Tag: Higher Education

Plan now for Clearing!

COVID delayed has delayed decisions about university

COVID has caused many young people to delay thinking about their future. But as the prospect of freedom slowly returns, they are starting to get serious about what happens next.

Exams were cancelled this year making way for teachers to determine students’ grades, so, if you’ve left it until now to think about university, we’ve got some top tips.

Many people think that university clearing is only open on results day and for a few weeks afterwards – it’s not the case!

Dr Lisette Johnston, Head of School at ScreenSpace, part of MetFilm School explains what Clearing is all about and urges young people to plan now!

This year, clearing opens on the 5th July, and universities are already advertising courses available through Clearing. 

What is Clearing?

Clearing is the process that students use to access university AFTER they’ve received their A-level level results (or A-level equivalents).

Is it just for those who didn’t get their expected grades?

No, COVID-19 has really affected the way people are thinking about university. Historically, it was widely recognised that schools and colleges didn’t always get predicted exam grades right, and this year with teachers effectively awarding students’ their predicted grades, universities are expecting lots of lastminute applications.

Last year’s results were affected by the pandemic, but that didn’t put young people off from going to university, and the number of students given university places rose nearly 3%. 2020 was also a record year for students applying through clearing: 70,000, people, including those who had applied earlier in the year, were accepted through Clearing.

What if my grades are higher than I expected?

If your results are better than expected and you’ve accepted a place at a university based on lower grades, you can ‘trade up’ to a different course or university that required higher grades, this is called Adjustment.

I’m getting my A-level results in August – I’ve put off deciding whether to go to university because of COVID-19, but… what can I do now?

Here are Dr Lisette’s 6 top tips

1.Get Cracking: the sooner you apply the better! Some courses cap the number of students they will take, so apply early and that way you are more likely to get a conditional offer, which is better than missing the boat if you leave it to phone on results day. 

2. Be informed. Don’t wait until results day to look around universities and get a taste of what’s on offer, there are lots of campus tours (real and virtual) between now and August, so as well as looking at course content online it’s a real bonus if you can actually go to a university and see what it is really like. That way you can hit the ground running.

3. What do you really want? If you haven’t got the grades you expected, you might not get into your first choice, but that doesn’t mean going through Clearing to get in just anywhere. If staying at home is important to you, find out what the options are available locally. If you are passionate about a specific topic, find out where the next best place on the list is and what grades they expect currently. It’s also acceptable to ask how many people they took through Clearing last year. They might not be able to tell you on a course by course basis, but you should be able to get a breakdown across the university.

4. Be realistic. Oxford and Cambridge may be out of reach. Decide what is a priority for you. If you haven’t got the results you expected, what is more important – the course, the location, or a degree in general? The last thing you want is to get on a course and find out it’s not what you want. And don’t just go somewhere ‘cos all your mates are going there!

5. Be open minded. Within a university there are often opportunities to transfer courses to take electives more closely linked to your original choices. See who offers this. Also Clearing gives a chance to go to a place you might not have thought about before.

6. Remember, you’re not stuck – if you start at a university and you realise it’s the wrong course or the wrong place – you can change! 

At ScreenSpace we had students who came through Clearing last year, some after the course started; they’re actually much happier than they were with their original choice. 

Edinburgh College lecturers to strike this week

Edinburgh College lecturers are scheduled for further industrial action this week, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st April in defence of the Further Education sector and the professional status of qualified lecturers. This follows previous strongly supported strike action taken prior to the Easter holidays.

Colleges Scotland’s refusal to ratify their own agreed definition of the lecturer’s role, a definition the union accepts, has so far prevented a settlement. Their refusal threatens to undermine the delivery of quality education to Edinburgh College students, many of whom have over the years seen unqualified staff on poorer pay, terms and conditions deliver qualifications up to HN level.

EIS FELA members will this week also be balloted on Action Short of Strike Action. This constitutes an escalation of the dispute incorporating a withdrawal of good will. 

