Rose Watson
University College Worcester
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SUMMARY
This project offers impartial pre-entry community based
guidance to adults considering entry to Higher Education. The project
worker is based at University College Worcester and has a brief to deliver
individual guidance and group information sessions to targeted groups
of adults across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. In addition, the project
worker represents the pre-entry needs of adults within the host institution
by close liaison with departments such as Widening Participation and Admissions
as well as the Student Achievement Officer.
Keywords: student advice, pre-entry
guidance, university entrance.
INTRODUCTION
It has been noted (Johnston 2000, McGivney 1996, National
Audit Office 2002) that contributory factors in respect of early withdrawal
rates include such issues as lack of information about what the course
will involve, financial pressures, and social factors, e.g. isolation.
This project targets groups of people aged 19 or over who may have barriers
to learning, and/or who may not be able to readily access the information
and support services already available through the university through
the admissions office, Open Days, the website, etc. This group includes
those with social or attitudinal barriers such as lack of confidence or
lack of support, as well as those with more tangible barriers, such as
distance, care commitments, disability, or financial issues.
To ensure that that the service is as accessible and
user friendly as possible, the guidance is delivered within the community,
with the guidance worker acting as a link between the community and the
world of Higher Education. Currently one guidance worker covers the counties
of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
RELEVANCE TO STAR GUIDELINES
At its outset the STAR project researched, produced
and published a set of guidelines based on the causes of student attrition
and which pointed the way towards possible good practice. The STAR guidelines
relevant to this case study are 1.1 and 1.3.
1.1Information about campuses and courses should be
accurate and lead to realistic student expectations.
1.3 Support should be available prior to study particularly
where problems of transition may be predictable.
Cook, et al. 2005
THE PRACTICE
The guidance and information offered aimed to make people
more aware about how the Higher Education experience might affect them,
thus reducing the incompatibility between expectation and actual experience.
The remit of the project was twofold, and comprised both outreach and
in-reach. The outreach element was seen as guidance in the community,
whereas the inreach element fed back to the institution the needs and
perceived barriers of the target groups. This provided the institution
with the opportunity to assess the impact of these perceived barriers
on its own procedures and practices as they apply to incoming students
and those progressing through their courses of study.
THE GUIDANCE PROJECT
Contact was made with people in the following ways:
1. Referrals:
Relevant Higher Education related referrals are taken
from a wide range of groups, e.g. IAG (Information, Advice and guidance
network) workers, community groups, mental health and disability groups,
women’s groups, colleges and community centres. Wherever possible,
clients are seen in their own community, and venues range from village
halls and employers premises, to drop-in centres and cafes.
Care is taken to market and publicise the guidance service
in as wide a range of ways as possible to disadvantaged groups, such as
by working with specific geographical areas, or key personnel such as
CAB (Citizen’s Advice Bureaux), Surestart, Job Centres, etc.
2. Maintaining a community presence
Using this approach, the guidance worker identified and
contacted the target groups directly, and not as the result of a referral
by an existing group. A new, visible and well-publicised guidance presence
was established in the target communities, in order to generate interest
in learning and career choices.
In several cases this took the form of establishing guidance
‘clinic’, with the guidance worker taking drop-in queries
or booked appointments at a local venue on a regular basis. In one case,
a community centre was used, and in another case, a youth café
on a high street was booked. Publicity was extensive but targeted, using
not just traditional forms of advertising, such as posters and newspaper
articles, but also door-to-door leaflet drops, letters sent to parents
via school children and numerous contacts with key workers such as health
visitors, housing officers, etc.
In other cases, ‘guidance clinics’ were set
up within other established communities, such as mental health support
groups, a women’s centre and playgroups. In each case, guidance
was offered on the premises, on a regular basis, either by drop in or
booked appointments.
3. Working with existing learners
The guidance worker also worked with people who had already
embarked on a learning path, from community and leisure courses, to access
courses. This generally involved speaking to groups of learners in class
and, from this, taking booked appointments, usually at the college or
centre involved.
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THE NATURE OF PRE-ENTRY GUIDANCE
Some of the people seen were ready to progress directly
on to Higher Education, whereas others needed to undertake some other
course of study beforehand. The guidance and information offered was seen
as a process whereby the decision making may take a period of some weeks
or months, and so many people accessed the service on several occasions.
In many cases, the guidance worker acted as a link between the individual
and the University, for example by obtaining information for them, facilitating
contacts with other people, offering tours around the campus, etc. Some
people needed some initial support on their entry to the University and
the guidance worker would maintain contact, to ease the student into the
institution.
Work within the Institution
The guidance worker has been seen not only as a link
between individuals and the University, but also as representing the pre-entry
needs of adults to impact on institutional procedures and practices. As
well as linking with departments such as Widening Participation, Admissions
and Marketing, she has an integral position within Student Services, representing
the pre-entry stage of the student life cycle. She works closely with
both the Student Achievement Officer and the Careers Department thus facilitating
cross communication and information exchange.
