Paper No: ADEC/09/36

Agenda Item 5UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE27 October 2009

DRAFT WIDENING PARTICIPATION STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT (2009)

Foreword

The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) advised the University (May 2009) that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) would be required to submit annual Widening Participation Strategic Assessments, the first of which would be due in December 2009.

To facilitate completion of the initial Strategic Assessment, and to revise the University’s current Widening Access and Participation Strategy, a Working Group was established, under the Chairmanship of Professor Bob Osborne.

The remit of the Working Group was to:

• develop a revised Widening Access and Participation Strategy for the period 2009/10 to 2011/12, taking account of the recommendations set out in the University’s Widening Participation Audit Report 2007;

• produce the University’s Widening Participation Strategic Assessment, in line with HEFCE/OFFA/DEL guidelines;

• establish monitoring mechanisms to enable compliance with HEFCE/DEL/OFFA annual reporting requirements.

VCAG (21/09/09) approved the proposed structure of the Assessment, the revised Widening Access and Participation Strategic Aims and the indicative content of the financial report.

The revised Widening Access and Participation Strategy (Section A, Paragraphs 12 to 17) has been screened according to the requirements of the University's Equality Scheme and Section 75 and has been screened out. It will also be included in the annual consultation on the screening of new and revised policies.

Action required by ADEC

The Committee is asked to comment on the draft Assessment, with regard to the DEL Framework provided in Appendix 1.

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

WIDENING PARTICIPATION STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT (2009)

This report presents the University’s revised Widening Access and Participation Strategy for the period 2009/10 to 2011/12 and considers the progress made to date.

Widening Participation (and/or Access) is defined by the University as:

‘Activities designed to increase the participation in Higher Education of those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, other groups not represented proportionately amongst the Higher Education population, and those with disabilities.’

SECTION A: WIDENING PARTICIPATION STRATEGY

Mission, Management and Culture

1.The University of Ulster has a long standing commitment to widening access to Higher Education (HE) and has an excellent track record in attracting students from both traditional educational backgrounds and those with non-traditional qualifications. For example, in 2007/08 the University’s representation of those from NS-SEC 4-7 amongst full-time undergraduate entrants was 46.5% against a benchmark figure of 33.9%. (Appendix 2 sets out the University’s position with regard to the HESA key performance indicators in greater detail).

2.The University’s Vision ‘to be a University with a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement’ indicates the commitment to be a major contributor to the economic, social and cultural advancement of Northern Ireland (NI) as a region. To achieve its Vision the University has, in its Corporate Plan 2006/08 to 2010/11, set five core strategic aims, one of which is to ‘Maintain the University’s position as a sector leader in widening access to Higher Education.’ (http://www.ulster.ac.uk/corporateplan/)

3.Widening access and participation is an integral part of the University’s Teaching and Learning Strategy as one of its four strategic aims ‘To target, recruit, support and retain a diverse range of students’.

(http://www.ulster.ac.uk/tls/tls2008-13.pdf)

Specifically the Strategy identifies the need to:

• promote outreach activities to raise aspirations of potential applicants and improve the number of applications from traditionally disadvantaged and excluded communities;

• support inclusivity and diversity to underpin all aspects of the student experience, from pre-arrival to graduation.

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4.The University manages Widening Access and Participation through a clear managerial and reporting structure. The Pro-Vice Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) has direct responsibility for this area of activity and, following an internal Widening Access Audit (with External advice), established a Widening Access and Participation sub-committee of the Academic Development and Enhancement Committee (ADEC). The ADEC reports to Senate and, when appropriate, to the Council of the University.

5.A comprehensive communication strategy is being devised to ensure that the University’s Widening Participation ambitions and actions are clearly defined, well known and understood, both within the University and by key external stakeholders.

6.The day-to-day practical operation of activities undertaken to progress the Widening Access and Participation agenda are the responsibility of the Access and Distributed Learning Division. This division has a University wide remit in promoting and supporting flexible and distributed access to HE, thus making university study more accessible to both young people and adults, locally, nationally and internationally. Working with Faculties, local industry, schools, collaborative partner institutions and the community, the Access and Distributed Learning Division aims to provide and promote a range of educational opportunities which support ‘learning for all of your life’.

7.The work of Access and Distributed Learning takes place in three distinct areas:

• Access and Educational Partnerships is particularly focussed on widening access and widening participation in HE, thus ensuring that the Institution realises its commitment to the social inclusion agenda;

• Lifelong Learning aims to respond both to evolving Government policy and the needs of the local community by providing a diverse range of flexible learning opportunities;

• Technology Facilitated Learning focuses on the exploitation of advances in information and communications technologies to deliver more flexible and inclusive learning opportunities, thus improving opportunities for access to learning and enhancing the student learning experience.

8.Widening access and fair participation lie at the heart of the University’s business and we encourage all those who can benefit from the University’s courses to apply. We aim to equip all those who undertake study at the University with the opportunity to gain the skills not only to successfully graduate but to secure rewarding employment. We have a long track record of opening up HE opportunities to some of the most disadvantaged sectors of society but there remain some social groups (as identified in Paragraph 65) and those from the geographically most deprived areas whose participation remains below other groups and communities.

9.The University’s Student Charter outlines what a student at Ulster can expect from the Institution and is balanced by the responsibilities placed on the student. There are a number of Support Charters, covering areas such as Teaching and Learning

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and Student Support. These are reviewed annually and can be viewed at http://www.ulster.ac.uk/studentcharter/

10.In accordance with the requirements of Section 75 of the NI Act of 1998, the University is obliged to promote good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion and racial group. A Good Relations Audit was completed in 2007, in conjunction with all other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Northern Ireland. As a result of this, the University is developing a Good Relations Strategy and Action Plan. The actions outlined in the plan will enhance the University’s commitment to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. The University's Equality and Diversity Services Department also continues to submit an annual progress report on Section 75, including the good relations duty, to the Equality Commission for NI.

Strategic Objectives and Aims for Widening Access and Participation

11.During the academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09 the University undertook a Widening Access Audit (see above) and revised its Access Agreement. It is in the light of these activities that a decision was taken to revise its overall Widening Access and Participation Strategy. Hence, the Strategy outlined here represents the new University Widening Access and Participation Strategy while the Assessment of Activities reflects both on the pre-existing strategy and those activities generated by the Audit and revised Access Agreement. The specific goals of the University of Ulster in Widening Access are detailed in Paragraphs 12 to 17 below.

Strategic Aim 1

12.To raise aspirations and encourage a positive attitude towards educational progression and ultimately participation in HE especially amongst communities and social groups not traditionally associated with third level education.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To develop and support a range of outreach activities to raise the aspiration of potential applicants;

• To provide a variety of safe yet challenging learning environments that encourage students to engage and progress;

• To strengthen links with community and voluntary organisations (and local industry and employers) in order to identify new opportunities to engage with the groups they represent;

• To keep under review internal funding mechanisms for outreach activities in order to ensure timely, targeted and effective interventions with under-represented groups and communities;

• To enhance opportunities for existing students to undertake outreach activities and act as ambassadors for HE in general and the University in particular.

Strategic Aim 2

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13.To target and recruit students from under-represented groups who have the potential to benefit from Higher Education.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To work collaboratively and in partnership with appropriate stakeholders in order to target and recruit a diverse range of students;

• To promote innovative curriculum development, particularly in relation to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and ERSS (Economically Relevant Skills Shortage) disciplines in order to meet local and regional skills needs;

• To devise and provide a variety of courses and programmes which are aimed at communities and social groups not traditionally associated with third level education.

Strategic Aim 3

14.To ensure the University’s admissions policy recognises the diversity of routes which students might follow prior to seeking entry to Higher Education and to respond flexibly.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To ensure that inclusivity and diversity underpin all aspects of student marketing, promotion and outreach activities in order to increase the number of applications from traditionally disadvantaged and excluded communities;

• To maximize opportunities for transition between Further Education (FE) and HE by developing and promoting a variety of progression pathways;

• To develop support and mentoring processes to ensure ease of application and seamless transition between different levels and forms of learning.

Strategic Aim 4

15.To address actively student retention, progression and success within the undergraduate population.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To ensure widening access/participation data are available to appropriate levels of staff throughout the University, to inform and facilitate decision-making;

• To promote the development of students’ key skills, including numeracy and literacy, to enhance their overall performance, their continuation and aid their progression into labour market employment and/or further study;

• To seek to improve the identification of groups and/or cohorts of students at risk or in need of additional support;

• To provide a range of study skills advice throughout the first year (including study support for the resit period) in order to maximise student progression and success.

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Cross-Cutting Support Aim 1

16.To provide financial, embedded learning and pastoral support, that is appropriate and sustainable, especially for students from non-traditional backgrounds.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To monitor processes, practices and functions in relation to Bursary and Scholarship activity and implement adjustments, as necessary;

• To promote learning resources and teaching methods that take account of a variety of learning styles and prior learning experiences and are accessible to students;

• To increase the use of VLEs, mobile learning technologies and blended learning approaches, to make courses as accessible as possible;

• To maximise the quality of the overall student learning experience by providing appropriate student support services that are responsive to student need and delivered in a timely manner.

Cross-Cutting Support Aim 2

17.To work in partnership with a range of stakeholders, as appropriate, to improve access to and participation in Higher Education regionally.

Key Supporting Objectives:

• To develop and promote flexible frameworks of study, which are accessible to individuals and groups and maximise recognition and transferability of skills throughout the region;

• To encourage the development of educational partnerships, with and between under-represented groups across the region, to promote high levels of community engagement with HE;

• To maintain and enhance the use of real life (work-based) project work within the curriculum;

• To work with industry and local employers in order to promote education and learning through the integration of academic knowledge and vocational practice, with particular reference to mature students.

