Manchester Metropolitan University

From: SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development Association

Some of you may be interested in this experiential workshop which introduces a social and participative approach to induction and transition. This workshop provides a new theory of learning and a new classroom practice for induction (looking beyond Tinto for a theoretical account of induction/retention). Research data shows this approach may also be useful for well-being.

 The event is entitled: “Student-Generated Induction: A Social Identity Approach.” This is taking place in Edinburgh on Thursday May 23rd.

 This student-generated approach has already been implemented in different universities. It has also become the new default approach to induction for one science faculty at University of Glasgow. This approach has also been used for staff as well as for students. 

Further details of the workshop and booking

“HEFCE has set out information and guidance on the way it counts students for teaching funding purposes. This explains why counting students who complete their year of study is the best use of public money. It also sets out HEFCE’s overall aims, and clarifies the definitions of ‘completion’ and ‘non-completion’.” Here’s the full information.

From the HEA website

“This seminar will address issues to do with access to university and the experience of students with different types of qualification when at university. It will draw in particular on the HEPI studies of the different experiences of students with vocational and academic level 3 qualifications, and the HEFCE research on ‘Who does best at university’.”

Email UCAS to book a place

Action for Change: A workshop to share effective practice in retaining engineering undergraduate students with a focus on widening participation

Friday July 10th 2009

The Royal Academy of Engineering

This workshop is being offered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Subject Centre to provide delegates with an opportunity to share effective practice in the retention of engineering students.

The programme has been designed so that delegates can take away ideas that they can implement within their own universities.  The event is open to all those working to address retention issues including engineering academics and widening participation officers and is being organised by the Engineering Subject Centre Special Interest Group ‘Transition Issues in Widening Participation in Engineering Education’. The group has built on the work conducted in the London Engineering Project in the field of transition issues for students entering HE, particularly for those arrivals through widening participation initiatives. Further information on RAE website.

Action on Access, building initially on resources from the Higher Education Academy website and the work done by Professor Liz Thomas and her team, has established Retention Programme web pages on the Action on Access website.

These pages contain a wealth of resources on the topic to support those working around retention in education, including news on projects, good practice and reports, events, publications and other resources.

A report in today’s Guardian, entitled “University aspiration gap stays stubbornly wide“, shows that 62% of children aged 7-16 now say that they would like to go to university, compared to 53% in 2000. However, a breakdown shows that 78% of children from “homes in the top social group” want to go, compared to 55% of the poorest students. Figures for the year 2000 for this data were not provided in the article, and the survey data itself does not seem to be publicly available, unless anyone can point me in the right direction (leave a comment if you can – thanks).

An HEA report "http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/detail/fye_final_report”>The first-year experience of higher education in the UK (Phase 2)" is now on available on their website:
This reports on the second phase of a major study into the first-year experience of students at UK universities. It focuses on students who had not returned to their second year and their reasons for withdrawing.

This publication from the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) subject centre contains interviews with and articles by students and lecturers which focus on the experience of being a GEES student or a GEES lecturer. It aims to encourage shared understanding and help to bridge the student/staff divide. The publication and related resources are available at this link.

The National Audit Office has released Staying the course: the retention of students in higher education

The press statement begins:

“Four out of five students starting a full-time course in England are expected to complete their course, the NAO reported today. The United Kingdom’s performance on retention compares favourably with most other OECD countries, during a period of expansion in higher education.

In a new report to Parliament, published as students await their A level results, the NAO states that there is a strong likelihood that new full-time undergraduates on higher education courses will stay on and complete their studies. The report identifies scope for further improvements, for example in the minority of higher education institutions where retention has declined in recent years, and to support part-time students who face particular challenges and have lower rates of retention …”

Read the full report.