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UniversityofKent
Accessandparticipationplan2019-20
PreambleThisistheUniversity’sfinalAccessandparticipationplaninsupportofits2015-20WideningParticipationStrategy.Assuch,itwillsupporttheembeddingofsomeofourkeyaimsoverthelastfiveyearsbutitwillalsoreflectthebeginningsofanewphasethatwillbeunderpinnedbyevidencehighlightingtheneedforpilotingnewapproachestoinformtheefficacyofintendedaimsandobjectiveswithinouremerging2020-25Plan.Atthispointintime,emergingaimsandobjectivesforournewWideningParticipationPlanincludethefollowing:OutreachwithlearnersincommunitiesandstudentswithinpartnerschoolsandfurthereducationcollegesOutreachprovision• FullembeddingoftheprogressioncurriculumstrandswithintheUniversity’spartnerschools.Theprocess
ofafullevidence-basedreviewbeganin2016andsometestingofcontentisunderway.By2019-20wewillhaveinplaceanumberofcompletestrandsfortestingandafullcomplementofstudentfocus/testergroupstorespondknowinglytothecurriculum.ThewholeapproachwillbesituatedwithinthewidertrackingofoutreachprovisionparticipantsthroughtheHigherEducationAccessTracker(HEAT)databasetosupportthelonger-termassessmentofimpact.
• AccesstoHE,foryoungermatureandmaturelearnerslocatedwithinhighareasofdeprivation,will
continuetobeanimportantfocusfortheUniversity.• DevelopmentofanambitiousnewprogrammeofoutreachtounderpintheUniversity’snewcollaborative
medicalschool.• TheUniversitywillcreateascholarshipforinternationalstudentswhomeetnewlydevisedwidening
participationcriteriaandarewillingtoworkwithinourlocaloutreachprogrammeforthedurationoftheirundergraduatestudies.
OutreachandtransitionphasesTheUniversity’spartnershipworkwithourFEpartnercollegeswillbecomemorefocussed.Inparticularwewillfocusuponthefollowingtwoareas:• WorkingwithcolleaguesinFEtosupport,inparticular,BTECstudentswhomaywishtoprogresstohigher
education.ProvidingoutreachwithinFEsettingshasoftenbeenprecariouswiththelevelofstaffchangeswithinFEanditislikelythatthiswillremainadifficultyforHEliaison.However,weaimtoreinvigorateandfosterstrategicpartnershipswiththepracticalfocusofsupportingacademicwritingskillsforBTECstudentsthroughthedevelopmentofanacademicwritingmodulewhichcanbedeliveredinanumberofwayseitherpre-HEorduringtransitiontoHEandsecondlythroughtheshareddevelopmentofnewhigherapprenticeshippathways.
Schoolsponsorship
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AtthetimeofwritingtheUniversityhasrecentlyincorporatedasecondschoolintotheUniversityofKentAcademiesTrust(UKAT),formedin2017fromasingleacademytrust.AlthoughthereismuchtodotheUniversity’sprioritiesincludethefollowing:• Continuetobuildacosmopolitanandexcellent6thformprovisionacrossthetwoschools.• UKATtoprovidethelocusoftheUniversity’smedicalschooloutreachprovision,throughtesting
innovativeall-ageengagementwithinandthroughoutourcommunities.• PursuethefurtherdevelopmentoftheTrust,particularlywithafocusuponincludinglocalprimary
schools.• Developanewbroadbasedleadershipprogrammethroughouttheschools.• Design,developmentandreviewoutreachcurriculumwiththe2800studentsservedbyUKAT.Thiswill
beunderpinnedbyqualitativemethodsandlongertermtrackingbasedonbase-liningallstudentsandparticipants.
• Continuetoexploreandpilotinnovativeapproachestotacklingchronicteachershortagesthrough
engagementofundergraduateambassadorsandinternships,jointteacher-trainingandpostgraduatestudypathways,anddirectentryprogrammes.
StudentswithintheUniversityStudentSuccessProject• PhaseIIoftheTimesHigherEducationawardwinningstudentsuccessprojectwillbecontinuing
throughout2017-20.Ourfocusupontargetinggooddegreeperformancegaps,andinparticularwherethesegapsoccurthroughintersectionality,willcontinueataforensiclevelwithinsevenacademicschools.
• Inadditiontoourschools-basedapproach,whichwillbeunderpinnedacrosstheUniversitybyeasily
accessibleperformancemonitoring,theUniversitywillcontinuetopilotassistedtechnologiesandwellbeingapproacheswithintheentirestudentbody.
• Transitionandorientationprogrammesthatwillbetargetedtostudentswithintheoutreachphasewill
continuetheirarcforstudentswhochoosetocontinuetostudieswiththeUniversityatundergraduatelevel.
StudentsprogressingfromundergraduatestudyTheUniversitywillcontinuetobuilduponitssuccessesinstudentprogression,suchastheworkstudyprogrammeandinnovativeemploymentbridgingprogrammesforstudentswithdisabilities.Tothiswewilladdthefollowing:• Developarangeofsubject-basedengagementprojectsforstudentswiththeintentionoffurther
supportingappliedacademicapproachestotheirengagementwithemploymentopportunities.
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• ProvideanincreasingnumberofinternshipswithintheUniversityandwithinUKATtoprovidearangeofsubject-based,professionalandmanagementexperiencesforwideningparticipationstudentsandstudentswithdisabilities.
• Asabove,underschoolsponsorship,continuetodevelopandinnovateintheprovisionofsubject-
focussedteachertrainingrouteswithinsecondaryschools.FinancialsupportTheUniversitywillincreasethenumberofstipendsavailabletostudentsfrompartnerorganisations.Inadditiontoprovidingfinancialsupportthestipendprogrammeoffersparticipatingstudentsarangeofprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities.Theprogrammealsorequiresstudentengagementinarangeofworkofferswithinpartnersettingsthroughoutthedurationoftheirundergraduatedegreeprogramme.MonitoringandEvaluationTheUniversityhas,foroveradecade,beenasectorleaderwithinthemonitoringandevaluationofoutreachandlatterlystudentsuccessandprogression.TheinnovativeandcomprehensiveapproachtoimprovementwhichhasbeenmadepossiblethroughtheKentledestablishmentoftheHigherEducationAccessTracker(HEAT)databaseacross78EnglishHEIswillcontinuetobeembeddedandinformfurtherdevelopments.HEATplanstobroadenoutitsreachtoincludethirdsectororganisations,furthereducationandotherregionsacrosstheUKandinternationally.Introduction
TheUniversityofKenthaslongbeencommittedtotheprovisionofhighereducationtoallthosewhocouldbenefitandhasdeliveredmajorinnovationandsuccessinwideningparticipation.Ouron-goingcommitmenttowidenaccesshasresultedinthedevelopmentofamultimillionpoundcampusatMedway,significantinvestmentinarangeofnationallyrecognisedoutreachschemes,aswellasprovidingafocusforacademicexcellenceintheregionthroughthedeliveryofourPartnerSchoolsinitiative.TheUniversityisproudoftheseachievements,particularlyasourengagementwithwideningaccesspre-datesthewidersectorandwasdrivenbyinstitutionalcommitment,ratherthanexternalfactors,totheprovisionofhighereducationtoallthosewhowereintellectuallyable.Furthermore,wehavebalancedthiscommitmenttowidenparticipationwithourpositionasaresearch-ledUniversitywhichdeliversqualityteaching.