Fair Access and Admissions

18.All five aims of Ulster’s current Student Recruitment and Admissions Policy (approved by Senate on 3 October 2007) lend strong support to the core principles of widening participation.

(http://prospectus.ulster.ac.uk/geninfo/documents/AdmissionPolicy_08_001.pdf)

19.In particular, the Policy specifically states that:

“The University is committed to widening participation and encourages applications from groups of people who are known to be disadvantaged by traditional selection mechanisms. It is proactive in engaging with community

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groups in order to encourage participation and raise aspirations. It is keen to identify alternative methods for demonstrating an ability to meet selection criteria.”

20.At a practical level, the Student Recruitment and Admissions Policy provides an operational framework which ensures that applicants are treated equitably and which applies entry standards consistently and professionally. Consequently, the principle and practice of widening participation is assured and enabled. The Policy takes account of the findings of a full Section 75 Equality Impact Assessment exercise carried out during the 2005/06 academic year, which, while identifying some minor under-representation with respect to gender, religion and ethnic/racial group, considered these to be differential rather than adverse impacts. In addition, the Policy was informed by, and deemed to be compliant with, the QAA’s Code of Practice on Recruitment and Admissions, published in August 2006.

Entry Qualifications and Widening Participation

21.Recent developments in the nature of post-16 qualifications, as well as in the structure of secondary-level education in NI, have presented, and will continue to present, significant opportunities for Ulster to further widen participation through support for these developments.

22.The new Department of Education in NI (DENI) Entitlement Framework became operational in September 2009 and requires all schools to provide access to a minimum of 24 courses at Key Stage 4 and a minimum of 27 courses at post-16. At least one third of these courses must be general (academic) and at least one third applied (vocational).

23.The University has a reputation of accessibility for those with applied entrance qualifications, e.g. AVCE (Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education)/ Applied ‘A’ Levels, BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council)/OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) qualifications, Essential/Key Skills, and its published course entrance requirements make this explicit. The acceptance of these qualifications is also supported by their currency within the national Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Tariff Points Framework, to which Ulster fully subscribes. In addition, the increased uptake of the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE), with its emphasis on personal skills and promotion of independent and autonomous learning styles, may have particular potential for widening participation through its recognition of a set of attributes which go beyond traditional academic factors.

24.Traditionally, the majority of those completing applied qualifications have been from the non-grammar sector, attending schools in more socially-disadvantaged areas. Accordingly, an admissions and recruitment policy which explicitly welcomes applied qualifications has the potential to positively support widening access and participation.

25.An elaboration of the University’s policy on the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is included in its Student Recruitment and Admissions Policy document and on the following website:

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(http://www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/download/Policies/APELPolicy.doc)

26.The University recognises both Certificated (APCL) and Experiential (APEL) learning, irrespective of the context in which it is achieved. In so doing, those with non-traditional qualifications and/or relevant employment experience and other life skills are appropriately supported in realising their aspirations to undertake university-level study. Ulster will accredit alternative forms of learning, provided that they can be evidenced in writing and authenticated at the appropriate level.

27.At a more general level, the Terms of Reference of the University’s newly constituted Admissions Policy and Practice Group will support a more sophisticated and detailed appraisal of entry qualifications which will, in turn, provide more explicit guidance for Faculties. This will better ensure that offers are based predominantly on attainment in post-16 qualifications (including many of those applied qualifications detailed above), thereby reducing, or removing, the need to include earlier attainment (most commonly GCSE) in the offer conditions. Where GCSE attainment is specified in offers, there may be a perception that Ulster’s admissions processes are biased towards applicants from a more “academic” educational background, which may be seen as having a negative impact on widening participation objectives.

How Success is Measured

28.Measuring the success of any ‘widening participation’ strategy is difficult as it encompasses the whole student lifecycle/experience of HE, ranging from pre-entry through to progression and ultimately success. Moreover, as many activities involve long-term interventions, seeking a clear measure of successful outcomes is particularly difficult. The key aims and supporting objectives outlined above provide a framework against which to measure changes that have taken place over time. To achieve this, a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches will be adopted in order to measure both the ‘quantity’ and ‘quality’ of access. Specific activities and targets which will be reviewed annually include:

• Allocation of funding in a targeted way to meet objectives (e.g. Bursaries and Scholarships);

• Evaluation of outreach projects to ensure that they deliver on objectives and represent value for money;

• Monitoring and assessment of statistical milestones in terms of entry, progression and outcome;

• Review of new interventions to ensure they are targeted in respect of any identified weaknesses;

• Building effective relationships with schools, colleges, communities and employers.

29.Achieving targets in relation to widening participation also depends, in part, on the successful delivery of a number of other related University strategies, for example the Corporate Plan and the Teaching and Learning Strategy. Progress against the key targets will be monitored annually by the University’s Widening Access and Participation Sub-Committee, which reports to the Academic Development and Enhancement Committee.

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SECTION B: WIDENING PARTICIPATION POLICY AND PRACTICE

Widening Participation Activity and Commitments

30.The University of Ulster has made significant progress in relation to widening participation and has performed consistently above the benchmark. It has enhanced accessibility to and inclusivity of its course provision by developing mechanisms which create pathways into HE for those sections of the community that are currently under-represented or otherwise disadvantaged (see Appendix 2).

31.Especially noteworthy is the University's position in relation to young entrants from NS-SEC 4-7 where the benchmark is comfortably exceeded and this has been the case for many years. The University also is close to its benchmark figure for students in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. The position in relation to part-time students is satisfactory too. However, we recognise that the geographical measure of participation from low participation neighbourhoods shows the University below its benchmark and we propose to investigate this further.

Access Provision

32.The University has been involved in the recognition and delivery of courses for mature students seeking an alternative route into HE since 1973, when it introduced its Certificate in Foundation Studies for Mature Students programme. Access programmes validated by the University were subsequently developed and delivered by a number of FE Colleges in NI and the University continues to be a major receiver of Access students progressing to HE. During 2008/09 there were a total of 1139 students studying on nineteen validated access full-time and part-time programmes.

33.Access courses provide a preparation for HE for mature students who have few, if any, other qualifications. They address the particular needs of adults who may have left school early and been out of education for a number of years. Courses are specifically designed to equip them to succeed in studying at university level and offer a curriculum which recognizes the strengths and prior experiential learning of mature students and which values their diversity of culture. Access courses are targeted, in particular, at groups which are under-represented in HE.

34.Access courses include a number of academic subjects relevant to the student's intended progression route in HE. The majority of students complete the programme on a part-time basis over two years. The award is an Access Diploma. The aim of Access courses supported by the University is to develop transferable skills which can be used by the student in HE, and there is usually a core consisting of study skills, communication skills, numeracy, information technology and tutorial support.

Collaborative Provision

35.The University, in delivering its regional mission and in its widening participation strategy, must take account of local educational and economic needs. This provides both opportunities for, and constraints on, collaboration. Ulster is well placed to engage in such regional development, given its four geographically dispersed

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campuses and the significant number of vocational courses it offers. Since the early 1990s, the University has encouraged FE colleges within NI to bring forward proposals for collaboration.

36.The University has moved to transfer its Intermediate level qualifications to the FE sector in NI in such a way as to reflect regional requirements and support for the community, except where geographical or other factors prevent this. In line with Government policy, the University in particular supports the development of Foundation degrees. During 2008/2009, the University worked in partnership on 61 Foundation Degree programmes within the FE sector and other partner institutions in Northern Ireland. In order to maximise the potential benefits for students who wish to extend their studies to higher levels, clear and formalised articulation routes are expected to be identified for all intermediate level qualifications.

37.The University has supported partner institutions in developing HE-level work and access provision, provided proposals were within broad areas of its expertise. This approach has proved successful in increasing collaborative provision throughout Northern Ireland as the University has now developed close links with all six regional colleges of Further and Higher Education and other educational providers in Northern Ireland. The University also has links with other educational providers in the island of Ireland, and particularly in the border counties. In 2008/2009 there were just over 3,800 students of other institutions studying for awards of the University under collaborative arrangements. Details of the full range of Ulster’s collaborative provision are available at http://plangov.ulster.ac.uk/planning/pdfs/public_register.xls

38.The University is currently revising its Collaborative Strategy, which will cover the period 2010/11 to 2014/15 and has as its vision ‘to extend excellent learning opportunities through partnership working’.

Certificate in Personal and Professional Development

39.The recently validated Certificate in Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) provides new opportunities for individuals and organisations to contribute and develop a flexible pathway to HE. The framework includes a broad suite of accredited modules from a wide subject base. Individuals who have missed out first time around, or those who have not yet embarked on their chosen career, can select their own unique learning programme and complete in a timeframe in line with their own personal and/or professional circumstances.

40.Completion of modules, which together have a credited value of 60 points, results in a CPPD award and additionally supports application to a range of HE courses at university level. Existing undergraduate students may also benefit from the CPPD bespoke modules, by adding those which address the development of knowledge and skills relating to enterprise or increased employability to their learning programme. Successful completion of the CPPD will result in extended transcripts for students providing evidence of the knowledge and skills gained. The CPPD adds value, which benefits individuals and the wider economy, through addressing the NI skills agenda: preparing and/or up-skilling the new and changing workforce.

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Disability

41.The University has ring fenced a proportion of disability premium funding for arrangements in the direct support of students and also to encourage and facilitate structural developments. These arrangements maintain the University’s responsibilities in relation to the reactive and anticipatory duties placed on us by the Special Educational Needs and Disability (NI) Order 2005 (as amended).