Edinburgh College Branch Secretary Penny Gower described what is at stake: ‘Our members are losing money by striking, but this action is not for personal gain. It is to make sure our students get the quality of education they deserve.

“All we ask is that the employers ratify their own proposals which we have already accepted. If they care about students they should do that immediately.”

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Our members are continuing to stand firm against the practice of replacing lecturers with less qualified, lower paid staff. Colleges claim that there is no plan to do this, yet they continue to refuse to ratify an agreement that would halt this practice.

“If colleges are not seeking to replace lecturers with lower qualified staff, why are they so reluctant to ratify the agreement – incorporating their own proposals – that would stop it from happening?”

A spokesperson for the Colleges Scotland Employers’ Association, said: “Colleges will do everything they can to ensure that students are supported during this difficult time, and that any disruption is minimised.

“The EIS-FELA has refused repeated requests to suspend the strikes while meaningful discussions carry on – national industrial action is wholly unnecessary.” 

Revised plan for College and University study resumption

University students will be taught online throughout January and February, with the vast majority not expected back on campuses until the start of March, as part of a revised plan for their return in light of the spread of the new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Only very small numbers of students will be allowed back on campus this month, for example, those:

  • who have remained over the winter break
  • whose attendance is critical and whose education cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements,  or for reasons of student well-being

Where attendance is time-sensitive to the ability to graduate and cannot be delivered remotely or further postponed, very limited numbers of students may be able to return from mid-February. However all arrangements are subject to a future review of COVID-19 conditions.

Colleges will follow the level guidance for their local authority area which in practice means with limited exemptions the majority of  college students’ studies will be on line in January and  into February

The current state of the pandemic, the impact of suppression measures and the roll out of the vaccine will all be taken into account in considering whether it is possible for a return at any point.

Richard Lochhead, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, said detailed sectoral guidance will be published as soon as possible next week, but that his basic message to students remains that they should not return to their term-time accommodation until in-person teaching resumes, as advised by their institution.

Mr Lochhead said: “These changes reflect the current status of the virus, the reality of the new strain, and the rise in cases in recent weeks.

“The return of students to campus, including returning to term-time accommodation, involves the mass movement of thousands of people across the country. The mixing of people on that scale, including the potential movement of tens of thousands of students to university halls and private-rented flats, simply isn’t safe right now. It would fuel the virus, and that is something no one wants.

“Our immediate priority right now is to say to students, other than in specific special circumstances, they must not return to their campus or term-time accommodation before they are specifically told to do so by their institution.

“For the overwhelming majority of university students, this means all learning will be online-only at least for January and February, and students should not expect to return to campus or student accommodation before the end of February.

“We will review plans in light of the state of the pandemic nearer the time, but right now even the very limited number of returns that were previously planned for phase 2 of the restart dates, cannot happen until at least the middle of next month for the majority of students, supported by rapid-result testing on arrival.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and fortitude in dealing with the pandemic over past months, and we understand this is more difficult news – but we want to give students and staff as much certainty as we can so they can plan effectively. That’s why we are setting this plan out now.

“As we have all seen, this virus moves fast and changes quickly but even in light of that reality, hopefully by setting out a clear plan that gives certainly for at least the next two months, everyone can now plan with a greater degree of confidence.”

Edinburgh College appoints two new Board members

Edinburgh College’s Board of Management has appointed two new non-executive members to support it in leading the strategic direction of the College.

The new members are experienced figures in Scottish public life and have an extensive background in human resources, organisational development and law, within the public and private sectors. 

The new Board members are management consultant Alex Killick and Toni McAlindin, an employment law specialist.

Alex Killick has held senior positions at NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD), and until recently was the Director of People at Glasgow Caledonian University. Alex is now a Director at Leading Kind, a management consultancy which specialises in wellbeing, equality and workforce development. 

Toni McAlindin is an experienced employment law consultant and a qualified barrister, who currently serves as an Employment Tribunal Member.

Toni previously served on the Court of Stirling University for six years, and was a non-executive board member at the former Jewel & Esk College.