TheUniversityofKenthascontinuedtodevelop,implementandbuildcapacitywithinitswideningparticipationstrategyfromthefirstHEFCEfundedaccessprojectin1996toitsestablishedcommitmenttoproviderecurrentfundingforallitsoutreachactivity.Fromdirectcontactwiththoseintargetpopulationswherewedeliversupporttoraiseattainmentandaspirations,tomajorurbanregenerationprojects,Kenthasplayedakeyroleintheinvestmentanddeliveryofprojectstowidenaccessthroughoutitsregion.OurdataillustratesthesuccessofouroutreachapproachandtheUniversityhascontributednationallyinthedevelopmentofwideningparticipation:KentwasoneofahandfulofuniversitieswhichparticipatedinearlynationalevaluationworkinwideningparticipationandistheleadinstitutionforHEAT,theHigherEducationAccessTrackernetwork.
TheUniversityhasbeenaleadingpartnerinthe‘UniversitiesatMedway’project.KentwasanearlychampionoftheparticipationagendawiththedevelopmentofanewcampusintheMedwayTowns;anareawithsignificantlylowparticipation.TheUniversity’sdirectcontributiontothecapitalcostofthisprojecttodateexceeds£20m.Inthischallengingeconomicclimatewemustremainfinanciallyastuteinorderthatwe
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cansustainaprogrammeofexpansionandmodernisationofspaceandfacilitiesonallourcampusestoensureanappropriate21stcenturylearningenvironmentandexperienceforallourstudentswhilewealsocontinuetodeliverourinnovativeandinsightfulparticipationagenda.
Oursuccesstodateinwideningparticipationisdrivenbytherealitythatwehaveneverstoppedourdevelopmentalapproachinseekingbestpractice.Wehavesoughtarangeofpartnerswithahostofdifferentaimstoworktowardsabetterlocalengagementwithhighereducation.WehavebuiltcapacityforwideningparticipationwithintheUniversitywithpeopleatallstagesoftheircareer,andthiscommitmentwillleadtoamoresystematicimplementationoverthenextfiveyearsforbothstudentsandstaff.TheUniversityhasnotonlyinvestedsignificantlyinoutreachprovision,buthasalsoinvestedsubstantiallyinpartnershipsandthemaintenanceofcollaborativeprovisionacrosssectors.ThishashelpedsustainactivitywithinthecountypostthewithdrawalofnationalfundingandhasallowedthedevelopmentofarangeofprimaryandsecondaryschoolpartnershipsandAcademysponsorshipwhilefurtheringrelationshipsacrossfurthereducation,localgovernmentandcommunitiesofinformallearners.ThisrangeofactivityhasresultedintheUniversity’sroleincollaborativetargetsettingonalocalbasiswithnearly50partners.Inaddition,thecreationoftheHigherEducationAccessTracker(HEAT)networkhasallowedforcollaborativemonitoringandevaluationapproachestooutreachbetween78HEIs.In2014theUniversitybeganthenationalrolloutofHEATtoanincreasednumberofHEIsinEngland,andbyworkingcollaborativelywewillensurethatthemonitoringandevaluationofWPpracticedevelopsandevolves.
TheUniversityisalsoleadinstitutionforthe2017-19KentandMedway’sNationalCollaborativeOutreachProgramme(KMCOP).AtthetimeofwritingwearewaitingtoseeifNCOPcontinuesbeyond2019.Therearecurrentlyfourmainstrandsoftheinitiative,eachofwhichwillbereporteddirectlytoOfSandincludedineachpartnerinstitutions’Accessandparticipationplan.TheUniversityofKentisdevelopinganentirelynewacademicstrandofworkbasedwithinpartnerFEcollegesthatiswhollydistinctivetotheworkcontainedwithinthescopeofitsplan.
WewillcontinueourworkwithPartnerSchoolstowhichwedeliverin-depthaspirationandcurriculumworkandtriplethenumberofstudentambassadors;provideoursponsoredacademies,BromptonAcademyandChathamGrammarSchoolforGirls,withfurtherspecialistsupportandextendourcommunityengagementinthatlocality.Wewillembedfurtheratargetedretentionandstudentsuccessandemployabilityprogrammethatreinforcesouraspirationeffortsandensuresthesuccessfultransitionofourstudentstoemployment.Theseeffortsarecoupledwithgenerousfinancialsupporttothoseinmostneed.ThefollowingpagesoutlinetheUniversity’sintentionsforthefuturewithregardtokeyaspectsoftheUniversity’sstrategyandinfullresponsetotheOfSguidance.
TheAccessandparticipationplanfullyarticulateswiththeUniversity’sWideningParticipationStrategy(2015-20)andStudentSuccess(EqualityandDiversity)project.ThereisfullUniversitypolicyengagementthroughtheformalcommitteestructuresoftheUniversityandallacademicschoolsandkeyprofessionalservicesareengagedinthedevelopment,deliveryandevaluationthatarecoretothosepolicies.
Fees,studentnumbersandfeeincome
ThefollowingsectionisbaseduponcurrentGovernmentpolicyandmaybeliabletochange.TheUniversityofKentwillcharge£9,250p.a.basedon2018-19tuitionfeesforallitsfull-timeundergraduateprogrammesofstudyandamaximumof£6,935forparttimeprogrammesbasedon2018-19tuitionfees.TheUniversity’sPartnerColleges(EastKent,WestKentandAshfordCollege)willdecidetheirfeesin2018andwishtoretaintheoptionofcharginguptoamaximumof£6,165p.a1.TheMedwaySchoolofPharmacywillcharge£9,250p.a.basedon2018/19tuitionfeesfortheundergraduateMPharmdegreeprogramme.Weproposetocharge1 Subject to change in Government Policy
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£1,385basedon2018/19tuitionfeesforyearsabroadandsandwichyears.Allfeesforallprogrammeswillbesubjecttoannualinflationaryincreaseswherepermitted.