42.Specific arrangements include the provision of specialist Disability Advisors whose main duties are to assess the needs of prospective and current students, liaise with academic staff to ensure that appropriate and reasonable adjustments can and will be made and to obtain funding from the appropriate source. In cases where no external funds are available, procedures are in place to fund adjustments from a proportion of the Premium Funds set aside for this purpose. In the past 3 years the number of students using Disability Services has risen from 500 to 1100.

43.On the basis of their direct experience of the full range of student issues and enquiries, Disability services staff are able to add value to academic and service provision by engaging in staff development activities with colleagues and with external agencies who prepare students for University. Recent activities of this nature include: bespoke training for Learning Resource Centre staff on responding to students who disclose a disability; review of communications processes in Residential Services; consultations with colleagues in the Uni4U project; collaboration with Health Care Trusts on a regional conference on “Pathways to Higher Education”. In addition to regular operational and strategic management meetings with Disability Officers of the Education and Library Boards we have also facilitated a short term working group to review and adapt communication channels in the light of new arrangements for funding and changes to related application processes.

44.These processes are embedded in University procedures through Information and Student Services Committee via its Disability Sub-Committee. As well as responding reactively to situations as they arise, this multi disciplinary group also organises Physical Access consultations with staff and students and agrees priorities for reactive adaptations to the physical environment. Its contribution to our anticipatory duties is through the allocation of funding for development projects. An illustrative list of recent projects includes; Dyslexia workshops for academic and support staff on each campus, led by an experienced trainer from Dyslexia Action; the extension of a pilot project in Peer Mentoring for students with enduring mental health problems; Professionalism in Administrative Practice, a project to ensure an inclusive approach at all stages of a student’s contact with a Faculty; the purchase of hardware and software for “Easy Converter” which creates Large Print, MP3, DAISY and Braille versions of learning materials from scanned materials.

45.Whilst it is recognised that good progress has been made in establishing a means of accommodating students with a variety of disabilities, potential opportunities exist to consolidate and expand activity in this area. For example, the existing practice exchange repository, which captures and records examples of effective teaching and learning practices, will be expanded to incorporate case studies of resources

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available to assist students with disabilities to study in a variety of learning environments.

(http://cetl.ulster.ac.uk/elearning/casestudytool.php)Furthermore a more proactive approach will be put in place, initiating discussions with key stakeholders in order to more formally explore opportunities for collaborative initiatives.

46.The Student Services Department has received support from the Access Agreement Fund for the establishment of an Outreach Officer, whose role is to engage with individuals who are leaving state care, to support them in entering the University and progressing their studies.

47.Allocations made to students in financial hardship continue to be overseen by the Student Awards Sub-Committee of Information and Student Services Committee. Working closely with the Students’ Union, the focus is on supporting students with structural financial problems such as those arising from the care of dependants, disability costs not covered by DSA and the after effects of long term unemployment. In addition to the Support Fund and longstanding bequests, the University has recently allocated a proportion of income from student rents to recognise the needs of those not eligible for support from statutory funds.

Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark

48.The University has secured the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark, which is awarded to institutions that can prove they “go the extra mile” to support those coming from a background of care. The University has embedded this commitment in its revised Access Agreement and has agreed the provision of a Care Leaver’s Bursary.

Outreach Activity

49.University staff and students have engaged in a broad range of additional outreach activities and projects during the 2008/09 academic year. These included aspiration raising amongst primary school pupils, cross-community activities linked to widening access, ambassadorial activities with schools, community and voluntary groups, and discipline based engagements, particularly related to STEM subjects and sport. A brief description of each project is provided in Appendix 3 and the Table 1 below groups these activities in terms of their funding source.

Funding Stream ProjectsAccess Agreement Fund Sparking the Imagination

uni4u InitiativeFormula Student ProjectFrank Buttle Trust Quality MarkCultural Development ProgrammesAssistive Technology Provision

External Funding and Sponsorship (DEL, Wellcome Trust, Seagate Technologies, Bank of Ireland, the Honourable The Irish Society)

Step-Up ProgrammeScience in Society Forward Thinking Northern IrelandAdvance Programme

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Bring IT OnSeagate Summer School

University Funded Tutoring in Schools Cross-Community Schools Liaison (summer schools)

Jointly Funded Ulster Elks Community and School Sport Programme Science ShopSports Outreach ProgrammeSTEM DaysGetSET (Science, Engineering and Technology) programmes

Table 1 Outreach Activities 2008/09

SECTION C: MONITORING, REVIEW AND RESOURCES

Targets and Milestones

50.Building on the University’s achievements in securing above benchmark representations in the HESA performance indicators, we have set challenging statistical milestones in the revised Access Agreement (see Appendix 4), for the three year period 2009/10 to 2011/12, shown in Table 2.

Actuals % Milestones %07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12

Disability 10.4 10.6 10.8 11.0 11.1Ethnicity1 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.4SEC2 46.6 46.6 46.8 47.0 47.2SEC and Religion3

15.9 16.0 16.2 16.4 16.6

Table 2 Representation of key underrepresented groups of Northern Ireland domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants

1 The Ethnicity figures indicate the percentage of student entrants from a non-white background.2 The Socio-economic classification (SEC) figures indicate the percentage of student entrants from the 4 lower SEC groups.3 The Religion and SEC figures indicate the proportion of the students from the 4 lower groups who are Protestants (e.g. in 07/08 the 46.6% from the lower groups is split into 15.9% Protestants, 29.5% Roman Catholics and 1.2% others/unknowns). The identification of the under-representation of this group was identified in the report of the NIHEC/DEL Widening Access Experts Report (2005).

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Note: All figures are based upon NI domiciled new entrants to full time undergraduate courses (students who are enrolled on DHSSPS funded courses and Social Work courses have been excluded from the calculations, as they attract alternative financial support. The figures for 07/08 do not include students on the Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design. As the Diploma was subsequently integrated into the Honours programme, the figures for 08/09 do include students enrolled on the Integrated Foundation Year in Art and Design).

51.The University has monitored full-time undergraduate intakes in terms of the key variables of socio-economic background, gender, disability status, race and ethnicity and religion for some time. It is now putting in place mechanisms to assess progression/retention through each year of study in terms of the same social variables. These mechanisms are being assessed for accuracy. Upon full verification the data will be assessed over time to identify any patterns which may become evident and upon confirmation, require specific intervention. It is anticipated that the full understanding of any variations will require multivariate statistical analysis. This analysis will be undertaken during the life of this Strategy.

52.The University’s apparent underperformance in relation to the HESA benchmark ‘low participation neighbourhoods’ will be investigated through a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of full-time undergraduate entrants over time.

53.The University is in a position to monitor part-time undergraduate entrants and progression in terms of most of the key social variables but not socio-economic status. This variable is collected by UCAS for full-time undergraduate entrants but there are no mechanisms for measuring this characteristic for part-time entrants. The University plans to analyse the available data on the characteristics of part-time students during the period covered by the revised Widening Participation Strategy.

54.The previous Widening Participation Strategy (2003) and Access Agreement (2006) did not include any volume measures in terms of outputs. Outcomes were instead expressed in terms of ambitious targets to enrol a higher number of students from under-represented groups, within the overall student population, whilst maintaining academic standards. An overview of current outreach activities and outputs which have contributed to this successful outcome is listed in Paragraph 49. However to attempt to express activity (by way of volume measures) which has led to the successful attainment of these targets, during this period, would provide an incomplete picture of both effort and impact.

55.Moving forward, both the revised Access Agreement and Widening Participation Strategic Assessment set out challenging plans with associated outcomes for the period 2009/10 – 2011/12. These have been expressed in terms of realistic targets and milestones which will assist the institution in maintaining and building on its previous strong performance in this area. The appointment of an Access Manager and Information Officer will ensure that robust monitoring arrangements (including volume measurements) are put in place which will enable accurate measurement of the different activities identified. Progress against key activities and associated targets will be monitored on an annual basis by the University’s Widening Access and Participation Sub-Committee (WAPSC).

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Evaluation: Evidence of Success

56.Evaluation of the University’s Widening Participation Strategy is central to the dissemination and successful integration of activities across the institution. Robust annual operational planning and monitoring processes are already established for the Access Agreement and other institution-wide widening participation initiatives. The University’s Widening Access and Participation Sub-Committee, which has representation from all relevant central departments and Faculties, meets four times per year to evaluate achievements and monitor progress against the targets, milestones and performance indicators outlined above. In common with other University committees, the business and process are informed by other corporate strategic plans, most notably the Teaching and Learning Strategy. On an annual basis, the Committee examines data relating to WP performance targets (measuring success against national trends and statistics) and the tracking of particular groups of students. Based on performance and identified need, an annual operational plan and associated resource commitments are agreed.

57.The imminent appointment of an Access Manager who will coordinate the monitoring of activities and funds that are devolved to Faculties will ensure a process that is both rigorous and constructive. Faculties will be supported in the formulation of realistic widening participation strategies and annual operational plans, with associated targets, will be agreed thus providing a coherent approach to measuring progress and recording achievements within an overall annual reporting process.

58.In order to ascertain the ‘quality’ of widening participation activity, formative evaluation processes with individual participants and partner organizations will be put in place. This is particularly important in relation to outreach activities for younger learners where the focus is on raising awareness of HE and motivating an aspiration to undertake study at this level. Much of the work at this early stage is undertaken at a regional level, often in conjunction with employers and other educational providers. As such, the success of early interventions can only be measured in terms of increased levels of confidence, enhanced attainment and transition to the next stage of learning.

59.Evidence-based research and rigorous evaluation is therefore integral to the successful embedding of widening participation. New interventions which adopt a research-based approach to enhance institutional understanding of the effectiveness of widening participation activities and make use of the findings to inform future developments are encouraged. In particular, where there has been significant engagement with students at key stages 1, 2 and 3, qualitative and quantitative feedback from the school partners will be sought.

