Prof Damien Page
@profdamienpage.bsky.social
4.6K followers 2.7K following 400 posts
Vice Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University and Professor of Education #academicsky
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profdamienpage.bsky.social
and arts were seen as desirable to a country’s wellbeing. When there were voices, loud, powerful voices, who were evangelists for higher education rather than apologists.

Maybe I’m just getting older and nostalgia has set in. But I miss them nonetheless.
profdamienpage.bsky.social
I miss the days when higher education was seen as a social good, a national treasure. When the social, cultural and intellectual contribution of higher education was valued as highly as economic contribution. When students from poorer backgrounds had proper financial support. When the humanities 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
Another article below reporting the denigration of Gen Z, this time for the argument that their values don’t align with organisations.

Gen Z doesn’t want “workcentrism” and endless grind. They want purpose, balance, inclusion, and mental health. That’s not entitlement, that’s progress. 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
a possibility in every project, every strategy, every plan.

Too many of the problems of HE are a result of leaders refusing to change direction.
profdamienpage.bsky.social
One of the greatest leadership attributes is the willingness to change direction. Not constantly (that is its own problem) but on critical occasions, when evidence changes.

It needs to be essential criteria in job descriptions. It needs to be emblazoned on appraisals. It needs to remain 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
Definitely possible - our new strategy will be very different
profdamienpage.bsky.social
Strategy is too often an idealised version of the university at odds with the lived experience of those who work there. Good strategy has to start with the problems and it has to be grounded in the reality of the university. It’s education, not spin.
profdamienpage.bsky.social
The problem with many university strategies is that they’re completely divorced from reality. Launched with fanfare, press releases and high quality videos, the people of the university mostly roll their eyes because there is no acknowledgement of the problems that need to be solved. 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
Reminder of the next session of the Working Class Leaders in Higher Education Network tomorrow at 3pm with Maria Delgado - we’ll be talking class, creative arts and leadership. Not to be missed. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-cl...
Working Class Leaders in Higher Education
We are thrilled to restart Working Class Leaders in HE! Join us 24 Sept, 3pm with Prof Maria Delgado, VP at CSSD
www.eventbrite.co.uk
profdamienpage.bsky.social
with a 29% increase in vice chancellors that went to comprehensives over the last decade.

But let’s not get carried away: higher education is still a highly class-biased sector, especially when we consider class intersectionally.

Progress, certainly, but we’ve a long way to go.
Elitist Britain 2025 - The Sutton Trust
Landmark research on the educational backgrounds of Britain's most powerful people.
www.suttontrust.com
profdamienpage.bsky.social
‘Disadvantage gaps open early and run deep in this country’.

New Sutton Trust report below finds very little change in the backgrounds of Britain’s ‘elites’, the pipeline from private school to high tariff uni to top jobs very much intact.

There is some progress in higher education 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
Recruit people who will help you sleep at night. Talent that will allow you go on holiday, relax, and not worry about what’s going on at work. A team where you don’t need to plan for someone deputising because they’re all top of their game.

Recruitment as wellbeing.
Reposted by Prof Damien Page
malcpd.bsky.social
𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

But it is already reshaping how leaders reflect.

I’ve written about what the research says, and why I created TalkSavvy™ Coach, an AI reflection partner for school leaders.

Read here 👉 www.malcpd.com/post/why-we-...

#edusky #AI #UKEd #TalkSavvy
Why We Need to Be AI-Savvy in Coaching
AI will never replace the richness of human coaching, but it can widen access to structured reflection. That’s why I created TalkSavvy™ Coach, an evidence-informed reflection partner built on my C.R.A...
www.malcpd.com
profdamienpage.bsky.social
After a hiatus, the Working Class Leaders in Higher Education Network is back with a bang: delighted to kick off with Prof Maria Delgado, Vice Principal at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Details below. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-cl...
Working Class Leaders in Higher Education
We are thrilled to restart Working Class Leaders in HE! Join us 24 Sept, 3pm with Prof Maria Delgado, VP at CSSD
www.eventbrite.co.uk
profdamienpage.bsky.social
The subject doesn’t matter; what matters is the experience of being novice, the feeling of being out of your depth, confused, curious, questioning.

Rebecoming novice is essential for educators.
profdamienpage.bsky.social
The more experienced we become, the more we need to put ourselves in situations where we become novices.

Read about subjects you know nothing about. Attend conferences where you only understand 5%. Network with experts from completely different industries.
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profdamienpage.bsky.social
Absolutely delighted to see that BNU has risen 75 places in the Postgraduate Taught Experience survey, now ranking us 14th in the country for PG. The perfect testament to the changes we’ve made and the excellence of our colleagues.
www.bucks.ac.uk/news/bnu-ris...
BNU rises 75 places in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2025
Postgraduate students rank University 1st in Computing and 4th in Business Management.
www.bucks.ac.uk
profdamienpage.bsky.social
We’re recruiting for a new professor - great opportunity to join BNU and help us develop a truly inclusive research culture. Reshares appreciated. jobs.bucks.ac.uk/vacancy/prof...
Professor (1850) | Buckinghamshire New University
Full Time  (37 hrs per week) – Permanent – High Wycombe Salary – £
jobs.bucks.ac.uk
profdamienpage.bsky.social
I’d make the same choice every time.
profdamienpage.bsky.social
man, that was something. The feeling of being part of a community, part of something important. Vital.

In 25 years I’ve never regretted a career in education. The highs, the lows; the successes, the failures; the joys, the stresses; the gains and the sacrifices; luck and hard work. 2/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
25 years ago this week, I started my education career. Half my life. Aimless until then. Meandering. But stepping into teaching for the first time felt like home, where I was supposed to be. Driving my clapped out car insanely early, walking into Lewisham College for the first time, 1/
profdamienpage.bsky.social
change education.

Intention is the key. If the intention is automation, that’s a problem. The focus needs to be not on automation but on augmentation. Freeing the human to do human work. The most human work of education. That’s the key.