ACCESS AGREEMENT 2016/17

Transcription

1 ACCESS AGREEMENT 2016/17 The Brighter Choice 1

2 ACCESS AGREEMENT 2016/17 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT London South Bank University has been transforming lives, communities and businesses for over 120 years and has a proud history of supporting access to advanced education, which stretches back to its foundation in Schedule A of the Scheme of the Charity Commissioners for the Borough Road Polytechnic Institute, of 23rd June 1891 states that: The object of the Institute is the promotion of industrial skill, general knowledge, health and wellbeing of young men and women belonging to the poorer classes As outlined above, the aims of this new institution were to improve the social mobility of the people of south-east London by improving their employment opportunities and to support the community by providing access to the applied knowledge that would advance their businesses. Today, our mission largely unchanged: To be recognised as an enterprising civic university that addresses real world challenges. This Access Agreement focuses on maintaining our tradition, reputation and achievement in widening access and participation for students from non-traditional backgrounds, whilst concentrating our efforts on enabling students to achieve their professional and academic goals. FEES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT Our 2014/15 Access Agreement set out a clear strategic direction, balancing fee income against targeted investment on student support focused on progression and retention. In 2015/16 we continued to build upon this strategy, maintaining our commitment to access and participation and our commitment to support for students who are the most financially disadvantaged and/or vulnerable. In 2016/17 our focus will continue to be placed upon extensive outreach work, building ever more effective partnerships (in particular at FE level), in providing some scholarship support and on developing detailed, long term schemes to support student progression and success. The University is committed to maintaining a simple pricing structure for our courses (reflecting both the current commitments to continued funding for strategically important and vulnerable subjects and to maintaining funding for widening participation and teaching enhancement, alongside the fees paid by students) with a range of fees from 5,950 (for students studying for LSBU awards within partner colleges, where awards are delivered both within the University and within partner colleges) to 9,000 for full-time undergraduate courses delivered by the University. 2

3 From 2014 onwards, expenditure on bursaries and scholarships has been more strongly focused on enhancing progression and building on our growing relationships with local schools and colleges to attract the best-possible applicants. The part-time fee for 2016/17 undergraduate courses will be pro-rata based depending on study mode and number of credits being taken against the equivalent full-time fee up to a maximum of 6,750. The fee for students on Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses, leading to an initial teacher training qualification, will also be 9,000. The University may apply inflationary fee increases in future years (where permitted). Both part-time students and PGCE students will be able to access our targeted support for care leavers (please see below). Our support package will be focused on scholarship funding for students paying fees of 9,000 (or the maximum in regulated fees) from our target groups as outlined below, at a level of 2,000, payable as a cash bursary. Limits on the number of scholarships will depend on the volume of fee income required to be allocated (in line with the requirements of the Office of Fair Access) but will, necessarily, also reflect any further changes to the funding landscape for higher education (including changes to the Student Opportunity Allocation, Access to Learning Fund and Disabled Students Allowance). The University will seek to provide funding to enable up to 300 scholarships to be awarded for new entrants, with a lower level of provision for continuing students, utilizing any remaining funds. Applicants will not need to apply for the Scholarship, which will be awarded through the application of criteria focused on student need. We will give priority to the following types of students: Care Leavers Those in receipt of a Special Support Grant Those from an LSBU PPA (Partnership and Progression Agreement) college or school All Care Leavers will, in addition, continue to receive up to 1,000 in travel allowance per year. Having reviewed internal progression data, the University has decided to discontinue the LSBU progression bursaries scheme as there is no real evidence that this actually contributes to improved performance or progression. Instead the university will investigate ways of repurposing this money in the development of new support schemes aimed at addressing the core reasons behind poor progression. This could take the form of additional Summer Schools, group workshops or individual support sessions. In addition, we will look to invest some of this money in a more formal College partnership network this year. As indicated, below, in our section on Progression, we are actively engaged in developing monitoring processes which enable us to target support for those students most at need. These processes concentrate on developing early-warning of student difficulty, or lack of engagement, and can be focused on particular groups of students. 3

