3.1- Show and Tell (3508)
A New Practitioner Network for Access Professionals
Laura Kwiatkowski, SCAPP (Scotland's Community of Access and Participation Practitioners), Scotland; Nicola Kennedy, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland
The SCAPP New Practitioner Network is a Community of Practice, which aims to build the knowledge, confidence and networks of those new to Access and Participation roles in Scotland. This Show & Tell will explore its collaborative approach, strengths, challenges, and learnings from the first two iterations of this network.
Connect Students to the Community: Best Practices
Michelle van de Wouw, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Chantal van der Putten, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
This session aims to explore effective strategies for fostering a strong, diverse, and inclusive community within educational institutions. Key points include matching the offer to each phase of the student journey, shaping diverse connections, and involving students in shaping university life.
Island Student Network at Queen Margaret University
Suzie Dick, Queen Margaret University, Scotland
A newly established initiative to support students from the Scottish Islands as they transition to study at QMU, led by staff from the islands themselves. Aiming to reduce the number of students from the isles who withdraw from studies in their early years.
3.2- Presentation (3511)
IntoUniversity in Scotland – a thriving partnership case study
Laura Cattell, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; Kim Rowson, IntoUniversity, Scotland
What does it take to build a successful partnership? How can a partnership deliver high impact and widen access?
This presentation will explore the benefits of partnership working for widening access in communities. It will focus on a ground-breaking collaboration between the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and the educational charity IntoUniversity.
MTU Access Service Prison Lecture Series
Laura Coleman, Munster Technological University, Ireland; Christine Nolan, Munster Technological University, Ireland
This is a unique, innovative and collaborative programme aimed at providing learning opportunities for prisoners whilst in custody. The Lecture Series lectures cover a range of different themes and are delivered voluntarily by MTU staff and is delivered annually. This lecture series is currently the only one of its kind in the Irish prison service.
3.3- Presentation (3510)
Supporting students’ transition from college to university: challenges for a 'coherent tertiary sector' in Scotland
Derek Robertson, City of Glasgow College, Scotland; Tom Cunningham, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
Current education policy in Scotland supports a move towards a coherent tertiary sector with more alignment between college and university provision. Presenting the results of a series of focus groups with academic and support staff at colleges and universities in Scotland.
3.4- Presentation (2522)
Articulation from college to university in Scotland: a partnership approach
Duncan Cockburn, Robert Gordon University, Scotland; Lydia Rohmer, University of the Highlands and Islands (North, West and Hebrides), Scotland
This presentation outlines Scotland’s unique articulation model where colleges and universities work in partnership to design alternative learner pathways to degree level study. The co-chairs of the Universities Scotland/Colleges Scotland Joint Articulation Group discuss current policy drivers, , creative partnerships in the sector, and how to keep articulation on the widening access agenda.
Articulation Partnerships and the Pathways Website
Iain Hawker, Fife College, Scotland; Jon Buglass, Edinburgh College, Scotland; Tracey Kerr, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
Tertiary education institutions in the east of Scotland shared a common problem of promoting articulation routes with advanced standing from college Higher National qualifications into university degree courses.
A multi-regional tertiary education partnership of fourteen institutions worked to create the Pathways website (www.pathways.ac.uk) to solve the issue.
3.5- Presentation (2521)
Bridging the Divide: A successful South African UPP hybrid strategy
Lynthon Jacobs, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
It was evident that we could not return to the world as it was before. The post pandemic space had the potential to radically reshape the way we think about education and reimagine how knowledge is transferred and consumed. Recognising this overall shift away from teaching and learning in the traditional sense, the Talent Development Programme (TDP), a transformative South African University Preparation Programme, ingeniously integrated a hybrid strategy to effectively dismantle barriers to access.
Enabling diverse student voices through the Access Ambassador initiative: opportunities and challenges
Olive Byrne, University College Cork, Ireland, Ireland
This presentation aims to provide an overview of the Access Ambassador initiative at University College Cork, which encourages diverse student participation in decision-making processes at Access UCC. The presentation will showcase the initial findings of an action-research project conducted over one year. The project draws insights from observations, interviews, and focus groups with both students and staff.
3.6- Presentation (3026)
Co-creation for Multiperspectivity and Collaboration towards inclusion in Education
Bert Wastijn, Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts (EhB), Belgium
This workshop focuses on a research project at EhB exploring the concept of co-creation as a means to empower multiperspectivity and collaboration in settings in education (Vlaeminck, 2013). The workshop aims to provide insights into the potential of co-creation towards inclusive, participatory, and empowering collaboration (Ramaswamy & Ozcan, 2018).
Induction and longitudinal induction engaging Students as Partners and PAL
Lisa Vettese Cruden, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland; Kirsty Lorimer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland
At Queen Margaret University, Students as Partners has been used to develop a whole-journey approach to transition, with Peer Assisted Learning at its core, helping manage expectations, and create a sense of community and belonging. This presentation explores the development and impact of this approach from perspectives of staff and students.
3.7- Workshop (1026)
The changing Learner: Empathetic and Equitable approaches
Paula Christie, College Development Network, Scotland
This workshop will focus on the findings of College Development Network’s recent report on the ‘Changing Learner’ within School-College Partnership programmes in Scotland, including issues around increased learner anxiety, problematic mobile phone use and growing expectation disconnect. Participants will explore equitable approaches to engagement through the lens of empathy.