For2019-20theUniversityisforecastingthatitwillhave14,273homestudentsandafeeincomeof£41.3m2.TheUniversitycommittedtoalargeincreaseinfundingforthedevelopmentandpilotingoftargetedstudentsuccessmeasures,withthemostsuccessfularebeingmainstreamedthroughphaseII.TheUniversityhasalsomaintaineditsongoingcommitmenttooutreachat£2Mperannum.TheUniversitywillalsocontinuetoprovidefundingforhardshipinordertomeetfinancialshortfallsnotmetbythestudentopportunityfund.For2019-20theUniversityisforecastingtospendatotalof£10monaccess,studentsuccessandprogression,andfinancialsupportmeasures.
Accessandstudentsuccessmeasures
Baseduponevidencecollectedandtheanalysisofthatevidence,theUniversitywillcontinuetodevelopandofferarichcurriculumtopartnerschools,collegesandcommunities,andtoprovidetargetedfinancialsupporttoenableaccessandstudentsuccess.TheUniversity’soutreachprovisionregularlyworkswithallagesacrossdifferentsettings.AsstatedinearlierAccessAgreements,wehaveundertakenanextensivestatisticalreviewofwideningparticipationandequalityanddiversityindicatorstogaugewherewearedoingwellandareasforfurtherdevelopment.TheUniversitywillcontinuetoprovidestudentfinancialsupportat£4,500perstudentinordertocontinuetoinvestinstudentsuccessmeasures,tocontinuebursaryfundingtostudentswhomaynotremaininsatisfactoryacademicstandingtoaidretentionandtoincreasespendbymaintainingbursaryfundingforstudentswithayearinindustry/sandwichyears.
TheUniversitycontinuestomonitorourintakeusingHEFCE’sdisadvantagemetricPOLAR4(LPNQ1).In2015-16,theUniversitymetitslocalbenchmarkforQ1entrantsandalthoughbelowournationalbenchmarkwearecontinuingourtargetingwork.InadditiontoLPNmonitoring,theUniversityusesabasketofproxymeasuresfordisadvantage.WeknowthataroundhalfofourUKentrantintakemeetsatoneormoreoffourdeprivationindicators.Wewillcontinuetoincreaseourunderstandingofthemulti-dimensionalaspectsofdisadvantagebytheuseofintersectionaldata.Weusehouseholdincometoassesstheextenttowhichwearewideningparticipationfromgroupswithlesseconomiccapitalandsecondaryschoolperformancedatatoprovidecontextabouteducationalcapital.TrendsrevealthatwearerecruitingamuchmoreethnicallydiversepopulationofstudentswherenumbersofentrantsfromallBMEgroupshasrisenyearonyearsince2008.Wehavepilotedcontextualisedadmissionsforapplicantstooneprogrammeandareplanningtorolloutcontextualisedadmissionsinotheracademicschools.Wefeelthatoursignificantandtargetedoutreachprovision,coupledwithtargetedfinancialsupport,hasstabilizedourwideningparticipationstudentpopulationandthereforewewillcontinuewithourimplementationasoutlinedinearlieraccessagreementsandourwideningparticipationstrategy.
Inseekingevidenceontheimpactoffinancialsupport,theUniversitycontinuestomonitorlinksbetweenbursarysupportandstudentsuccessespeciallycontinuationandcompletion.Ourmonitoringhasdemonstratedthatstudentsatahigherriskofwithdrawing(studentsfromlowhouseholdincome/andormaturestudents)whoareinreceiptofabursaryhavehighercompletionrates,i.e.aremorelikelytostayonandachievetheirdegreethantheirpeerswhodonotreceiveabursary.Onthisbasiswefeelthatstudentsuccessissignificantlyenabledbywell-targetedfinancialsupport.
2 Full and part time home students and home fee income above the basic fee 2018 figures.
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Secondly,theUniversity’sgenerousbursaryscheme,targetedviatheuseofPOLARindicators,resultedinthefollowingprofileofrecipientsin2017-18:55%withpriorqualificationotherthanAlevels3,99%hitatleastoneoffourdeprivation4indicators;37%BMEcomparedwith36%BMEoverallintakeand15%disability.Outreach
Asdocumentedinourlastwideningparticipationstrategicassessment(WPSA),theUniversityhasperformedwellinregardtooutreachvolumemeasures,andgenerallywellagainsttheHEFCE(OfS)benchmarksforaccesstotheinstitution.Weintendtoaddressthefollowingsignificantissueswithinthefinalphaseofourcurrentwideningparticipationplan:
• Retainthestabilityoftheintakeofyoungfulltimeundergraduatesfromwideningparticipationbackgroundsposttheintroductionofhigherfeesinthesector(asdefinedbycurrentHEFCEbenchmarksandKent’sinternalpartnershiptargets).
• ImproveourperformanceintherecruitmentofyoungFTundergraduatesfromLPNQ1andQ2.• Increasethevolumeofapplicantsaswellasfull-timeentrantstoHEfromPartnerSchoolsandColleges
andKentandMedwayProgressionFederation(KMPF)(Aimhigherlegacy)schools.• IncreasematureparticipationfromLPNQ1andQ2throughthedevelopmentofnewaccessprovisionin
Medway.• Workcollaborativelywithlocalauthorities,schoolsandcollegestoimproveaccesstoHEbycareleavers.
Asoutlinedaboveourdataillustratesthatour2016performanceforparticipationofunderrepresentedgroupsfromlowparticipationneighbourhoodsisgoodagainstthelocalbenchmarkbutbelowthenationalbenchmark.However,weknowthatanincreasingproportionofourentrantcohortaredomiciledasPOLAR4Q3butwithalternativemarkersfordisadvantage(e.g.geodemographicpostcodeprofiling,secondaryschoolperformanceandhouseholdincome).Monitoringofouroutreachprogrammesshowsthatmalestudentsarelesslikelytoparticipateinoutreachactivitythantheirfemalepeersandwewillcontinuetoaddressthisbyworkingwithourlocalpartnersecondaryschoolstooptimisetheparticipationofmalestudents.WeknowfrominternalentrantmonitoringthatdisadvantagedmalesarelesslikelytostudyspecificsubjectareasattheUniversitywhilstothersubjectareashavegoodrepresentationofdisadvantagedmales.Wewillcontinuetomonitorsubjectbasedoutreachactivitytoensurethatdisadvantagemalesinourpartnerschoolsandcollegeshavetheopportunities,andencouragement,toattendarangeofsubjecttastersinunder-representedareassuchasEnglishandLanguages.Equally,ourwideningparticipationstrategyhasalwaysactivelyaddressedtheselectiveschoolsystemthatoperateswithinKentandourexistingtargetschoolsareallnon-selectiveinstitutions.However,werecognisethatthereisvalueincontinuingtheassessmentofoursuccessagainstthestateschoolindicator,onalocalbasis,toascertainwhichstatenon-selectiveschoolsweshouldworkwithinpartnership.ThefundingthroughthisAgreementistargetedtoundertakeoutreachworkwithKentMedwayProgressionFederation(KMPF)schools.