60.For mature students, who are undertaking access programmes and wish to progress to HE on a full-time basis, the need to remove financial barriers to study is of particular importance. Evidence-based evaluations of barriers to engagement and success for this group will be central to informing negotiations with funders and local government who will be interested to ensure a steady supply of mature students in response to the skills agenda. There are similar challenges for those upskilling from intermediate qualifications where the potential number of formal and informal partner organizations is extensive. Research and evaluation with participants and

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employers will provide evidence of effective activities and modes of learning to improve progression into HE for learners with vocational and other non-traditional qualifications.

61.An added complication is the potential introduction of ELQ (Equivalent Learning Qualification) provisions in NI, similar to those already in place in England, which would greatly inhibit the opportunities for re-skilling.

Investment in Widening Participation

62.Table 3 sets out the approximate amount of expenditure on each of the broad categories of WP investment detailed.

WP commitments Total funding committed 2008-09 (£)

School/College links £741,517Student Support £608,263Centralised Support £264,546Outreach £686,324Disability £443,949Bursaries and Scholarships £4,997,122Total £7,741,721

Table 3 Expenditure by Widening Participation Category

Investment in Widening Participation: Funding Streams

63.Table 4 provides an approximate breakdown of WP expenditure from the different funding streams, in proportion to the total spend.

Funding stream Amount invested in WP

(£)

Proportion of total WP

investment (%)DEL WP allocation (including mainstream disability allocation)

£998,545 12.90%

DEL teaching grant £1,059,729 13.69%DEL Learning and teaching /TESS allocation

- -

Other DEL funds (please specify) £359,466 4.64%Charitable sources - -Student fee income £5,323,981 68.77%Other private income (e.g. endowments)

- -

Other (please specify) - -

Table 4 Expenditure by Widening Participation Funding Stream

Widening Participation Activity: Volume Measure

64.As detailed in Paragraphs 54 and 55, the previous Widening Participation

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Strategy (2003) and Access Agreement (2006) did not include any volume measures in terms of outputs. Outcomes were instead expressed in terms of ambitious targets to enrol a higher number of students from under-represented groups, within the overall student population, whilst maintaining academic standards. Progress against these targets is detailed in Paragraphs 65 to 68.

Activity Number/reach of activitiese.g. Summer schools No. of summer schools – total no. of

attendeesTable to be completed when data finalised

Progress Against Outcome-Based Targets and Associated Milestones

65.Table 5 details the indicative milestones for increasing representation in specific groups of NI domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants to Ulster, along with actual progress towards achieving targets for the 2008/09 academic year.

Target (Social Group)

Access agreement only

WP strategy only

Shared Actual position

Evidence/commentary for stated position

Disability10.0

Yes No No Milestone Met10.6

Based on statistical monitoring of full-time undergraduate entrants

Ethnicity1.8

Yes No No Milestone Not Met1.0

Based on statistical monitoring of full-time undergraduate entrants

SEC4 Yes No No Milestone Met46.6

Based on statistical monitoring of full-time undergraduate entrants

SEC and Religion14.0

Yes No No Milestone Met16.0

Based on statistical monitoring of full-time undergraduate entrants

Table 5 Progress Against Milestones 2008/09

Performance Against Targets/Milestones and Evidence of the Effectiveness of the WP Activities Outlined in the Strategic Assessment

66.As shown, the University has met or exceeded its targets for the categories of Social Class, Disability, and Religion and Social Class. This is particularly notable in light of the University’s commitment to reducing the number of full-time undergraduate students, to remain within MaSN constraints.

67.The very slight decrease in percentages in relation to the Disability category between 2006/07 and 2007/08 (from 10.3 to 10.2) has been reversed, with an increase to 10.6 recorded during the 2008/09 academic year.4 New definitions of Socio-economic background for which benchmark figures are not available. New baseline figures have been incorporated into the revised Access Agreement with effect from the 2009/10 academic year.

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68.Targets for increasing the percentage representation for the Ethnicity category have not been met. The review of the Access Agreement determined that more targeted action was needed to encourage black and ethnic minorities to engage with the University. To this end, the University plans to open discussions with organisations representing the largest group, i.e. the Chinese community, to establish why the current situation exists and to identify how greater demand for HE can be stimulated. While initiating these activities with the Chinese community, the University will also seek to identify and work with other minority groupings, as feasible.

Financial Data for Access Agreement Monitoring

69.Tables 6 to 8 detail the additional fee income to the University during the 2008/09 academic year, along with expenditure on Bursaries, Scholarships and additional Outreach activities supported from the Access Agreement Fund.

Additional fee income 2008-09 (£)£19,021,237

Table 6 Additional Fee Income 2008/09

Expenditure on bursaries and scholarships

2008-09 (£)

For students with household incomes up to £18,360For students with household incomes between £18,360 and £39,305 (monitoring threshold to be confirmed)

The approximate total spend for these two categories is £4,499,203

The figures will be disaggregated when data are received from the SLC

For students from other under-represented groups where no income detail is known

n/a

Non-OFFA-countable support, for students where no income detail is known and no WP categorisation is applicable (optional)

Approximately £497,920Accurate figure will be calculated when data are received from the SLC

Table 7 Bursaries and Scholarships Expenditure 2008/09

Expenditure on additional outreach (OFFA-countable)

2008-09 (£)

£326,858

Table 8 Expenditure on Additional Outreach Activities 2008/09

Reallocation of Bursary Funds

70.The cumulative underspend for the period 2006/07 to 2008/09 (£3.2M) has been

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ring-fenced by the University and carried forward for use in future years. As part of the review of the University’s Access Agreement, the Working Group’s recommendations for the establishment of an outreach infrastructure, additional Bursaries for Care Leavers and EU students, and investment in additional outreach activities, will be implemented over the three year period 2009/10 to 2011/12.

Number of Bursary Holders

Household income

Number of students in receipt of a bursary/scholarship

As a proportion of the total number of students

Estimated bursary take up rate (for non-HEBSS institutions)

Up to £18,360 To be provided by the SLC

To be provided by the SLC

Between £18,360 and £39,305 (monitoring threshold to be confirmed)

To be provided by the SLC

To be provided by the SLC

Other under-represented groups where no income detail is known

n/a

Other: non-OFFA-countable support, for students where no income detail is known and no WP categorisation is applicable (optional)

To be provided by the SLC

Table 9 Number of Bursary and Scholarship Payments 2008/09

Changes to the Strategic Assessment

71.This document represents a revision of the University’s previous Widening Participation Strategy and the first Strategic Assessment, which reports on activities to date.

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APPENDIX 1

Department for Employment and Learning

Framework for the widening participation strategic assessment1.The development of our approach has been guided by the following rationale and principles:

a.That the strategic assessments are viewed as developmental and enable a sensible dialogue between institutions and DEL, resulting in continuous improvement and measurable progress against milestones and targets.

b.That the WP strategic assessment and annexes provide an opportunity for institutions to demonstrate and take credit for all that they are doing in respect of WP and to overcome some of the information gaps and misconceptions that result from only reporting on expenditure from additional income in access agreement monitoring reports.

c.That the measures delivered through the access agreements and the broader, overall WP work that institutions deliver are fully joined up.

d.That admissions criteria, policies and procedures remain an important aspect of academic freedom and, as such, are the responsibility of each individual institution. At the same time, admissions have a role to play in WP, and transparency and standards are important for public confidence. We would expect institutions to publish their admissions polices and illustrate whether and how they contribute to their WP strategies. The strategic assessment should indicate where further details about admissions can be found in publications and/or on the institution’s web-site.

e.That in introducing WP strategic assessments we will seek to minimise any bureaucratic burden and will not ask for information or monitoring that an institution could not be expected to require for its own management purposes.

f.That the access agreement will remain a separate document which should be attached to the WP strategic assessment but the information currently provided in the annual access agreement monitoring report will be incorporated in an annex to the strategic assessment. DEL will continue to receive advice from OFFA in relation to access agreements.

The structure of the strategic assessment

2. In their WP strategies institutions should have provided detail on their full range of WP activity. This might include for example an overview of the institution’s approach to targeting and the nature of the institution’s links with schools and colleges. Institutions should identify their overall strategic objectives over a three year period.

3. We will not prescribe the format against which institutions should report WP activities in their strategic assessment and the decision on what activity to include will be made by individual institutions. The strategic assessment should provide a summary which:

• allows the institution to bring together all that it is doing and communicate both the range and the scale of activity being undertaken, referring as appropriate to the appendices.

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• Sets out the more detailed targets and milestones that the institution has defined for itself for the three years ahead.

• Makes some assessment of progress made against the targets and milestones since the last strategic assessment was submitted; in the first strategic assessment, institutions should provide a summary of commitments in the academic year 2008-09 informed by their WP strategy. This information will provide a baseline against which to report in the future.

• Sets out the level of resource committed to WP including, but not limited to, the DEL WP allocation and spending on outreach and bursaries covered by the access agreement. We recognise the inherent difficulties for institutions in identifying the WP element in institution-wide activity such as marketing or school and college liaison. Such activities are undertaken for a variety of purposes, and WP might be only one of these. However, internal resource allocation processes should make it possible to identify the resource that the institution has specifically identified for WP. For example, the assessment could detail the additional investment that has been made in marketing and other institution-wide services alongside the amounts invested in outreach and other new services designed and introduced to encourage wider access and support student success.

4. The first strategic assessment should set out the ways in which the institution will assess its own progress towards the milestones and targets that it has set. Progress will then be monitored each year. It is anticipated that in light of the developing NI Integrated Strategy for Widening Participation the institutional WP strategies will be reviewed and this should be preceded by a more substantial analysis by the institution of the success of its strategy.