4 We will, of course, be including those students in receipt of financial support within this overview, to ensure that we can enhance financial support with other activity, as needs be. The University has also reconsidered its position on our ABB+ scholarship scheme. We are currently developing a new ABB+ offer which will see LSBU providing additional support to high achieving students to underpin activities which will enhance their academic experience such as study abroad, support their progression, or enhance their employability - examples could include funded internships for example. It is intended that such support will also attract well qualified students from low participation neighbourhoods as outlined in our strategic plans. All financial support measures will be assessed on an annual basis, and the University will look at participation, engagement, progression and attainment rates as key indicators of success in this area (in addition to formal and informal student / staff feedback). In short, the University will also use all data and systems at its disposal to accurately assess impact. ACCESS AND SUCCESS MEASURES London South Bank University s record in the higher education of students from non-traditional backgrounds speaks for itself: 97% of our full-time first degree students came from state schools 55% of our students are non-white in origin 70% are over the age of 21 on entry to the University Highest proportion of students from families with free school meals ( data) We were awarded the Buttle UK quality mark for our work with care leavers WIDENING PARTICIPATION INDICATORS (HESA ) Young Students who attended a school or a college in the state sector (POLAR3 definitions) 2013/14 No. LSBU % London Adjusted Benchmark % FT First Degree FTUG Other FTUG Young students who come from categories 4 to 7 of the new National Statistics age adjusted Socio-economic Classification (NS_SEC) (POLAR3 definitions) 2013/14 No. LSBU % London Adjusted Benchmark % FT First Degree FTUG Other FTUG

5 Young Students who come from low participation neighbourhood (as denoted by its postcode - POLAR3 definitions) 2013/14 No. LSBU % London Adjusted Benchmark % FT First Degree FTUG Other FTUG Mature students who have no previous HE qualification and come from a low participation neighbourhood (as denoted by its postcode-polar3 definitions) 2013/14 No. LSBU % London Adjusted Benchmark % FT First Degree Other FTUG LSBU ENROLMENT INDICATORS (STUDENT RECORDS ) The majority of our 2014/15 students are female (56%). This is typical of the sector, where female students are the majority in almost all institutions and at all levels of study, although they remain a minority in certain subject areas (as can be seen in the breakdown by School in appendix A). Gender No. % Female % Male % Other % Our students cover a broad age range, though there has been a small increase in the proportion of students aged 21 or under in the 14/15 enrolment data (from 28% to 30%). This reflects a national trend in applicants to full-time undergraduate programmes. The majority of our students continue to be above the age of 21 on enrolment (70%), with the largest group falling into the age range (37%). Age No. % 21 or under % 22 TO % 25 to % 40 and over % There is no ethnic majority on campus as 55% of students come from non-white backgrounds. White students are however the largest single group (45%). There are differences between faculties, although these are less marked than with respect to gender. Business for example has fewer White students and more Black and Asian students. 5

6 This level of ethnic diversity is not typical of the sector as a whole, but is not untypical of the London new universities, which do tend to be more diverse in their ethnic mix, reflecting the diverse population of London itself. Ethnicity No. % Arab % Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi % Asian or Asian British - Indian % Asian or Asian British - Pakistani % Black or Black British - African % Black or Black British - Caribbean % Chinese % Gypsy or Traveller % Information refused % Irish Traveller % Mixed - White & Asian % Mixed - White & Black African % Mixed - White & Black Caribbean % Not known % Other Asian background % Other Black background % Other Ethnic background % Other Mixed background % Other White background % White % White - Scottish % White British % White Irish % Approximately 11% of LSBU students enrolling in 2014/15 consider themselves disabled and the rate of students in receipt of DSA (6%) is in line with our subject mix and entry qualifications. Disability No. % In receipt of Disabled Students' Allowance % Information About Disabled Students' Allowance Declined % No Disability % Not in receipt of Disabled Students' Allowance % Note: A full profile of our 2014/15 enrolment data can be found in appendix A. Please note that this is correct as at 23 rd April 2015, but should be treated as indicative (pending final LSBU HESA return). 6