Interim Chair of Edinburgh College’s Board of Management, Ann Landels, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome Alex and Toni to their new roles. Both have a vast wealth of experience in human resources and workforce development, as well as strong links within education. 

“Their respective experiences and skillsets will serve the College and the Board well as we aim to continue maximising experiences and opportunities for all of our students.” 

Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “I am pleased to welcome Alex and Toni to the Board of Management as we work to achieve our ambitions for the future. 

“Their mixture of experience in the commercial and public sectors will add to the range of knowledge and expertise already at the Board’s disposal which, will no doubt, be of great benefit as we strive to be Scotland’s pre-eminent College, delivering life-changing education to our students.”

Find out more about the Edinburgh College Board of Management.

Universities must not become the care homes of a Covid second wave, says UCU

Universities must scrap plans to reopen campuses next month in order to prevent a major public health crisis, the University and College Union said yesterday.

The union fears that the migration of over a million students across the UK risks doing untold damage to people’s health and exacerbating the worst health crisis of our lifetimes.

UCU said that the prospect of mass student migration was already challenging enough, but the A-levels fiasco and the removal of the cap on the number of students universities can recruitrisked overwhelming some institutions and turning universities into the care homes of a second wave.

UCU said that demanding over a million young people move around the UK to attend university made no sense. The union highlighted there is no functioning track and trace system in place, nor any UK-wide plans to regularly test students or staff. UCU said the push to get students back on campus was being driven by a dangerous desire to get back to business as usual, before it was safe to do so.

UCU said that, rather than allowing universities to reopen precipitously, the government had to step in and underwrite any lost funding for the higher education sector. The union said universities that rely on tuition and accommodation fees feared lost income and the government had to make it clear now that they will not suffer financially for doing the right thing in terms of public health.

The union accepted that there would be challenges switching from blended learning to online, but that the move outweighed the health risks for students and the wider population. UCU added that it was highly likely that reopening campuses would result in local lockdowns and courses being moved online. The union said it was best to make that call now instead of a U-turn that would be too late even by this government’s standards.

In the US more universities are moving back to online only after seeing increases in Covid cases. There are also examples across the Atlantic of students being blamed for increases in cases and lockdowns – something UCU said it wanted to avoid being repeated in the UK.

The union said that if campuses reopen and cases rise then blaming students, instead of doing everything to mitigate against it happening, would be a denial of responsibility by government and universities.

The union said it backed recommendations in last week’s report from the Independent Sage committee that called for online learning to become universities’ default position.

The union said that although recorded cases were on the rise, the government has not provided systems for testing and tracing that could cope with campuses reopening and universities have failed to step into the breach.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Moving a million plus students around the country is a recipe for disaster and risks leaving ill-prepared universities as the care homes of a second wave.

“The recent fiasco over exam results and their fallout has left universities under even greater pressure. It is time for the government to finally take some decisive and responsible action in this crisis and tell universities to abandon plans for face-to-face teaching.

‘Refusing to act now will only store up problems further down the line as courses are forced to move online and students forced into lockdown. It is no good blaming students later on for a problem that could have been avoided by government action. We need to move all teaching online for the first term of the new academic year, as recommended by Independent Sage, and the government needs to underwrite any lost funding for the sector.

‘The limited, piecemeal funding measures announced by the government so far are nothing compared with the security and the stimulus that would be provided by a comprehensive funding guarantee. Students will also need financial support to ensure that they can participate fully in online learning .’

The union has issued new guidance that also calls for greater testing on campus and better and more cleaning.

UCU said it wanted colleges and universities to work with the union on risk assessments to ensure staff and students could be confident their health and welfare was institutions’ number one concern. Earlier this week, the union called for face coverings to be worn in colleges and universities.

At 4pm on Tuesday Jo Grady will be joined by guests including Independent Sage members Professor Ann Phoenix and Professor Elizabeth Stokoe, and president of the National Union of Students Larissa Kennedy to consider how campuses could reopen safely. The event will be live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

 Full details are available here.