AswellascontinuingourrelationshipswithourPartnerSchools,wewillworkwithKMPFschoolswhowishtocommittoanewpartnershipagreement,ourlocalauthorities(KentandMedway)andpartnerHEIs(CanterburyChristchurchUniversity,UniversityoftheCreativeArts)toensurethatcollaborativeworkcancontinueproductivelyintheregion.Ourcommitmentistoworkwithaminimumof40non-selectivesecondaryschoolsandasmallernumberofprimaryschoolstoofferongoingandsubject-basedprogrammesofoutreach.WeremaincommittedtotheactiveimplementationoftheLearnerProgressionFramework,to
3 Including BTEC and Access to HE 4 IMD, EST, IDACI from Index of Multiple Deprivation and POLAR4
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encourageasustainedandcomplementaryprogrammeofoutreachactivitiestotargetlearnersandtheeliminationofduplication.Wewillcontinuetoworkwithourpartnercolleges:Mid-KentCollege,EastKentCollegeandWestKentandAshfordCollege,throughdeliveryofourHEprovisionandoutreachtotheirFElevelstudents.TheUniversitywillimplementourexistingcareleaverplan.MoredetailonallaspectsofthisworkisavailableascasestudiesandregularlyupdatedevaluationreportsfromthePartnershipDevelopmentOfficeattheUniversity.
Additionaloutreachwillbefocusedinthefollowingareas:• Tocontinuetosupportandtodevelopfurthertheofferofpaidandcreditbearingstudentambassador
workwithintheUniversity.Thisinvestmenthasthedualfunctionofincreasingcapacityforaspirationandsubject-basedworkinschoolsandcollegeswhilstsignificantlyenhancingthestudentexperienceforourundergraduateandpostgraduatestudents.ThesepostshaveshowntoimprovestudentengagementwiththeUniversitycommunityandhenceretentionviaactiveandrelevantworkexperiencewhichalsoprovidesastableincomestream.WehaveworkedovertheyearstorecruitourAmbassadorbasefromthosewhoprogressedfromourcurrentPartnerSchoolsandwillextendthissuccessfulschemetoourKPMFschools.
• Wewillincreasetheprovisionforacademicinvestmentinthedevelopmentanddeliveryofoutreachcurriculumacrossalldepartments.
• Buildinguponourcommitmenttodeliveroutreachinallsubjectsandtomakeadditionalprovisionforsubjectsofstrategicimportance,aswellasaddressaccesstoprofessionalprogrammes,theUniversitywillassessifnewprogressionprogrammesneedtobedeveloped.
• KentisthemainsponsorofBromptonAcademyinGillinghamandChathamGrammarSchoolforGirls,bothareasofhighdeprivation;astrategicpriorityfortheUniversity,wewillfundahighconcentrationofoutreachactivity,includingsystematiccurriculumdesignanddeliveryfromyear5,inthefeederprimaryschools,toyear13.
• Finally,theUniversitywillcontinuetoincreaseitsprovisionofcommunity-basedoutreach.Inadditiontobuildinguponitsverywellregardedcommunitylearningforum,theUniversityhasdesignedandisdeliveringamodularlevel3/0programmeinMedway,tohelpengagematurestudentsinhighereducation.ThisworkunderpinsandcomplementstheworkundertakenintheBromptonAcademybyengagingwiththeadults/parents/carersinthiscommunity.
Studentretentionandsuccess
Wearecommittedtoensuringthatallourstudents,regardlessofbackground,aregivenappropriatesupporttosucceed;notjustinthecompletionoftheireducationalqualifications,butinbecomingsuccessfulandproductivecitizensthroughengagementingraduatelevelemploymentorinthefurtheranceoftheireducationalcareers.
InresponsetothefindingsfromtheextensivestatisticalanalysisundertakenonstudentsuccessandperformancemeasuresinphaseI,theUniversityhasbegunphaseIIofits2017TimesHigherEducationawardwinningstudentsuccessprojecttoreducegapsinperformancelevels.
Morespecificallyitshouldbenotedthatanyspecificdisability-relatedspendwithinthisPlanhasbeenestimatedpre-Guidanceandthereforemaybesubjecttochange.
Wehaveinvestedinanalyticssoftwaretoassistwithidentifyoutcomedifferentialsacrossthestudentlifecycleandtoincreaseourunderstandingofwhereweneedtotargetactivitiesensuringthatwearereachingstudentswiththemostneed.Forexample,whilstthesectorperformanceindicatordatafornon-continuationfollowingyearofentrydemonstratesthatweperformwell(abovebenchmark),wehave
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extendedourmonitoringbyexaminingachievement5ratesforourentrantcohort(followingstudentsacrosstheentirecycleoftheirintendedprogramme)andthisanalysishighlightslowerachievementratesforourPOLAR4Q1students,studentsenteringwithnonAlevelqualifications,studentswithadisabilityandmaturestudents.
Degreeclasshasalsobeenmonitoredtoassessattainmentgapswithspecificgroupsofstudents.Ourlatestmonitoringindicatesadifferenceof14%percentagepointsbetweenthepercentageofwhitestudentscomparedtoblackstudentsattainingafirstor2.1(87%and73%respectively).Thisisanimprovementonpreviousmonitoringwhichfounda19%pointgap.IntersectionalanalysisalsoshowsattainmentdifferentialsforgroupsofstudentswhoenterwithnonAlevelqualifications(BMEandWhite)wherethesestudentsarelesslikelytoobtainanawardandarelesslikelytogetagooddegree.Studentswithotherqualificationsarealsomorelikelytobedisadvantaged.Byexaminingthemultidimensionsofdisadvantage,wearenowmoreabletotargetinterventiontostudentswhoaremostlikelytoneedsupport.Wedonotuseethnicityasasolemeasurefortargetingsupport,instead,weidentifygroupsofstudentsonentrywhoarelikelytohavelesseducational,economicandculturalcapitalandwhothereforemaybeatadisadvantage,andtargetoursupportaccordingly.
