Widening Participation at UEA

Progression – Getting out What do we mean by Widening Participation? “Everyone with the potential and ambition to succeed in higher education should have equal opportunity to do so, whatever their income or background.” (Office for Fair Access) Access - Getting in awareness + aspiration + attainment = successfully achieving a place in HE Financial support Bursaries Hardship funding Specific targeted funding Success – Getting on expectations + transition + engagement + sense of belonging + support + attainment = successfully completing with a good degree Progression – Getting out attainment + social capital + cultural capital + confidence + employability skills + careers support = successfully progressing to graduate level employment or further study “Access without support is not opportunity.” (Dr Sue Timmis, University of Bristol)

What does that mean in practice? Inclusive approaches Tailored approaches

Which target groups are covered by UEA’s Widening Participation approach? Home (UK) students on an undergraduate or PGCE course Disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in Higher Education Least likely to go to HE (defined in different ways including target high schools & postcode analysis (POLAR) Low household income Mature students (with focus on those with no previous HE experience) Disabled students (including students with mental health issues, specific learning difficulties and/or who are on the autistic spectrum) Looked-after children, care leavers and estranged students and young carers. Specific black and minority ethnic groups Young white males from LPN or low household income. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) students Refugees and asylum seekers

84% YOUNG (16-20) (8,444) 16% MATURE (21+) (1,555) Who is in your classroom? Disability 84% YOUNG (16-20) (8,444) Age Ethnicity Likelihood to go to University – POLAR quintiles Gender 16% MATURE (21+) (1,555)

Where are the performance gaps at UEA?

Where are the performance gaps at UEA?

Examples of what UEA is doing in terms of Widening Participation 2018/19? Success Building increased understanding of managing expectations into Outreach activity Pre-arrival events for targeted WP students Expectations Mature transitions day run by the Student Support Service Working with HUM Transitions project Transitions Specific support for Do Something Different Festival to ensure that this is fully inclusive and effective for WP students Engagement Specific support for SU Buddy Scheme to ensure that this is fully inclusive and effective for WP students Sense of belonging Research fellowship into the experience of young, white, working class, male students Dedicated wellbeing and mental health roles in Student Support Service Dedicated academic WP roles with own advisees Support Collaborative research project into reasons for the attainment gap for UK Black students in HE Research fellowship and piloting reassessment summer school for widening participation students in PHA Attainment

Widening Participation in Pharmacy Dr Anja Mueller and Dr Rosemary Norton

Our study approach Measure 1 Entry grades and Performance Measure 2 Exam failures and reassessment Measure 3 Attendance Measure 4 NSS and UKES survey results Measure 5 Interviews with students – what is success? Measure 6 Engagement with teaching resources Average of data from 2011-today

Our study approach Measure 2 Exam failures and reassessment Measure 3 Attendance Measure 4 NSS and UKES survey results Measure 5 Interviews with students – what is success? Measure 6 Engagement with teaching resources

Our study approach Measure 2 Exam failures and reassessment Measure 3 Attendance Measure 5 Interviews with students – what is success?

NSS and UKES survey results Our study approach Key point: there is a difference Ethnicity: 100% White overall satisfied with course, Black 70%, Asian 85%  Biggest areas of difference appear to be organisation of course and community within the school – exploring further Gender: Female 97% satisfied, Male 80% satisfied Measure 4 NSS and UKES survey results

Our study approach Measure 5 Measure 6 Interviews with students – what is success? Measure 6 Engagement with teaching resources

Our gaps: success for BME, male, and mature students Are they more likely to have lower entry grades? Are they more likely to go to reassessment? Are they more likely to not attend? Are they less likely to be satisfied with the course? Are they less likely to engage with teaching resources? ? Success is not just a number, aspirations grow throughout the course, success is getting the pre-reg they want.

Dr Ben Jones & Dr Chris Jones School of History Retaining Young White Male Humanities Students from Lower Participation Neighbourhoods Dr Ben Jones & Dr Chris Jones School of History

Working-class men in Higher Education Motivations Aims and Objectives White Working class men are significantly less likely to attend university Have higher drop out rates than female peers Are less likely achieve an ‘upper’ degree Are less likely to enter ‘graduate level’ employment Regional context To conduct 10 qualitative interviews To review the literature on classed experiences of HE To think about how working class students can be better supported in the context of a Widening Participation strategy Working-class men in Higher Education

Findings from the Literature Mis-recognising aspirations (Stahl, 2015) Social mobility and meritocracy – individualising working class failure & perpetuating structural inequalities (Reay, 2017) Universities and the reproduction of inequality – cycles of advantage Findings from the Literature

Widening Participation provides an opportunity to improve access, success, and progression for white working class male students. “Role Models” Adviser System Ideas Sense of Belonging Inclusive Teaching Intersectionality?

What are the next steps and how can I get involved? Raise WP issues in your schools - the WP team will be happy to help if you need information. Use the reports on server to find out more about the cohorts of students you teach. Next year we will be recruiting two more PhD students to work on WP projects, if you’ve got a good idea for a topic do let us know. Read some of the most recent reports on Widening Participation – for example this HEPI report