Outreach work. The University believes that its bursary package, in conjunction with its current and planned outreach activities, represents a robust system for ensuring that educational opportunities are made widely available. The University continues to provide an extensive range of outreach work which should be seen in the context of a well- resourced marketing, recruitment and widening participation operation. It therefore does not at this stage devote a specific proportion of additional fee income, other than the bursary scheme, to those outreach activities. The University’s Director of Widening Access oversees the University’s involvement in the area Aimhigher and other outreach activities such as the HEFCE funded Summer Schools for young people who might otherwise gain no experience of a higher education environment. In addition, the University operates a number of very successful mentoring projects to support young people from low participation backgrounds in raising their aspirations and levels of achievement. A large part of the activity described above is currently targeted at priority schools in the Cheshire and Warrington areas which are located in neighbourhoods from which there is a low participation rate in HE (in the lowest quartile), and which have a low profile of GCSE attainment. It is intended that this level and type of activity, which includes taster days, and mentoring projects, will be maintained. For intensive activities and sustained interventions, the University aims to target individuals from the lower socio-economic groups and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, the University aims further to continue its outreach work in targeting further education colleges in low participation areas. Existing links and agreements with further education colleges have already contributed to the diversification of the University’s applications and intake, both in terms of entry qualifications and social background. In recognition of the success of these links, University of Xxxxxxx has responded positively to requests from a number of its key partner FE colleges to move to Associate College status, a central purpose of which is to increase still further the ‘pull-through’ of students from further to higher education. The strength and range of the University’s existing outreach work underlies its decision to devote much of its spending on widening participation from additional fee income to the bursary scheme.
Outreach work. The College will continue to engage with local and sub-regional initiatives and agencies to attract under-represented clients into learning. This will be through existing strategies rather than through any additional resources generated by the income received from the tuition fees charged through this Agreement. The main activities will be through the work of Aimhigher and the Higher York Lifelong Learning Network.
Outreach work. The University College has a thriving and expanding programme of outreach provision focused through the School and College Liaison Team and the faculties and is an active and committed member of the Xxxxxx Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Aimhigher partnership. BCUC’s Regional Development Unit currently hosts and supports members of staff employed by Aimhigher and works closely with the Aimhigher network in order to ensure that there is a high level of synergy between the two organisations and no duplication of effort. Activities that are undertaken by the School and College Liaison Team and the faculties include taster days, master classes and visits to schools and colleges to provide information and support through the UCAS process. These activities are largely targeted at institutions where there are lower levels of achievement, low levels of aspiration and little tradition of progression to higher education. The activities are funded through Aimhigher and BCUC’s Widening Access and Improving Retention budget. Aspiration raising is also supported through summer schools, funded by BCUC and Aimhigher South East. BCUC’s Student Ambassadors scheme has been recognised as an example of good practice by the Learning and Skills Council. Student Ambassadors are engaged in a variety of supportive roles including acting as mentors and role models for pupils identified by schools as having the ability to progress to higher education but who appear not to be considering university as an option. It is clear that not all decisions to continue into higher education are based on academic achievement and BCUC has therefore instigated a range of supportive measures. In conjunction with the BCUC Students’ Union, an existing student using text messaging contacts successful applicants from low participation postcodes. The BCUC students who are selected and trained then act as a point of contact between the potential student and the University College. The role involves welcoming new students to the University College, answering queries and arranging to meet during Freshers Week to ensure that new students do not become lonely and isolated. The contact continues until the beginning of the second semester of the first year to encourage and support new students to return after the Christmas break. A further example of pre entry support included as part of the Access Agreement and directly targeted at widening participation groups is the pre entry residential event ‘Flyin...
Outreach work. Participation with success is the primary goal of the University’s Widening Participation Strategy. We believe that access to higher education only has real value if those students who are recruited into the University continue and succeed in their studies. However, some students do not complete their awards and the improvement of retention rates is an institutional priority; the University has set a target to reduce non continuation rates to at or below the benchmark over the period of the Access Agreement. The University has a well developed culture of strong student support and aims to provide a high quality system of pastoral, personal and academic support for all students. Such support is viewed by the University as of central importance in encouraging students from underrepresented groups to study at the University in the knowledge that a wide range of support mechanisms exist. Pre and post entry support is provided through a range of initiatives and students are made aware of the systems of pastoral and personal support in the University through pre-entry events and activities. The Summer University enables students to access a number of learning skills courses designed to support preparation for university and their progression and success between different levels of study. Dyslexia and disability support is well developed and at confirmation and clearing, counsellors are available to provide students with advice on the support systems available. We intend to invest further to enhance the capacity of these activities. For students studying through partner colleges, the sector’s small group sizes and extensive experience of working with disadvantaged groups and students with specific learning needs ensure that students recruited to programmes delivered in the FE sector are intensely supported. For the benefit of internal students, the University intends to invest a significant proportion of anticipated new fee income recruiting additional academic staff to reduce staff- student ratios and on that basis to further improve our learning and teaching and tutorial support services. Investment will also be put into enhanced learning and skill support on all programmes and through an extension of Summer School and Summer University programmes in specific subject areas. A range of activities currently takes place with mature learners, this includes adult guidance work through the office of Student Affairs, a range of Access open days, for example Access to ...
