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Maeve Sherlock to Chair the National Student Forum

31 January 2008

The Secretary of State for Innovation Universities and Skills, John Denham announced today that Maeve Sherlock will Chair the newly formed National Student Forum. The independent Forum will bring the voice of students straight to the heart of Government.

Maeve Sherlock brings to the Chairmanship a huge range of skills and experience and is no stranger to student representation. She was President of the National Union of Students before becoming director of UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) among other roles and until 2006 was Chief Executive of the Refugee Council. Maeve is currently studying for a postgraduate degree so has a unique insight into how higher education feels to students today.

Announcing the appointment, John Denham said,

I am delighted to welcome Maeve Sherlock as Chair of the new National Student Forum. I'm very grateful she has agreed to guide and oversee the Forum in making the student voice heard.

With Maeve the Forum has a strong, independent Chair, who brings a wealth of experience to the role. Maeve is currently a postgraduate student but has also served as NUS President and Director of UKCOSA. She is someone who will have the confidence of students, and will be an excellent advocate for their views.

Maeve Sherlock said

I am very pleased to have been asked to Chair the forum. I hope that I can help the forums voice be heard and ensure that it becomes something that can influence ministers. I am particularly looking forward to the first meeting when I will find out what issues the Forum want to discuss and I hope that through the Forum we can make a real difference to student experience.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Minister for Students said,

I know that under Maeve's Chairmanship the work of the National Student Forum will enhance the successful routes we already have in place to help students tell us what they think.

The Forum will talk and we will listen. It will provide a vital student perspective in the development, delivery and impact of HE policy, helping shape the debate around future policy and advising Government on what students can reasonably expect from the time and money they invest in higher education.

Notes to Editors

Maeve Sherlock biography

Maeve Sherlock is currently at Durham University doing research for her doctorate on the subject of the interface between Faith and the State in modern Britain. Until October 2006, she was Chief Executive of the Refugee Council and previous to this, spent three years as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Treasury on issues including child poverty, labour markets and the Third Sector. During the 2007 Spending Review, she chaired an Advisory Panel advising ministers on the future role of the Third Sector in economic and social regeneration. Before moving to the Treasury, she was Chief Executive of the charity One Parent Families, director of UKCOSA (Council of International Education) and President of the National Union of Students.

The Forum is part of the the Wider Student Listening Programme and has been developed in partnership with the National Union of Students, the national Postgraduate Committee, the mature Student's Union, the Open University Student's Association, Skill - the national bureau for students with disabilities and the British Council. Each of these organisations has worked closely with DIUS to nominate students to be Forum members. And they have worked very closely with us to ensure that we get a Forum that accurately represents the diversity of our student population. Those representative bodies are in the process of confirming who w ill sit on the forum.

The student Listening Programme ensures students are able to make their views and ideas heard with Ministers responding to specific issues raised. As well the national Student Forum the Listening Programme includes,

  • Baroness Delyth Morgan is the new Minister for Students, allowing students to be heard at the centre of Government;
  • Ministerial visits to university campuses across England with Ministers meeting students face-to-face to hear their experiences first-hand;
  • Five 'student juries' made up of students from across the country in the run up to Christmas looking at high profile issues that matter to them such as student finance, widening participation and learning support;