Get on Board scheme honoured at national awards

Project aims to bring diversity to the boardroom

Edinburgh Napier’s ground-breaking Get on Board programme has been honoured with a prestigious Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).

The programme – which places students with the boards of charities, voluntary organisations and public bodies, and gives them opportunities to network with professionals and help make decisions which impact their community – is one of 15 winning projects from universities across the UK.

The CATE awards, announced yesterday by Advance HE, the body dedicated to helping higher education shape its future, recognise collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning, highlighting the key role of teamwork.

Get on Board was established in 2015, with academics Miles Weaver and Jacqueline Brodie working with the University’s careers service to deliver an extra-curriculum programme to support employability of students and address the key Scottish national outcome of improving board diversity. The pilot project won a Herald HE Award for Enhancing Student Learning.

The programme’s development was supported by a student steering group called Young Trustees in Scotland led by Elena Pershina, who was a fourth year undergraduate at the time and President of Young Trustees in Scotland.

The Get on Board team later joined forces with RSM and Santander, and further organisations and universities became involved as the competency pathway was developed as an opportunity to bolster trustee skills among students in Scotland, each partner bringing their own capabilities, training and networking opportunities.

Dr Brodie, Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Edinburgh Napier’s Business School, said: “The Get on Board team are honoured to be awarded an Advance HE CATE. It has been a privilege to empower students to make a positive difference in their communities and support the development of their employability and enterprise skills in the process.”

Alison Johns, Advance HE CEO, said: “I am sure I am joined by the entire sector in congratulating the 2020 CATE awardees. All of the winners should be extremely proud of their achievement.

“Their work epitomises the outstanding commitment to teaching in the UK higher education sector, which this year has been more demanding than ever before.”

The Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence scheme was introduced in 2016, and is open to members of staff from all providers of higher education across the UK.

Reassurance for students

Prospective university and college students are being reassured that they will receive their results on time, and universities and colleges will assess qualifications as part of the admissions process.

Minister for Further Education and Higher Education Richard Lochhead has written to students emphasising that their educational futures are being protected during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Universities are also being urged to observe a moratorium on changing offers made to undergraduate students.

In a letter to principals, Mr Lochhead underlined the need for a stable Higher Education admissions system while the country collectively responds to the challenges of COVID-19.

Mr Lochhead said: “I understand that many students who have applied to university or college this year will be anxious that school exams cannot go ahead as a result of the impact of COVID-19.

“The Scottish Government took this action to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff.

“While the protection of life remains our utmost priority, I am absolutely clear that we must ensure that the interests and life chances of our young people are protected, and that they will be rewarded for their hard work.

“Despite the disruption, students will quite rightly have their achievements recognised, and gain the qualifications and awards that they deserve after so many years of hard work.

“I am also confident that institutions will act responsibly, and recognise that our shared priority now must be to ensure the stabilisation of the Higher Education admissions system, which is in all of our interests, whilst we respond to the unprecedented challenges COVID-19 presents.”

The letter to University and College applicants has been published on the SAAS Student Information Scotland website.

Letter to University Principals

14 April 2020

You may be aware of a letter issued by Michelle Donelan, the UK Government Universities Minister, on 3 April informing Higher Education providers in England of the moratorium, until 20 April, on changing offers made to undergraduate students, such as converting conditional offers to unconditional offers or changing entry requirements.

I know you will understand very well that this practice risks destabilising the admissions system, increasing financial uncertainty and volatility for all institutions at a time when universities are already facing significant pressures.

I firstly want to thank you all for not having changed offers to students, or participated in any activity that has led to the moratorium being necessary. I am, however, writing to you in expectation that Scottish institutions maintain this position and observe the moratorium until 20 April, to ensure consistency with English providers.

I am confident institutions will act responsibly and recognise that our shared priority now must be to ensure the stabilisation of the Higher Education admissions system, which is in all of our interests, whilst we collectively respond to the challenges Covid-19 presents.However, I feel it’s important to provide some reassurance to our prospective students about the admissions process at what is an extremely worrying time for them.