Outreach work ncn currently engages in a substantial amount of outreach work and will continue to do so under this Access Agreement.
Outreach work. As part of its widening participation policy, Birmingham City University has always been committed to delivering and participating in outreach activities. The UCE Character and Mission statement included this statement: ‘ UCE’s programmes and services should be available to all who can benefit from them, irrespective of social, economic, cultural and ethnic differences. UCE is active in reaching out to all parts of the community and will continue to be a major force in the struggle against social exclusion’. This commitment was confirmed in UCE’s Policy and Planning document for 2006 onwards. Birmingham City University’s vision, set out in its Corporate Plan, 2007-2012, states that the University will be recognised as ‘a force for equality and inclusion’. The University is engaged in a comprehensive outreach programme. These activities are listed in Appendix 1 and include summer schools, a student mentoring scheme and the Reach Out to Learning programme, all of which have established plans and funding for continuation and development which we do not view as additional activity. Our policy of inclusion and active aspiration raising has placed the University above benchmark in the following areas, according to the HESA National Performance Indicators: • Participation of mature students • Participation of students from state schools • Participation of students from NS-SEC social classes 4 to 7 • Participation of students from neighbourhoods with low participation in HE Young FT First degree students BCU % Benchmark% Difference% 2005/2006 State Schools 97 93.4 3.6 significantly better Low part neighbourhoods 18 15.9 2.1 Young FT Undergraduate students BCU % Benchmark% Difference% 2005/2006 State Schools 97.1 93.7 3.4 significantly better Social class 43.8 35.3 8.5 significantly better Low part neighbourhoods 19.1 17.3 1.8 Young FT Other Undergraduate students BCU % Benchmark% Difference% 2005/2006 State Schools 99.1 98.2 0.9 Social class 60 44.8 15.2 significantly better Low part neighbourhoods 24.2 23.6 0.6 BCU % Benchmark% Difference% 2005/2006 First degree 15.8 14.4 1.4
6 17.7 3.1 significantly better
Outreach work. The College intends to use a minimum of 10 % of the additional fee income to fund further outreach work. This will principally involve the appointment of a full-time Widening Participation Officer who will continue to develop the work currently undertaken by the College with the following organisations: • Aimhigher • University partners • Swindon Schools: o Hreod Parkway o Churchfields o Dorcan Technology College o Headlands o Greendown Activities related to outreach work include: • Student Enrichment Programmes • Student Mentoring and E-Mentoring • Other Aimhigher events
Outreach work. The College will look to use its relationships with community centres, voluntary organisations and schools in the educationally deprived wards of the Borough to distribute information about the College’s HE provision. It is anticipated that this activity will take place between October 2010 and June 2011.
Outreach work. 5.1 The College will maintain its commitment to widening participation and of supporting internal progression onto its HE provision specific activities include: - • Aimhigher – the College will continue to engage in and support all Aimhigher initiatives with its partner FE Colleges and Universities within the London West LSC area. Events will include summer schools, tasters, and master classes. • Progression days – events encouraging and facilitating internal progression. • University Fair • Visits – From partner Universities to provide advice, guidance and information, and workshops. • Industry day (Technology) – aimed at employers, schools and college students; events and information covering apprenticeships and progression to HE via the work-based learning route. • Access to HE provision – the college will maintain its commitment (subject to LSC funding) to provide significant numbers of mature learners with the opportunity of developing the skills and knowledge needed for progression to HE.
Outreach work. 6.1 The Institute conducts significant outreach work as part of its Widening Participation Strategy, which includes on-course support for students. This work has been extended to develop partnerships with new schools and colleges in support of our recruitment of under-represented groups, which in turn necessitates the allocation of additional resource through the period of this Agreement.
6.2 Following the identification of appropriate schools and colleges, which may not be from the local area, we have developed links which will both raise aspiration within the organisation, and encourage application to the Institute. This includes student mentoring, visits to the Institute for taster-days, and the opportunity to meet with current staff and students, as well as work within the schools and colleges.
6.3 To raise awareness and opportunities in education in arts, design and media, the Institute holds Portfolio Advice days where target groups of students are encouraged to seek critical advice and discuss career opportunities with current academic staff.
6.4 The funding allocation to outreach reflects the fact that much of this work is already conducted through our Widening Participation Strategy, but that this work will develop and extend throughout the period of the Agreement.
