Transcript Part 1: Widening Participation and Strategic Assessments

Access in a New Era
The Changing policy landscape
for WP to HE: Lessons from the
Widening Participation Strategic
Assessments
Professor John Storan
Three Hats
• Continuum, Centre for Widening Participation
Policy Studies – University of East London
• Action on Access – WP National Co-ordination
Team
• Forum for Access and Continuing Education
(FACE) – Practitioners Network
The WP Triangle
Policy
Widening
Participation
to HE
Research
Practice
Will this man stop your child going to a top university?
The Sunday Times, February 19th, 2012
Changing Policy Landscape & WPSAs
What does the White Paper say?
“We will ensure that widening participation for
students of all backgrounds remains a key
strategic objective for all higher education
institutions. All universities will produce widening
participation strategic assessments, with HEFCE
and OFFA continuing to work together to ensure
coherence and avoid duplication with Access
Agreements”
Students at the Heart of the System, BIS, 2011
Changing Policy Landscape & WPSAs
What does the Grant Letter say?
• Emphasis on social mobility with WP and fair
access as references
• HEFCE and OFFA to work closely and effectively
together to maximise HEFCE and HEIs investment
in WP
• The additional costs of attracting and retaining
students from non-traditional backgrounds and
disabled students, including the funding HE
provides for widening participation and retention
HEFCE Grant Letter 2012-13
Background and Introduction
WPSAs: How did we get here?
• January 2009: HEFCE asked HEIs and FECs with more
than 100 FTE to submit WPSAs.
• Submission of WPSA a condition for WP allocation.
• WPSAs set out an institution’s overall WP strategy.
• WPSAs include all expenditure across the student
lifecycle whatever the source.
• Access Agreements only include expenditure on
bursaries, scholarships and additional outreach
activities that started after the introduction of variable
fees in 2006.
Background and Introduction
WPSAs: How did we get here?
• Joint monitoring returns for WPSAs and
Access Agreements for 2009-2010 report, Sept
2011
• Action on Access WPSA Thematic Review 2010
• Each WPSA covers three academic years from
2009-10
• Action on Access Topic Briefings 2011
Background and Introduction
What information was included in the WPSA?
• The position of WP in institutions’ missions
• The organisational and managerial responsibilities for
WP
• Institutions’ overall aims and objectives along with more
detailed targets and milestones for the next three years
• The full range of an institution’s WP activity and the level
of resource committed to WP.
Source: OFFA Access agreement and widening participation strategic assessment
monitoring, 2011
WPSA Monitoring Report Areas
What information was provided?
• Report on expenditure on widening
participation commitments 2009-10
• Give an assessment of WP activity 2009-10
• Report on the effects of the current economic
climate
• Provide an update on their plans for
evaluation of WP commitments
Headlines from the WPSA Monitoring
Outcomes: 2009 – 2010 Returns
What was spent and on what?
• Institutions are making a significant
investment in WP over and above HEFCE
funding.
• Areas for expenditure included:
–
–
–
–
Student support
WP staffing
Support for retention and student success
Expenditure to promote lifelong learning
Headlines from the WPSA Monitoring
What were reported as the most successful
activities?
• Institutions were asked to report on their three to
five most successful/ significant WP activities across
the student lifecycle.
Category of activity
Involvement with Aimhigher programme
Summer schools
Academic outreach interventions pre-entry
(e.g. masterclasses, taster days)
Pre-entry information, advice and guidance (IAG)
Links with secondary schools
Activities to improve retention and student success
Campus visits/open days
Course/curriculum development
Progression agreements/internal progression within institutions
Activities to improve employability
% of institutions reporting this
type of activity as
successful/significant
29%
27%
27%
27%
26%
26%
25%
24%
24%
21%
Headlines from the WPSA Monitoring
What challenges were identified for the future?
• Challenges ahead and effects on WP
commitments in WPSA:
– Uncertain HE climate (Jan 2011)
– Two thirds of institutions reported the need to change their
WPSA particularly in light of the new funding regime and
Aimhigher closure
• Institutions highlighted a range of WP activities
that they felt need protecting from funding cuts:
– Protect links with schools
– Outreach work
– IAG
Headlines from the WPSA Monitoring
What was the progress on evaluation?
• Evaluation of WPSA:
– Inconsistent returns
– Area where further guidance would be useful
– Returns indicated that more institutions were planning
future evaluation
– The following measures were mentioned
• Participant questionnaires
• Tracking WP students from outreach to HE enrolment
• Monitoring effects of initiatives on school attainment
Social Mobility through HE
Action on Access Topic Briefings
• Topic briefings on the thematic review of
WPSAs 2009 – 2011.
• WPSAs provided an extensive source of
data on WP from the sector.
Social Mobility through HE
Action on Access Topic Briefings
What briefings have been published?
• Topic briefings include:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mainstreaming WP and Equality
Assessing the Impact of WP
Linking Equality and Diversity with WP
Engaging Adults
The Role of Targeting
The Role of Admissions
Promoting the Success of All Students
• Download briefings and full WPSA analysis
from www.actiononaccess.org
Future Developments and Challenges
Why do we need WPSAs?
• Accounting for WP spend
• Provide a strategic picture of WP
• Developmental opportunity
• Rich source of information to support
policy and practice
• WPSAs can contribute to the public
interest role of HEFCE
Contact
Professor John Storan
Tel: 0208 223 2162
E-mail: [email protected]
www.uel.ac.uk/continuum
www.actiononaccess.org
www.f-a-c-e.org.uk