Supporting College HE Admissions

20 June 2014

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Welcome and Introduction

Dan Shaffer, Head of Professionalism in Admissions

What is SPA? Set up in 2006 following the Schwartz Report Fair Admissions to

Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice 2004

“ The Group recommends the creation of a central source of expertise and advice on admissions issues. Its purpose would be to act as a resource for institutions who wish to maintain and enhance excellence in admissions. Such a centre could lead the continuing development of fair admissions, evaluating and commissioning research, and spreading best practice.”

“Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.”

What is Fair Admissions?

1. be transparent

2. enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and their potential

3. strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid

4. seek to minimise barriers to applicants

5. be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes

SPA's good practice framework

SPA’s framework supports you as you build to bridge the gaps:

established new practice

current new developments

new experienced staff

you external peers Where’s your gap?

www.spa.ac.uk/support

SPECIFIC GOOD PRACTICEOVERARCHING GOOD PRACTICE

STRATEGYAdmissions Policies

Planning and Managing Admissions

Effective Admissions Operation

Art and Design Admissions

Complaints and Appeals

Centralising Admissions

Part-time Admissions

Feedback

Native language Qualifications

Paperless Processing

Vocational Qualifications

Criminal Convictions

AgeTiming of disability considerations

Admissions TestsInterviews

Competence Standards

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Equality Impact Assessments

Contextualised admissions

Student Number Controls

Applicant Experience Strategy

Principles of Fair

Admissions

College HE Admissions

SPA’s work with FE Colleges offering HE

SPA’s College HE ObjectiveTo support Colleges to further develop professionalism in fair admissions and good practice in HE admissions

In support of this objective SPA haveEstablished a project group to build a community of good practice in College HE admissions, in collaboration with AoCappointed a part time SPA Project Liaison Officer for College HE, on secondment from a college HE admissions role

Introduction

Today’s set-up: Sharing ideas, issues, intelligence Openness and confidentiality

Today’s planned outcomes: Improved networking:

sharing good practice; promoting new contacts and new ideas Develop communal plans to deal with key issues Your input into ensuring a supportive College HE

Admissions community

What are the issues for College HE admissions?

Nick Davy, HE Policy Manager, AoC

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College HE Admissions 2014 AoC Policy Team

Nick Davy, HE Policy Manager

HEFCE Higher education in England 2014: Summary of enrolment trends and characteristics Continued increase in FT HE enrolments in 2013 after dip

in 2012 UCAS applications up 8% for 2014 entry Continuing decrease in part time enrolments – down 50%

in HEI; less steep in FEC – circa 25% Decrease in other undergraduate numbers – foundation

degrees, HNs, short courses Since 2011-12 more full-time entrants to other

undergraduate courses other than first degrees have been studying in FEC than in HEI

HEFCE Enrolments Trends – FPE:08/09 -12/13

30,000 extra students allocated for 2014 Student Number Control to be lifted from 2015 Higher Technical Education – possible changes from 2016?

Colleges more autonomy over awards/validation?Position of Pearson Non-licensed awards?

National Student Survey schedule published Colleges to pay for Destinations of leavers Survey – July 2014

leavers QAA Higher Education Review – includes admissions Maintaining dialogue with HEFCE on the NSS/KIS threshold rules

Relevant Policy issues

2014 Admissions Conference

Any Questions?

Nick Davy - nick_davy@aoc.co.uk

College HE admissions: how we do it

Liz Wyman, Newcastle-under-Lyme College

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Newcastle-under-Lyme CollegeHE AdmissionsHow we do it

Liz WymanHead of Resources and Guidance

About Newcastle under Lyme College

• Large tertiary college in the West Midlands

• 3,600 full time students, 800 part time adults

• 1,400 work based students, 1,250 apprentices

• Small HE offer – around 300 students

HE Offer

• Lengthy partnership with one university – formerly the SURF partnership

• Just signed agreement with another university • Full time courses – FDs, HNC, HND, Fdn Year• Part time courses – FDs and Teacher Training• Across a range of subjects. Creative subject specialism.• Full time recruit through UCAS, via the university. New partner• doesn’t use UCAS with colleges• Part time apply either to the university or to college

System nuts and bolts

• Applications dealt with by college faculties (except Fdn Year)

• All applicants interviewed – some by telephone

• Some initially assessed for maths and English

• In some subjects applicants exclusively from our level 3

• Part time applications almost exclusively work based

Issues

• Neither central nor fully devolved• Small staff teams• Course leaders stretched across provision• Different calendars • Small applicant numbers• Internal applicants• Feedback

Issues (cont)

• Changes to university systems• Communication with university• Duplication of paperwork• Working with employers• Part time applications lack of structure• Communication between departments

College HE admissions: how we do it

Sally Dodsley, Vision West Nottinghamshire College

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Vision West Notts Admissions

