Supporting student choice and application

Section 10 of the QAA code of practice relates to admissions to higher education. It is intended to ‘help institutions to assure themselves and others that the policies and procedures they use to attract, recruit, select, admit and enrol students are clear, fair, explicit and consistently applied’. (See Section 5 of this guide for good practice in marketing, recruitment and admissions.) In its summative report on learning from review of (directly and consortium funded) FECs over the five-year period 2002-07, QAA noted the strength of colleges’ contribution to widening participation through effective recruitment procedures.

Summary: widening participation

Widening participation in higher education has increasingly featured as a strength of college provision over the review period. The reviewers identify many examples of effective

recruitment procedures which target specific groups, such as mature students, those from the local area and/or black or minority ethnic groups. The importance of providing higher education opportunities to the local population remains a key aim for colleges throughout the five-year period of reviews.

‘Learning from Academic review of higher education in further education colleges in England 2002-07’, QAA, 2008

Pre-entry guidance

Guidance staff and course tutors (at the college or a partner university) may be involved in advising and guiding prospective HE students. Where programmes are to be delivered mainly in the workplace, supervisors and Unionlearn representatives (whose role is to help

trade unions to spread the lifelong learning message, se

be involved. Close liaison with employers and their employees is necessary where foundation degrees and programmes incorporating professional qualifications or level 4/5 NVQs have been developed for and with employers (see Section 6.5).

College staff need to understand the differences between the LSC system for additional student support and that of HEFCE-funded higher education. In particular:

• the different way in which support for disabled students is accessed in HE, i.e. through DSA, for which the student – not the college – needs to apply as early as possible to ensure that support identified is in place for the start of study (see Section 8.7). • that asylum seekers are not eligible for statutory student financial support, whereas

those with refugee status and three-year residency may be (see Section 8.8).

Pre-entry guidance should take into account the aspirations, needs and personal preferences of potential students. In relation to HE, of particular importance are:

• previous educational qualifications and experience (bearing in mind the new ELQ ruling) • any prerequisites (e.g. those specific to teacher training)

• articulation with other courses • employment possibilities

• how study can be combined with work • the nature of the applications process

• the financial implications of HE study • eligibility for financial support

• support available (e.g. crèche facilities).

8.4 Induction

A college’s approach to induction will be influenced by how its HE provision is organised, whether embedded in departments or faculties, in a dedicated higher education centre or work based. Whatever the model, induction activities for HE students should be carefully integrated as part of an overall strategy for student support. In addition to covering topics that would be included in an induction to the college and course for FE students, induction needs to address HE-specific support issues and any relationship with a partner HEI as well as financial support, including any bursaries available under access agreements.

The traditional model of induction consists of designated days at the start of the academic year, and includes a programme of activities and information-sharing in preparation for the year ahead. However, to be fully effective, induction processes should be embedded within the whole of the first term’s activities. For example, if the student handbook is distributed during induction, it could well be useful to return to it after a few weeks to remind students of its content and answer any queries. The embedding of induction and involvement of

workplace mentors or supervisors are essential where learning takes place mainly at work. The development of learning skills for higher level study should be explicitly addressed in programme design and delivery and highlighted in induction (see Section 2).

Induction also provides an opportunity to learn a great deal about how students experience the process, and how it might be improved over time. Such lessons can be captured through student feedback and systematic review when the initial stages of the induction process are complete. It is essential that systems are equivalent for part-time and work-based students and those attending college full-time.

All staff who teach and support students should be involved in the planning, design and delivery of induction. This includes student support and careers staff, learning support staff, workplace mentors, library and IT staff and, where provision is in partnership, staff from the HEI.

HE students need the following core information in induction:

• an understanding of higher education as distinct from other levels of study

• students’ union – what the FEC can offer, or what access students have to the union in a partner HEI

• academic support, including in the workplace • skills development support

• access to information on HE issues – student handbook, web-sites

• for students on validated and indirectly funded provision, an understanding of the relationship with the host HEI and the award

• course organisation, including assessment regulations, and implications for study planning; the amount of study time and self-directed study expected

• processes of student feedback and representation • financial support; availability of loans, bursaries

• access to library and IT facilities at the college and at partner HEIs • student support and welfare specific to HE students

• careers education, information and guidance • accommodation

In the case of indirectly funded provision, staff from the HEI should be involved as appropriate and a visit to the HEI should take place if students are able to access its facilities. This may be a useful opportunity to develop closer links across different parts of the two institutions, and to clarify the range and level of facilities open to college students at the HEI. Respective institutional roles and responsibilities should be clear to staff and students and addressed in the student handbook.

Redcar and Cleveland College

Extract from higher education prospectus

As a University student studying at a partnership college you will have the same right of access to services as those studying on the main campus. Student Services is situated at the heart of the main University of Teesside campus and offers a combination of services that provide advice, information and guidance to help you take actions to manage your life and achieve your goals.

Attention may be given to the social networking elements of induction, particularly where students are full-time and where they are living away from home. Some colleges have freshers’ weeks.