Elevation Networks' Blog

The  Great Debate is the largest ever nationwide tour of  UK universities targeted at black students. This also for Elevation Networks as is the first event we’ve been directly involved  in and in conjunction with YBS (Young Black and Successful).

Set in the month of  Black History we kicked off the tour yesterday 6:30 at Kings College London. With themes ranging from black people in politics to education and media representation, it certainly seemed to ignite a fire in the students and gave them the opportunity to air views that they wouldn’t necessarily address amongst their peers.

At 7pm students began to file in after a room change caused a slight delay.  In order to release tensions and get everyone loosened up the Chair on the night- Samuel Kasumu had everyone shaking there legs and arms, feeling silly allowed people to relax.
The guests on the panel were from a range of professions and established companies, we had:
Tunde Okewale – (Urban Lawyer) Barrister
Leona Samuels – Author
Dele Fatola – Pearsons
Lorraine Wright – Deloitte
Alexander Rose – Graphics Designer/Anti-Gun Campaigner
Ama  Afrifa-Kyei- Deloitte

The first topic was Black History and whether it still made an impact in society and whether it was still relevant today and for the future of black youth.  The arguments were that Black History shouldn’t just be one month and separated but rather should be part of world history.  There were references to writer C.L.R James who a library was named after all in the name of black history, and to the popular quote “You won’t know where your going until you know where your coming from”
In order to keep things moving the statement the Chair was working under was “The idea of progression is not to reach the ultimate destination” which even I found hard to stick to, had to refrain from shouting out my thoughts and the disappointment at not being able to respond to some statements I deemed ludicrous!!
This all comes under the fun of being part of a debate, a war of words and fighting spirit that if not controlled could go on forever!! This I felt was shared by the audience as topics seem to influence a climate change in the room from hot to warm to cold as we moved on to Black People and Politics, Education and Media Representation.

Pictures: Rebecca Hadell http://www.rebeccahadell.com

Having members of the audience sharing their experiences with every one really displayed the confidence and platform debates give you to encourage, and give others something to think about.  A young person spoke of being stopped and searched which is still a touchy subject within the black community, he spoke of how he was made to feel like a criminal as he innocently drove his car.  Whereas others felt and even at the end reaffirmed to me that it’s law and shouldn’t matter if your not guilty. What could be agreed upon is that the nature of the practice could be carried out in a better way.
This is just the BEGINNING, tomorrow we are at Hertfordshire University  NEW panel FRESH topics be sure to get your review on here.

We are pleased to announce that Elevation Networks’ (EN) has partnered with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games & Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to be a part of the 70,000 volunteers who will help to make the London 2012 Games happen. As London 2012 Games Makers we will be responsible for helping them achieve their diversity objectives and targets set by the board.

The choice to join the movement that is London 2012 was a natural one. Their diversity approach is nothing short of inclusive and well thought out. LOCOG are diversity champions as they have considered all the discriminatory factors when it comes to applying to such an event. This is seen in the attitude over age programme, the >access now! programme as well as the Cultural Olympiad, a few programmes and strategies put in place by LOCOG to include the young, old, disadvantage and underprivileged not just an individual scale but on a community scale too.

EN becoming London 2012 Games Makers is not our first partnership with LOCOG. We hosted the Future Leaders Forum at LOCOG HQ earlier this year, with attendees from the BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) background from over 30 UK universities go onto become brand ambassadors for LOCOG whilst receiving leadership training.

Samuel Kasumu, CEO of EN says:

“The choice to hold the Olympics in London was not won solely because of the diversity of the city but because it would involve this diverse pool of talent working together, EN hopes this opportunity will build up the transferable skills of many young people thus making them more employable”.

If you would like to become a Games Maker you still have a chance to get involved. Visit: http://www.london2012.com
Deadline 27th October 2010

In response to some of the comments I received about one of the previous blogposts I decided to address the raised issue of whether the UK student brain drain was real. Unsurprisingly, to some degree, it has already begun.

Maastricht University in the Netherlands has been scooping up a lot of clearing students in the past month to go and study at the respected Dutch institution. At £1,500 for tuition, fees are half the cost of those in the UK and the university is already drop down prices for rent. When living in university accommodation you would be looking at paying a little over £300 which is rare in the UK unless you study in West Yorkshire – I speak from experience.

