Dr Helen Carasso
Honorary Norham Fellow, Department of Education
With the first half of her career spend in broadcasting, communications and public relations, Dr Helen Carasso is committed to informed debate about the nature, purposes and funding of higher education.
Academic profile
About
Dr Helen Carasso's academic interest in higher education policy developed from her professional experience of university administration, including senior roles in public relations, marketing, student recruitment and admissions.
Her doctorate focused on the market created by the introduction of £3,000 fees for undergraduates at English universities in 2006. Since then, she has conducted research into the impacts of student fees and funding on participation in higher education in England and also works as a consultant to higher education institutions. This combination of theoretical and practical engagement within the sector gives Helen a broad basis from which to consider, and seek to understand, the likely and actual impacts of policy changes on universities, their staff and their students.
As a former Director of the Oxford Colleges' Admissions Office, Dr Carasso has a particular interest in questions of widening participation and fair access and the ways in which we should assess the effectiveness of initiatives to improve equity in higher education.
Expertise
- Higher Education
- Universities
- Tuition fees
- Access to Higher Education
- Student Funding
- Equity in post-compulsory education
- University funding and financial security
Media experience
Dr Carasso has extensive media experience, including seven years working as a radio broadcaster and creating online video content.