Equality and diversity

5. In developing WP strategic assessments, institutions will need to have due regard to the positive duties contained in the statutory legislation concerning race, disability and gender, marital status, political opinion, sexual orientation, religion or belief ,age and people with dependents.

Additional documentation

6. As indicated in paragraph 1 (f) institutions should append to the strategic assessment their access agreement or details of how this can be accessed (web links, for example). In addition, institutions should also append, or provide clear links to, their WP strategy and all other strategic documents that they believe address their commitment to WP. Such documents could include:

• the corporate plan or strategy

• the learning and teaching strategy

• equality schemes/single equality scheme

• any other policy statements/strategies, for example relating to inclusion and diversity, which are considered relevant to the commitment of the institution to WP.

7. The strategic assessment should clearly cross-reference to the relevant parts of each appended document.

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8. We expect the strategic assessment to include consideration of where there might be gaps within the institution’s current documentation in terms of the management and delivery of its WP aims, and to state how the institution intends to address such gaps.

Annual reporting

9. Institutions will report on progress through strategic assessments in December each year. This will build on the existing reporting to OFFA and a separate access agreement monitoring report will no longer be required. The strategic assessment will need to take account of entrants in the new academic year, and if necessary the WP strategy can be refreshed, through this annual reporting process, in the light of significant change. A provisional template is provided at Annex B setting out the format and information we expect we will require (this is illustrative and may change as we develop the process).

10. Institutions will report progress against the milestones and targets they themselves have set as outlined above. Annex A offers guidance to institutions on the production of the WP strategic assessment and includes our expectations in terms of targets, milestones and evidence of success.

11. It is the responsibility of institutions to ensure that the strategic assessments submitted are, in their entirety, sufficiently comprehensive in their coverage. DEL will need to be confident that the ways in which institutions intend to measure and evidence their progress in meeting their stated aims and objectives are robust and that the aims and objectives themselves are appropriately challenging but achievable. This will inevitably involve an element of judgement on our part and it is this process that will lead to further discussion between institutions and the Department where appropriate.

12. Should there be a case in which DEL is concerned about the level of the commitment to WP evidenced within the institution’s strategic assessment, then discussions would centre on potential plans for improvements.

Sanctions

13. As stated in the original guidance to institutions from DEL on producing access agreements, sanctions will only be used where the Department considers that there has been a serious and wilful breach of the access agreement.

14. In addition, the submission of a WP Strategy and annual strategic assessments reporting on progress will be a condition of the continued receipt of the DEL WP allocation. Therefore, should an institution fail to submit a strategic assessment in December, its WP funding allocation for that year will be suspended until the strategic assessment is submitted.

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APPENDIX 2

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER’S POSITION WITH REGARD TO THE HESA KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Widening Participation (2007/08 entrants, figures published June 2009)

Full-time Degree Students

The qualifying criteria to be considered as widening participation students are different for young (18-21) students and mature students.

Widening Participation – young students (% of students from NS-SEC classes 4-7)

Year of entry

UK average %

NI average %

Ulster % Ulster benchmark %

03/04 28.6 42.4 48.0 35.304/05 28.2 41.2 47.0 34.605/06 29.3 41.0 46.8 36.206/07 30.3 41.5 47.2 36.007/08 29.5 40.6 46.5 33.9

Widening Participation – mature students (% of students with no previous HE experience and from low participation neighbourhoods)

Year of entry

UK average %

NI average %

Ulster % Ulster benchmark %

Location-adjusted benchmark %

03/04 14.5 14.4 14.2 16.104/05 14.9 10.8 12.2 11.805/06 15.6 12.9 14.7 18.406/07 + 10.6 8.7 8.5 11.7 9.807/08 11.6 9.2 8.7 12.0 9.7+ New definition of low participation neighbourhoods this year onwards

Part-time Students

Widening Participation – young students (% of students with no previous HE experience and from low participation neighbourhoods)

Year of entry

UK average %

NI average %

Ulster % Ulster benchmark %

Location-adjusted benchmark %

06/07 12.2 10.9 10.6 10.0 12.407/08 12.4 4.6 5.8 12.5 4.9

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Widening Participation – mature students (% of students with no previous HE experience and from low participation neighbourhoods)

Year of entry

UK average %

NI average %

Ulster % Ulster benchmark %

Location-adjusted benchmark %

06/07 6.4 1.3 3.7 4.5 4.007/08 6.7 2.3 3.5 4.3 3.2

Widening Participation – all students (% of students with no previous HE experience and from low participation neighbourhoods)

Year of entry

UK average %

NI average %

Ulster % Ulster benchmark %

Location-adjusted benchmark %

06/07 6.8 1.4 4.1 4.8 4.507/08 7.2 2.4 3.6 4.9 3.3

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APPENDIX 3

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS 2008/09

Sparking the Imagination

Sparking the Imagination is an action- research project which aims to explore and contribute to improving levels of self-esteem in young children in seven (initially three) Primary Schools in inner Belfast. The project is designed so that creative experts can work collaboratively with children, teachers and parents to enhance educational opportunities whilst contributing to self-esteem. By hosting storytelling, music and drama events at the University of Ulster it provides an appropriate backdrop against which teachers, parents and children can celebrate their achievements. It is hoped that introducing a project such as this in the early years of primary school will provide the basis by which children might begin to appreciate their potential and carry this with them through their school year’s and beyond.

Early intervention such as that undertaken in this project is part of the University’s commitment to widening access through raising aspirations. Certainly, it will be a long time until the ‘pay-off’ in terms HE entry becomes apparent. However, the early evaluations of this programme suggest an increased commitment to education from parents and raised levels of self-esteem amongst pupils.

uni4u Initiative

The uni4u initiative (formally known as SIESTA) is focused on examining how a university can engender socially inclusive access to its educational provision. The project realises the importance that education plays in determining a person’s life chances and opportunities in terms of social and economic mobility. There is clear evidence that not all young people in Northern Ireland (NI) are accessing HE opportunities equally.

The goal of the uni4u initiative is to engage with young people in NI, some of whom are self-selecting and avoiding applying for a university place because of a specific disability. During the 2008/09 academic year, the uni4u initiative has established links with many schools and voluntary organisations, such as Cedar Foundation and RNIB. Ethical approval has been secured to carry out this three year project and a dedicated Website www.ulster.ac.uk/uni4u has been developed.

The project was presented at the Pathways Conference in June 2009, to 150 delegates ranging from DEL to Health Trusts to parents to disabled applicants. In the recent On-Course Magazine a centre-spread article on the initiative was written and distributed to all 10,000 secondary level students and careers teachers in NI.

Formula Student Project

This two year project aims to develop links with schools and colleges and to encourage an interest in Engineering, through the widening participation of students and academic staff in the University, the integration with teaching and research in

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the Faculty of Computing and Engineering, and engagement at all levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary). During 2008/09, the roll out of the project involved visits to local schools and colleges as well as attendance at a number of careers events and UCAS selection fairs. The completion of this phase of the work has helped raise the profile of the Ulster Formula Student programme and the range and scope of engineering as a study option. A further schedule of visits will continue into the second year of the project.

A web presence and a branding exercise have been completed, with a launch date scheduled for early 2010. The summer school and academic modules are currently under development and further development of the Formula Student room is planned for 2010, which will result in a high quality facility for student training.

Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark

The University successfully secured the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark, which is awarded to institutions that prove their commitment to supporting students coming to HE from a background of care. The Quality Mark for Care Leavers in HE has been issued for one year in the first instance, from August 2009, and will be endorsed for a further two years on receipt of a satisfactory Implementation Report. The University has embedded this commitment in its revised Access Agreement and has established a new Care Leaver’s Bursary.

In further support of the programme, the University appointed a Student Support Officer in 2009, to further develop of the programme to include aspiration raising activities, pre-entry advice and support and access to social and academic mentoring.

Cultural Development Programmes

A series of relatively small scale projects were supported during the 2008/09 academic year. The projects shared a widening access/participation theme but were quite diverse in nature, ranging from participation in interactive multimedia workshops, creating exhibition materials, developing textiles from renewable sources, undertaking archaeological investigation and the creation of a prison memory archive. The projects were led by academic staff from Ulster, in collaboration with primary and secondary school pupils and teachers, students from FE Colleges, representatives from the creative industries, community groups and the general public.

Assistive Technology Provision

On an annual basis, the University’s Disability Services Department assesses a number of students who are not eligible for funded support from their Education and Library Board. The reasons for this include accessing HE through a non-traditional route, such as a certificate, diploma or extra mural course, or their disability is so extensive that they have exceeded the maximum amount of funding available from DSA. Such students are dependent on technology to achieve their potential and without it are likely to suffer academically and even have to withdraw.

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The technology provide under this initiative aimed to promote inclusivity and to support disabled students who did not receive funding and to provide outreach opportunities for the whole range of prospective students, from school leavers to mature returners, who need to have tangible evidence of an accessible environment before considering HE.

Step-Up Programme

Step-Up is an interventionist programme which provides new learning opportunities in science for young people. The programme aims to raise the aspiration and academic performance of pupils thereby enabling them to progress to HE.

The programme operates in Londonderry and in Belfast and actively involves the University in a collaborative partnership with schools, industry and government agencies. The partner organisations contribute to the teaching of the twelve unit GCE Applied Science qualification, which is equivalent to two ‘A’-Levels. A highly structured programme of academic and vocational activities is delivered in the schools and the University, and through experience in local hospitals and industry.

The programme has had considerable success with 99.8% of pupils having obtained the GCE Double Award Applied Science qualification. Almost 75% of pupils have obtained double ‘A’ or ‘B’ grades with the remainder obtaining ‘C’ grades. 97% of pupils successfully progress to university. The retention/completion rate for six cohorts of Step-Up students who progressed to degree level programmes at the University of Ulster is 95%.

