Developing the whole student - Oxford Learning Institute - University ...

Foreword Professor Craig Mahoney,
Chief Executive, Higher Education Academy
Higher education in the UK is one of the great success stories of the past 20 years.
It has expanded in line with government policy and provided individuals, companies and
UK governments’ access to knowledge for the creation of wealth in many forms, to change
opinion and to enable economic growth. However during the early part of the 21st century
we have also seen huge pressure on education, government funding and the personal
circumstances of individuals, families, companies and the UK.
“Higher education
must also be
clear about how
it supports the
relationship
between students
and society.”
Professor Craig Mahoney
Perhaps now, more than ever, this publication, Developing the Whole Student:
Leading Higher Education Initiatives that Integrate Mind and Heart by Kathleen Quinlan
provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what constitutes the development of a well
rounded student learning experience. As leaders in institutions and as educators, we must
ensure that knowledge acquisition, together with personal growth and development,
remain a central part of students’ education - to create lifelong learners not only possessing
higher level academic skills and discerning information literacy skills, but also excellent
transferable skills and appropriate graduate attributes. Higher education must also be
clear about how it supports the relationship between students and the wider society
in which they live and this report provides useful insights into how a holistic student
experience can be created and led, particularly drawing on research evidence in the US.
There is a need to build such an evidence base in the UK. This is a timely and well written
report that I strongly commend to those interested in higher education and in student
learning and development.