Access, participation and student success conference 2023

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They are unavailable to book

Overview

Join us on Wednesday 1 November as we bring together leading sector experts to discuss the current and future challenges for improving access, participation and student success in higher education.

Register now to either join us in-person in London or gain access to a livestream of the plenary sessions (breakout sessions will not be streamed).

Why should you attend?

This one-day conference will provide informative, timely content from the most pertinent speakers on the topic, as well as a wide range of opportunities to network, discuss, and make connections with colleagues within the sector.

You will also be able to access the recordings of the plenary sessions after the event.

If you have any questions about this or any other of our events, please contact us at events@universitiesuk.ac.uk or 07500 441505.

We allow delegates to cancel their bookings up to one month before the event and receive a refund. If this applies to you, please contact us at the email or phone number above.

If you want to stay up to date with our events, news and publications, you can sign up for our newsletters here.

Agenda

09:30

10:00

Registration and refreshments

10:00

10:10

Welcome and opening remarks

Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor, University of Greenwich

10:10

10:35

Keynote address

John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation, Office for Students

10:35

11:15

Access and Participation Plans: Lessons learnt and advice for the future

Dr Andrew Ross, Head of Widening Access and Participation, University of Bath
Amber Snary, Education Officer, Bath Students’ Union
Dr Geoff Paul, Assistant Director (Academic), University of Sunderland
John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation, Office for Students

This session will take stock of the first wave of Access and Participation plans; to discuss what worked and give practical advice for institutions starting to write their plans in January.

11:15

11:50

Contextual admissions

Ellie Rowley, Fair Access Programme Lead, UCAS
Dr Samina Khan, Director, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Oxford
Beth Linklater, Enterprise Coordinator, Enterprise M3

With the introduction of UCAS’ new sections and questions to add context and widen access in admission, this session will discuss how we can communicate these changes to students and encourage them to engage, alongside the opportunities to develop contextual admissions and increase student support from induction.

11:50

12:10

Break from sessions

Woburn House: Refreshments and networking

12:10

12:55

Breakout sessions (not available via stream)

12:10

12:55

Mental health: Navigating rising demand

Rachel Spacey, Policy and Engagement Officer, University Mental Health Advisers Network
Nyah Lowe, Students' Union President, Undeb Bangor (Bangor Students' Union)
Chair: Naomi Abayasekara, Policy Adviser, Universities UK

This session will explore strategies and approaches for effectively supporting students' mental wellbeing in the face of increasing demand and mounting pressures on services.

12:10

12:55

White working class boys: raising aspirations and enhancing access

Chris Turner, Assistant Director of Students and Library Services, Teesside University
Dr Andrew Ross, Head of Widening Access and Participation, University of Bath
Chair: Harriet Jones, Political Affairs Manager, Universities UK

White working-class boys are often under-represented in higher education. During this session, we will explore strategies and approaches to improve access for this demographic and how universities can incorporate these efforts into their Access and Participation Plans.

12:10

12:55

Using technology for a scaled approach to improving student participation & success: SOAS, University of London case study

Dr Sarah O'Malley, Student Skills Developer, SOAS, University of London
Debby Hsieh, Business Development Lead UK and Europe, Studiosity

SOAS, a small specialist and research intensive London university, strives to provide an intimate, welcoming and dynamic experience for their students. With a focus on high levels of student engagement via a rich and distinctive curriculum, they make effective use of technology to support learning.

In this case study session, Dr Sarah O’Malley will share how SOAS embedded Studiosity’s out of hours, personalised and on-demand study help within their wider academic support offering to help improve student attainment, experience, wellbeing and ultimately success for their diverse body of students. Learn SOAS’s initial motivations and aims and the impact so far, and how they plan to build on current student engagement.

12:55

13:35

Break from sessions

Woburn House: Lunch and networking

13:35

14:20

Breakout sessions (not available via stream)

13:35

14:20

Supporting disabled students: Navigating the DSA assessment

Rian Craske, Disability Practitioner, York St. John University
Angelina Linker, Youth Emplyoment Officer, Change 100, Leonard Cheshire
Chair: Rowan Fisher, Policy Manager, Universities UK

Removing barriers for people with disabilities to access and succeed in higher education required us to think about those unique adjustments that need to be made. This session focuses on providing the best support for disabled students, with a particular emphasis on guiding them through the complexities of the new DSA assessment process.

