Fair Admissions. 3.1 Admissions procedures at the University are designed to offer equal access to all applicants. The University works closely with SPA (Supporting Professionalism in Admissions) to ensure currency of admissions practice and to facilitate professional updating with regard to its admissions processes. The University also continues to engage with UCAS, GuildHE (Admissions Network), specialist art and design admissions fora and CHEAD to enhance its admissions procedures in keeping with current and emerging best practice in the sector. Revisions to entry profiles, published information, and procedures for assessing the needs of applicants with disabilities fully engage with SPA advice and Competition and Market Authority guidance.
3.2 In common with the majority of art, design and media HE providers, applicants are invited to interview and their potential is assessed on the quality of their portfolio of creative work. Applicants access information on the application and interview process, portfolio preparation and other services provided by the University through the on-line Applicant Portal. The University has continued to improve the information delivered through this portal which we believe enhances the experience of applicants enabling them to make arrangements for interviews online, at their convenience. This assists applicants from all backgrounds in simplifying the application and entry process and providing contact information for further queries. Feedback from applicants collated from the 2015/16 admissions round indicated that 97% of respondents agreed that the Applicant Portal was easy to use and 97% agreed that the information was clear and useful to them.
3.3 The University has in place specific provision for applicants who declare a disability; an initial offer is made on the basis of the academic judgment of the interview panel, and support needs are further assessed by the Disability Support Group to ensure that the University can meet students’ individual requirements and facilitate reasonable adjustment where appropriate. The Applicant Portal contains information on how to access disability support for the interview and an explanation of the application process.
3.4 The University continues to maintain and extend its Progression Agreements with FE colleges, schools and academies, employing the principles and protocols developed by lifelong learning networks such as the National Arts Learning Network. We maintain our active engagement in the N...
Fair Admissions. The University of Liverpool is nationally recognised as one of the Xxxxxxx Group leaders in widening participation to Higher Education and supports the principles of fair and transparent admissions. The University recognises a wide range of progression routes and seeks to ensure that applicants from non-traditional backgrounds are given every opportunity to demonstrate their potential to succeed at the University of Liverpool. Admissions criteria, which are publicly available via the departmental admissions policies published on the University’s website, provide for individual circumstances to be taken into account when they are raised and evidence of their impact is provided, either via the personal statement on the UCAS form or via the reference, to ensure fairness and transparency. Additionally, a wide range of non-traditional qualifications are accepted for entry to many of our programmes. For adults living locally who want to return to full-time education and may have no formal qualifications, the University offers a ‘Go Higher’ access programme. This is a one year, part- time course in two pathways, Arts and Social and Environmental Studies. After successful completion of ‘Go Higher’, participants are eligible to apply for a wide range of University of Liverpool degrees.
Fair Admissions. Appendix C includes the aims and outcomes of our additional admissions work. Three areas of work will receive further prioritisation:
3.3.1 Contextual data We are already noted by the Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA) Programme as an exemplar of pioneering practice in the use of contextual data18. We are enthused by the engagement of UCAS to further support HEIs in using contextual information from 2012 and will use additional resources in this Access Agreement to invest in the integration of new data, flagging and evaluation processes brought about by these national developments.
Fair Admissions. It is the College’s policy to use an interview as the primary means of assessing an applicant’s suitability for their course of choice. The College believes that the opportunity provided by interview for applicants to meet and talk with staff and student representatives affords the most effective means of taking full account of all the applicant’s skills and characteristics. The College does not make decisions regarding a candidate’s suitability solely on the basis of information available from an application form (academic qualifications, personal statement and reference) where an interview is possible. The College reserves the right to not invite applicants for interview in certain circumstances including cases where a candidate’s application form indicates that they are ineligible for consideration or where the programme of choice has no places to offer. Applicants will be considered for entry if they have any qualification at a suitable level for entry as identified on individual course documents. Applicants who wish to defer will be treated on an equal basis to other applicants. The current admissions strategy does not include targets for individual courses but seeks to monitor and benchmark progress of courses against national standards. Not all courses can achieve ideal representation range against all targets. For example Foundation Degrees are more likely to recruit from a socially inclusive student cohort.
Fair Admissions. It is the University’s goal to admit the most talented students regardless of background. To ensure that all students are able to demonstrate and fulfil their potential, the University has built the following into its admissions framework: Contextual data Our work on contextual admissions has focused on providing decision-makers with supplementary data about the social and educational background of applicants. Clear and transparent information about our contextual data processes is provided to applicants19 and we ensure all new admissions staff are properly trained in its principles and use. In 2012 we developed a new methodology20 which results in the generation of two contextual flags and we also developed a new admissions statistical report for contextually flagged students, allowing us to track and monitor throughout the admissions cycle. Our monitoring shows the impact our contextual data processes have in some of most selective courses, particular in Medicine and Dentistry. We are committed to ongoing monitoring, updating and improving data sources and we are therefore investing further resource in contextual admissions through our Access Agreement. Courses with a Foundation Year Our courses with integrated foundation years21 have been specifically designed to provide students with the best possible grounding for continuing to a wide range of undergraduate degree courses including Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Life Sciences and Engineering and Physical Sciences. Our data shows that students participating in programmes with a Foundation Year are more likely to be from areas with low progression to higher education and from lower socio-economic groups than students on first year direct entry degree programmes. To ensure their continued attractiveness to students from under-represented backgrounds we will continue to invest in a generous package of bursaries (see section 5) for these programmes. Support for specific target groups within the admissions processes The University has held the Buttle Trust Quality Mark for Care Leavers since 2009. This is awarded to HEIs who provide a 19 xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx/study/undergraduate/applications/after-you-apply/contextual-data/ 20 xxxx://xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx/display.aspx?DocID=8128 high level of support to care leavers through their admission processes and into university study. The Student Support Adviser (SSA), based in the Atrium22, is the named institutional contact for care leavers. The S...
