Rishi Shunak's shock outburst in which he vowed to cut down on 'rip-off' courses.

He said: "I agree we need to offer people who apply to the university courses which are completely relevant to the modern word and offer a vocational element.

"But the country's universities cannot offer places just for the elite students and those from richer areas because that will be reflected in the world of employment. That is where I object to the term 'rip-off' courses – no course that someone wants to do is worthy of that term,

"Here at Wolverhampton we have had to make tough decisions on some courses, many of which were in the arts, but I don't wake up in the morning and think 'What can we cut today?'

"The ones that did go were the courses which were under-performing in terms of numbers in classes and those applying for them. If they are unviable then a business decision needs to be made; we have 2,000 staff on the payroll here.

"Our Aspire to HE programme is delivering great numbers in improving access from people in the Black Country and Telford and Wrekin to higher and university education – it is helping to buck the trend for universities from similar postcode areas as ours

"For example the percentage of applicants for courses at Wolverhampton living in the Black Country is at 46 per cent, where the government expectation from similar areas is 19 per cent.

"Drop-out rates are probably slightly too high and we are working on that but if you look at the top three courses for applicants they are nursing, primary education and law, and out of 794 students in those fields, there is a retention rate of 89 per-cent.

"They will go on to work in those subjects in the main and it is important to note they are going into the pool for those professions from the so-called deprived areas."

Professor Raftery agreed some tough decisions had to be made financially but said they were 'absolutely necessary to put the university on a sound footing'.

He said; "Just last week we delivered the latest financial figures with a budget surplus for the first time in a long time, which means we are getting there but it is a constant process.

"I was brought in to make some tough decisions but what I have seen since I have been here is a great university with a committed staff, some great students who believe in what the courses will deliver and are confident of leaving here with the tools to go on and be successful professionally."

Professor Raftery said he was looking forward to the changeover period with Professor Adia who he described as a 'first class' person to lead the university into the future.