Sally DodsleyHE & International Study Skills Coach

HE at West Notts• 22 HE programmes, 24 wef from September• BA Hons in 6 areas• Range of HNs and FdAs• Approx 600 students• Collaborative partnerships – UoD, BCU

Admissions

• Direct, online applications to the college – outside of UCAS

• Central admissions team, one admin managing HE applications – initial checks (personal statements, appropriate qualifications

Applicant Event• Presentation by the central HE team• Provide an Applicant Guide• Interview by curriculum team• Offer (or not) made and details sent to Admissions

Admin for posting

Keep Warm Activities• Summer School programme• LRC events• Taster days

Issues• Insufficient details on application forms – perception that

college doesn’t need the same level of information as universities

• Clarity and consistency re: entry criteria (L2/GCSE English and Maths expectations)

• Consistency of interview paperwork (clarity of conditions, renegade staff)

• Occasional hold ups at the partner institutions• Students don’t like the decisions and admin trying to deal

with this

College HE admissions: how we do it

Paul Sisterson, Newcastle College Group

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Considerations from a Mixed Economy College (& the new UCAS College HE Advisory Group) …

Paul SistersonUCAS Admissions Manager

Newcastle College

Chair, UCAS College HE Advisory Group

Newcastle College in context…

• Foundation Degree (awarded by Newcastle College Group, 2012 on)

• Top-up Degree (in partnership with Teesside University)

• Taught-degree awarding powers (TDAP) - application in progress through QAA

• FTE @ 1 May 2014: 3295 (including West Lancashire College)

• Applications through UCAS @ 16 June 2014: 2,514

• Centralized Admissions (Recruitment & Marketing) since 2002

Reflections from a Mixed Economy Collegeone year on…

1) explored facets of current practice characterizing HE admissions at Newcastle College…

2) shared good practice established by the SPA Code of Practice Group (CoP): http://www.spa.ac.uk/support/goodpractice/heinfe

3) discussed the manner in which HE Admissions @ Newcastle College tailors SPA good practice: http://www.spa.ac.uk/support/goodpractice/

4) Promoted the professionalism of College HE admissions staff… the merits for Personal and Professional Development (PPD) as a significant contribution towards the sustainability of the HE Offer…

 So why conditions now warrant a comprehensive review of centralized admissions?

Considerations…

‘…all the points of interaction between HE (in FE) and a potential student . As a precursor to the Student Experience - the merits of which will, ultimately improve retention and improvement:’ http://www.spa.ac.uk/support/applicantexperience/ - accessed 9 June 2014.

1) Influencing Recruitment: using UCAS ‘Course Collect’ platform to your advantage…

2) Centralized Admissions: reasoning for comprehensive review of current practices…

3) Merits of Centralized & Devolved Decision-making in the context of internal & external progression (with special reference to Business & Enterprise, Health & Social Care, Creative Industries)…

4) Type[s] of Quality infrastructure to oversee centralized admissions (in the context of QAA UK Quality Code Chapter B2: recruitment, selection & admission…)

UCAS College HE Advisory Group…

Inaugural meeting, Cheltenham, 20 March 2014

Second meeting, Cheltenham, 16 June 2014

Provides UCAS with the representative voice of Colleges delivering HE; …acting as a conduit for communication & consultation…

Outcomes will feed into UCAS Change Steering Group and will inform future developments to the shared admissions service

Excellent response from the sector, will continue to ensure the Group is representative of colleges using UCAS’ HE admissions service

For further information contact Paul Sisterson paul.sisterson@ncl-coll.ac.uk & Caroline Cowburn c.cowburn@ucas.com

Confirmation and Clearing 2014 issues

Dan Shaffer, Head of Professionalism in Admissions

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Planning and managing admissions

collaboration

overview

predictenact

review

keep up to date

be ready

Issues at Confirmation and Clearing Staffing System and data issues Managing student number controls Conflict between getting numbers and fair

admissions Progression of own internal students against

external recruitment Conflict between Partner HEP control and own

college autonomy

To avoid issues at Confirmation and Clearing

and keep next year in mind

don’t panic

plan ahead

internal communication

external communication training keep data

up-to-date

process definite decisions promptly

chase missing results early

ask for advice if in doubt

Improving the applicant experience into HE• SPA’s Applicant Experience Strategy built under four broad stages

Adopted a behavioural view of ‘experience’

Interactive participation and engagement, not a passive journey

Linked and underpinned through effective

information, advice and guidance

pre-application application post-

application transition

ing ingsingwww.spa.ac.uk/applicant-experience

Most common reasons for early drop-out

Personal reasons

Lack of integration

Dissatisfaction with course/institution

Lack of preparedness

Wrong choice of course

Financial reasons

To take up a more attractive opportunity

According to National Audit Office reports 2002 and 2007:

Thank you

enquiries@spa.ac.uk 01242 544891www.spa.ac.uk

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