Fair Admissions. It is the College’s policy to use an interview as the primary means of assessing an applicant’s suitability for their course of choice. The College believes that the opportunity provided by interview for applicants to meet and talk with staff and student representatives affords the most effective means of taking full account of all the applicant’s skills and characteristics. The College does not make decisions regarding a candidate’s suitability solely on the basis of information available from an application form (academic qualifications, personal statement and reference) where an interview is possible. The College reserves the right to not invite applicants for interview in certain circumstances including cases where a candidate’s application form indicates that they are ineligible for consideration or where the programme of choice has no places to offer. Applicants will be considered for entry if they have any qualification at a suitable level for entry as identified on individual course documents. The current admissions strategy does not include targets for individual courses but seeks to monitor and benchmark progress of courses against national standards. Not all courses can achieve ideal representation range against all targets. For example Foundation Degrees and Level 0 courses are more likely to recruit from a socially inclusive student cohort.
Fair Admissions. 2.1 Admissions procedures at the University College are designed to offer equal access to all applicants. The University College continues to work with SPA (Supporting Professionalism in Admissions), to ensure currency of admissions practice and to facilitate professional updating with regard to its admissions processes. The University College also continues to engage with UCAS and GuildHE to enhance its admissions procedures in keeping with best practice in the sector. Revisions to entry profiles, published information and procedures for assessing the needs of applicants with disabilities fully engage with SPA guidance and advice.
2.2 In common with the majority of HE art, design and media providers, applicants are invited to interview and their creative potential is assessed on the quality of their portfolio of work. The University College has in place specific provisions for applicants who declare a disability; an initial offer is made on the basis of the academic judgment of the interview panel, and support needs are further assessed by the Disability Support Group to ensure that the University College can meet students’ individual requirements and facilitate reasonable adjustment where appropriate.
2.3 The University College proposes to maintain and renew its Progression Agreements with FE colleges, schools and academies, employing the principles and protocols developed by lifelong learning networks such as the National Arts Learning Network. We will maintain our active engagement in the National Arts Learning Network, as an integral part of the UK Art and Design Institutions Association (UKADIA), who continue to help disseminate good practice within the sector.
Fair Admissions. At this stage the compact team will work with admissions staff to ensure that the applications from compact students are dealt with fairly and appropriately in the provision of offers. This may entail advising the student to apply for a course more suited to his/her aspirations and predicted grades and likewise advising admissions staff on an appropriate offer which takes account of the student’s predicted grade profile.
Fair Admissions. As detailed in the University’s Access Agreement, Northumbria maintains an unwavering commitment to Fair Admissions. Widening participation activity will continue to be supported by the delivery of an Admissions system and processes which have been shaped by and are in full agreement with the key principles outlined in the 2004 Xxxxxxxx Review, ‘Fair admissions to Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice’. The five principles are: Transparency; Selection on the basis of achievement and potential; Assessment that is reliable and valid; The minimising of barriers; and, Professionalism in all respects.
Fair Admissions. 2.1 Admissions procedures at the University are designed to offer equal access to all applicants. The University works closely with SPA (Supporting Professionalism in Admissions), to ensure currency of admissions practice and to facilitate professional updating with regard to its admissions processes. The University also continues to engage with UCAS, GuildHE and CHEAD to enhance its admissions procedures in keeping with current and emerging best practice in the sector. Revisions to entry profiles, published information and procedures for assessing the needs of applicants with disabilities fully engage with SPA guidance and advice.
2.2 In common with the majority of HE art, design and media providers, applicants are invited to interview and their creative potential is assessed on the quality of their portfolio of work. The University has in place specific provisions for applicants who declare a disability; an initial offer is made on the basis of the academic judgment of the interview panel, and support needs are further assessed by the Disability Support Group to ensure that the University can meet students’ individual requirements and facilitate reasonable adjustment where appropriate. The University implemented its on- line Applicant Portal during the preceding admissions round and has been enhancing the information available to applicants which we believe will enhance the experience of applicants in making arrangements for interviews online, at their convenience. The portal also contains information on how to access disability support for the interview and an explanation of the National Scholarship Programme and application process. This in itself should assist applicants from all backgrounds in simplifying the application and entry process for all applicants regardless of background or origin. Feedback from applicants collated from the 2013/14 admissions round indicated that 96% of respondents agreed that the Applicant Portal was useful to them and 97% agreed that the information was clear and helpful.
2.3 The University continues to maintain and extend its Progression Agreements with FE colleges, schools and academies, employing the principles and protocols developed by lifelong learning networks such as the National Arts Learning Network. We maintain our active engagement in the National Arts Learning Network, as an integral part of the UK Art and Design Institutions Association (UKADIA), who continue to help disseminate good practice within the sec...
