The Stirling Institute of Education
Adult Learning and Teaching (ALT)
Widening Participation
Access and participation are central to the University’s mission. Stirling is one of the few universities in Scotland to have adopted a university-wide strategy on widening participation. This strategic approach is an important and fundamental requirement for achieving university wide improvement in performance.
Some evidence
While our claim to balance accessibility with achievement in both teaching and research is not particularly unusual in contemporary British higher education, Stirling is distinctive in being able to point to consistent evidence that we live up to this claim. For example, Stirling’s retention rates show some success, as its drop-out rate for 2003-04 was 7.5%, compared to a Scottish average of 10.7%. This is in no small measure the effect of the University commitment to provide continuity of academic support through the Student Learning Service of Adult Learning and Teaching.
Higher Education Table published in the Independent newspaper in September 2005 tables also show that Stirling is number 2 in the top ten of UK institutions most ahead of their benchmark on recruiting from state schools, with 94.3%.
Programmes
Over the years, the University has identified and invested in measures not only to recruit but also to retain students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds or from families with no experience of higher education.
Real progress in reaching potential students from under-represented and ‘hard-to-reach’ groups is a consequence of the institutional investment in innovative and targeted provision. Such programmes are:
- flexiblity through part time daytime study, it is possible for students at Stirling to complete their degree part-time.
- the occasional student option, allowing students and members of the public to study one or two modules at a time for personal interest or to obtain credit which in due course may be used towards a degree programme
- the emerging community outreach programme
- the Access to University studies programmes, for adults and school leavers (Autumn Access)
Partnerships
Other forms of measures are also improving Stirling’s student population diversity, such as Partnerships:
- Partnerships with Further Education colleges, to promote better articulation between programmes, in particular with Forth Valley College, with its 25,000 students;
- Consortium partnerships, such as CAMPUS, with Clackmannan, Falkirk and Stirling Councils, 15 of their schools, Careers Scotland, and Forth Valley College;
- Active participation in local community initiatives, contributing to, for example, Stirling Council’s Lifelong Learning Strategy (Community Planning), and Community Learning and Development Strategy;
- Internal institutional collaboration with essential services such as Information Services, Student Services, Admissions & Recruitment;
- Greater involvement with university departments to collaborate on specific events, such as CAMPUS Summer School.
Adult Learning and Teaching and innovation
It is ALT’s role to instigate such initiatives, and innovative developments continue. Opening up opportunities for a diverse range of students, including mature students, students in employment, or students coming from diverse ethnic backgrounds, require increasing flexibility of admissions, assessment and delivery.
As part of the Grundtvig European programme VaLEx (Valuing Learning from Experience), ALT has developed a new entry route through the Recognition of Prior Learning, embedded in the new University RPL strategy. Work in this area is continuing.
For more information on widening participation initiatives, please contact Mireille Pouget (Development Officer).