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
In 2002 a co-financing bid was put in to Hereford and
Worcestershire Learning Skills Council (LSC) and the HEFCE (Higher Education
Funding Council for England) regional widening participation project.
LSC committed £21,000 per annum for a total of three years, with
the HEFCE project committing £21,000 for one year.
Targets were drawn up, and the project worker was appointed in May 2002.
She is based at University College Worcester within the Student Services
Department, reporting to a steering group of interested parties, including
LSC, the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Network, local colleges,
and community groups, as well as internal personnel.
As the project entered the second year and the HEFCE funding came to an
end, University College Worcester made a commitment to continue to fund
the post. It is hoped that once the LSC funding has finished, the university
will fund the role full time and permanently.
EFFECTIVENESS
The effectiveness of the project has been measured by
the following criteria:
1. Numbers using the service
2. User feedback
3. Numbers progressing to Higher Education
1. Numbers using the service
Targets were established at the beginning of the project
to monitor numbers of clients seen for guidance, and for information,
as well as the numbers of visits to community groups and employers. In
all cases, these were met or exceeded. In the first year, a total of 192
people were seen, with 43 visits to community or learner groups.
It should, however, be noted that a numerical analysis
alone does not give a true reflection of the work carried out, as one
guidance interview alone can take many hours work in terms of initial
contact, travel and room arrangements and follow up. Some of the clients
seen were very vulnerable and needed extra time and support in the initial
stages.
2. User feedback survey
Client feedback: All clients who received guidance were
sent an evaluation form to ascertain their satisfaction with the service.
All clients indicated a high level of satisfaction and stated that the
guidance received had helped them to progress. Typical comments included:
I found the guidance worker very helpful. She listened
carefully to my needs and offered help accordingly.
The guidance worker has been great, and her showing
me the ropes immediately prior to commencement was very helpful.
Community Group feedback: A similar questionnaire was
also sent to all community groups and learning providers in the region.
Again responses were all positive, universally indicating that they found
the service accessible and useful for their clients, for example:
Positive impact, confidence building to have a
proper contact at UCW who is constantly available and able to get information.
3. Numbers progressing to Higher Education
At the end of the first year of the project (March 2003)
six people had actually started a Higher Education course, with a further
24 who had applications pending.
Thus, it can be seen that from the start, community
groups and their users have found it very useful to have a guidance worker
in their midst, offering Higher Education information and guidance in
an accessible way. Service users have indicated that the help has raised
their awareness of Higher Education and helped them make more informed
choices about which courses to take.
It is worth noting that due to the nature of the client
group, with many undertaking some preparatory study prior to entry to
Higher Education, the full impact of the project in terms of numbers will
not be felt for several years.
The true impact of this project will be seen when further
evaluation is conducted relating to the effect the information and guidance
received has had on an individual’s ‘preparedness’ for
Higher Education, thus maximizing their experiences when they have engaged
with a course, and reducing their likelihood to drop out. This can only
be evaluated over a period of time, as those who have received the guidance
progress through the system at varying paces.
PROPOSED FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
1. The initial concern of the project
is to secure long term funding after March 2005 when the LSC funding runs
out. It is hoped that the number of guidance workers can be increased
so that the work can be extended within the community. In addition, it
is hoped that pre-entry guidance can be offered to under 19 year olds
through Aimhigher. (http://www.AimHigher.ac.uk)
2. Clients seen throughout the project
will be tracked, and in the longer term, an evaluation will be carried
out looking at the impact of the guidance offered.
REFERENCES
Cook, A., Rushton, B.S., McCormick, S. and Southall, D.
(2005). Guidelines for the Management of Student Transition. University
of Ulster, Coleraine. Also at
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star/resources/star_guidelines.pdf
(Accessed 17-06-05).
Johnston, V. (2000), Identifying Students at Risk of Non-progression:
The development of a diagnostic test. BERA Cardiff. Also at http://www.napier.ac.uk/qes/studentretentionproject/Documents/Students%20At%20Risk.doc
(Accessed 17-06-05).
McGivney 1996, Staying or leaving the course. NIACE,.Leicester
CORRESPONDENCE
Rose Watson, Student Services, University of Worcester,
Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ
email: r.watson@worc.ac.uk
FURTHER INFORMATION
Star Case Study: Pre - Helping
Learners Make SMART Decisions
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/
- The Higher Education Funding Council for England, Widening Participation
http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/issues/wp/index.htm
- The Higher Education Academy, Centre for Bioscience, Widening Participation
http://www.thinkuni.info/ - Providing
Solutions to your questions about higher education
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