7 PROGRESSION TARGETS London South Bank University has developed in the field of progression analysis and planning significantly during the past three years, with the implementation of our Progression Analysis Tool (a repository of progression data at course and module level, which feeds annual monitoring and planning processes across the University). In order to provide guidance for faculties and departments in analysing data (and deciding on necessary action arising therefrom), benchmarks for progression have been set which establish stretch targets across the board. For 2016/17 these are: Year 1 (level 4): Year 2 (level 5): Years 3 and 4 (level 6, year 4 where a sandwich year operates): 75% progression 85% progression 95% award As a result of ongoing activities focused on data cleansing in student records (and ensuring accuracy of data within our annual return to the Higher Education Statistics Agency) there has been an increased focus on awarding interim qualifications (lower level than the intended original aim, but indicating an award) which has led to a raising of the award data at levels 4 and 5. At these levels, award data includes students on a one year top-up (genuine award), students with a Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education (failed students with sufficient credit for award) and students awarded module credit and failed. There has been a small decrease in repeat year with attendance in the same faculties, following greater use of fail/award credit at both July and September examination boards for students who had not attempted assessments (non-completions). The percentage of students who interrupted studies, failed or withdrew remains relatively consistent. Progression at levels 4 and 5 remained constant in most areas. However, at level 6, achievement has improved, with 59% of students having achieved a first class or upper second class result. There was an increase in 12/13 in the percentage of 1st year progression for both men and women and all minority ethnic groups. There was also an increase in the percentage of 2nd year progression for women. PROGRESSION MANAGEMENT As outlined in earlier sections, the investment we have made in understanding and addressing progression as a key strategic issue for the University has had a moderate effect in an area which it is difficult to turn around swiftly, so our continued focus is on making steady progress towards our benchmark targets, particularly in level 4 to level 5 progression, where our primary focus lies. In refining our general approach to progression, we will use our analytical data to target those groups who are most at risk of withdrawal, both in terms of day-to-day performance (assessment, attendance, logging onto key systems, performance/achievement) and in terms of general categories of students who are known to be high risk (mature learners, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, students with particular entry profiles, particular ethnic groups). 7

8 This enables us to, not only, establish exception reports which focus our attention on particular student groups, but also to target activities to support particular students, as well as providing some level of support for students as a whole. Our activity is closely focused on level 4 progression (our main challenge). We have continued to utilise the Student Transition and Retention methodology piloted by the University of Ulster, amongst others ( ensuring that we put into place mechanisms that allow us to track progression, and measure and monitor engagement at all levels. This has included the development of: A Progression Analysis Tool - providing course and module-level information to aid planning Student Attendance Monitoring utilizing swipe card technology to track attendance Log-in information to the VLE and library systems to assess engagement Coursework Tracking monitoring student submissions, turnaround and feedback This has all been of great use in the development of support services within our Student Centre, an investment of a little over 7 million, which opened to students in November The Student Centre hosts our Students Union and Student Services (within the Student Life Centre ) alongside catering and entertainment venues in a purpose-built environment, with space for individual counselling sessions as well as more generally-accessible meeting space. A new Career Gym was opened in May 2013, enabling an enhanced service, focused on employment and volunteering, to complement the current offering. In preparing for the operation of the Student Life Centre, our Student Services advice team was completely re-structured (in two phases, over the course of 2012 and 2013) to provide a one stop shop approach to student support, which takes on all professional services support, including housing advice, fees and bursaries (and general financial) advice, health and wellbeing and generalized academic support (including the receipt of academic appeals). The Student Life Centre caters for over 1000 enquirers a week, and has swiftly become a focal point for students. Alongside the human aspect of student support, we have implemented a Student Tracker as a part of the Academic Support Framework for all students. This software enables tracking of on-going student issues and management of the, often difficult, interface between academic and personal support needs which is at the core of our advice framework (locating the source of advice at the correct point within the University). We have also considerably developed our engagement with the Students Union, who have themselves, completely re-structured in preparation for operation within the new building. This has resulted in much improved ratings for the Student Union in the National Student Survey In the learning and teaching environment, we are targeting blended support and learning as a key means of enhancing engagement and building progression. In 2014/15 the University made a major investment in technology-enhanced learning, building on the development of our virtual learning environment, this work will continue in 16/17. A key part of this will focus on blended support enabling greater tutor/student (and student/student) interaction and engagement, thus ensuring that we keep in contact with students by a greater range of mechanisms (and on a greater range of devices) than at present. 8

