Ensuring fair access for all An overview of our access agreement 1
Welcome At Sheffield Hallam University, we re exceptionally proud of serving our region and the rest of the UK in helping young people and adults achieve their full potential, by raising aspirations to higher education and supporting students when they are here. We believe in inclusivity and access to higher education for all and are dedicated to creating a student community which is rich in talent and diversity. The University has a strong national and regional reputation for recruiting students from a broad range of backgrounds, as well as securing high rates of retention, progression and success. Recent government changes to the funding of higher education have resulted in increased student tuition fees. At this time, Sheffield Hallam is continuing its commitment to promote fair access to its courses. This is achieved through a variety of initiatives which are outlined in the University s access agreement. This booklet gives you a flavour of our objectives, plans and funding to the end of 2015 that will support current and future opportunities for students. Professor Philip Jones Vice-Chancellor 2 Ensuring fair access for all. An overview of our access agreement www.shu.ac.uk
Contents Our commitment to widening access 4 What is an access agreement? 5 Raising aspirations outreach and partnerships 6 Student retention and success 7 Employability, employment and progression 8 Financial support for students 9 Investment 10 Find our full access agreement at www.offa.org.uk/access-agreements 3
Our commitment to widening access and ensuring student success Sheffield Hallam University is an inclusive institution with progressive approaches to learner recruitment, admissions, teaching, learning, assessment and employability. This is only possible when we acknowledge that the social and educational background of students often determines attainment, expectations and ambitions. We value diversity, and we want everyone to reach their potential and progress in their chosen career. Our outstanding track record in widening access to higher education is demonstrated by our performance against national benchmarks set by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, built over a decade. And, importantly, we have an impressive record in retaining and ensuring the success of these students. This work is enhanced by institutional monitoring and evaluation to critically assess our performance and impact, including in our collaborative partnership work. This booklet provides an overview of our access agreement, structured around four strands vital to encouraging access, progression and success at Sheffield Hallam University and beyond. They are raising aspirations, outreach and partnerships student retention and success employability, employment and progression financial support for students 4 Ensuring fair access for all. An overview of our access agreement www.shu.ac.uk
What is an access agreement? All English universities and colleges who want to charge more than 6,000 annual tuition fee must have an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access, an independent public body that helps safeguard and promote fair access to higher education. An agreement sets out how the institution will sustain and improve access and student success. You can find our full access agreement at www.offa.org.uk/access-agreements 5
Raising aspirations outreach and partnerships Through our successful range of long-term outreach initiatives, we raise aspirations, awareness and applications to higher education (HE). The Associate Schools and Colleges Partnership a network of key schools and colleges within a 50-mile radius of the University has played a vital role in our success. The partnership has supported thousands of students from communities with low HE participation to apply and progress to university, and we plan to extend the network to widen its geographical region and include more schools. To build on this success, we re going to invest in long-term outreach activity with a wider range of partners consolidate our relationships with key school and college partners by developing more tailored and responsive support packages support the HE access and participation of mature learners in the Sheffield City Region ensure access and opportunity for targeted groups in our most highly competitive and selective subject areas To achieve our ambitions, working with others is vital. So, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, we created the Higher Education Progression Partnership (HEPP). The partnership builds on the legacy of Aimhigher and the Higher Futures Lifelong Learning Network in encouraging participation in higher education and higher level skills. It works with the universities but operates independently. Partners include schools and colleges, local authorities and employers throughout the city region. HEPP aims to deliver high-quality, impartial and independent information and advice about higher education for young people and adults improve attainment and promote appropriate progression to higher education support knowledge and expertise through continuing professional development for teachers and advisors The high demand for these services across the region reflects the need for collaborative outreach activity, and we re committed to sustaining this work through long-term investment. Summer school has motivated me more to go onto uni after I heard about student ambassadors backgrounds and their achievements in their lives. Looked After Children summer school attendee 6 Ensuring fair access for all. An overview of our access agreement www.shu.ac.uk
Student retention and success We have a strong reputation for recruiting students from a broad range of social backgrounds. And the support continues when they start studying here as shown by our high rates of progression and retention. We ve embedded good practice in inclusive teaching, learning, assessment and student support across the University. We ve also made a major investment in academic advice and tutoring to provide coaching and professional support to students. To build on this solid foundation, we will provide a supportive, challenging and inclusive learning experience which enables all students to reach their potential and progress into employment or further study continue mentoring and peer support schemes targeted at those students identified as vulnerable to non-completion and/or drop out improve pre-entry/transition advice and information in recruitment and admissions, using a customer relationship approach recognising the links between informed student choice, retention and success enhance staff development in curriculum design, assessment, feedback and student support that recognises the diverse student population Meeting final year students gave me the opportunity to talk with them about how to get the most out of my time at university. University Induction participant 7
Employability, employment and progression Preparing students for their chosen career runs through everything we do at Sheffield Hallam. Our students are offered a mix of workshops, placements, mentoring and employment experiences to enhance their course study and ultimately help them secure graduate-level jobs. We have identified activities that particularly increase the employability of students, by enhancing their attainment, skills and awareness. To achieve this, we will offer support to secure and incentivise the uptake of placement opportunities and structured work experience outside of the University, supported by fee waivers for placement years provide on-campus work, internships and volunteering opportunities, with structured support and development encourage uptake of learning contracts by students who declare a disability continue career professional mentoring through links to alumni and local or regional employers Talking about how to prepare for placement interviews with my mentor helped greatly in improving my performance, and I have now got a placement for next year. Having a mentor has given me greater confidence and determination to achieve my career goal. Career Professional Mentoring Scheme participant 8 Ensuring fair access for all. An overview of our access agreement www.shu.ac.uk
Financial support for students Alongside our extensive pre-entry, transition and on-course support, we have a wide range of bursaries and other financial support available to students as part of the access agreement. These schemes are mainly targeted at students facing particular financial circumstances (Looked after Children and Care Leavers, low income households and Access to HE students). Other schemes are designed to encourage participation and raise aspirations from communities with low HE participation, through our partnership with schools and colleges. To continue this work we will deliver a programme of targeted student financial support measures to enhance access and underpin student success support the introduction and expansion of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP), including significant University match funding develop financial support packages for disadvantaged learners that are responsive and flexible to meet changing needs and circumstances in consultation with students, our partners and other stakeholders The Partnership bursary does contribute to my students decision-making process. Teacher from a partnership school 9
Investment Our commitment to the access agreement s objectives is demonstrated by significant additional investment to support student access, progression and success at the University. We currently invest approximately 15 million annually across the student lifecycle, from raising aspirations and outreach activity at pre-entry, to on-course support and improving employability and graduate employment outcomes. This is complemented by further investment in collaborative partnership work, staff development and research and evaluation. Around half of this investment is part of our access agreement. From 2012 to 2015, we plan to spend 21.8 million on the measures contained in our access agreement. This is allocated to 2.8 million on raising aspirations, outreach and partnerships 1.6 million on retention and student success 17.4 million on the financial support of students Over the three year period, the average annual investment in these areas is illustrated in Figure 1. The breakdown of financial support, including the University funding and government contribution, is shown in the breakdown in Figure 2. 10 Ensuring fair access for all. An overview of our access agreement www.shu.ac.uk
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