13:35

14:20

Estranged students’ access: support and success

Susan Mueller, Higher Education Project Director, Stand Alone
Nyomi Rose, Trustee, Unite Foundation and Social Media Consultant
Frances Adam, Go Global Coordinator, UWE Bristol
Professor Abigail Gregory, Director of Academic Strategy, Pagoda Projects
Chair: Dan Hurley, Assistant Director, Policy, Universities UK

This session will provide insights into the challenges faced by estranged students and explore ways to provide them with the best support throughout their university experience and the future.

13:35

14:20

A continuous improvement approach to reducing access and participation gaps

Dr Rachel Maxwell, Principal Advisor (Academic, Research and Consultancy), Solutionpath

Your Access and Participation Plan for the next five years is in place, supported by a well-developed theory of change and a range of agreed activities and initiatives to improve students outcomes for identified cohort groups. But how do you know whether you are making effective progress against those targets and milestones year-on-year?

In this session, we explore the challenges of evaluating progress against identified gaps and consider how student engagement data can enable universities to know, in real-time, whether the initiatives that are in place are working. Having identified where the risks lie within the student body, how can universities work in partnership with their students to make real-time progression against defined milestones?

14:20

14:40

Break from sessions

14:40

16:30

Closing plenaries

14:40

14:45

Welcome back from the Chair

Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor, University of Greenwich

14:45

15:20

Closing ethnicity awarding gaps

Dr Sally Andrews, Pedagogic Projects Development Manager, Staffordshire University
Dr Melanie Crofts, Associate Professor, De Montfort University
Amanda Yip, Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching, University of Hertfordshire

With institutions taking a range of approaches to closing their awarding gaps, this session draws on the latest evidence and best practice from the sector, particularly on how we evaluate progress.

15:20

15:55

Cost of Living: preparing for rising bills

Zaid Mahmood, Students’ Union President, Kent Union
Josh Freeman, Policy Manager, HEPI
Vivi Friedgut, Founder/CEO, BlackBullion

Financial pressures and difficulties are known to impact students’ studies and their wellbeing, therefore supporting students in the context of the rising cost of living is a key priority for institutions across the country. This session will discuss how we can best support students at this critical time, particularly in the context of maintenance loans falling further behind inflation.

15:55

16:30

Local collaboration between schools, universities and FE colleges

Professor Antony Moss, Pro Vice Chancellor Education & Student Experience, London South Bank University and Chair, London Uni Connect
Susie Whigham, Chief Programmes and Communities Officer, The Brilliant Club
Kate Murray, Head of Collaborative Partnerships (Widening Participation), Newcastle University

How do we leverage partnerships between local universities, schools and colleges to improve access for the most disadvantaged in our regions? This session will focus on strategies and best practice for local collaboration.

16:30

Closing remarks

Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor, University of Greenwich

Who should attend?

This conference will be useful for all university staff who have responsibility for or play a part in student access, participation and success. Possible titles are suggested below, but we encourage anyone interested in the topic to attend:

Access, outreach and widening participation professionals, e.g. officers, managers, heads of departments and directors
Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans of Education/Students
Other colleagues responsible for areas such as strategic planning; student services; student experience; equality, diversity and inclusion

Sponsorship

We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available at our events. Please contact Magda Graszka, Senior Events Manager, for more information: magda.graszka@universitiesuk.ac.uk

Studiosity

https://www.studiosity.com/

Solutionpath

https://www.solutionpath.co.uk/

Pagoda Projects

https://www.pagodaprojects.com/

Access, participation and student success conference 2023

These are past events

Overview

Agenda

Who should attend?

Sponsorship

Overview

Agenda

Registration and refreshments

Welcome and opening remarks

Keynote address

Access and Participation Plans: Lessons learnt and advice for the future

Contextual admissions

Break from sessions

Breakout sessions (not available via stream)

Mental health: Navigating rising demand

White working class boys: raising aspirations and enhancing access

Using technology for a scaled approach to improving student participation & success: SOAS, University of London case study

Break from sessions

Breakout sessions (not available via stream)

Supporting disabled students: Navigating the DSA assessment

Estranged students’ access: support and success

A continuous improvement approach to reducing access and participation gaps

Break from sessions

Closing plenaries

Welcome back from the Chair

Closing ethnicity awarding gaps

Cost of Living: preparing for rising bills

Local collaboration between schools, universities and FE colleges

Closing remarks

Who should attend?

Sponsorship

Sponsored by:

Studiosity

Solutionpath

Pagoda Projects

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