The Netherlands is not the only part of the world that is actively seeking out prospective British undergraduates. Places like Prague College in the Czech Republic expect to fill all their English taught courses with British students come September.

It appears to be the case that studying abroad for your entire degree rather than just an exchange is now the growing trend. Ben Scheffer, a pupil of German Origin received 3 A*s and 3 As at A-Level, yet was rejected by Oxford, London School of Economics, University College London, Bristol and Warwick. There is word that he has now gained a place at a university in Australia. So if you are thinking of getting away from your folks for university, be it undergraduate or postgraduate, you may want to consider whether studying abroad is an option for you.

Graduate tax. Just the typing of the very phrase makes me say eek on the inside whilst I optimistically smile and say maybe this bill may not come to pass. Since the Con-Lib coalition came into government this idea of a tax for graduates has been tossed back and forth with ambiguous phrasing leaving both current and prospective graduates in the dark about what is really going on.

Let us review the background of this possibly looming tax. For several years, Russell Group universities have been pushing for higher fees with the bill being footed by students rather than the taxpayer. This would result in many of these elite, research intensive universities charging up to £7,000 annually for the high quality education that is sought the world over. Wendy Piatt, the director-general of the Russell Group argues that money received from alumni, charities and other supporting bodies is difficult to sustain in an economic downturn. The only alternative is to raise the cap on fees or as Cambridge University puts it, risk losing its place as a world leading university. Increasing demand for funds for these universities also explains the recent dependence on the income of  international students.

Fast forward to the political scene now, Lord Browne, the former ‘Sun King’ of BP, is heading a review into tuition fees. It is suspected that he will agree to a hike in fees. Now what does that mean for you? The coalition government want to create a graduate tax. So taxation would be in line with the chosen career field one ends up in which would mean graduates would end up paying much more than the original price of their university education for quite possibly a longer period of time. Those going into higher earning professions like medicine could be looking at paying well over £100,000 over 35 years at a rate of 5%, as evaluated by the University and College Union. Many ministers are trying to steer away from this eventuality because that means the money paid by you would go straight into the Treasury’s coffers. Instead, coalition members are seeking to maintain the link between universities and students because they believe it is an important driver in our satisfaction as students.

The consequences of this levy coming into effect will mean that students from poorer families will have to re-evaluate the cost of going to university. Can they really afford to study law when teaching may appear to be a more economically viable option. The Lib Dems are also left in limbo with regards to their election pledge of scrapping tuition fees in the six years. If this tax bill is realised, I believe there will be a brain drain and students will look at studying abroad to avoid what seems like a penalty for wanting to go to pursue higher education. And those who perhaps considered higher education as a necessity will now begin to view it as a option leading to a less diverse pool of students which is not what this country is meant to represent.

I hope it does not pass and if it does, let us all pray for the strength to see us through the challenging times ahead.

As I write this, I myself have been overloaded with a combination of good and bad news all to do with the dreaded c-word for many A-Level students who have just received their results. Having been one of those prospective undergraduates quaking in their boots about the fate that awaits them on the other side of the telephone line of the umpteenth university they have called, I say to you, your life is not over. In fact, don’t take my word for it, here are few members of the Elevation Networks’ (EN) who can shed a lot more light over the whole experience and what you could be expecting.

Barbara Soetan heading another VW initiative

Barbara Soetan

Director of Programmes & Strategy

BA Hons Politics

Queen Mary University

Desired career if you have an idea: Policy and Development

How was the whole clearing experience for you?

I hadn’t expected to go through clearing so when I missed the grade to study Law at LSE, I very keen to get into a university that was still part of the University of London and offered me the chance to either study Law or similar subject. It was quite an emotional time trying to decide what alternative subject to study and it was by chance that I saw that Queen Mary were advising for places in Politics, I called them up and they had there more spaces left and the rest they say is history.

How has going to Queen Mary benefited you? And did it have any part in you joining EN?

Going to Queen Mary has given me the chance to study a very relevant degree and shape my passion for policy and development. During my time at Queen Mary I had the opportunity to undertake an internship with an MP and an MEP. I represented the UK at international events, was an election observer during the 2007 Kenyan general election and worked with the Commonwealth Youth Programme.