Achievementandattainmentratesaremonitoredcloselyatacademicschoollevel,havingpilotedaseriesofinterventionstoaddressattainmentgapswewillrolloutandembedthisworkacrosstheuniversitywhilstcontinuingtofocusourstudentsuccessworkonthosestudentswhoareatriskofunder-performance(suchasstudentsenteringwithoutAlevelqualifications).WehavededicatedStudentSuccessstaffworkinginSchoolswithsignificantgaps:workingwithstudentsasearlyaspossibletooptimisetheirengagementandidentifyingareasofsupportisakeypartofthiswork.Systematisingperformancemonitoringintelligencetohelpreduceattainmentgapsisakeypartofourstudentsuccessframework,asisourqualitativeresearchsothatwecangainafullerunderstandingofthereasonscontributingtosuccessdifferentials.
Wewillcontinuetomonitorcloselythesuccessratesofstudentswithadisabilitytoidentifypossibletrendswhichmayidentifytheneedforaspecificintervention.Studentsinthesegroupsreporthighlevelsofsatisfactionwiththesupporttheyreceiveduringtheirstudies.
Thereisevidencethatmalestudentsarenotachievingtheirintendeddegreesatthesamerateastheirfemalepeersaswellasunderperformingintermsofgooddegreeclassification.Wewillcontinuetomonitorthesuccessratesofmalestoidentifyanypersistentgapsatacademicschoolandprogrammelevel.
Tocomplementthiswewillcontinuetoextendourambassadorschemefromexclusivelyoutreachactivitiestoincludestudentmentoring.Wewillestablishstudentmentorpositionsfor2ndand3rdyearundergraduatesandpostgraduatestoworkwithfirstyearundergraduates.WherefirstyearstudentshavestudiedatthesamePartnerSchoolastheirmentor,studentswillbepairedpriortoregistration;wheresuchmatchingisnotpossible,mentorswillbeallocatedviasubject-base.
StudentProgression
ThesuccessoftheWorkStudyschemehasbeendemonstratedanditwillcontinuetodevelop.Theschemeisavailableinallacademicschoolsandittargetsstudentswhomeetthewideningparticipationeligibilitycriteria.Inadditionfocussedemployabilitysupportworkwillcontinuewithstudentswithontheautismspectrumandsimilarstrategiesforfurthersupportingundergraduateswithdisabilitiesorparticularneedswillbedevelopedanddeliveredbyacademicschoolsandstudentservices.Wewillcontinuetoestablishwork-studyandinternshipopportunities,andtoplacestudentsfromtargetedcohortsinthese.TheseplacementswillengagestudentsfullywithintheUniversitycommunity,andallowthemtoearnmoneywhiledeveloping5 Achievement rates indicate the % of entrants who complete their intended qualification and get an award
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theiremployabilityskills.SomeoftheseplacementswillbewithourStudentAmbassadorScheme,butmanyotherswillbeestablishedinothersectionsoftheUniversityandUKATandwewillseektomatchstudentsinareasofprofessionalinterest.
TheUniversityiscontinuinganinnovativetripartiteschemebetweentheUniversity,UKATacademiesandaprivateteachertrainingproviderthatcombinesaQTSschool-basedqualificationwithaparttimePhD/MastersrouteforstudentswhohavebeenoutreachstudentambassadorsatKent.Theschemehasevolvedfromtheprovisionofouroutreachofferandhasbeendevisedtofurthermeetourrequirementsforhighqualitysubject-basedoutreachbutithasalsoprovidedanopportunityforprogressiontopostgraduateandprofessionalqualificationsourundergraduatestudents.Basedupontheearlysuccessindicatorsofthescheme,andongoingacuteteachershortages,theUniversityisbroadeningsupportforitssponsoredschoolthroughthedevelopmentofshortteachinginternshipsopentosecondyearundergraduatesandtransitionmodulesforstudentswithaninterestinteachingintheirfinalyear.
Broadtargets:• Continuetomonitorandaddressnon-continuationofyoungfulltimedegreeentrantsfromLPNQ1and
Q2.• ReducethegapinachievementofintendedawardbetweenPOLARv4Q2andQ5students.• Reduceperformancegapwithregardtofirstand2.1attainmentbasedonageandethnicity.• Improveretentionandsuccessofmaturelearners.• Furtherdevelopmentoftargetedtracking,interventionandappropriatesupportaswellasthe
identificationofrelevantwork-studyandinternshipopportunities,tobeundertakenbythethreefacultyemployabilitypostsestablishedlastyearunderourAccessAgreement.
• ContinuationoftheambassadorandstudentmentoringprogrammeacrosstheUniversity.• Ambassadorschemetobeassessednotonlyonsuccessinoutreach,butalsomonitoredforimpactonthe
retentionandfutureemployabilityofthestudentambassadors.• Employabilityadvisorstoworkwithstudentswithdisabilitiesandemployerstoaddressthelower
employmentrateofstudentswithdisabilitiesupongraduation.• Closelymonitortheimpactofnewfeelevelsonprogressiontopostgraduatestudy.
Financialsupportforstudents
TheUniversityanticipatesthatwewillprovidebursarysupporttoaminimumof700students.Awardsof£4,500willbeallocatedtoeligiblestudentsacross3yearsofstudycomprising£1,500peryearofstudy.Studentsthatstudyayearabroad,yearinindustryora4yearundergraduatedegreeprogrammewillreceiveanadditionalawardof£1,500(amaximumawardof£6,000).6
Thissupportwillbetargetedatstudentswithahouseholdincomebelow£42,8757whoalsomeetotherwideningparticipationcriteria.Inaddition,theUniversitywillalsogrowitsPartnerSchoolandCollegeStipendSchemetoincludemorebursariesandwewillintroducecompetitivework-linkedfinancialprogrammesofsupportinpartnershipwiththeseinstitutionstoo.ApplicationsforPartnerSchoolandCollegescholarshipsandstipendsarewelcomedfromUKandEUstudentsfromourPartnerSchoolsandCollegeswhoareapplyingtoKentforfullfeeprogrammesandisworth£1,000peryearofstudy.
