HE in FE Partnerships: Case StudyLocally based HE in FE

University of Plymouth Colleges

Barry J Smith

Nick DavyCommunity of Practice Developers

Higher Education Learning Partnerships

Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

University of Plymouth - Commitment to Communities

Service to the Region Commitment to Widening Participation Supporting local enterprises Commitment to increasing opportunity through local

partnerships

Good partnerships add value

Transparent and secure funding Shared Planning and Strategy Collaborative access to funding sources QA support and enhancement Professional Development Learning Resources Students Union support Curriculum Development

15 yrs growth and achievement

Largest HE/FE partnership in UK Queens Anniversary Prize 1994 National Foundation degree pilots New CUC buildings across Cornwall Excellent QAA reviews Strong student retention & progression record Major Widening Participation successes 2005 HE in FE focused CETL

Successes - Local HE

A network of Partner Colleges providing HE in FE in every FEI across SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

7,000+ students Clear progression paths from FE3, NVQ and

Access courses to HNC, HND, FdA and some BA (Hons) programmes

Further progression to UoP top-up honours degrees

The UNIVERSITY and its Partner Colleges

PLYMOUTH

Exeter

Camborne

Barnstaple Taunton

Torbay

Exmouth

Jersey

Bridgwater

Brixham

Truro

Helston

Penzance

Cannington

Tiverton

Minehead

Culdrose

Falmouth

Liskeard

Bodmin

Dartmouth

Dartington

OkehamptonBicton

Saltash

Sidmouth

Schumacher

Duchy

Redruth

Weymouth

Bristol

Bude

St. Austell

CORNWALL COLLEGE

ST AUSTELL COLLEGE

DUCHY COLLEGE

TRURO COLLEGE

PENWITH COLLEGE

RN SCHOOL OF METEOROLOGYAND OCEANOGRAPHY RNAS CULDROSE

HIGHLANDS COLLEGE - JERSEY

NORTH DEVON COLLEGE EAST DEVON COLLEGE

PLYMOUTH COLLEGE of ART & DESIGN

PLYMOUTH COLLEGE OF FE

ESTOVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

RN HYDROGAPHIC SCHOOLHMS DRAKE

SCHUMACHER COLLEGE

DARTINGTON COLLEGE of ARTS

BRITANNIA ROYAL NAVALCOLLEGE

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE

EXETER COLLEGE

BICTON COLLEGE

SCHOOL of MARITIME OPERATIONSHMS DRYAD

SOMERSET COLLEGE of ARTS & TECHNOLOGY

CITY of BRISTOL COLLEGE

FALMOUTH COLLEGE of ARTS

Associated Partner College

Accredited Partner College

WEYMOUTH COLLEGE

JOHN KITTO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BUT could do better!

Low community profile, poorly communicated market niche

Lack of understanding of terms ‘HE’ ‘Partner College’

QA lacks local management involvement Planning becoming unwieldy Variable practice between faculties…… Diffuse staff and student identity

University of Wisconsin Colleges

University of Plymouth Colleges Mission

University of Plymouth Partner Colleges (UPC) will provide high quality dispersed Higher Education to serve the peninsular sub-region of the South West, to widen participation and further economic development

UPC - a new era

High profile University brand for colleges Unashamed celebration of dispersed university

and its niche for local study UPC Faculty Board - Planning, Strategy,

Deliberative, QA processes College based QA - local Joint Boards of Studies Focused support: Quality Enhancement,

Curriculum Development, Academic

Community, Student Progression

Benefits for students 1

A clearer understanding of the benefits of local university level study

Improved course provision Assurance of UoP quality and progression Access to UoP facilities -Library, Students Union;

Sport; Earn & Learn Access to learning materials via the

University e-Portal

Benefits for students 2

Less expense by studying from home Fees differential? Clear link between Foundation degree and

employability Small group sizes, known college environment,

dedicated teaching staff

Benefits to the Region

Local provision for local needs Enhanced opportunities for Widening

Participation and Social inclusion A comprehensive portfolio of foundation degrees,

meeting local economic development needs Development of a seamless provision of services

to business and employers

Curriculum

Replace HND with FdA & embed HNC into FdA where appropriate

Employer engagement with new Fd’s to respond to demonstrable need and demand

Part-time, distance, work based and e-supported learning routes

Distance Learning top-ups in selected subject areas Develop core curricula that are adapted to local delivery

by Colleges through validation not franchise Professional development of UPC academic staff

including scholarly activity

Subject ‘Forums’

Faculty led, cross-partnership, with focus on the enhancement of quality; curriculum development; student progression; staff development

Aiming to create a culture of academic community extending across the university and its partners, with an ethos of ‘critical friendship’

HELP CETL support for UPC Vision

To invest heavily in developing HE in FE staff and teaching expertise

To provide uniformly high quality student learning opportunities and infrastructure across the region

To inspire teaching and learning communities to research their practices and to share & disseminate activities & learning materials within the region and beyond

Enhanced student learning experiences

Realising the vision

Rewarding and recognising staff recognise existing expertise & excellence build capacity in pedagogic research and scholarship

Supporting dynamic and effective physical and virtual regional and national Communities of Practice

Facilitating Development Activities bring together, and call on the experience of, major

partnership networks from across the UK and other relevant national and international organizations, including the HE Academy

Aims:

Focus on scholarship and pedagogic development within HE in FE

Support individual academics to pursue interests

Enable excellent HE in FE teachers to succeed at a competitive funding processPlatforms for research activity across the partnership

Develop a potential community of practice

HELP CETL AWARD SCHEME

Funding up to £10,000 excellent HE in FE teaching staff

substantial research project or development initiatives outcomes of relevance to:national HE in FE learning and teaching context across subjects Colleges/UPC

approx 20%part of the fund to support own personal and professional development.

Up to £3000 for CPD activities

ambassadors for the work of the HELP CETL leadership role to play in the development themes emergent communities of practice

HELP CETL AWARD/CPD SCHEME Fellowship

Awards

Future challenges

Applying the community of practice model Realistic awareness of resource implications for FE

colleagues undertaking scholarly activity/research The complexity of the project Strengthening the relationships between colleges

and university Attitudes Culture Competition

Key strands of the HELP -CETL

Blended / e-learning Work based learning Retention, transition & progression HE in FE pedagogy – theory into practice;

interdisciplinary trading zones Developing communities of practice – collegiate

co-operation through subject forums Management, leadership & governance HE in FE Developing the infrastructure

Communities of Practice

The CETL is working to support new and emerging communities to research their practices and to share & disseminate activities & learning materials within the region and beyond

The aim is facilitate both groups and networks to become more effective physical and virtual Communities

Initial work on technological tools

Key Contacts

Ian TunbridgeDean of University of Plymouth Colleges itunbridge@plymouth.ac.uk

Mark Stone Director of the Higher Education Learning Partnerships Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (HELP CETL)University of Plymouth Collegesm2stone@plymouth.ac.uk

Barry Smith/ Nick Davy Community of Practice Developer

Higher Education Learning Partnerships Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (HELP CETL)University of Plymouth CollegesBarry.smith@plymouth.ac.uk ndavy@plymouth.ac.uk