Common use of Assessment of Performance Clause in Contracts

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally UCLan has an extremely strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2012/13 data) reflects that we met or exceeded our targets, with 19.1% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We have a strong story to tell and the data represents an improvement on the previous year’s data, but we are mindful that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We have therefore made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campus. These are heavily discounted to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We have made a strategic decision to continue with our policy of maintaining the increased entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher education. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our plans to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.4% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 69%. Over recent years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school and university levels. We are now developing a series of initiatives to ensure that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to be able to complete their programme of study with us. This will be rigorously monitored through the College structure and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systems. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We have, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We have chosen to focus initially on the attainment gap between White students and BME students. Our analysis shows that this attainment gap is present at UCLan, and although the gap here is below the sector average (UCLan 16.3%, sector average 18.4%), we are determined to reduce this significantly over the next few years. We have therefore agreed a new set of targets and milestones to address this and the University Board has confirmed our intention to reduce this gap to 12% (or lower) by 2017. In addressing this gap, we are also developing a series of broader initiatives aimed at ensuring that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to achieve their full potential. ACCESS MEASURES UCLan’s Strategy for the period 2007-2017 reaffirms our commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. The three objectives arising from this are:

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally both Burnley College and UCLan has have an extremely strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2012/13 data) reflects that Like UCLan, we met or exceeded our targets, with 19.1% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We have a strong story to tell and the data represents an improvement on the previous year’s datatell, but we are continue to be mindful that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We have therefore When UCLan and many other universities moved away from providing foundation entry year programmes the College made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campusmaintain its programmes and developed them as validated provision. These are heavily discounted programmes have since been expanded to cover the majority of our programme areas and UCLan have supported and followed this lead. The cost of these courses will be maintained at £6000 to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications qualifications, within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We have made a strategic decision A significant proportion of the additional income raised from those courses charging above £6000, alongside existing Student Opportunity funding, will be utilised in the initiatives identified within this agreement designed to continue with our policy of maintaining help meet the increased entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, challenging targets we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route set to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher educationpromote fair access for all learners. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our plans to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.4% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 69%. Over recent years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of how any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed are developing and piloting a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school Divisional and university College levels. We are now have also been developing a series of initiatives to ensure that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to be able to complete their programme of study with us. This will be is being rigorously monitored through the College structure and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systems. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We haveare, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We Although Access Arrangements have chosen only been in place a relatively short time, since our combined 2015-17 Agreement, and therefore monitoring is in its early stages, we have already been able to focus initially on the attainment gap between White students and BME studentsidentify some initial progress towards targets. Our analysis shows that this attainment gap is present at UCLanmost recent monitoring return for 2015-16 indicates positive progress towards all 5 targets, with milestones being met in 3 out of 5. For Example: - Student Success – the target was exceeded with an increase from 91% in 2014-15 to 95.3% for courses featuring within the Agreement in 2015-16 - Access – Students with Disabilities – there was an increase of 2 students (from 20 to 22) from the baseline year of 2014-15 to 2015-16 - Student success and although Progression – the gap here is below number of students on vocational awards (fdAs/FdScs etc) gaining high grades increased by 6$ from the sector average baseline year (UCLan 16.3%, sector average 18.4%), we are determined 2013-14) to reduce this significantly over the next few years. We have therefore agreed a new set of targets and milestones to address this and the University Board has confirmed our intention to reduce this gap to 12% (or lower) by 2017. In addressing this gap, we are also developing a series of broader initiatives aimed at ensuring that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to achieve their full potential. 2015-16 ACCESS MEASURES UCLan’s Strategy for the period 20072015-2017 reaffirms our 2020 affirmed their commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”” and Burnley College will continue to support them in achieving this commitment. COLLABORATION AND OUTREACH Collaborative provision Widening participation remains the major driver behind the development of the U C La n Burnley University Campus jointly run by UCLan and Burnley College. The three objectives arising opportunities that Burnley College already provide in collaboration with UCLan for people from Pennine Lancashire to study university programmes locally already shows a different demographic even to those studying at UCLan’s Preston campus. Evidence indicates that this are:collaboration already makes a significant contribution to mature student entry, with 74% of students based at Burnley and being over 21 compared with 54% of students at UCLan’s Preston campus. 48% of students here at Burnley come from low social classes, compared with 40% at UCLan’s Preston campus. Although our relationship with UCLan has changed in the light of government policy (indirectly funded student numbers via UCLan reduced significantly and from 2015-17 no longer exist as we have been successful in gaining directly funded numbers), we remain committed to working collaboratively to extend educational opportunity within the region. UCLan continues to be the validating partner for all our courses which are now directly funded. Additionally, following HEFCE guidance in spring 2017, we will be returning around 20% of our student numbers to UCLan’s indirect contract from September 2017, due to the following progression process for those students not completing their university award with Burnley College: Some students who commence their university studies with Burnley College, many of whom would not have met the entry requirements to commence a level 4 programme at UCLan Preston, are able to progress to Preston having successfully completed 1 or more years of their degree with Burnley College, and having been effectively prepared for the demands of higher level study at a large city centre university campus. Others are able to continue their studies on higher level provision offered by UCLan at the UCLan Burnley Campus

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally UCLan has an extremely a strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2012/13 2011/12 data) reflects that we met or exceeded our targets, with 19.116.4% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 4340% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We Although we have a strong story to tell and the data represents an improvement on the previous year’s data, but we are mindful know that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We have therefore made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campus. These are heavily discounted to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We have made a strategic decision to continue with our policy of maintaining the increased increasing entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, courses and we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route need to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher education. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-under- represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our plans to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.476.6% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 69%. Over recent the last couple of years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school and university levels. We are now developing a series of initiatives The data relating to ensure the academic year 2011/12 tells us that attrition was 3% higher for students from all backgrounds are effectively supported low participation neighbourhoods (9%), compared to be able to complete their programme of study students from high participation neighbourhoods (6%). For students from average participation neighbourhoods the figure was 8%. The ethnicity attrition gap decreased in 2011/12, with us. This will be rigorously monitored through the College structure attrition levels for White students being 8% and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systemsfor BME students 9%. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We have, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We want to make a difference in this area, so we have chosen to focus initially our energies on one area of disparity, rather than take a more generalised, scatter- gun approach. We have chosen to focus on the attainment gap between White students and BME students. Our analysis shows that this attainment gap is present at UCLan, and although the gap here is below the sector average (UCLan 16.3%, sector average 18.4%), we are determined to reduce this significantly over the next few years. We have therefore agreed a new set of targets and milestones to address this and the University Board has confirmed our intention to reduce this gap to 12% (or lower) by 2017. In addressing Once we feel that we are making sufficient progress in this gaparea, we are also developing a series of broader will begin initiatives aimed at ensuring that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to achieve their full potentialaddress other attainment gaps. ACCESS MEASURES UCLan’s Strategy for the period 2007-2017 reaffirms our commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. The three objectives arising from this are: