My Imaginary University

The latest episode of My Imaginary University sees Professor Craig Mahoney sharing his vision for an exciting new challenger university, unconstrained by centuries of history, with multiple campuses, each with their own character and flavour, and ready to take on the old guard. The university is engaged in real world research too, focusing on the big modern problems, and has a novel approach to collaborative and virtual delivery.
Students at Craig's university come from all walks of life and cover all age ranges. It's a very inclusive community where students can expect to experience innovative learning techniques including holographic delivery from all the greats, dead or alive, not least Einstein.
Our Vice-Chancellor is very upbeat about the civic mission of his institution but is not at all in favour of university league tables. He is not much of a fan of excessive regulation either and disappointed by the absence of grown up conversations on this topic.
As VC though he is all for being approachable, accessible and supportive to students and staff to ensure anyone can raise concerns. Craig also regards student voice as hugely important and believes that involving students, and not just the students' union, is essential at all levels of the university.
The university has a very, very high profile Chancellor who also has a remarkable deputy (holographic, of course) when she is not available.
Staff at Craig's university are well rewarded for their work but there are strings attached not least the cancelation of cancelling. The executive team has also spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide on the university's anthem with possible choices ranging from Alice Cooper to Heather Small. 
It's a bold prospectus for an exciting new imaginary university.

In this episode we learn a lot about what Smita Jamdar's made up university would look like. It is a very new one, based in the north and with a strong sense of community and business engagement. There is a strong set of values underpinning the university and some real curricular novelties and innovations.
Whilst this leader has no particular interest in league tables there is even less enthusiasm for regulation - rather institutional autonomy is seen as much the most important thing.
Smita is very much a Vice-Chancellor of the people, she's relaxed about sharing an open plan office and certainly does not have a limo, but she really does want the university to have its own brand of wine, This is though supplemented by comprehensive sports and arts offerings.
We talk quite a bit about the importance of free speech on campus, unless it involves whining which is most definitely banned. 
And her university has a strong sustainable, community-focused anthem. One which will be familiar to many and is perhaps quite easy to guess.
It's a really entertaining discussion about a very interesting imaginary university.