9 Targets for the next 2-3 years include: Focusing support on key constituencies of at risk students, but widening to other characteristics (derived from analysis of our longitudinal Student Success research project) Development of peer mentoring and student support services with the Students Union, making a greater investment in student/student support and ensuring that we develop the capacity to engage more students An increased focus on level 4 support both before and after enrolment, and throughout the first year of study. This will include greater investment in advice and guidance and an increased concentration on personal academic support Development of our assessment strategy to ensure that assessment is targeted upon, and supports, progression, and that we have a better understanding of the pinch points of assessment which impact negatively upon student life A major further investment in data systems, enabling the tracking of students in a far more pro-active way, and tying together existing data systems to enable the University to monitor and focus on key performance indicators which have a real impact on progression, achievement and satisfaction. The University will also continue investing in retention and progression, protecting the progression bursary element of our funding, outlined in earlier sections, as well as supporting these additional measures for enhancing progression. STRATEGIC APPROACH The National Strategy for Success and Student Success makes reference to how under AimHigher the best approach was one where the inter-relationships between aspiration and confidence, attainment and progression were understood by all parties taking part. We provide opportunities for local children and adults to see for themselves what university is like and to meet successful students who are like them and who create hot knowledge by passing on information on their career paths, what university is like and how the UCAS and student finance system work. The outreach and engagement work we do with schools and colleges provides the context and the ongoing support for these activities; we provide a programme which can be used to systematically address the needs and development of young people and adults as they move up the progression ladder. We therefore work best with schools and colleges which value our contribution and recognise that the experience and skill sets of our student ambassadors enable them to positively influence the aspiration of their pupils. The schools we have chosen to work with have high numbers of pupils who come from areas of multiple deprivation and who are eligible for free school meals. We trust teachers to select those who are most likely to benefit from the activities we provide. 9

10 Further Education colleges provide many young people and adults with alternative routes to higher education and we remain committed to building ever closer relationships with FE colleges across London to support their students progression. While we cannot hope to have the same impact on attainment as committed teachers in our local educational institutions, activities such as our year 10 summer school can have a real impact on the self-confidence and motivation of participants, evidenced by reports from the parents and teachers of previous participants. HEFCE research shows that there is a correlation between attendance at summer school and an increase in GCSE grades and in the likelihood of progression to university. We intend to continue to offer opportunities for pupils to engage with activities which involve commitment over time. For more intense activities such as these we will ask participants to take part in a selection process to ensure we are targeting efficiently. The national strategy also identifies a need for more consistent information advice and guidance. All central staff working on outreach are trained in giving advice on progression to higher education, and our student ambassadors awareness of their own career path and prospects is underpinned by training in the English education system; the UCAS and SFE application processes; and employability skills. We will continue to offer schools and colleges the benefit of this knowledge by making it available to them on campus visits and at events that they organise. Lastly, we recognise that there are some groups which merit particular approaches. We will continue to focus on care leavers and looked after children through collaborative outreach work and we will develop a new outreach strategy focused on students with disabilities. Those studying Access and BTEC courses will also be the target of specific activities. CARE LEAVERS We encourage and support the staff at the institutions we work with to identify and prioritise care experienced participants when considering who they select to attend our outreach activities. The following text is used in all communications with schools and colleges who are planning on visiting us: In line with guidance from OFFA, we particularly welcome to our events mature students, students studying vocational courses, care leavers, and students with disabilities. This is also stated in the Schools and Colleges Outreach booklet, which contains a menu of our activities. We continue to attend the South East London Care Leavers Group, and a similar group which covers South West London which bring together local authorities, FE colleges and universities to work towards a seamless service for care leavers locally. Our Buttle UK Quality Mark, exemplary level, was renewed for a further three years in March The staff members in our Student Services team are fully trained in supporting care leavers. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES We do not currently carry out any outreach work which is specific to students with disabilities, bar our collaborative work, although we know from our evaluation forms that around 2% of those who attend our events declare a disability. That said, we intend to work with staff in our Student Services to identify ways of using their expertise to put on outreach events, starting with regular workshops for support staff from FE to share with our support staff the challenge of supporting students to successful progression to higher education and beyond. 10

