Hello, I’m Bill Rammell the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire. I’m hugely excited to be leading this great university, which is blazing a trail in widening access to Higher Education. This mission is something I can very personally relate to. I grew up in a council house, went to a local comprehensive and then had my life transformed by going to university. I want the opportunity of going to university open to everyone, as I believe it is good for you, critical for our country and its economy and of great benefit to all. We are determined here at Bedfordshire to deliver the best possible student experience with good timely feedback, excellent personal tutoring and superb student facilities. That’s why we’ve spent £180 million on our student estate in recent years, with a further £180 million committed for state of the art facilities like our business pods, in order to help you fulfil your potential. Once you complete your studies, your employability as a graduate of this university is our highest concern. We’re proud that 90% of our students are in work or further study following graduation, which is one of the best rates in the Country. We want to maintain that through volunteering opportunities to support your development, practice based learning, and real work experience opportunities. I’m also proud that this is an international university. Students from many different countries living, studying and working together is a force for good and also helps our students develop a globalised mind and skill set we all increasingly need to thrive in the world of work. We have overseas students studying here, we deliver education overseas and we want to help more of our students to spend some time studying overseas. We have at this university, world leading research and applied support for business, which is helping our economy and community, whilst informing and improving our teaching. You will have heard about the new fees system which is affecting all universities. I want to reassure you that the University of Bedfordshire remains affordable and accessible. Our bursaries are the best in the country. You won’t pay fees up front and the monthly repayments once you are a graduate, are less than they were under the old fees regime. You only begin repaying when you are in work and earning more than £21,000. We are also expanding support and flexible courses for part time students. Finally I would like to say to you, I want students at this university to influence and shape their education. We view our students as partners and we want the student voice to influence all our decisions. This is how we best guarantee the quality of the time you spend here. I hope you will find out more about the University of Bedfordshire and what it can offer you both academically and socially, as we are always working to transform lives for the better. University changed my life and I hope it will change yours too.