EligibilityfortheKentFinancialSupportPackagewillbedeterminedbyanumberofindicators;inordertoqualify,studentsunder21whosehouseholdincomesfallwithinthesebandswillberequiredtomeetlowparticipationcriteria(thestudent’shouseholdislocatedinanareathattraditionallyhashadlowlevelsof6Based on current Government policy. 7The living cost loan amounts for 2019 have not yet been confirmed, this figure is subject to change.
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participationinhighereducation(quintiles1and2)asdefinedbytheHigherEducationFundingCouncilforEngland(HEFCE)orisclassifiedassocialhousing).Afulllistofpostcodesandtheirclassificationbyparticipation(POLARv4)canbefoundontheHEFCEwebsiteandsocialhousingdatacanbeaccessedontheUniversityofKentsite8.
Studentswhoare21orover(atthe30thSeptemberontheiryearofentry)willbeeligiblefortheKentMatureStudentBursaryiftheymeetthehouseholdincomethresholdsasoutlinedabove.Equally,alleligiblecandidateswillhaveattendedstatefundededucation(includingstatefundedsecondaryorFurtherEducationaged16onwards).StudentswithdisabilitiesinreceiptofDSA9withanincomeupto£42,87510arealsoeligible.Allcareleaverswillalsobeeligibleforthesamefinancialpackage.Socio-economicandfirstinfamilydatawillalsoberequestedsothateligibilitycanberankedshoulddemandexceedsupply.MedwaySchoolofPharmacystudentswhoalsosatisfythesecriteriawillbeeligibleforthesamerangeofsupportpackages.
Ithasnotprovedpossibletoaccuratelymodelthelocalcarerpopulationtodatetoseeifitispossibletoestablishacarer-assessedfinancepackagethatwouldbebasedprimarilyuponstudentsinourPartnerFEcolleges.However,wewillputacappedpilotinplace,atthesamevalueasourcareleaverspackage,forupto10carers,whosestatuswillbeverifiedbyacouncilassessmentin2017.Considerationoffinancialsupporthasalsobeengiventoestrangedstudents.However,atthistimetherearenostandardexternalverificationmeasuresinplaceonwhichwecanmodelfinancialsupport.Withinthiscontextwewouldencouragethosestudentswhoareestrangedtomakecontactwithourfinancialaidofficefordiscretionarysupport.Ifestrangedstudentstatuscanbeverifiedthefinancialsupportpackagewouldbethesameasforcareleavers.
InadditiontothebursarysupportdescribedabovetheUniversityisalsointheprocessofmodellingfortheintroductionofanewtypeoffinancialsupport,baseduponarangeofindicatorsandallocatedtotargetedstudentsincombinationwitharangeofacademicandpastoralsupport.Wewillmakeavailablesupporttostudentswhoareatriskofunderperformingintermsofretentionandsuccess.Forexample,evidencesuggeststhatstudentswhoenterfromlowhouse-holdincomebackgrounds(lessthan£25,000)aremorelikelytocommuteandtowork,withareductioninengagementseenforthisgroup.Furthermore,studentswhoenterwithspecificentryqualificationsarealsoatriskofunder-performance.Elementsofthesupportpackage,bothfinancialandstudentsuccess,maynotnecessarilybeallocatedonentrybutatimportanttransitionpoints.Thisnewapproachiscurrentlybeingpilotedandwewillmeasureimpactalongsideotherinitiatives.Thepilotwillalsoenableustorefineeligibilitycriteriaandsupportlevels,fortargetedgroups,whichislikelytoincludeentrylevelandotherdisadvantagemeasures.
Targetsandmilestones
Weprovideadditionalinformationandcontextforthedetailcontainedintable8.
Targetsrelatingtoyoungfulltimeundergraduateentrants:• Increaseintakeofyoungfulltimeundergraduatesfromwideningparticipationbackgroundsposthigher
feeswithinthesector(asdefinedbycurrentOfSbenchmarksandKent’sinternalpartnershiptargets).• Improveourperformanceintherecruitmentofstudentsfromunder-representedgroups(anddevelop
robustproxymeasurestoaidassessment).• IncreasefulltimeentrantsfromUniversityPartnerandKMPFSchoolsandColleges.8 The University has decided to retain and refine its use of postcode data by the incorporation of social housing postcodes in higher quintiles. Analysis of our 2012 intake indicates that using postcode data as an additional indicator to the criteria has helped to ensure that funds are targeted to widening participation students. 9 DSA is currently under review. Therefore eligibility criteria will be re-assessed once the new assessment framework for the DSA replacement is known.10The living cost loan amounts for 2019 have not yet been confirmed, this figure is subject to change.
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• FurthercollaborativetargetsagreedbytheKentandMedwayProgressionFederation.
Milestones:• Assessimpactonrecruitmentofyoungstudentstofulltimeprogrammesusingmeasuresfromstate
school,lowincomeandLPNQ1&2.• Worktowardsmeetingthenationalbenchmarkwherewearebelowthosemeasuresandmeetinternal
targetswhereweexceedbenchmarks.• Implementuseofcontextualdatatoassistamoreholisticadmissionsprocess,examiningapplicants
educationalachievementinthecontextoftheirschoolorcollegeperformance.• MaintainandstrengthenrelationshipswithschoolsandcollegesusingevidenceonschoolandFE
participationperformance(includingdestinationstoinstitutionsotherthanKent),tobemadeavailablethroughcollaborativeHEATdataanalysis.
• Newtargetswithinacollaborativelearnerprogressionframeworkarenowestablishedandwillbejointlymonitoredannually.
Targetsrelatingtomaturestudententrants:• Community-basedaccessprovisionestablishedandonenewpathwayunderdevelopment.Milestones:• Assessimpactonrecruitmentofmaturestudentstofullandparttimeprogrammesfromlowparticipation
neighbourhoodsandnopreviousexperienceofHE.• Assessimpactofnewprogression-provisionandfamilylearningonapplicationstoHE(basedononeand
twoyearaccessintake).
Targetsrelatingtoregenerationandcommunity:• Developtargetsforthenewmultiacademytrust(MAT),theUniversityofKentAcademiesTrust(UKAT)
whichiscurrentlysponsoringtwoschoolsintheMedwayarea.Milestones:Timescalesandmicro-monitoringarecontainedwithintherespectiveAcademy’skeyperformanceindicatorswithinitsschoolimprovementplan.Inbroadtermstheyfocusuponthe:• Developmentof5University-ledcurriculumbasedprojectswithinnewspecialismareasofScienceand
Arts.• Leadingcommunityengagementoflevel3andabove.• Supportdevelopmentof6thform.• Developopportunitiesforstudentstoaccessteachertrainingopportunitiesinoursponsoredschool.