11 The LSBU Student Services team have been invited to attend a recently established Special Needs Teachers forum in Lambeth, which will increase their understanding of HE and the support available for their pupils. Staff members in our Student Services team are fully trained in supporting students with disabilities and we employ a substantial DDS Team, Mental Health Team and contracted Counselling Service and Psychiatrist Service The University invests substantially in this area, over the Disabled students funding allocations, and has this year equipped special residential facilities for disabled students. BUILDING CAPACITY We hold workshops for local careers advisers and teachers who advise on higher education choices to inform them of the University s offer. Events for lecturers from partner colleges teaching on Access to HE courses, BTEC courses, student advisers, and those supporting their students employability will continue to be held. At the University the Widening Participation Committee disseminates good practice. We will encourage staff to take part in outreach activities and will formally acknowledge staff members that have made significant contributions to widening participation. We recently set up a support group for those staff who are school governors and will encourage more staff to get actively involved in their local schools. THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE Our Confucius Institute supports over 50 London schools with the teaching of Mandarin and Chinese culture, 17 secondary schools and 34 primary schools. Approximately 7,750 students are currently learning Mandarin across the network. 13 local schools have been given Confucius Classroom status, which means they act as a hub within their own local community for teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture. Confucius Classrooms attract 1-2 free Chinese teachers, additional funding, resources and support. The Confucius Institute has an active learning approach to language learning, and children are also offered kung fu, taiji, dance, music, and art from the resident (40 strong) Chinese team at the Institute. The Institute offers school assemblies, workshops, lectures and classroom sessions. The Confucius Institute also supports and facilitates exchange and cultural visits and 70 school children from schools in Croydon and East Dulwich received scholarships from the Confucius Institute to study in China last summer. In 2014, 45 students from schools in Wentworth, Croydon, and Haringey will receive scholarships from the Confucius Institute to study in China. These are students who would otherwise never have the opportunity to go to China without funding support. STUDENT AMBASSADOR SCHEME Student ambassadors carry out much of our outreach work, and we will continue to recruit, train and employ around 100 ambassadors a year. This investment enhances these students engagement with the University and hence retention while offering them relevant work experience and a stable income. 11

12 Many of our ambassadors are mature students or have come to university via non-traditional routes and the ambassador scheme builds their confidence and enhances their employability. It also builds relationships across institutions and with the local community as many went to school and college locally. We intend to develop their capacity further by accrediting their work as well as instigating a cadre of lead ambassadors who will be supported in developing additional outreach activities. We have a separate Sports Ambassador Scheme which employs students to deliver sports coaching and mentoring in local schools and sports clubs. The scheme plays a key role in delivering our widening participation strategy, by establishing and maintaining close links with the local community in Southwark and Lambeth, where schools have low rates of student progression into further and higher education. As part of the programme our sports ambassadors must complete 10 voluntary hours. This year we pledged these hours to Southwark Inclusive Learning Centre and the Ben Hollioake Learning Centre (Kia Oval). We also have young people visit us daily particularly during the school holiday period where they take part in the University s Academy of Sport junior activity programme. WIDENING PARTICIPATION EXPENDITURE Typical annual expenditure on core widening participation and outreach activity is as follows: Predicted WP Expenditure Activity Expenditure Foundation degrees, Current students 9,701,000 Support for disabled students 135,000 Support for progression from HE (employment or postgraduate study) 725,000 Outreach work with schools and/or young people 155,000 Outreach work with communities/adults 88,000 Outreach work with disabled students 5,000 WP staffing and administration 498,000 Total 11,307,000 In terms of OFFA countable spend we anticipate spends of around 746k on access opportunities, 375k on student success, 1.244m on progression and up to 600k on financial support, totalling 2,965m. This is equal to 17% of our higher fee income. The University recognises the potential risk to funding for outreach activity, in the future, and will seek both to preserve funding, where possible, and to work efficiently to maximize the impact of the funding we receive. We already work collaboratively with other organisations, wherever that is feasible, and would seek both to extend this work and to seek further external funding sources, as we are able. However, in so doing, we will continue to ensure that the balance of our activity maintains a clear commitment to enhancing progression, which remains our key strategic priority. 12

13 WIDENING PARTICIPATION AIMS Our key aims and objectives going into the 2015/16 round are as follows: Enhance the aspirations and achievements of pupils in local schools Increase our recruitment of students from low participation neighbourhoods Increase numbers of applicants and entrants to HE from Partner Schools and Colleges Deepen our relationships with partner colleges through outreach and collaboration Work with key stakeholders to improve access for care leavers and students with disabilities OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT London South Bank University has a longstanding, committed relationship to its local communities. Many of its students live locally and studied at local schools and colleges. Data from our 2013 report Progression of London FE Level 3 College Learners to London South Bank University FE cohorts showed that over 10% of all students studying at FE and Sixth Form Colleges in London who live in Southwark progress to higher education at LSBU. The numbers of application and enrolment rates from our local colleges has increased by between 5% and 10% year on year for the past five years. Many of these students come from non-traditional educational backgrounds and progress to university via Access or BTEC courses. Our approach has been to pay particular attention to supporting these students into higher education. Source: 1 Joslin, H and Smith, S (2013): Progression of London FE Level 3 College Learners to London South Bank University FE cohorts ; Murtagh, S, Ridley, A, Frings, D & Kerr Pertič, S (2013): Understanding Student Progression and Attainment. PROGRESSION AGREEMENTS Progression agreements with local colleges and schools offer students discounted entry criteria and a programme of activities which support the transition of level 3 students to higher education and to LSBU where appropriate, which continues through application, induction, into the first year here and beyond, contributing to improved access, student experience and ultimately performance. Qualitative data including a number of case studies of students who came to us as a result of a progression agreement demonstrate that agreements are effective vehicles for increasing access, creating stronger aspiration to higher education where this may have been in doubt. Progression agreements also encourage staff from HE and FE to share expertise in curriculum design and in some cases teaching. We want to deepen our engagement with our local colleges through the delivery of more level four modules to level three students, offer more work on curriculum development, and explore further opportunities for more in-depth collaboration. Arrangements with partner colleges for students to top-up HNDs and Foundation Degrees enable access, particularly where teaching is shared between FE and HE (on the Access to Electrical Engineering run with Lambeth College for example). Our Extended Degrees in Engineering and Business enable students who for whatever reason missed out on a level three qualification to start their journey to higher education at a level appropriate for them. We intend to develop more courses that straddle the traditional level three/four divide. 13

