Thinking about the past for the future Students and the study of History Dr Sara Barker School of History, University of Leeds @DrSKBarker History UK Plenary Roundtable, 3rd November 2018

Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail, 2 November 2018 “A history degree gives you no skills that you would not get from a degree in plenty of other subjects. It certainly gives you little that you would not also get from A- level studies, training in all kinds of white-collar jobs, or just reading a book and being a reasonably intelligent adult.”

‘History’ ‘What does it mean to do History’? ‘What is the use of History’? ‘What is History all about’? ‘WHO publishes today’s history’? ‘What do you mean by History’?

How History is presented to prospective students

Reasons to Study History Complete University Guide Transferable Skills History is relevant A History degree is an investment in your future Combined Courses A degree in History encourages independence Studying History provides cultural awareness A History degree allows us to learn from the past Source: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/courses/history/7-reasons-to-study-history/

Famous History Graduates Complete University Guide Louis Theroux Prince Charles Jonathan Ross Elena Kagan Ellen Barkin Sacha Baron Cohen Ayn Rand Steve Carrell Shakira Salman Rushdie Times Higher Samantha Power Gordon Brown Salman Rushdie Ayn Rand Elena Kagan Edward Norton Louis Theroux Machiavelli, Hume, Hegel, Marx… Source: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/courses/history/top-10-celebrities-with-a-history-degree/ Source: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/subjects/what-can-you-do-history-degree

Famous History Graduates (Guardian 2005) Media Nicky Campbell, Simon Mayo, Jeremy Bowen, Sacha Baron Cohen, Louis Theroux, Jonathan Ross, Melvyn Bragg Politics Gordon Brown, Alan Milburn, John Prescott, David Blunkett, Douglas Hurd, Sir Chris Patten, Kenneth Baker, John McGregor, John Gummer, Douglas Hogg Civil Service Dame Ruth Runciman, of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, David Collett, director of VSO, and Martin Gorham, chief executive of the National Blood Service. Law Michael Mansfield QC, Michael Briggs QC Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/jul/19/highereducation.historyandhistoryofart

Famous History Graduates (Guardian 2005) Museums, Libraries & the Arts Salman Rushdie, Matthew Kneale, Penelope Lively, Anthony Powell, Andrew Morton, Alan Bennett, Howard Barker Security Services John Abbot (director general of the National Criminal Intelligence Service), Roger Brandon (governor of Ford Open prison until 1998) Trade Unions Philip Bowyer, David Davies, John Monk  Business & Finance Sir Howard Stringer (Sony), Sir Roland Smith (director of the Bank of England). Gerald Corbett (Railtrack & SSL International - the home of Durex condoms) Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/jul/19/highereducation.historyandhistoryofart

The Student Room People who study History have an interest in the past, in all sorts of ways; studying the past helps us to understand our present, and to see it in perspective. The study of History is a wonderful training for people to learn how to evaluate evidence and bring it together to form a considered and well-argued judgement. The skills that people acquire when studying for a History degree can be used in all sorts of jobs and are much valued by mainstream employers. A Very Important Point - Not all History courses are the same. Degrees do not have some sort of universal syllabus in the way that A levels do and each University will teach their degree very differently with different optional units and a different focus. History is one of the most popular courses available at University. For this reason, it's essential to do your research and to pitch your applications sensibly.

Surveying UK History Department websites?

Employability

Looking to the future

Royal historical Society ‘Race, Ethnicity & Equality in UK History’ Report “Historical and Philosophical Studies (H&PS) undergraduate student cohorts are overwhelmingly White , and have lower proportions of BME students (11.3%) than the overall UK undergraduate population (23.9%) BME representation in H&PS departments diminishes further at postgraduate level, with just 8.6% of H&PS postgraduate research students from BME backgrounds, compared to 16.8% of all UK postgraduate research students History academic staff are less diverse than H&PS student cohorts, with 93.7% of History staff drawn from White backgrounds and only 0.5% Black, 2.2% Asian and 1.6% Mixed.” Source: https://royalhistsoc.org/racereport/

Key recommendations For Teaching Staff Broaden Coverage throughout the curriculum Question the absence of BME historians from reading lists Address the absences of Black British History Diversify content of core methods and theory courses For first year tutors, personal tutors & directors of studies Articulate the value of a history degree Support the transition from school to university Ensure that induction processes specifically address racial discrimination Develop a holistic approach to students Identify & close the BME attainment gap Facilitate student progression to PG study Raise awareness of BME students to join the next generation of university historians

Cautious optimism Students are really passionate about history They can see the value of a history degree, even if they sometimes need guidance in where to take things further