Delivering Excellence

in Academic Skills Development

at the University of Bath

EXCHANGE!

Friday 9 May 2014

Maggie Ward Goodbody

Director, Academic Skills Centre

Academic Skills Centre

Learning & Teaching Enhancement

A Vision for Academic Skills at Bath

…that the University of Bath is recognised as a world-

leader in delivering excellence in academic skills support

for students and staff

The new Academic Skills Centre’s Aim

The main aim of the new Academic Skills Centre is to

provide University of Bath students with high quality,

comprehensive and innovative academic skills and

English language proficiency, supporting higher levels of

academic literacy, student attainment and a culture of

continual learning.

Academic Skills Centre – benefits for students

• Increased access to a high quality, coherent academic skills offer – generic and subject-specific

• Expanded routes to academic skills offer through clear signposting by academic community and Professional Services

• Flexible, ‘personalised’ academic skills development and enhancement through creative use of online/digital media and innovative provision

• Improved personal development opportunities with seamless transition to wider skills for the future

Academic Skills Centre – new structure

Three strands:

• Pre-sessional – Mary Forbes

• In-sessional – Miranda Armstrong

• Academic Skills Resources – Sarah Turpin (wef 9 June)

Pre-sessional Programme

Aim

• Raise students’ English language level to meet entry requirements• Prepare students for study at Bath through developing their

academic communication skills to meet the specific requirements of their discipline/degree programme

Structure

October – June: 11 week courses: Pre-sessional Preparation (lower level) – PSP 1, 2 & 3 Pre-sessional General/Management (higher level) – PS 1, 2 & 3

• July - September Pre-sessional Management (ten/five week) – PSM 4 & 5 Pre-sessional General (ten/five week) – PSG 4 & 5 Pre-sessional Preparation (eight week) - PSP4

In-sessional Programme

Aim To provide expert and extensive support to enhance and develop students’

academic communication skills To address the diverse academic communication needs of students and

staff across the university.

Structure General programme – 13 different units e.g. academic writing; critical

reading; presentation skills; seminar skills

Bespoke programme-specific courses in writing and other academic skills

Academic & Professional Communication Skills (APCS)

1:1 tutorials/classes

British Studies units – History, Literature, Linguistics

Writing Centre

Academic Skills Resources

Aim

To support the development and enhancement of the University’s academic skills offer.

This will be achieved through:

Academic Skills Hub - delivering a virtual academic skills offer

Marketing & Communications

SALC – language learning resources and support

Social and Welfare support

Academic Skills Centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Academic Departments

Pre-sessional 

 

 

 

In-sessional 

 

 

 

    

Academic Skills Resources

    

Academic Skills Centre: initial plans

• Academic Skills Hub

• Writing Centre

• Digital Academic Skills Resources

• Academic and Professional Communication Skills

• Bespoke courses, workshops, more flexible provision• More discipline-specific provision for Pre-sessional and

In-sessional

Questions to consider

• What are the priority areas for students, i.e. where is the greatest need?

• What types of academic skills support should we focus on in the short to medium term?

• What modes of delivery should we consider?

• What types of resources might we have available?

• Would there be a physical building/space and what might be in it?

• What might the split between embedded provision (an integral component of the curriculum), independent learning (self-access to online study) and open access courses (supported/taught study delivered by the Academic Skills Centre) be?

• What might academic skills provision look like 5-10 years from now?

Come and talk to the new ASC team

Maggie Ward Goodbody, Director

m.m.ward-goodbody@bath.ac.uk ext. 6191

Mary Forbes, Head of Pre-sessional

m.f.forbes@bath.ac.uk ext. 3138

Miranda Armstrong, Head of In-sessional

m.armstrong@bath.ac.uk ext. 5122

Sarah Turpin, Head of Academic Skills Resources (wef 9 June 2014)

s.turpin@bath.ac.uk ext. 4355 (current extension only)

Karen Spillard, Operations Manager

k.spillard@bath.ac.uk ext. 5948