Science in Society

Science in Society (www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/) is an initiative to promote science to the general public and to 9-18 year olds in particular, within the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at Ulster. It has been operating since September 2005, supported by external sponsorship from the Bank of Ireland and the Honourable the Irish Society. Public seminars, Christmas lectures, Roadshows and Competitions have been organised for schools. In 2007 and 2008, 3000 young people attended each Science in Society Roadshow, with more than 75% from secondary schools.

In January/February 2008, 4848 children, of primary 6 and 7 age, attended the Science in Society hosted ‘inspiring science’ interactive shows at the Coleraine/Derry/Jordanstown campuses. Twenty percent of pupils were from primary schools prioritised by the University for WP activities.

Forward Thinking Northern Ireland

This Wellcome Trust funded project at Ulster, which commenced in 2008, provides 8 forward thinking sessions to year 8/9 classes in 10 schools per year, plus training of teachers, to facilitate sustainability. The sessions use the Community of Enquiry approach, which aims to get pupils in the class thinking together with a view to increasing their understanding and appreciation of the world around them and each other. 50% of the schools involved in the project in 2008/09 were non grammar schools.

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Advance Programme

The Advance Programme was initially funded by DEL under Peace II and its main aim was to widen participation in HE to people whose education and/or employment prospects had been adversely affected as a result of the conflict. Through this programme the Faculty of Computing & Engineering developed a number of short taster style courses/credit bearing modules on CD so that participants could study at a time and pace that suited them.

A total of 384 beneficiaries registered in Phase one and a further 406 registered in Phase two. The modules were studied either on an individual basis or delivered in a community- based class setting. Classes were delivered by University of Ulster staff at St Francis Primary School (Lurgan), Blackie River Community Centre and Conway Education Centre. Other community groups delivered the courses themselves, in a class setting, with ongoing support from the project team. Community groups who availed of this mode of delivery were Inside Out Programme (Claudy), HMP Maghaberry, Poleglass Bytes, New Lodge Bytes, Derry Bytes, Lower Shankill Bytes and Artability (Belfast).

A critical evaluation of the project in terms of effectiveness was undertaken to ascertain who benefited, how they gained from the experience, and what improvements could be made in the future. It was very clear that there is a pressing need for development of appropriate materials for people who are capable of engaging in HE but who are prevented by many barriers - particularly self-motivation, fear, self-belief, personal organisation and awareness of the demands of HE study. It also appeared that delivery in a class setting using community–based facilities was particularly helpful in ensuring continued engagement.

Recognising the benefit to the target individuals in the Advance Programme, the Faculty of Computing and Engineering, during 2008-09, continued to offer applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds a further opportunity to take the modules already developed. A total of 196 registered, including 50 as part of the Seagate Summer School, 7 from Blackie River Community and a further 30 from Belfast Bytes.

The Faculty of Computing and Engineering are currently planning a number of other related initiatives which include making the Advance modules available to secondary school pupils either for self study or for delivery in a class setting facilitated by school staff or University staff or students. The Faculty is investigating the possibility of offering pupils who successfully complete the modules a discount to the UCAS tariff in lieu of credit if they subsequently apply for admission to full-time undergraduate programmes of study within the Faculty, and students who participate in the scheme will be considered for scholarships in recognition of their contribution.

Bring IT On

Bring IT On is a joint initiative to stimulate an interest in computing as a career and involves the two universities in NI, Momentum, e-skills UK and is funded by the Department of Employment and Learning and Invest NI. A series of province-wide events have been organised to bring together academics, employers, teachers and schoolchildren (13-16 age group). These events have been very well supported with

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almost 400 pupils from a wide range of secondary schools attending. Feedback from teachers and pupils alike indicate that they found the events to be very worthwhile and informative experience.

Seagate Summer School

The School of Computing and Intelligent Systems (Magee) runs a one-week summer school (sponsored by Seagate Technologies Ltd) in computing and electronics. The event is aimed at 14-16 year olds and enables pupils to sample a range of technology areas in a helpful and informal setting prior to embarking on a future course of study. All 50 school pupils attending the Summer 09 School successfully completed the Introduction to Computer Studies Advance module and achieved the 10 credit points at level A.

Tutoring in Schools

The Tutoring in Schools programme provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to work in local schools in support of teachers and pupils learning. In the 2008/09 academic year 96 undergraduate students participated in the programme and feedback from other schools and teachers has been highly positive and provides a firm foundation for future expansion of the programme.

The programme is being substantially revised to fit in with the widening access objectives of the University. As a result there will be modest incentives for students to engage with those primary and all secondary schools where there is evidence of socio-economic disadvantage, while not restricting access to other schools. Engagement with schools in the target category will provide direct links with HE and thereby act to potentially raise aspirations.

Students on the TiS programme can provide valuable support to schools, act as role models for students and enhance their employability by developing skills of team-work, time-keeping, record keeping and self-reflection on learning.

Cross Community Schools Liaison

A Cross Community Summer School involving 3rd year pupils from St Mary’s and Lisneal Colleges (formerly Clondermott High School) has been running now for 7 years at the Magee campus. Currently the Summer School caters for at least 180 pupils from both schools who attend for one week in June culminating with a graduation ceremony at Magee.

The aim of the summer school is to target young people from non-traditional higher educational backgrounds, to help them improve their self esteem with regard to education, and thus to mark the beginning of their pre-GCSE preparation at Ulster. It also encourages young people from the two main political/religious divisions in the city to get to know each other, to make friends and maintain their links.

Science Shop

Through the Science Shop, the University engages with a wide range of community

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and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland. This year alone, more than three hundred students from all campuses engaged in action based community projects. The students work with partner organizations to undertake community-based research projects thus creating successful and sustainable links with groups who would not otherwise engage. Such engagement helps to reinforce Ulster’s commitment to working with these organisations and the communities they represent. Recognising the importance of this activity and the potential to exploit this initial engagement, the University has committed additional funding to explore new opportunities for further and deeper engagement with the community and voluntary sector. This will ensure that effective links, already established, are maintained and used to best advantage to raise aspirations for HE.

Sports Programmes

The Ulster Sports Academy has a significant range of sport related programmes which link closely to the specific aims and objectives of the University Widening Access Strategy. These programmes are delivered in schools and communities across the province as well as at the Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee campuses.

The programmes are growing year-on-year in terms of numbers engaged and activities undertaken through the support of Widening Access programme monies and include;

The Sports Outreach Programme - run by the School of Sports Studies this programme supports University of Ulster students working alongside school teachers to help deliver PE and sport related courses in designated schools.

Ulster Elks Community and School Sport Programme - run by the Sports Development Unit these programmes support local communities and targeted schools to come to a University campus to engage in a multi-sport or single sport coaching sessions in world class facilities used by Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Widening Access Scholarships - a total of 55 scholarships have been distributed per annum to allow Ulster students the opportunity to work on the above programmes and to work alongside professional staff to deliver campus, community and school sport programmes targeted at disability sport, women in sport and sports events among others.

These programmes have attracted support from a broad range of partners including schools, professional sports teams, community groups, private companies and local councils.

Sentinus Activities

There are a number of activities organised by Sentinus that are strongly supported by the Faculty of Computing and Engineering, including:

STEM Days - these are one day events specifically aimed at increasing primary

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school and year 10-12 pupils’ awareness of careers in science, technology and engineering. One such event was hosted by the University (Coleraine campus) with 787 school pupils in attendance (423 primary and 364 secondary).

GetSET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Programme - this event has been hosted at the University of Ulster for the last two years. In 2008, 15 schools nominated 74 sixth form female pupils to participate in this programme. Female participants who are potential Computing/Engineering applicants are provided with mentor support in the form of current and recently graduated Computing and Engineering female students. The University also hosts a similar scheme “GETSET for Boys” which aims to introduce years 13 and 14 male pupils to engineering and computing.

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APPENDIX 4

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER ACCESS AGREEMENT (2009/10 - 2011/12)

INTRODUCTION

1. Variable fees were introduced in September 2006 to ensure that the Northern Ireland (NI) Higher Education (HE) sector was not progressively disadvantaged against the English sector, where variable fees applied (they were introduced in Wales in September 2007). Local institutions needed to have the same opportunity to secure the additional funding variable fees would bring, to help meet medium and longer term challenges to maintain and improve standards, widen access, enhance the student experience, strengthen links with employers and become more internationally competitive.

2. The maximum fee level, or cap, was initially set at £3,000, rising only in line with inflation until January 2010, the earliest date at which an Assembly debate could vote to increase the cap or otherwise. Eligible students can finance their fees through a fee loan and repayment is income contingent, commencing when earnings exceed £15,000 per annum. The repayment percentage is 9% of earnings above this limit.

3. Ulster introduced variable fees in 2006 and has an obligation to the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), as outlined in the Access Letter, to provide financial and other support to students deemed to come from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds or communities. These support mechanisms are in addition to and in enhancement of the widening access and participation activities currently undertaken by the University and are articulated in this document entitled the University of Ulster Access Agreement.

4. The additional funding generated from variable fees is referred to as the Additional Fee Income. The University will top-slice a maximum of one third of the Additional Fee Income to be used to safeguard and promote fair access. The amount allocated year-on-year will hereafter be known as the Access Agreement Fund and will be distributed, inter alia, in accordance with the University’s Equality Policy Scheme, through which equality of opportunity is provided in terms of gender, marital status, religious belief, political belief, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, and responsibility for dependants. Beneficiaries will be expected to observe and be fully compliant with the University’s Students’ Charter.