14 The University s long term commitment to access and raising aspiration is clearly demonstrated by the University s sponsorship of the University Engineering Academy South Bank, which opened in September 2014 with 150 Year 7 places and a 25 place resourced unit for children with Special Educational Needs. The school is in the heart of Southwark and is part of the Elephant and Castle regeneration project. PRIMARY SCHOOLS Our approach to primary work is to work with the Children s University and enhance the work that they do to raise the aspirations of children who come from families with little or no experience of higher education. One of our Pro-Vice Chancellors is the Chancellor of our local Children s University and hosts graduation ceremonies on campus. We provide extra activities for the pupils who take part in it and actively encourage parents to take part in activities. SECONDARY SCHOOLS Many schools in the local area have been successful in increasing GCSE attainment. We have made a commitment to 18 local schools, 11 of them in Lambeth and Southwark, which demonstrate exceptional added value for their pupils. They have high numbers of students who qualify for free school meals and who come from areas of deprivation, yet achieve good GCSE grades. We work with students in these schools through years 7 to 11 and into the sixth form if appropriate to support their students aspiration and achievement. We will continue to arrange outreach activities for other schools in the London boroughs, as listed in our previous Access Agreements, which we identify as also containing areas of deprivation. We also remain committed to the principles of the London Engineering Project which we hosted some years ago by continuing to use the activities which research showed to be effective in challenging gender and ethnic stereotypes associated with STEM subjects and jobs. FE AND SIXTH FORM COLLEGES At level 3, our outreach activities focus particularly on students who are studying BTEC and Access to HE courses, as our data shows that these students do less well than others once they are studying here. We offer taster days specifically for these students, and for Access students, we tailor our interventions to appropriate moments during the academic year, supporting them through UCAS and SFE application processes, providing information, and supporting the development of skills they will need once they get to university. Students from our partner colleges are invited to join the LSBU Access scheme, giving them access to the University s library and other facilities. We will provide these students with a programme of preparation for higher education as well as the opportunity to get involved in the wider life of the University through gym sessions and mandarin classes for example. Students on this scheme who join the University can be tracked through their time with us and beyond so that we can measure the impact our interventions have on their success and employability. Further interventions to support transition and to build a sense of belonging to the University include Applicant and Headstart days which help students get a sense of what it will be like to be studying their chosen subject at LSBU and a three day summer school for students accepted onto nursing and midwifery. 14

