At Edinburgh,
we are committed to widening participation (WP) because it’s the right and just thing to do, and because identifying and unlocking the potential of the brightest students from across society is in the interests of the
University, wider society and the local and national economy.
Contextual data
Via our peer mentoring schemes, students from WP backgrounds are offered support, guidance and advice on all aspects of student life, easing the transition into university.
We also offer financial support to ensure cost isn’t a barrier, and that those from low socio-economic backgrounds can fully engage with student life. For example, our Scotland Accommodation Bursary is offered automatically to those from low income households outside the city, to help with living costs associated with studying away from home.
continues to have a positive impact. We are making real progress: around 50% of our government funded entrants have at least one indicator of educational or socio-economic disadvantage.
Support When American sociologist Vincent Tinto said “access without support is not opportunity” he recognised that getting in to higher education is not the end game, and that it is unreasonable to expect students who have not yet realised their potential to do so simply by dint of entering university.2
Students from WP
backgrounds are less likely to draw on a personal support network of family with experience of higher education, which can mean they don’t have a safety net when faced with the inevitable pressures of student life. We must support these students to enable them to unlock their potential, make the most of their university experience, and reap the benefits once they graduate.
We run transition events and programmes for targeted groups to help them make the most positive start at university. Increasingly, the Careers Service contributes to the delivery of these programmes.
Our Careers Service is currently developing a pilot project to build on earlier success by proactively supporting
new entrants from under-represented groups in their first semester. By encouraging them to access initial career development opportunities and information to help them understand and navigate the graduate careers landscape, we hope to increase their confidence, raise aspirations and enhance social capital.
Edinburgh was the first university to use DLHE data to investigate the first destinations six months after graduation of graduates from WP and non-WP backgrounds. Our previous studies found the outcomes for both groups were broadly similar in terms of graduate level employment and further study. A further study will investigate the most recent DLHE data to capture graduates who entered the University in 2007-2009. n
Lessons we have learnt
• Be clear about the problem you’re trying to address, and be confident that the method you adopt will really help address it. Make sure your senior management team is on board.
• The Holy Grail is to find data that describes the personal experience of every individual with 100% accuracy. This is no more possible by using raw exam grades than it is by using contextual data. So do something that is justified, based on a solid understanding of the evidence, the data and your own organisational context and ambitions.
• Be transparent. This will send a positive message to the students and graduates you are trying to reach, and increase the likelihood of them applying to you.
• Regularly monitor the impact of any changes you make: are they doing what you set out to achieve? Have there been unintended consequences? Be prepared to modify or refine your approach in light of changing circumstances.
• If you decide to change your recruitment selection criteria and processes, so that more new recruits are joining you from non- traditional backgrounds, treat these employees as individuals, and support them in post to reach their full potential.
• Treat pre-HE exam grades with caution – they may tell you more about the background of the candidate than their potential.
www.ed.ac.uk 1
Recent studies include:
MacInnes, T., Aldridge, H., Bushe, S., Tinson, A. and BornSosu, T.B. (2014) Monitoring Poverty & Social Exclusion, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Sobu, E. and Ellis, S. (2014) Closing the Attainment Gap in Scottish Education, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Connelly, R., Sullivan, A., and Jerrim, J. (2014) Primary and secondary education and poverty review, London: Institute of Education, University of London.
2
Engstrom, C. and Tinto, V. (2008) ‘Access without support is not opportunity’, Change 40 (1), pp. 46-50.
www.agr.org.uk | Graduate Recruiter 21
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