5. Ulster’s original Access Agreement was in operation during the academic years 2006/07 to 2008/09. This second version of the Agreement, intended to cover the three year period 2009/10 to 2011/12, has been developed to better reflect the environment in which the University is now operating, retains those elements of the original Agreement that proved successful and incorporates new strategies and initiatives to achieve the Widening Access agenda.

6. The University will monitor the implementation of the Agreement and review its relevance after two years of operation, and reserves the right to alter the

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Agreement to respond to changes to NI or United Kingdom (UK) government policy.

BACKGROUND

7. The University operates across four campuses in NI (Belfast, Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee) with a student community of some 20,784 undergraduates, 4162 taught postgraduates and 606 research students.

8. Ulster’s Vision is to be ‘a university with a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement’. In pursuit of this vision the University makes a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland as a region.

9. In fulfilment of its Vision the University aims to enhance accessibility to and inclusivity of its course provision by developing mechanisms that create pathways into HE for those sections of the community that are currently under-represented or otherwise disadvantaged.

10. Strategic Aim 2 of the University’s Teaching and Learning Strategy 2008/09 - 2012/13 is ‘to target, recruit, support and retain a diverse range of students’ and the key objectives to support this aim form the framework on which the revised Access Agreement is based, to include:

• to promote outreach activities to raise aspirations of potential applicants and

improve the number of applications from traditionally disadvantaged and excluded communities;

• to create a seamless transition between different forms of learning;• to promote the development of students’ key skills, including numeracy and

literacy, to enhance their overall performance, their continuation and aid their progression into labour market employment and/or further study;

• to support inclusivity and diversity to underpin all aspects of the student experience, from pre-arrival to graduation;

• to facilitate transition and progression between Further Education (FE) and HE by continuing the promotion and development of progression pathways and agreements with collaborative partner institutions, in particular regional area-based Colleges.

11.The University performs well when measured against HEFCE widening participation benchmarks. In 2006/07 the UK HE sector as a whole recorded 30.3% of full-time undergraduates from SEC 4-7 while Ulster’s figure was 47.2%. The institutional benchmark of 36% was also comfortably exceeded. However, the University, as with other institutions in NI, does relatively less well in terms of entrants from ‘low participation neighbourhoods’, where the University figure is 7.8% against a benchmark figure of 10.4%.

12. It is important to recognise that a number of external factors also shape the University’s participation profile. For example, the migration of students to study elsewhere in the UK has been a significant part of participation in HE in NI for the last three decades. In most recent times the proportion of total full-time

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undergraduate entrants migrating has fallen from its height in the 1970s of 40% to around 25%. In part this reduction is a result of the increase of places in NI of about 20% since 2000. As a result, recent research suggests that most of those who leave ‘want to leave’ and are more likely to be from better-off backgrounds and to have higher ‘A’ level scores. To a degree, therefore, this migration removes some of those who might be best placed to secure places locally and provides an opportunity for institutions to offer wider opportunities to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

13. Additionally, with devolution, the location for policy with respect to participation in HE and issues relating to fees and widening access and participation are in the hands of elected politicians in Belfast. The University will need to consider the contents of this Agreement in light of any policy changes emanating from the current review of variable fees and student finance arrangements, announced by the NI Minister for Employment and Learning (December 2008).

FEE LIMITS

14.For 2009/10, Ulster will set its variable fee level at £3,225 on all undergraduate degree programmes of study. The variable fee will be subject to an annual inflationary increase only, until 2010, and will be chargeable to all full-time UK and European Union (EU) undergraduate students.

15.The same level of fees will be chargeable to all honours programmes franchised to or in collaboration with the FE sector.

FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN

16.Based upon planned intake figures and current socio-economic data, Annex B details the estimated additional fee income and its proposed distribution.

17. A maximum of one third of the additional fee income will be top-sliced to provide the Access Agreement Fund, which will be allocated across three categories of support and enhancement (i.e. Bursaries, Scholarships and Outreach) plus administration costs (i.e. Student Loan Company management fees).

18. It is estimated that 70% of the Access Agreement Fund will be expended on Bursaries and 15% on Outreach activities. The remaining balance, less administration costs, will be allocated to support Scholarships. It is estimated that a minimum of 25% of the Scholarship element will be allocated to students with residual household income below the Bursary qualifying threshold (£40,238 for 2009/10).

19.Unexpended funding in any particular academic year will be ring-fenced by the University for use on Access Agreement activities in subsequent years.

BURSARIES 20.The University will offer Bursaries, as direct financial support, to help students

with course related costs. Bursaries will be paid in addition to any government

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grants that students may receive and do not have to be paid back.

21.Students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for Bursaries:

• are permanently resident in the UK or EU;• are enrolled on a full-time undergraduate degree or PGCE course and pay

the maximum variable fee (except for students on Social Work courses where additional government bursaries are available for support);

• normally have applied for support by 31 May in the relevant academic year.

22.The value of Bursaries offered by the University is linked to students’ residual household income. For UK students, residual household income will be determined by the relevant Education and Library Board or Local Authority. For EU students, residual household income will be determined by the Student Loan Company (SLC).

23.For the 2009/10 academic year Bursary values will be as follows:

Residual Household Income Band Bursary Valueat or below £18,820 £1,070between £18,821 and £21,525 £640between £21,526 and £40,238 £320

24.The University will review the number and value of the residual household income bands on an annual basis, in parity with any adjustment made by DEL to the household income levels used to determine entitlement to a maintenance grant. Any increase in Bursary values will depend on a matched uplift in variable fees, but the minimum Bursary offered will be at least that required by government (£319 for 2009/10).

25.Bursaries will not carry over into a second year but will be awarded on an annual basis. The University will make retrospective Bursary payments to eligible students during the subsequent academic year, where the financial assessment has been approved by the appropriate authority, but no further into the future.

26.The University has subscribed to the Student Loan Company’s Full Administration Service and Bursaries will be paid directly into a student’s UK bank account in March of the relevant academic year. In order to receive payment a student must normally have applied to an Education and Library Board, Local Authority or, in the case of EU students, to the SLC EU Team at Darlington, and given consent for their details to be shared with the University.

27.Bursaries will only be paid where a student is in attendance at the University on 1 December in the relevant academic year. Bursaries will not be paid to students who leave before that date.

28.Where a student leaves on or after 1 December, the University will determine what proportion, if any, of the Bursary to pay to the student. The University reserves the right to reclaim from students any Bursary amounts overpaid where students have not informed the University of their withdrawal from the course.

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CARE LEAVER BURSARY

29.The University has made a firm commitment to providing support for students that enter HE as care leavers. The support package offered includes a Scholarship of £500 per annum, access to year-round accommodation and assistance with the HE application process.

30.Students will be eligible for a Care Leaver Bursary when they have had experience of living away from the family home, or close family members, for a minimum of three months, because of having been looked after in public care as a result of exceptional family circumstances.

31.Such students will usually have recorded this information on their UCAS application, where C, D or E will be the relevant values for duration. Where this is the case, an automatic communication will be sent on receipt of the application detailing the support available. However, as this information is not compulsory, some applicants may not see a reason to disclose it at the pre-entry stage. The information can be disclosed at any stage during the academic year.

32. In order to receive a Bursary, students must be able to produce documentation from the relevant public authority confirming the dates of the arrangement. No personal details, including information about past or current family circumstances, will be required.

33.Once eligibility has been verified, a student will not need to re-apply for each subsequent year of undergraduate study.

34.The regulations detailed in paragraphs 26 to 28 also govern the allocation and payment of the Care Leaver Bursary.

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS

35.Opportunity Scholarships will be financial support, in kind or cash, to meet a specific and identifiable need or to acknowledge excellence/achievement in academic, sporting or outreach endeavours.

36. In keeping with the University’s goal to make a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural advancement of NI as a region, Opportunity Scholarships will be targeted at STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and economically relevant skills shortage subject areas.

37.Opportunity Scholarships, normally limited in value to between £500 and £1,500 per annum, will be paid in addition to any government grants or University Bursaries that students may receive and do not have to be paid back.

38.Students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for Scholarships:

• are permanently resident in the UK or EU;• are enrolled on a full-time undergraduate degree or PGCE course;

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• pay the maximum variable fee;• are in good academic standing (defined as having failed no coursework or

exam at the point of making the award).

In addition the student must meet the specific criteria relating to the particular Scholarship for which the award is being made.

39.The University has subscribed to the Student Loans Company’s Full Administration Service and Scholarships will be paid direct into a student’s UK bank account. In order to receive payment a student must normally have applied to an Education and Library Board, Local Authority or, in the case of EU students, to the SLC EU Team at Darlington and given consent for their details to be shared with the University. A student who does not wish to take out a tuition fees loan or maintenance loan may apply for a “non-means tested award” to enable the Scholarship to be paid.

40.Payment of Scholarships will only be made when a student is in attendance at the University on the date on which the Scholarship is due to be paid. Scholarships will not be paid to students who leave before that date. If a student withdraws from the course subsequent instalments of the Scholarship will be stopped.

41.The University reserves the right to reclaim from students any Scholarship amounts overpaid as a result of students not having informed the University of their withdrawal from the course.

42.Specific details on the type and number of Scholarships, plus details of the application process, will be provided on the University’s website and will be advertised in the annual prospectus, on notice boards within the University and on relevant general and course specific publicity material.

OUTREACH

43.Annually, 15% of the Access Agreement Fund will be allocated to targeted Outreach activities. This will be administered through the University’s Access and Distributed Learning Division and will be additional to Ulster’s current and highly successful Outreach activity.

44.The focus for Outreach activities during the period covered by the Agreement includes a combination of funded projects addressing targeted needs/audiences and general issues of concern that require exploration to identify future development potential.