15 We are committed to the principles of support for student success in the HEA s Final Report from the What Works? Student Retention & Success Programme, and intend to enhance transition through further skills summer schools for applicants with firm acceptances; welcome material written by current students; the creation of an online induction programme; and mentoring by current students studying the course the applicant is due to study, all of which are examples taken from the What Works: Compendium of Effective Practice in Higher Education. COLLABORATIVE OUTREACH In addition to the work we currently undertake as part of LSBUs standalone recruitment and WP work, we will continue to host and contribute to outreach activities organised with other London universities through our membership of collaborative outreach organisations. This might include offering individual personal statement sessions in FE colleges such as are organised through Linking London, or aspiration raising events which staff and students from different universities contribute to such as those organised through Aimhigher London South. Both organisations have set collaborative targets and we will work with other universities to fulfil these. The experience of Aimhigher and of taking part in the collaborative organisations we have been part of over recent years has shown that sharing expertise and learning from staff in other universities and colleges who are working to extend access and participation is valuable. It also gives us the possibility of sharing the monitoring and evaluation of collaborative activities, and allows funding to be shared for useful research such as that commissioned by Linking London on the progression of London FE learners. We will also continue to collaborate on outreach activities with organisations such as The Salters Institute, Institution of Engineering and Technology, Thames Water, Lend Lease, and Transport for London. We host the South Bank Employers Group and are working with members to develop a local progression strategy which will aim to highlight local progression routes which will include ways into higher education and local graduate jobs. With the City of London Development Office, TimeBank and Team London we deliver the City Opportunities Project which won the Times Higher Education Widening Participation Initiative of the year in The project aims to introduce care leavers to graduate opportunities in the City of London. It involves collaboration with various City firms and Brokerage Citylink. Recruitment is through the Virtual Schools and other contacts in the local authorities that fringe the City. The work of our Sports Academy is important in reaching out to the local community on the issue of sport, and drawing people into the University and thus into the HE environment. So we work with Sportivate (London Sport) on sport for people with disabilities, and with Silverfit with the over 45s. We remain committed to this collaborative initiative for as long as the shared funding continues as we can show that many care leavers have benefited greatly from the experience. 15

16 SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES (CURRENT): STEM outreach activities for Keystage 3 Introduction to higher education days: years 8-10 Year 10 and year 12 summer schools Mentoring by student ambassadors of year 10 pupils Taster days for year 12 BTEC students Taster days for Access students Year 10 construction events in partnership with Nine Elms Development Learning to Learn programme which trains participants in skills for studying at university Delivery of level four modules in colleges and schools (funded by John Cass Foundation) IAG sessions (LSBU Applying to HE module from Careers Education PgCert based training) TARGETS AND MILESTONES For a university such as London South Bank, the targets and milestones within our development of progression and retention are key to our evaluation of success in the development of focused activity in this area. The University s current internal Key Performance Indicators (used at departmental level, with quarterly evaluation, as well as regularly reported to our Board) include measures which focus on retention, progression and achievement (as well as on wider aspects, such as student satisfaction). Whilst we still see our challenge as being able to exceed benchmarks for access and participation, whilst moving further towards national benchmarks for retention and success, we also recognise that this will become harder to achieve year on year and that the incremental growth may be slower paced than in the past, this is reflected in our targets and milestones. This would see the University s clean progression moving towards 75%, and student achievement (measured through the number of undergraduates who achieve first or upper-second class awards) to move above 65% overall. We recognise that this will take time, but over the course of the first three years of development, we would aim to see steady progress in the nature of 3-5% annual improvement in these benchmark figures. Additionally, and following the further development of internal measures to track attendance and the submission of assessed work, we would look to establishing stretch targets for each in future years. 16

17 MONITORING AND EVALUATION As outlined above, all support measures will be assessed on an annual basis, and the University will look at participation, engagement, progression and attainment rates as key indicators of success in this area (in addition to formal and informal student / staff feedback). The University has embedded monitoring of these measures within our existing governance, executive and deliberative structures, as well as developing specialised mechanisms for evaluating the success of certain core activities (such as project delivery). The Board of Governors is already kept regularly informed regarding progress against the University s key performance indicators (both at main Board meetings, and within Policy and Resources Committee). The Audit Committee has oversight of monitoring mechanisms, in their totality, and will approve (and maintain) any such that are put into place for these measures. The Educational Character Committee (a relatively recent innovation in the Board structure) receives regular reports on Student Demographics, Progression and Achievement, Appeals and Complaint, External Examining and Faculty Quality Processes, as well as having oversight of the general educational character of the University, on the Board s behalf. Within the executive, operational and deliberative spheres of the University, our existing management and committee structures allow for appropriate monitoring of individual activities, with the University Executive, and the Academic Board, maintaining strategic oversight. The University has developed regular School and departmental planning meetings, which scrutinise budgetary expenditure as well as operational goals, and which use the same forms of performance measure against which we evaluate ourselves institutionally. We also have a developed a uniform process of project development and delivery, which includes the operation of a project board and the regular reporting of progress up to Executive level. Students are an important part of our committee structure, with student membership of the Board of Governors (and its key sub-committees), Academic Board, Quality and Standards Committee and Learning and Teaching Committee. Students are also actively involved at School and course level, and within some project groups. In line with our proposal to maintain current participation levels (within benchmark) whilst improving student progression and retention (above and beyond benchmark) the emphasis of our monitoring processes is on tracking and improving retention. Individual projects within the overall Student Transition and Retention programme (STAR) are monitored through the monthly meetings of the University Executive, and reported to the Board of Governors on a regular basis. Projects in support of the University s Academic Strategy (of which STAR is a key contributor) are also reported to Academic Board and its main sub-committees (Learning and teaching Committee and Quality and Standards Committee). In addition to this the Student Recruitment Committee and Widening Participation Committee are working on both firmly embedding the monitoring of applications to ensure that our more targeted approach to admissions support is as effective as that provided through AimHigher and on promoting the development and delivery of progression accords within our target group of partner institutions, to better enable smooth transition from level 3 to level 4 and beyond. 17

