Abstract
As part of the Then & Now project, oral histories were collected from staff and alumni about their experiences at the University of Warwick. During these interviews, participants often spoke about their own experiences of inclusion and exclusion at university, often in comparison to the perceived experience of students at university of today. Looking back to earlier decades of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, those interviewed described the institution as primarily white, male, and middle-class. But, in their oral history testimonies participants reported feeling that that inclusivity at Warwick has undergone a transformation over the last 50 years. This article reviews these interviews and considers what the interviewees’ experiences can add to discussions about inclusivity and accessibility within universities. By focusing on three themes that were identified from these interviews - gender, race and ethnicity, and class - the article explores changing attitudes and experiences of inclusion and exclusion at the University of Warwick 1965-present. The interviews indicate that significant changes have taken place with regards to gender equality, but that less sustained changes have been perceived to have occurred in relation to class and race. By reviewing a small sample of interviews that were collated as part of Then & Now, this article demonstrates the potential that further oral histories could offer to our understanding of inclusivity at the University of Warwick and the history of Higher Education.
Highlights
As part of the & : Arts at Warwick project, we interviewed alumni and long-standing members of Warwick’s academic staff about the transformations they had witnessed since the university’s founding or joining the university
By focusing on three themes that were identified from these interviews - gender, race and class – the article explores changing attitudes and experiences of inclusion and exclusion at the University of Warwick 1965 to present
Considering the interviews conducted as part of the & Project, it is evident that Warwick has certainly changed since its founding in 1965
Summary
As part of the & : Arts at Warwick project, we interviewed alumni and long-standing members of Warwick’s academic staff about the transformations they had witnessed since the university’s founding or joining the university. When Warwick was founded in 1965, many interviewees remarked that the profile of students and academic staff was primarily middle class, male, and white. The head of the department in the 1970’s would not appoint a woman under any circumstance (Grant, 2020) This article reviews these oral history interviews and considers what the interviewees experiences can add to our understanding of the history of inclusion within universities. By focusing on three themes that were identified from these interviews - gender, race and class – the article explores changing attitudes and experiences of inclusion and exclusion at the University of Warwick 1965 to present. The article explores what we can learn about experiences and perceptions of inclusivity by listening to oral history testimonies It demonstrates the potential of oral history interviews as evidence for understanding transformations in inclusivity in universities, and provides the basis for further research into these important topics
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