S2 Ep4: Episode 4: Sporting Scenes, Sector Challenges and Royal Remains

The latest episode of the podcast finds me talking to Richard Taylor who is Chief Operating Officer at Loughborough University. Like quite a few others in similar positions Richard's taste for HE management started with a stint as a  sabbatical officer at Durham University before landing an exams administration job at Loughborough and then returning north, becoming in due course Head of Marketing back at Durham. From there it was another trip back to the East Midlands where in 2003 Richard was appointed as Director of Marketing at the University of Leicester at a very young age. Working with Bob Burgess (much missed) he grew his portfolio, eventually ending up as Deputy Registrar before landing the job of COO at neighbouring Loughborough where he has now been for almost a decade.

We discuss the distinctive profile of Loughborough University in terms of its sporting environment and activities, student experience and research specialisms. The university has a strong sense of community, belonging and sense of purpose which enhances both student satisfaction and town-gown relations. Looking at the broader higher education landscape Richard observes that it is the sheer breadth of the range of challenges faced by the sector from  industrial relations to regulatory compliance which make things so very difficult at present as well as noting that we often make things harder for ourselves by our cautious approach to embracing risk.

Of course we could not let this conversation end without discussing Richard's role in supporting the operation which led to the discovery of the remains of King Richard III in a Leicester car park. This was a remarkable example of academics and amateur historians working together on what turned out to be an internationally noteworthy find which, as Richard observed, speaks to something bigger about the role of universities and their research in society. 

Finally Richard reflects somewhat ruefully on Sayre's law and the efforts invested in low stakes activities and unnecessary battles in universities. It's a really good conversation and well worth a listen.