It was during my involvement with the ACS at Queen Mary that I met Samuel Kasumu and got on board with the vision to set up Elevation Networks and I haven’t looked back. Now I am please to say that I am working with the Queen Mary career department to support other QM graduates get into employment by offering them short-term internship placements at the EN offices to increase their employability.

Do you feel your university choice made you strive to become more competitive with regards to your employability?

Yes- I refused to believe that I should be held back from my ambitions because I didn’t end up going to LSE and in fact feel that I have been able to gain a more fruitful, holistic university experience that has put me in very good stead for future goals and career paths once I finish my postgraduate studies.

What would you advise students in your position this week?

Everything happens for a reason and just because you go through clearing doesn’t mean that all hope is lost, make the most of whatever opportunity you are faced with and be encouraged that university is not just about having a degree but the wider experience and lesson learnt along the way.

Richard deep in thought

Richard Kuti

University Student Action Team

London South Bank University (LSBU)

Consultancy for public and private organisations

Describe your clearing experience

The clearing process wasn’t too hard for me. I knew exactly what I wanted to do at university, and had limited knowledge of any how to do it, so essentially it made it easier to narrow down which courses that I wanted to do. I guess the downside was that because I thought about everything in such a systematic way, I missed out on other opportunities such as studying a foundation degree at one of my desired universities, namely City, and later changing to the course that I wanted to go onto which was Business Management or Studies.

Looking back on it all, are you happy with the decision you made?

Yes absolutely. My time at LSBU has been great. I’ve met great people and my lecturers have become lifelong mentors to me whom I won’t forget. I have also had the opportunity to change a lot of things within the actual University itself which has been great.

And being an LSBU student, has it made you competitive with regards to you upping your employability?

I believe in some ways it has. It’s given me the confidence in myself to go out and go after any career I choose to go into. My experience here has also taught me to be aware of my own self development continuously. After all, you only spend 3-5 years at you University then you have to practice what you’ve learned.

On a final note what words of wisdom would you give to students who are now in the same position you were in 6 years ago?

First of all … never think clearing is a bad thing. It gives you the opportunity to review what you truly want and also for you to become adaptable albeit a fast paced experience as well. Always be open minded about your decision and not narrow-minded. There are many paths and routes to your destination and this opportunity will give you the chance to explore them.

Joan Doe all smiles for the camera

Joan Doe

Marketing Administrator

University of Kent

So describe your clearing experience to us

My clearing experience was pretty much a success, my required grades were ABB and I got ABC, which was still a decent grade, so getting offer wasn’t much of an issue. It was daunting having to make all the phone calls at such a rapid speed, and not really having time to get over the fact that I could not go to my desired university.

How accommodating were your present university? How did they go out of their way to help you in getting a place?

My university were quite accommodating. Though they were obviously dealing with a high volume of phone calls, my calls were answered quite quickly. I also got one of my preferred accommodations, though it was not guaranteed for clearing students. They had an open day for clearing students, which was very helpful as it prepared me for what to expect when I arrived in September. Lecturers were also very helpful, in respect to explaining my options, degree wise.

Taking into consideration the current marketplace and the demands of employers nowadays, do you feel that being a University of Kent student has made you strive to be more competitive with regards to your employability?

Yes, it helped me realise the number of people vying for the same jobs as myself, and the importance of not only having educational qualifications, but also practical experience in the work place.

And what would you have told yourself two years ago when you were going through clearing?

Firstly is to stay calm. Find out about as many universities that are willing to take them on, and then review if such universities are best for them. Be prepared for long waits on the phones with universities. Remember that though things may have not worked out the way you wished or anticipated these results alone do not define you, go on an achieve more a better things.

Now you’ve heard it from me and all these other people from the breadth of EN telling you all is well that ends well. You write your own destiny and fate. University will be what you make it, believe me. Any other further questions about anything relating to the university experience, tweet us at: http://twitter.com/elevationetwork/ and please join the Facebook fanpage: http://bit.ly/dqwl8F

Photo credits: Rebecca Hadell – http://www.rebeccahadell.com/index.html