I will therefore shortly be issuing a message to reassure applicants that they will receive their exam results in good time for universities to assess qualifications in the usual way; and to remind them that the UCAS May deadlines are being extended by two weeks to give students more time to make decisions about their future.

My purpose in writing to you at this time is to seek your support to ensure our sector continues to act in a way which maintains the stability of the university admissions system and ensures students’ best interests are safeguarded.

I am aware that the sector in Scotland is already working with SQA and my officials to ensure that the admissions process works for this year’s applicants. I would like to commend you for that and my hope is that we can continue to work collaboratively on this matter in the coming weeks and months.

I would like to extend my thanks to all universities and colleges in Scotland for their support in dealing with these unprecedented circumstances.

Yours sincerely

RICHARD LOCHHEAD

Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science

Financial support for students expanded

A major expansion of postgraduate funding has been announced, with funding for students on Research Masters courses to be made available for the first time. This move will ensure that students can access all types of Masters study without financial barriers.

Tuition fee loans of up to £5,500 and living cost loan support of up to £4,500 will be made available to Scottish postgraduate students on Research Masters courses from the coming academic year onwards. This expands on support previously made available to taught postgraduate courses and distance learning postgraduate students.

Additionally, EU students will be eligible for the tuition fee element of the funding.

Announcing the expansion of support, Minister for Higher Education Richard Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government is committed to making higher education as accessible as possible.

“Research students in Scotland are working on the cutting edge of modern thinking. This expansion in funding will allow more students than ever before to pursue postgraduate study without financial barriers. This includes EU students, whose interests the Scottish Government is committed to protecting in light of Brexit.”

Eligible Scottish domiciled students will be able to apply for tuition fee support and living cost loan support for research courses beginning 2019/2020.

EU students will have access to the tuition fee element of this package, as they currently do for undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses.

Postgraduate support is demand-led. If a student applies for funding they will receive that funding, provided the course is eligible. More than 450 postgraduate students could benefit from this expanded support package.

Record number of students from deprived areas at university

Positive progress on equal access to higher education

A record number of full time first degree students at Scottish universities were from the most deprived areas in Scotland last year. 

New figures show that, in 2017/18, 15.6% of students entering university were from the 20% most deprived areas. This is 0.4% short of the Government’s target for 2021.

Last year also saw an increase in the total number of Scottish students enrolling in Scottish universities.

The statistics, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), show the latest progress in the drive to widen access to higher education.

Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “These statistics highlight the good progress being made on widening access to higher education. I’m pleased to see more Scots going to university here and a record increase in entrants from our most deprived areas.

“Combined with recent UCAS statistics, this shows demonstrable progress towards giving every young person in Scotland an equal chance of success, no matter their background or circumstance.

“It is also great to see a record number of enrolments and an increased number of qualifications achieved in 2017/18. All of this speaks to the level of excellence found across our higher education institutions.”

Between 2016/17 and 2017/18:

  • Total Scottish domiciled students (undergraduate and postgraduate) at Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) increased by 1.2% to 160,875
  • The number of students (undergraduate and postgraduate) at Scottish HEIs increased by 2.1% to 247,110
  • Entrants (undergraduate and postgraduate) to Scottish HEIs increased by 3.2% to 104,520
  • EU and non-EU domiciled enrolments to Scottish HEIs increased by 1.7% and 5.1% respectively
  • Qualifiers from Scottish HEIs increased by 2.4% to 76,595

Following the Commission on Widening Access, a target was set that, by 2021, 16% of students entering university will be from Scotland’s most deprived backgrounds, increasing to 20% by 2030. At 15.6% for 2017/18, this is just 0.4 percentage points off the 2021 target.

The latest UCAS statistics from the 2018 End of Cycle Report showed an increase in acceptances for 18 year old students from deprived backgrounds.

The full set of information on 2017/18 enrolments published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency is available as an interactive publication.