TargetsandMilestonesrelatingtonon-continuationandstudentsuccess:TheUniversityhasbuiltamorecompleteanalysisofpatternsofnon-achievementandattainmentgapsofentrantswithdifferingprofilesincludingthecollectionofrobustqualitativedata.Thisinformsourworkwith:• Identifyingstudentsuccessdifferentialsacrossarangeofequalitygroups;specificallynon-completionand
lowerattainmentwithBME,nonAlevelentrants,maturestudents,POLARQ1and2toassesswhetherthereareparticularareasforintervention.
• Identifyingnon-completionandlowerattainmentinsubjectareasandassessingwhetherthereareparticularareasforintervention.
• ThecreationandtargetingofinternshipsandpaidopportunitiestoincludethefurtherdevelopmentofourAmbassadorscheme;theseopportunitiestobothsupportincomegenerationduringtheirstudyperiodaswellasimproveandemployabilityskills.
• ImprovingstudentretentionwithinHEinFEsettings.
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• Improvingtheretentionofcareleavers.Volumemeasures
Inadditiontothetargetsandmilestonesgivenabove(andindetailwithintable8),theUniversitywillalsousethefollowingvolumemeasurestoensurethatappropriatelevelsofactivitiesareinplacetohelpsecureourtargets:
ExistingvolumemeasureswillcontinuetobemonitoredandevaluatedasoutlinedinourWideningParticipationStrategyandwewillincorporateournewOfStargetsintoourinstitutionalreportingcycle.Inaddition,careleavertargetsareincludedinthenewimplementationplan.
Wewillincreaseprovisionforacademicinvestmentinthedevelopmentanddeliveryofoutreachcurriculumacrossalldepartments;toincludeadditionalandnewcurriculumoutreachprogrammestoensurethataccesstotheHumanitiesdoesnotbecomethepreserveoftheeliteandthataccesstosubjectsofstrategicimportanceandtheprofessionsisequitable.
InadditiontoundertakingthegovernanceofBromptonAcademyandChathamGrammarSchoolforGirls,theUniversityiscommittedtosupportingtheacademiesinthedevelopmentofitsnewspecialismsofScienceandtheArts.CurriculumacrossallyeargroupsisbeingjointlydevelopedintheseareasandwillbeaccessedbytheTrust’s2800students.WithintheSchoolImprovementPlan(SIP)fortheDfE,theUniversitycommittedtoundertakefivecross-schoolprojectsandtoleadontheengagementofthecommunityatlevel3andhighereducation,buildinguponourareasofoutreachandcurriculumexpertise.
Monitoringandevaluationarrangements
AsrequiredundertheOfSguidance,dataandactivitieswillbemonitoredcloselytoensurethatbothcanbeassessedandtargetsreaffirmedoralteredonanannualbasis.Thegranularityofourmonitoringandevaluationisclearlydemonstratedintable8andmorebroadlyinourcasestudysubmissionstoOfS.Wewillcontinuetobuilduponourqualitativeandquantitativeevaluationtoensurethatweareontracktomeetourlongertermstrategicaimswithinacceptabletolerancelevels.Equally,wearecommittedtocontinuetosupportwidertrendanalysiswithintheregionandthesector.Since2011theUniversityhasledtheHigherEducationAccessTracking(HEAT)service,acollaborationof78otheruniversities.Since2014,theUniversityhasledthenationalrolloutofHEATtoHEIsacrossEngland.TheHEATprojectallowsthesharingofcostsforstudentledmonitoringandevaluationandforcollaborativedeliveryofevidencebasedevaluation.OurnationalcommunityofHEATsubscriberswillworktogetherintheresearchanddevelopmentofeffective,fitforpurposeevaluationpracticetoinformoutreachplanningandassessimpact.Longitudinaltrackingunderpinsthequantitativeevaluation.HEATalsoprovidesdatatounderpinmonitoringandevaluationforthemajorityofNCOPconsortia.ThiswillenabletheuniversityandourcollaborativepartnerstoexamineNCOPdeliveryincombinationwithotheroutreachactivityandtoassesshowtheworkcomplementseachother.WewillalsobeabletoclearlyseparateourNCOPbeneficiariesfromotheroutreachparticipantssothatwecanmonitorgroups,areasandagerangesnottargetedthroughtheNCOP.
HEATprovidesmonitoringandevaluationinformationontheimpactofWPinterventionsthroughanevidencebasedWPevaluationframework.Thisevaluationframeworkaimstoprovideevidencethatengagementinoutreachactivityhasapositiveimpactonstudentoutcomesandtoassesswhetherourworkis:• Reachingandengagingdisadvantagedstudents• Deliveringaprogressiveandcomplementarysetofoutreachactivitiestoarangeofyeargroups• Increasingdisadvantagedstudent’sawarenessandknowledgeofHE
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• ContributingtoincreasedstudentattainmentatKS4andKS5• Contributingtoincreasedretentionineducationratesatage16,17,18years• IncreasingtheapplicantandacceptedapplicantUCASratesofdisadvantagedstudents• IncreasingtheHEentrantandsuccessratesofdisadvantagedstudentsTheUniversityandtheHEIsthatsubscribetoHEAThavedevelopedastudentdatatrackingsystemandasetofmeasureswhichallowannualmonitoringofoutcomesagainstbaselines.Equally,additionalinterimmeasuresareinplacetoevaluatetheimpactofoutreachactivitiesonotherstudentoutcomeswhichindicatethestudent’spropensitytoenterHE,e.g.KS4attainment,KS5attainment,andyear11toyear12retentiondata.Examplesoftheinformationprovidedthroughthecollaborativeserviceare:• Planningdataonschoolsandcolleges(basedonpupilleveldata)tohelpmonitoreffectivetargetingof
schools/collegesandstudents• Postcodedatatoassessstudentprofiles• Arecordingfacilitytofacilitatestudenttrackingandrecordstudentparticipationinactivities• Provisionofarangeofdatasets/measuresrelatedtostudentoutcomes(KS4,KS5,UCAS)• EvidenceexploringtherelationshipbetweenstudentparticipationinoutreachactivitiesandHE
participation(e.gHESAtrackingstudies)
TheHEATstudenttrackingstudiesallowthemonitoringofapplicantsandentrantstootherHEIsandtoHEinFEsettings.Studentledevaluationallowstheexplorationoftheassociationbetweenparticipationinoutreachandsetstudentoutcomesthroughoutthestudentlifecycle.Forexample,longitudinaltrackingallowstheexplorationofpatternsofHEentryovertime(notjustatage18or19years)andthisisespeciallyimportantfortargetgroupofstudents.TrackingstudiesthroughtoHEentryandcompletionalsoallowresearchintotheretentionandsuccessofstudentswhoprogress.