45.The Widening Access and Participation Sub-Committee will consider project proposals throughout the academic year and make recommendations for funding support, as appropriate. Projects will be assessed on the basis of how they will contribute to meeting the University’s Widening Access agenda, sustainability and value for money.

46.The major projects to be implemented over the next three year period, with

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support already secured from the Access Fund, are detailed below.

Project Title Targeted Group(s) AimsSparking the Imagination

Primary schools in deprived urban areas.

To raise self-esteem and enhance learning.

Tutoring in Schools

Primary and secondary schools with high proportions of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or located in socio-economically deprived neighbourhoods.

To raise aspirations using peer exemplars.

SIESTA Those sections of the population that are traditionally excluded from HE by disability or personal situation.

To increase opportunities for access to educational resources in Ulster, through an innovative programme of interventions.

Formula Student Programme

All girl schools with low progression rates in HE Engineering subjects.

To develop links with schools/colleges and to encourage an interest in Engineering.

47. The University will continue to pursue the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark, which recognises institutions that go the extra mile to support students who have been in public care. The purpose of the Trust is to safeguard the opportunities for looked after children to access HE and to succeed once enrolled. In order to meet the criteria, the University is utilising new UCAS data to be proactive in making contact with students coming from a background of care and advising them on opportunities for financial and social support. The appointment of a new Student Support Officer in 2009 will allow for further development of the programme to include aspiration raising activities, pre-entry advice and support and access to social and academic mentoring.

48. Considerable Sports Outreach activities have been developed by the Sports Academy at Ulster. These activities are cross-community, encompass girls and boys and include primary and post-primary age groups. It is intended to orientate this programme of activities to include a more deliberate focus on the Widening Access agenda, in the identification of schools, and to link these activities to ‘taster’ activities in relation to the academic study of sports and other disciplines.

49. Statistical monitoring of Ulster’s full-time undergraduate intakes has indicated that black and ethnic minorities in NI are under-represented amongst entrants. The black and ethnic minority population in NI is very small (probably no more than 1-2% of the population), whilst the largest single group is made up of the longstanding Chinese community. The University will open discussions with the organisations representing this group, to establish why the current situation exists and to identify how greater demand for HE can be stimulated. While initiating these activities with the Chinese community, the University will also seek to identify and work with other minority groupings, as feasible.

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50. While the statistical growth in the numbers and representation of students with disabilities is encouraging, experience of equality monitoring at Ulster has shown substantial variations from one year’s entry cohort to the next. The University will work with organisations concerned with disability (e.g. Disability Action) to ensure that Ulster’s positive and supportive policy towards facilitating students with a range of disabilities is widely disseminated and understood.

51. The University takes gender equality seriously. Participation by women in the University’s undergraduate courses is high. In part, this is as a result of the programmes offered by the University being popular with females. However, it is apparent that traditional discipline areas of male/female domination continue. This is not an issue confined to Ulster or NI. However, in engaging in our Widening Access activities we will seek to ensure that we encourage both males and females to progress to all disciplines. The DEL Report on Widening Access (2005) pinpointed a particular gender related issue in NI. Specifically, it drew attention to the under-representation of males from lower socio-economic communities in Protestant areas. The University will seek to see how this issue can be specifically incorporated into the overall activities within the context of the progressive equality framework that exists in NI.

OUTREACH INFRASTRUCTURE

52.The Access and Distributed Learning Division leads and coordinates a range of Widening Access activities. In order to ensure coherence in the Widening Access activities delivered across the Institution and that strategic objectives are achieved, a number of new infrastructural roles have been identified to support the proposed additional communication, administration and Outreach activity associated with delivery of the Access Agreement.

53. The new infrastructure will include an Access Strategy Manager (to oversee the management, planning, implementation and evaluation of the Access Agreement) two Access Development Officers (to support students in managing the transition from initial application into and through HE and to develop partnerships with appropriate staff within schools, colleges, community and voluntary groups, training organisations, social services, career services and other intermediary organisations in order to build a framework within which widening access activities for under-represented groups might flourish) and an Administrator (to provide a central support service for Access Agreement activity).

54.The new appointments will develop existing good practice in order to reinforce a positive experience of HE and will ensure that the University remains aware of and responsive to the particular needs of students from non-traditional backgrounds.

COLLABORATIVE ACCESS COURSES

55.The University currently has 15 access courses offered in 29 different venues (FHE colleges and associated outcentres). The student numbers vary from year to year but have been increasing and there are circa 1200 students studying across all Ulster’s Faculties. Ulster access students have a good record in

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relation to progression and retention and further development of this route could both enhance access opportunities and raise the percentage of mature students in HE. Current access courses have knowledge and skills bases that are mapped to a range of routes for progression, ensuring that students are well prepared and equipped to cope with University courses.

56.Ulster currently monitors access courses through a series of quality and support measures, including course approval procedures and liaison between Faculty Heads of Collaborative Courses and providers. In order to enhance Widening Access, the University will agree targets with the providers in relation to the active recruitment of mature students from wards of low participation. FHE colleges monitor access student intakes in relation to ethnicity, community affiliation and receipt of state benefits. This information can provide a basis for monitoring the achievement of targets.

57. Consideration of this access policy will take into account the need to support the DEL EQUAL initiative where “the key themes addressed by the Development Partnerships were Employability and Equal Opportunities” (DEL, 2006). The University is ideally positioned, given the broad range of skills-based provision available across the campuses, to link access strategy to the improvement of employability for disadvantaged populations. This would also entail targeting access routes to assist progression to programmes that will improve prospects for employability, particularly where communities have been excluded from particular forms of employment owing to perceptions or issues relating to gender, ethnicity, community affiliation, rurality or other issues. Such a policy has the potential to contribute to the development of enterprise within disadvantaged communities.

ADMINISTRATION AND MONITORING

58.The University’s Access Agreement will be the responsibility of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning.

59.Progress against targets will be reported to the Senate through the Widening Access and Participation Sub-Committee and the Academic Development and Enhancement Committee.

60.The Access and Distributed Learning Division will, in consultation with Faculties and Departments, agree annual targets for widening access.

61.The University will make use of its Appeals procedures to deal with complaints regarding allocations of the Access Agreement Fund.

COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION

62.The University will deploy a mix of marketing and promotional tools to promote awareness of the Access Agreement. For the broader school and college population and the wider public (teachers, parents/guardians, etc.), promotional

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activity will make each segment aware that Ulster offers financial support and provide details on how to access further information and how to apply.

63.As prospective students begin to harvest information on their university choices, Ulster will provide clear information in its student recruitment publications and on the website. This will include detailed information in the University's undergraduate prospectus, with further supplementary information on the University's online assets, in the form of a FAQ. Additional promotional material on the Access Agreement and guidelines for students and parents will be produced in printed and in downloadable format, outlining the procedure for application and criteria for eligibility. Note that as part of the University’s commitment to access, material published on its website is already available in formats appropriate for sight and hearing impaired people.

64.Additional mechanisms for promoting the Access Agreement will be through information provided in schools visits by University staff, at Open Days and Faculty information days conducted during the conversion process, in materials sent to UCAS applicants during the conversion process and as part of the joining instructions for successful applicants.

65.Due to the recurrent nature of funding support, and the need to reapply year on year, mechanisms to promote the scheme will be established using internal communications facilities, such as the Students' Union website and newsletter, and through course directors and other academic and administrative staff in Faculties and central Departments. In addition, direct communication with existing recipients will advise them of the requirement to reapply.

66.There will be further opportunities to promote awareness to the broader public through use of the media and in political and business briefings. Additionally the University will make use of public speeches and set piece events to reinforce public awareness of its Access Agreement.

STATISTICAL MILESTONES

67.The table below provides a breakdown of key underrepresented groups in full-time undergraduate entrants to Ulster, with indicative milestones for 2009/10 to 2011/12.

Actuals % Milestones %07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12

Disability 10.4 10.6 10.8 11.0 11.1Ethnicity5 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.4

5 The Ethnicity figures indicate the percentage of student entrants from a non-white background.

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SEC6 46.6 46.6 46.8 47.0 47.2SEC and Religion7 15.9 16.0 16.2 16.4 16.6

Note: All figures are based upon NI domiciled new entrants to full time undergraduate courses (students who are enrolled on DHSSPS funded courses and Social Work courses have been excluded from the calculations, as they attract alternative financial support. The figures for 07/08 do not include students on the Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design. As the Diploma was subsequently integrated into the Honours programme, the figures for 08/09 do include students enrolled on the Integrated Foundation Year in Art and Design).

68.The University was gratified that the statistical progress identified in the first Access Agreement was largely fulfilled during the period 2006-2008. However, after a period of relatively consistent economic and other factors, the University is now entering a period of potential turbulence.

69.The University has noted the likelihood that economic circumstances will be more testing in at least part of the period of this Agreement, for example, rising unemployment could have a significant impact on the capacity to reach indicative targets. Other potential impact factors of note include the review of student funding and the fluctuations in the numbers of students self-recording a disability from year to year. The University will monitor these patterns annually to assess how targets are being met in light of the contextual factors identified. Overall, however, the University is seeking to continue to widen access and that does not mean a ‘steady-state’ in terms of the representation of disadvantaged groups.

6 The Socio-economic classification (SEC) figures indicate the percentage of student entrants from the 4 lower SEC groups.7 The Religion and SEC figures indicate the proportion of the students from the 4 lower groups who are Protestants (e.g. in 07/08 the 46.6% from the lower groups is split into 15.9% Protestants, 29.5% Roman Catholics and 1.2% others/unknowns). The identification of the under-representation of this group was identified in the report of the NIHEC/DEL Widening Access Experts Report (2005).

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