18 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY In producing this agreement, the University has been careful to consider fully issues of equality and diversity, conducting a desk top impact analysis of the package under consideration. Our work with schools and colleges and with mature learners across our partners is targeted to work with students from low participation neighbourhoods and our support package is predicated on identifying those students in highest social and financial need and providing them with dedicated financial support. From 2013 onwards, we have been actively monitoring the levels of school students we engage with who are in receipt of free school meals (both within our direct outreach activity and within the work of the Confucius Institute) as a further measure of our impact. In constructing the student support package within this agreement, we have concentrated on the provision of bursaries, rather than fee waivers, giving direct financial support to students, rather than lowering their eventual debt. Our allocation system concentrates on students with the highest levels of social and financial need, irrespective of gender, age, or ethnicity, though (as the data provided as an appendix to this document shows) we are very aware of the correlation between economic and social factors within our student body. This agreement is targeted on providing a level of support for all students from lower income households, with higher levels for those who have the greatest opportunity to succeed within their chosen courses. This year, for new entrants, focus is upon scholarship and bursary support which gives funding directly to students and which further enables them to reduce their direct expenditure on University services. Additionally, all students are encouraged to concentrate on progression and to ensure that they maintain a positive engagement with their course. Scholarship provision is focused upon those with the greatest levels of need, with a strong concentration on local students from the poorest backgrounds. The allocation of funding will be to those in greatest need, irrespective of other demographic indicators. Our work on progression and retention identifies which groups of students are most at risk either by age group, ethnicity, entry profile, gender, disability or a combination of these factors. Work todate has enabled us to focus on particular social factors and to engage with partner organisations to better understand barriers to progression and achievement. Our Student Success project continues to track groups of students and to analyse barriers to progression arising from a range of circumstances, such as social background, ethnicity, age-group and disability, and this is enabling us to build a more sophisticated picture of student engagement and achievement, and to target our activities in such a way as to benefit those with the greatest need, first. 18

19 PROVISION OF INFORMATION The University is committed to ensuring that all promotional materials, and information made available on University or other sites (for example, through UNISTATS and the Key Information Set) make clear how we are continuing to invest appropriately in access, whilst focusing additional activity on student success. Once this Access agreement is approved, we will include both the specifics of our fee structure and the investments made by the University, both in recruitment materials and activities, and in communications with all our stakeholders, including current and prospective students. CONSULTING WITH STUDENTS The key elements of this Access Agreement have remained unchanged from the 2014/15 strategy, which was subject to full consultation with student focus groups and the Students Union in February and March The general terms of the current agreement have been discussed with the University s Board of Governors, which includes student governors amongst its members. In addition, the University will continue its programme of personal communication with our partner schools and colleges about the changes in general, in line with BIS communications; this will ensure that students are not deterred from coming to University because of concern over the perceived impact of changes in the funding mechanism for higher education. Professor David Phoenix OBE Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive 23 rd April

20 APPENDIX 1: LSBU OVERALL ENROLMENT DATA (INDICATIVE) LSBU ENROLMENT INDICATORS (STUDENT RECORDS , AS AT APRIL 2015) Gender Count % Female % Male % Other % Grand Total % Student Status Count % BLANK % EU % Home % Overseas % Grand Total % Age Range Count % 21 or under % 22 TO % 25 to % 40 and over % Grand Total % Ethnicity Count % Arab % Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi % Asian or Asian British - Indian % Asian or Asian British - Pakistani % Black or Black British - African % Black or Black British - Caribbean % Chinese % Gypsy or Traveller % Information refused % Irish Traveller % Mixed - White & Asian % Mixed - White & Black African % Mixed - White & Black Caribbean % Not known % Other Asian background % Other Black background % Other Ethnic background % Other Mixed background % Other White background % White % 20