Kent’sevaluationframeworkalsoincludesplanstoassesstheimpactthatourundergraduateStudentAmbassadorScheme(inwhichcurrentstudentsassistinthedeliveryofoutreach)hasontheirretention,successandfutureemployability.
TheUniversityisalsocommittedtoqualitativeevaluationofouroutreachprogrammeandwedeployResearchandEvaluationAmbassadorstocollectstudentfeedbackonindividualoutreachactivityandouroverallprogramme.WealsogatherevaluativeevidencetoassesstheimpactthatouroutreachprogrammeshaveonPartnerSchoolstaffawarenessandattitudes.
Anevaluationofstudentsuccessinterventionsisunderwayinpilotschoolswhereweseektoidentifytheinterventionandpracticethathasledtopositivestudentoutcomessothatwecanrollthispracticeouttoothercohortsandschools.Anevidenceledapproachwillalsoensurethatwecontinuetoadapttothechangingcompositionoflearnersandthatinterventionsarefocussedonstudentneed.Theuniversityiskeentoimprovethewayweevaluateanduseevidenceandtocontinuallyreviewthewayinwhichweengagefuturecohortsofdisadvantagestudents(forbothaccessandstudentsuccessintervention).OurAccessandParticipationPlanSteeringGroupandResearchandEvaluationGroupreviewevidenceandmakerecommendationsregardingtheefficacyofinterventionsandwhethertoceaseorrolloutforfuturecohorts.
Equalityanddiversity
TheUniversityhasgivendueconsiderationtotheEqualityAct2010andconsidersequalityissueswhendevelopingpoliciesthroughoutthelifecycle.TheUniversityhasanincreasinglyculturallydiversehomepopulationandwearerespondingtodifferencesinsocial,economicandculturalcapitalwithourentrant
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cohortsinordertofullysupporttheneedsofstudentsfromarangeofbackgrounds.SignificantinvestmentinStudentSuccessinitiativesaimstoaddressthegapsinperformancethatpersistwithstudentsfromdifferentequalitygroupsincludingBMEgroups,disadvantagedstudentsandstudentswhoenterwithotherqualificationsthanAlevels.Ourintersectionalanalysisofstudentdatahasidentifiedgroupsofstudentswhomwebelievetobeatriskofnon-retentionorunder-performanceandinterventionswillcontinuetobefocussedonthesegroups.
Employabilityandfurtherstudytrendsunderthenewfeelevelswillbemonitoredtoascertainifprogressionintoworkorpostgraduatestudyremainsequitableforallgroups.Whereunder-representationisidentifiedwewillcontinuetotargetactivitytosupportstudentemployability.TargetedactivitysuchasourWorkStudySchemeismonitoredcloselytoensureweareengagingstudentswhomayneedthissupportmost.
Theotherprotectedcharacteristicsthatarenotincludedherearesubjecttonewdatacollectionandtrendanalysisinthefuturewillbeabletoinformnewtargetsintheseareasiftheyarerequired.
Investment
OurInvestmentinAccess,Success,ProgressionandFinancialsupportactivityreflectsourcommitmenttosupportingstudentsateachstageofthelifecycle,withdedicatedsupportavailablethatistargetedbyneed.Ourtotalspendin2019-20onthisactivitywillbe£10,049,641whichis24.4%ofourHigherFeeIncome(HFI).Therewillbe£2,306,000spentonAccess(5.6%ofHFI),£2,119,000spentonSuccess(5.4%ofHFI),£367,641onProgression(0.9%ofHFI)and£5,145,000investedinfinancialsupport(12.5%ofHFI).Ourlevelsofspendwillbebroadlysimilarbetween2020-2022.TheinvestmentreportedinourAccessandParticipationPlandoesnotexceedourtotalinvestmentineacharea,whichishigher.
Provisionofinformationtoprospectivestudents
TheUniversitywillpublishdetailsoffullcostsforstudentsandthemeansofsupportavailable,itsfinancialsupportschemesandeligibilitycriteriainitsannualprospectus.Asthisdocumentispublishedwellinadvanceofregistration,supplementaryinformationwillbeproducedandpublishedbothonlineandinprint.Detailedinformationisprovidedincludinghowtocalculateeligibilityforallbursariesandscholarshipsandaweb-based‘ready-reckoner’todeterminethefinancialaidpackageiseasilyaccessiblewithfulldetailsofthepackageandcriterion.
TheRecruitmentOfficers,VisitDayCoordinators,OutreachCoordinatorsandDevelopmentOfficershavearoleinthedisseminationofinformationtothewidercommunityandstakeholders.Thisinformationwillbepartoftheirportfoliooftalksandpresentationsandtheywilldeliverthisinformationtoschools,students,teachers,parentsandcommunitygroups.TheUniversityiscommittedtosupportingstudentsthroughtheapplicationprocess.
InformationwillalsobemadeavailableinatimelyfashiontoUCASandSLC.
TheUniversitywillprovidefullandaccurateinformationoftheaggregateamountoffeesandothercostsrequiredtocompleteourdegreeprogrammes.WewillalsopublishthefinalAccessandParticipationPlanonourwebsite.
Consultingwithstudents
TheUnionhasbeenconsultedintheformulationofthisagreementthroughattendanceatallkeyplanningmeetings.TheUnionendorsesourAccessplan.TheUnionissupportiveoftheUniversity’scommitmenttofinancialsupportwhilststudyingratherthanintheformoffeewaivers.TheUnionsupportstheguarantee
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thatfullandaccurateinformationoftheaggregateamountoffeesandothercostsaretransparent.ThecurrentAgreementbuildsupontheclearlystatedtargetstodevelopjointworkinginoutreachandstudentemployabilitywithKentUnion,aswellasfullysupportingthecommitmentforimprovingstudentsuccess.
Aspartofourongoingdatacollectionandanalysispre-applicants,applicantsandstudentsareengagedinqualitativeresearchtohelpinformourquantitativeanalysisandplanning.Wealsoundertakeaprogrammeofqualitativeevaluationwithstudentswithinourpartnerschools,collegesandcommunitygroupstoinformouroutreachandwideroffer.
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Table8–Targetsandmilestones
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Table8b-Othertargetsandmilestones
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